Wife and I and our daughter 12, son 10 will avoid MK but need to decide between HS and Epcot...
I know epcot will have more guests who have enjoyed too many beverages but I would think there will be more to do in epcot then in HS in the hours before midnight....
Thoughts???
Are you just going for NYE?
Are you staying on-site?
If you happen to be there on 12/30, MK does the same exact show as NYE. They do the countdown and everything. The only thing that changes on 12/31 is the year (and the crowds.) 12/30 is very crowded, but significantly better than 12/31.
As for NYE...
- EPCOT takes on a whole new life on NYE. It's night and day. If you're offsite, you'll wanna get there early and stay. While EPCOT is pretty good at absorbing crowds, there's always the chance that it closes to guests. I've never seen or heard of a park hitting a Phase 4 closure. That's not to say it's not possible, though. Around 7pm, EPCOT turns from a very crowded park into one gigantic party. Yes, there's a ton of partying and drinking. Some guests are over-served, but the main partying seems to take place in China and Italy, where they have a DJ. They also have a silent DJ in Japan and dancing in America. Many families seem to hang around Canada, the opening of the World Showcase near Future World and Mexico. The show at EPCOT is like no other. They celebrate the different countries, with fireworks to represent each pavilion. It all culminates in an earth-shaking display over the lagoon. We've done EPCOT the past few years. Being onsite, we hang at the hotel and Disney Springs all day then head over around 9pm. Sure we run the risk of being turned away due to phased closures, but it hasn't happened yet. It allows us to avoid the crowds all day and still enjoy the fireworks.
- Hollywood Studios is a significantly scaled down version of EPCOT. There's one DJ which trades on and off with a cover band in front of the Chinese theater. There's alcohol served throughout the park, but it's a much more family friendly atmosphere. You won't see many (if any) over served guests—mostly families with dad and mom sipping a drink. We did DHS our first few trips. We'd go and walk around the Osborne Lights, then head to the area right outside the Tune In Lounge and 50's Prime Time to catch the fireworks. It's slightly obstructed but we'd head there around 10pm and it'd be one of the few open areas. The fireworks show is nice, but nothing special or memorable. Being that the park had EMHs until 2am, my sister and i always started the year by riding Rock n Roller Coaster.
- The problem with DHS this year is the construction. It creates a huge catch-22. If you go to DHS, it's going to feel much more crowded due to the lack of space. There's no more Osborne Lights to attract the crowds. Everyone will be standing around on Hollywood Blvd from 6pm on. The ride wait times will surpass 100-200 minutes. You'll basically have to secure a spot around 4:30pm-5:00 if you don't want to stand all night. Even then, someone will show up and stand in front of you (but that happens everywhere.) On the flip side, everyone is going to have the same idea and head to MK. MK is going to see a Phase 3 closure regardless, but I think this is the year it sees a Phase 4 on NYE. EPCOT will be swamped—even more than it's ever been because the DHS crowd will all head there.
Honestly, it's up to you. If you're there on 12/30, I'd def go to MK. I wouldn't miss EPCOT due to a few tipsy people. Stick to the front of the WS, going as far as Canada or Mexico if you want to avoid the drunks. Future World also has a DJ. They don't really sell alcohol around Future World, so this could be a fun time for your family to enjoy the night before heading back to see the fireworks. I know you wanna be in the parks, but if you really wanna avoid the crowds and tipsy people, many of the hotels do both paid and free activities on NYE. We left EPCOT early last year. My mom's knee was bothering her so we decided to head back. They had a huge screen playing ABC's NYE countdown, champagne, pretzels, etc. It was fun, but I wish we were at EPCOT.
