NYE First trip

[sarahsreynolds]

Hi our first trip will be this new year and I have already been advised be you guys to stay clear if WDW on that particular day, I wondered if you could offer any advice to what we could do to see in the new year that would be fun enough to keep the kids 9&5 entertained enough until midnight xx

 

[robinb]

Hi there! I have been to WDW for 13 out the last 15 NYEs. I'll need a little more information from you if you don't mind . Are you staying at a WDW resort? If not, whree are you staying and will you have a car? When are you arriving to Orlando? When are you leaving? How many park days are you planning? Do you have a double stroller for your kids?

 

[sarahsreynolds]

Hi thanks for your reply! We are staying in Kissimee and arrive on the 30 Dec we will be concentrating on WDW and Universal for our 2 weeks, we are not planning on taking a double stroller we were just going to get one if we needed one when we got there. We also have the use of a car for the 2 weeks thanks

 

[robinb]

Hi thanks for your reply! We are staying in Kissimee and arrive on the 30 Dec we will be concentrating on WDW and Universal for our 2 weeks, we are not planning on taking a double stroller we were just going to get one if we needed one when we got there.

Thanks

I assume you will have a car then. I would recommend that you go to the Magic Kingdom for 12/30. They show the NYE fireworks on the 30th and the 31st. The MK is not nearly as crazy on the 30th as on the 31st but it will still be very busy. Parking may or may not have reopened by the time you arrive and you may have to park at DHS and take the bus over to the MK. The monorail from Epcot to the MK is usually restricted to onsite guests and annual pass holders.

Of course, if you are planning to buy an annual pass you will be able to use the monorail and buying an AP for at least one adult *is* something that you should consider. Parking is now $17 per day and it's free with an AP. An AP is only $64 more than a 10-day park hopper once you subtract the cost of parking ($170 for 10 days) and it will provide you discounts at some restaurants as well as a 10% discount at WDW gift shops. Here is a list of AP discounts: http://allears.net/pl/apass.htm#bene2014

I don't know about Universal, but WDW will be busy through Saturday 1/3 and then will be pretty quiet and then will bump back up over the next weekend because of the marathon. You will want to book Fast Pass + ride reservations as soon as you can (I think it's 30-days out for offsite guests), especially for when WDW is busy. Here is a thread that explains FP+: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3143281

If you want to go into a park on NYE itself, I would recommend Epcot. It's very big and rarely closes to guests. You could possibly stay for just the 7:00 fireworks and leave and celebrate NYE back at your hotel room. The different countries in the World Showcase celebrate when their NYE takes place which is pretty cool. Your 9-year old should be perfectly OK without a stroller (sorry, I misread his/her age!) but your 5-year old will be tired, especially when it's super crowded. I would bring a stroller for him/her just in case since renting one is VERY expensive.