New Years Eve at EPCOT - what do you think?

[Mazzy]

We will be at WDW over New Years and our plan is to go to EPCOT for New Years Eve - I have booked three PSs to keep us going throughout the day, including the Ice Cream Social!

The only thing that is worrying me is the crowds I have heard about. I will be in a wheelchair due to a foot problem (sesamoiditis) - I can walk - but not for long distances.

Do you think the crowds will be a big problem? I have heard about wall to wall crowds on New Years Eve. I have a vision of someone landing in my lap if we 'bump' them! Are the crowds really that bad?

Has anyone done NYE at EPCOT in a wheelchair? I would love to hear how you got on.

Should we go for it or just stay at the Dolphin and watch the fireworks from there?

TIA

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I have done Epcot on NYE (but it was the 12/31/99-01/01/00 one).

My concept was like the old Japanese saying: "The man who has never seen the sun rise from the top of Mt Fuji has not lived, the man who has seen the sun rise more than once from the top of Mt Fuji is a fool."

At the time I did not use a scooter and the crowds were unbelievable. Before they opened the gates (at 7:30) the lines stretched from all gates (on BOTH sides of the Exit) all the way back to where the Trams load/unload. By 8:25 the park had reached capacity and they closed the gates.

One thing we tried to do was "New Year's Around The World" by getting to countries when they were celebrating the new year: 11:00am at Japan, Noon at China, 2:00 at the Millennium Village for several countries, we were dining in Norway at 6:00 when it was New Years there but were unable to get to Great Britain for 7:00 due to the crowds. Also, we left before 1:00 when Mexico was celebrating.

As an annual passhoder I was able to get my AP stamped and leqve in the middle of the day and then come back. It was the only time I was ever carded at TTC getting on a resdort monorail.

As long as you already have dining reservations it should not been too bad, but it is something you will have to judge for yourself. I felt the crowds were manageable, but as I said I was not in the ECV at the time. You should be able to make it in a wheelchair, but if it gets too bad just be prepared to bail out and go back to the hotel.

 

[SueM in MN]

My older DD (the one who does not have any disabilities) and I were at MK for NYE 1998-Jan 1, 1999 on a mom and 1 daughter trip.
We found the crowds were pretty thick, but not as bad as we expected they might be. We were actually able to walk around without much trouble and I think we would not have had that much difficulty taking my other DD thru in her wheelchair.
I don't know how Epcot compares with what we saw at MK, but I have a feeling it's pretty similar.

Staying at the Dolphin should help you since you can get back there without having to take a bus. We didn't have bus problems, but we stayed until the park closed. Seeing that we were at MK, I think there were more people with younger kids and they tended to leave as soon as the midnight fireworks were finished.

 

[cupcake]

It was some years ago -- I think maybe 1995 (back when I was at my prior job where we had to go that week or risk getting cancelled due to work). It was really really really really crowded in general and esp so on New Year's. We were at MGM and ended up retreating to our hotel (Caribbean Beach) around 10:30 or so, where they had a party. I was in a wheelchair and I recollect that it was pretty much wall to wall people which wasn't fun for me or my dh. It could be ok, but I would not count on getting from point A to point B with any degree of speed and I would have the expectation in mind that you will be dealing with significant crowds (who won't exactly be the Red Sea parting for your wheelchair!).

Also, New Year's Eve and the days btwn Christmas and New Years are the only times I have seen them run out of wheelchairs at the parks. Our hotel was out but they called around and eventually found one. When we left the MK late afternoon there were people waiting for returns, and when we were leaving from the World Showcase in the afternoon, there were several people who had left their companion at FW and walked over to get a wheelchair and were waiting for returns. The CM said when it's very crowded, the fact that a decent percentage of people enter at FW and leave at WS skews the wheelchair availability.

Not to make you worried, but I'd borrow one from your hotel for your length of stay (bearing in mind that they may have to borrow from elsewhere & that if you arrive at Christmas or later, they may be totally out, it took a full day for them to find one for me and I remember it was very aggravating). Or (this is what I would do) rent from an outside service. I didn't know about that then, and I was unaware that there might be a problem. It's a lot less than a scooter, transportation is simple, and you will have peace of mind. I'd hate for you to get stranded, I felt really badly for the people spending their vacation waiting for a return.

Cupcake

 

[Mazzy]

Thanks for your help - I still can't make a decision!

Cupcake - I have already booked a wheelchair with Walker Mobility and from what you said, it sounds like I did the right thing!

I have posted on the Trip Planning Board for alternative ideas for New Years Eve - I'll see if any suggestions appeal to me and go from there!

Maybe we should try EPCOT and then if it gets too much we could always go back to the Dolphin.

Thanks again all, for your help.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

I was at Epcot New Year 2000/2001 in my powered wheelchair.

The crowds were heavy but just maneagable. My wife and I entered the park at around 11:30 am through International Gateway. There were CMs on the path from the Boardwalk bridge to the Epcot entrance proper, turning back everyone without a room key from one of the Epcot area hotels, but otherwise we had no trouble getting in. I understand that Epcot reached capacity and was closed to new arrivals at some point.

Inside it was crowdwd but OK until mid afternoon when everyone started to drift towards the World Showcase for the fireworks (9pm as usual with an extended repeat at midnight) All the way around the lake, people were laying out blankets to stake out their viewing spots from the time World Showcase opened.

During the evening it was packed! There will still be space to move around (just), and CMs will be keeping lanes roped off for guests to move around during the parades. I saw some wheelchair users with Starwars light sabres, waving them to clear a parh through the crowds, which I thought was a great idea.

That New Year was EXCEPTIONALLY cold, I think it set a record for Orlando low temperature. Everyone was trying to buy blankets (Mexico), wooly hats (Norway) and gloves (Mouse Gear but very short supply). Remember that you can get double cold sitting still in a wheelchair and not excercising to keep warm. Soon after sundown when the temperature dropped suddenly, those people with blankets were under them!`

There were problems too with priority seatings in the evening. Because it was so cold, everyone was remaining in the warm restaurants ordering extra coffees and so on rather than going back into the cold, so PS reservations were getting backed up too.

My wife and I gave up by 10:30pm and were under our blankets at the Boardwalk (still shuddering from cold) when the fireworks started. We were too cold even to go to the window to watch.

I understand that that year was exceptional, but I would be tempted to take silk thermal underware 'just in case'. They shouldn't take too much extra space to pack. They are especially important if you are in a wheelchair. Take gloves too. The only ones that that hadnn't sold out that day had three fingers!

Andrew

 

[Mazzy]

LOL!!!! Andrew, you've got me more worried about being cold, than using the chair!

Seriously though, DH and I have decided that we will just go for it and then if it gets too much, we can always go back to the Dolphin. If we can enter the park around 11 am that's not too bad, I thought we would have to get there much earlier than that to get in. So the day won't be as long as I previously thought.

I will remember to take a blanket, gloves and hats with us, as I really feel the cold, much sooner than anyone else, and if I'm sitting down I'm sure to!

So we will give it a whirl and hopefully it will be OK, as it seems criminal to travel all the way from the UK and stay in the hotel room on New Years Eve!

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Originally posted by Mazzy
it seems criminal to travel all the way from the UK and stay in the hotel room on New Years Eve!

Well I did! We flew back on 2nd January, and it was warmer at Gatwick than Orlando!

Andrew

 

[Mazzy]

Andrew, I didn't notice you were from the UK! It's shocking to think that it was warmer at Gatwick than Orlando - finger's crossed I get better weather than you did!