New years?

[Krispe]

Hello everyone!

I was just wondering what New Years was like at WDW? We are thinking of planning a trip there for this new years and wanted to know if it was worth it? Is it completely crowded? How far in advance should someone reserve rooms? Thanks! Any info and tips would help!

Oh are alot of rides/attractions closed down during this time?

Thanks,
Kris

 

[2belles'mom]

Well, the week between Christmas and New Year's is the BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR for WDW. Expect absolute gridlock and outrageous wait time for rides. On New Year's Eve, the parks (especially MK) will usually fill to capacity and close their gates in the morning--so be sure to arrive early. Because it is the busiest time of the year, park hours will be longer, there will be more parades and special entertainment, and it is unlikely that rides will be "closed for refurbishment."

After New Year's--including New Year's Day--the crowds will decrease dramatically. We went on New Year's day a few years ago and the crowds were quite light. The days following New Year's will also be light, and after the first week of January, you might even say the crowds are non-existent!

 

[Magickndm]

I go every New Years...my 6 word of wisom : Avoid Magic Kingdom at all costs!!!

 

[PamOKW]

Ordinarily, you'd already be too late to book a room for NYE. But, with the drop off in tourism the last two years, things have eased a bit. If you think you'd like to go this year, I'd book something ASAP and then cancel if you find your plans changing.

Everything is going full blast at all the parks for Christmas Week. The parks will stay open until either 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m. on NYE. There will be a fabulous fireworks display at midnight in every park. (AK closes at regular time and does not have fireworks due to.....the animals.) The parks also have additional entertainment. World Showcase at Epcot is one big party.

On NYE, the parks themselves fill to capacity. On-site guests will get into "a" park but not necessarily the one you desire.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

We did PI for New Years this past year while in town to see the PSU bowl game. Neither event was something I'd like to repeat. If you're there on NYE, know that PI is crowded, loud, and drunk. I would call it a terrible time, but it wasn't worth the hassle. One man's opinion...

Pat

 

[Muppet]

I was in PI last NYE and yes it was loud etc........but we loved it. The clubs were excellent.

Would go again but we are in NY this NYE.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by Muppet
I was in PI last NYE and yes it was loud etc........but we loved it. The clubs were excellent.

Would go again but we are in NY this NYE.

I misquoted myself above. I said "I would call it a terrible time, but it wasn't worth the hassle." Should have said I wouldn't call it a terrible time. I still think it was a hassle. I guess it's completely a matter of how you feel about wall-to-wall crowds, noise, etc. I've got a friend ten years older than me who goes to Times Square every year. It's the highlight of his year. Ten years ago, I'd have gone with him. At age forty, I can't take it! More power to those that can. I like a chair, low decibles, and short drink lines. I couldn't find any of the three on NYE. And to boot, PSU got their cans kicked the next day in the bowl game. That probably tainted the memory.

Pat

 

[Geoff_M]

We were there over NYE last year. At first we were going to be like the rest of the crowd and join the swelling masses in the parks at Midnight. But we thought about it again and said "Are we nuts!?!?!" and decided to use reverse psychology and it worked out great. We went to MGM at opening on the 31st and quickly hit the "must do" attractions and then worked on the "B" list until it got too crowded. We then bugged out to AK. It closed at 6 or 7 PM so we figured it would be the last place people would pick for NYE. We were right and the crowds were VERY light. The wait for the safari was only 5 minutes. We also got front row seats for the parade no problem. TTBAB was a 5 minutes wait, dittos for Dinsosaur, Primal-Hurl, etc. We caught the last show of Lion King and the seating was only about 2/3 full. We were leaving the AK parking lot when the monsoon hit!

We got a bite to eat at McDonald's and went back to the hotel we went to bed early because we wanted to do EE at MK on Jan 1 and figured the crowds would be late because a lot of people would be sleeping in from the night before. We were right again. Dumbo and the rest of FL were walk-ons. MK didn't get busy until mid-afternoon.

When the kids get older (they're 11, 9 and 3 now) we might decide to ring in the year at Epcot, but fighting the crowds, keeping the kids up until the early AM, dragging ourselves back to the hotel at 2 AM while fighting traffic sounded like zero fun to us.

 

[Muffy]

We spent our first NYE at WDW this year. We had an early dinner at LeCellier and ejoyed the world showcase and Epcot. It started to pour around 6:00pm and we spent the rest of the evening at the Dophin. We saw the fireworks from our room and they were spectacular. With good planning, NYE is doable!

 

[Krispe]

Thanks Everyone! This really helps a lot! Looks like we'll be making our ressies this week.

So when it comes to the parks, which park do you guys think is the funest to be in to ring in the new year? Sounds like we should avoid the Magic Kingdom. What exactly happens at the parks on New Years besides the fireworks?

Oh does anyone out there have NYE photos at WDW?

One more question. As far as the resorts are concerned, do they plan anything special at the resorts? I think we're at a moderate this year.

Thanks sooooo much!!

 

[PamOKW]

All the parks hand out hats and noisemakers. MGM usually has some "name" band that plays. Quite a few years ago, it was Huey Lewis & The News (from your area). Epcot has entertainment in all the different countries. The British Invasion playing in Britain, an alternatie rock dance party in Japan, etc.

Keep in mind that MK is "dry" if champagne or beer are part of your NYE celebration.

The resorts don't really have anything special. Some of the restaurants have special big ticket celebrations. The GF ballroom usually has a dinner dance and the CG has a casino night celebration. Atlantic Dance on the Boardwalk also usually has some special entertainment. These events are usually priced $300 pp and up.

PI also has a name band and some food/drink set-up. A special ticket is required. Last year they cut back on the food and lowered the price. I think it was roughly $70 pp. Prior to that, the price had skyrocketed up to the $150 pp range.

 

[Krispe]

Thanks PamOKW,
That sounds like it's going to be a blast! We'll probably end up either at MGM or Epcot. I can't wait!

I'll head over to the trip reports boards and look for NYE reports!

Does anyone know what the weather is like during that time of the year?

thanks,
Krispe

 

[TDC Nala]

Here's my plan for NYE:

Spend it at Epcot (I'm staying at BCV). Heck, I'll probably graze and drink around the world (if I can get anywhere close to food & drinks) and celebrate New Years in different countries.

I have thought about the PI thing but I go to PI all the time anyway and don't see paying extra for it. I would just be sitting around the Adventurers Club like I usually do anyway.

As for the weather, last year I understand it rained like crazy.

 

[PamOKW]

Does anyone know what the weather is like during that time of the year?

That's the wild card. The weather can be just about anything and could be everything in the course of your trip. It is not unusual to have temps in the 70-80 range. It is also not unusual to have temps in the 40-50's during the day and into the 20-30 range at night. It could do all of the above in one trip. The key word for packing is "layers". I'd also throw in some gloves and a hat. If you are coming from somewhere cold, wear your heavy jacket to the airport and then hope you don't need it at WDW. If you do, you'll be glad you thought to bring it along. Especially with all the nighttime activities, the gloves can be worth their weight in gold.

 

[Krispe]

Thanks PamOKW! Sorta what I figured. Do you know if this happens to be the rainy time of the year in Orlando?

We are just hoping/wishing to be able to go swimming some of the days, do you think that would be pushing our luck?

We'll be bringing our gloves and thick "back up" jackets for sure!

Thanks!
Krispe