New Year's Trip - What Should I Know??

[mickeyfan0805]

We are WDW vets with over 20 trips since 2007, but we are doing the one thing I swore I'd never do - WDW on Christmas break! We check in on Monday, December 29 and check out on Sunday, January 4. We have some time, but I'm starting to think planning strategies to try to make the most of our time (family of 5, 2 college, 1 junior in hs).

What tips do you have for travelling at that time? Other than rope-drop, dining reservations, and LL/Multi-pass, are there things you learned from travelling at this time that would be beneficial to us? I would love to learn from your experience!

 

[slo]

My DD21 and I want to be at WDW for NYE very much, and what I have learned from watching ResortTV1 during their live streams on NYE is to bring an excessive amount of patience. My DD and I will love the energy from being there with all the people, but I know some may not expect the crowds that are there during that time (if I didn't watch the live streams, I would have no way of knowing exactly how crowded it truly gets). Have so much fun!!! I'm jealous

 

[NYCgrrl]

We are not rope droppers but have spent several winter holidays at WDW.
Think about spending New Year’s Eve at Disney Springs. Never gets as crowded as the parks, has fireworks, music, dancing and always more than one exit when wanted.

Oh but plan to be there until at least 2:00 AM because the road traffic is insane!

MK on Christmas Day gives crowded a whole new meaning. If you are there for a few days, try to get in early and be out by early afternoon.The only day of the year I could get my party to the park by 9:00 AM, lol.

 

[sponica]

I did NYE once in the early 2000s? Post 9/11 but pre-recession, somewhere in that spot. All I remember is a sea of people at Epcot, and we did Epcot because it had the widest pathways to absorb people. This was back in paper FP days, so I don't have any recommendations tech wise....I do remember waiting 45 or 60 minutes for A Bug's Life?

So I would go in with loooooooooooooooooooow expectations about what you'd get done and pack your patience for people, there will be a LOT of people.

If you're coming from a snowy area, go in with flexibility to shift flights if you need to. I think we almost had to shift our flight home but the storm dissipated before it got there.

 

[Karalee402]

We did almost this exact trip two years ago, and it was easily one of our favorites! We're a family of five, as well, and have kids that range in ages from 8 - 18. Because so many people spend New Year's Eve at Epcot, it was SO slow the morning of the 1st, so I'd recommend considering visiting Epcot that morning if possible. We made great use of multipass and single lightning lanes. Because you all have been so often, you know the lay of the land and how to maximize your time. Yes, it's crowded, but it's also beautifully decorated and a really exciting time to visit! I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!

 

[camille4750]

We are WDW vets with over 20 trips since 2007, but we are doing the one thing I swore I'd never do - WDW on Christmas break! We check in on Monday, December 29 and check out on Sunday, January 4. We have some time, but I'm starting to think planning strategies to try to make the most of our time (family of 5, 2 college, 1 junior in hs).

What tips do you have for travelling at that time? Other than rope-drop, dining reservations, and LL/Multi-pass, are there things you learned from travelling at this time that would be beneficial to us? I would love to learn from your experience!

We did Dec.28-Jan. 3rd last year. Family of 5 (all young adult kids ages 18, 23 and 25, so similar to your group)

My kids did Epcot on NYE. Mostly because we were staying at a family suite at Art of Animation so they could use the Skyliner to get home. They enjoyed it. My husband and I stayed at our resort with no regrets lol.

It was a huge splurge, but we got LLPP for New Year’s Eve at HS. It was such a relaxing experience. We rode several rides from 9-noon, had the latest breakfast available at Topolinos (so it was basically lunch) and then we went back and finished all the rides and shows at HS. We were done by about 6 and then ate at Woody’s RoundUp BBQ. One of the best days we’ve ever had.

If you can RD a park on January 1, the morning is great with low crowds!

We did a split stay with AOA and AK. This gave us a free water park day on our check-in day to AK.

Good Luck! I also swore I wouldn’t go at Christmas break, but with college kids it was the best option. And we had a blast.

 

[hardcorestitch]

We are WDW vets with over 20 trips since 2007, but we are doing the one thing I swore I'd never do - WDW on Christmas break! We check in on Monday, December 29 and check out on Sunday, January 4. We have some time, but I'm starting to think planning strategies to try to make the most of our time (family of 5, 2 college, 1 junior in hs).

What tips do you have for travelling at that time? Other than rope-drop, dining reservations, and LL/Multi-pass, are there things you learned from travelling at this time that would be beneficial to us? I would love to learn from your experience!

Avoid EPCOT if you're not into partying for sure. That park is WILD on New Year's Eve.

Additionally, PLAN AHEAD which attractions you plan to go on so that you aren't shocked with long wait times. Prepare some "fallback attractions" in the event one of your scheduled rides or attractions closes unexpectedly.

DHS recently started hosting it's own New Year's Eve events and it's much more chill than EPCOT and even MK. I would definitely consider either of these two parks if you want to be in an actual celebration instead of watching a ball drop on TV.

If you're staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel, be sure to check the My Disney Experience app for special New Year's activities. Poly, Contemporary and Grand Floridian also provide great views of the MK New Year's fireworks. You can always hop to these resorts if you're staying at any other Disney hotel.

 

[jd370]

We are WDW vets with over 20 trips since 2007, but we are doing the one thing I swore I'd never do - WDW on Christmas break! We check in on Monday, December 29 and check out on Sunday, January 4. We have some time, but I'm starting to think planning strategies to try to make the most of our time (family of 5, 2 college, 1 junior in hs).

What tips do you have for travelling at that time? Other than rope-drop, dining reservations, and LL/Multi-pass, are there things you learned from travelling at this time that would be beneficial to us? I would love to learn from your experience!

Hi!

We did this a couple times in the last few years.

We recommend:
- MK on Dec. 30th : same fireworks as the 31st but a little less crowded. You still have to expect huge crowd.
- HS on Dec. 31st : do attractions during the evening as wait times are pretty low. Join nice dancing party in front of Chinese Theater later. You will also get unofficial often unannonced fireworks at midnight. Not the MK/Epcot variety but still very nice.
- You will probably miss Epcot's Festival of the Holidays as it ends on Dec. 30th. We usually go on Dec. 28 or 29th but were never really impressed.
- Epcot early morning on Jan. 1st is a great option.
- Also consider any park early on Jan. 2nd.
- Plan for some rest time. We like afternoon breaks.
- Visit Deluxe hotels/restaurants with amazing decoration/special menu items.
- Take time to enjoy the atmosphere.
- We never bought any LL/Multi-pass and never regretted it. If you buy Multi-pass, expect not to get much after initial choices.

Hope this will help.

Have fun!

JD

 

[GADisneyDad14]

My advice would be don't let the Internet scare you with commentary about NYE/the holidays. Yes crowds are stout, but you also generally have great weather and long park hours, so crowds can actually spread out, it's not blistering hot, less likely to have rain to avoid, etc. Don't underestimate AP blackouts in place during that time, in my opinion you do feel the impact on the margins.

Another piece of advice I'd suggest is being proactive about your 12/31 dinner plans when you can make reservations. Having a dinner plan to serve as an anchor for your plan for the evening can be helpful, it can be harder to dine on the fly during those peak days.

Lastly, have fun! It's a unique but also really fun time to be at WDW.

 

[Disneylover99]

What tips do you have for travelling at that time? Other than rope-drop, dining reservations, and LL/Multi-pass, are there things you learned from travelling at this time that would be beneficial to us? I would love to learn from your experience!

It’s our favourite time of year to visit!

My number one piece of advice is to stick to Disney transportation. This is the only time of year we exclusively rely on buses and such to get around. We leave our car parked at our resort for the duration of the trip.

 

[hardcorestitch]

It’s our favourite time of year to visit!

My number one piece of advice is to stick to Disney transportation. This is the only time of year we exclusively rely on buses and such to get around. We leave our car parked at our resort for the duration of the trip.

Not to mention those buses are SO DARN CUTE!!! It’s like a roulette… you don’t know which character wrapping you’ll get on your way to DS or your parks (or no characters at all)!

 

[zdad59]

We did WDW for New Years a few years a few years ago. It was an EPIC adventure....and we'll never do it again. It is though something you have to do once. We enjoyed the heck out of the trip but it was indeed a unique experience. Some random thoughts....

• They do the NYE fireworks at the Magic Kingdom on NYE-Eve. So we made a point to do that on NYE Eve and actual NYE fireworks at EPCOT.
• EPCOT was insanely crowded on NYE. Even encountered gridlock in the worlds area. They had to come in and split the walkway in half and get groups going in different directions.
• Dining on NYE is nearly impossible, unless you book on the 60 day mark. Otherwise, I'd plan to eat at one of the hotels.
• Crowds really go down on Jan 2, 3, 4. Even very low on New Years Day...early. NYE takes a toll on most visitors.
• Early entry can get very crowded. Plan on one key ride for EE and make sure you get there as early as reasonable.
• Go with a good attitude and you'll have fun. The sea of people is amazing and something to experience.
• Think of transportation variants. On NYE, we left EPCOT right after the fireworks via the international gate. We walked the path to HS and walked onto a bus back to our hotel.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We were there for NYE 2020. We did the dessert party and glad we did. Had front seating to watch fireworks, was able to sit down and relax and snack. People start arriving at MK VERY early, especially to claim their spots in front of the castle. CM told us that occupancy at WDW on NYE was 80,000 and it usually takes 3 plus hours for visitors who are driving to just get out of the parking lot. I agree with other posters. Pack your patience and lower expectations.

 

[NYCgrrl]

CM told us that occupancy at WDW on NYE was 80,000 and it usually takes 3 plus hours for visitors who are driving to just get out of the parking lot.

Agreed to the nth and it’s not just guests who drive; same travel snafu for any transport that use the roads. The next time we are at DS for NYE ( four times at DS, once at EPCOT, twice at our resort) we’ll ferry or walk into SS and ride the bus from there. That should end the interminable waiting we’ve done with buses, Ubers and private vehicle at DS.

Haven’t thought it thru yet but this year considering spending NYE at the Toledo; fantastic food and great vista for firework displays throughout WDW, I think.

 

[kj2mom]

Don't want to repeat what everyone has been saying but since the weather was brought up, I just want to say definitely keep an eye on what is expected. We were there when it was very cold by Florida standards. It was actually colder in Florida on NYE than it was back at our home in MA. People were wearing towels over their heads as makeshift hats, socks on their hands for gloves and people were just camping out in the stores to get some heat. We were fine because we had all of our gear from flying down but many, many people were miserable. It doesn't happen often but when it does it can have a negative impact on a trip if not prepared.

 

[trishadono]

We are WDW vets with over 20 trips since 2007, but we are doing the one thing I swore I'd never do - WDW on Christmas break! We check in on Monday, December 29 and check out on Sunday, January 4. We have some time, but I'm starting to think planning strategies to try to make the most of our time (family of 5, 2 college, 1 junior in hs).

What tips do you have for travelling at that time? Other than rope-drop, dining reservations, and LL/Multi-pass, are there things you learned from travelling at this time that would be beneficial to us? I would love to learn from your experience!

Try not to be on a bus in the evening of 12/30 and 12/31 for MK fireworks and 12/31 Epcot events.

Although that depends on where you are staying. We do bwi or mono resorts generally. We utilize the mono from epcot to ttc . It is amazing to see the swarm of cars below those nights.

 

[JODEE2090]

We went to MK on 12/30 to see the NYE fireworks. They were awesome. It was very crowded. We went to Epcot on 12/31 and it was crowded, but didn't seem as bad as MK on 12/30. We had a great time at Epcot on NYE. Like someone posted above, make your dining reservations at the 60 day mark. We planned late and ended up getting a 2pm reservation. We would've liked something a little later in the evening. Also, if you are staying offsite the Ubers use surge pricing and our ride back to our condo was triple the usual price. Go in thinking it will be crowded and take your patience.