Tell me the truth about New Years Eve

[ArchOwl]

We are doing BB on NYE as well but at 7:00pm. We can't wait and it will be the last night of our trip. We are totally prepared for the crowds and won't be trying to cram rides or anything in. We're just there to enjoy it.

One thing though, we aren't sure if we want to do the countdown in DL or head over to DCA to watch theirs. From everything I've read, DCA is normally quieter but I'm really wondering if that will change this year because of Carsland. It's definitely a possibility that it will be just as packed. We are going to just watch the signs and ask CM's if they know how busy DCA is -- meaning if it is at capacity before we leave DL. It would be horrible if we left DL to head over to DCA only to find out it's closed due to capacity. lol

Question though, as I have read different reports and they all seem to vary -- what time is DL open until on NYE and what time is DCA open? Generally DCA is closed sooner, has anyone done the park hop at that point on NYE? We are planning to be there until the bitter end so I'm just trying to figure out our options. Thanks!

Last year DCA was open until 1 am and DL until 2 am. We were in DCA for the countdown and hopped to DL around 1:30 am to see the castle. DCA was very manageable, DL was much more crowded. But DL really cleared out after the countdown and we were able to park hop with a minimal wait.

 

[cmwade77]

NYE dinner at Club 33 will definitely be worth the chaos of the park! Just allow yourself plenty of time to get there as movement through the park will be slow. I've only been to DL on NYE, but have spent probably 7 at Epcot and I love the parks on NYE despite the crowds. There is just a different energy to the parks that is really cool! Just manage your expectations about the crowds and the fact that OTHER people might get impatient or frustrated and you'll be okay. I also went to DL on NY Day and it didn't seem crowded at all, so hopefully you'll be able catch everything you missed the day before then.

Jason

Yes, do remember to allow for A LOT of extra time to get over there. Usually about 1 hour per land you are away (including the land you are in and going to), unless you get extremely lucky and find a short wait for the train. So, if you are in Mickey's Toon Town, 4 hours (Mickey's Toontown, Fantasyland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square) to get to Club 33.

It may not always take that long, but it CAN take that long on NYE.

 

[StyledSugar]

Last year DCA was open until 1 am and DL until 2 am. We were in DCA for the countdown and hopped to DL around 1:30 am to see the castle. DCA was very manageable, DL was much more crowded. But DL really cleared out after the countdown and we were able to park hop with a minimal wait.

Thank you! I think that's what we'll end up doing as well.

 

[Malcon10t]

You're dining at Club 33 on NYE too Malcon10t? Our reservation is at 12:15. Please let me know when you'll be there so we can meet and say hi!

We currently have an 1130 lunch. I might move it to 2p if they have it.

 

[Disneyluvr2]

We currently have an 1130 lunch. I might move it to 2p if they have it.

Well, you know what I look like from my avatar...come find me! I'd love to say hi to a fellow DISer!

 

[kelmac284]

We will be there for our first and only NYE. It is my daughter's 13th birthday that day and we are going to BB at 6:30 for dinner so if anyone sees a birthday say hi!! We don't plan on doing much of anything that day and after dinner (which we plan to drag out as much as possible) we plan to probably try to watch the fireworks from either over by small world or by the train station. I want to be as far away from the front of the castle as possible LOL.

This is a once in a lifetime deal so I hope the weather cooperates and for my daughter's sake I hope it is a fun day!

 

[KiwiMouse]

We will be there for our first and only NYE. It is my daughter's 13th birthday that day and we are going to BB at 6:30 for dinner so if anyone sees a birthday say hi!!

Seems that ourselves, yourselves and StyledSugar are on a revolving door schedule at BB .. sooo exciting. I like to post, just to see my ticker update

 

[Disneyluvr2]

Yes, do remember to allow for A LOT of extra time to get over there. Usually about 1 hour per land you are away (including the land you are in and going to), unless you get extremely lucky and find a short wait for the train. So, if you are in Mickey's Toon Town, 4 hours (Mickey's Toontown, Fantasyland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square) to get to Club 33.

It may not always take that long, but it CAN take that long on NYE.

Holy cow!!! Is this correct??? An hour to get through each land?? I'm so glad I asked about how crowded it going to be so I know what to expect. I usually avoid the crazy busy days with hoards of people. But, I'm just going to look at it as an adventure and go with the flow! Maybe we'll just park ourselves in front of the Club 33 door to be sure we're not late for our reservation! LOL!!

 

[Malcon10t]

Holy cow!!! Is this correct??? An hour to get through each land?? I'm so glad I asked about how crowded it going to be so I know what to expect. I usually avoid the crazy busy days with hoards of people. But, I'm just going to look at it as an adventure and go with the flow! Maybe we'll just park ourselves in front of the Club 33 door to be sure we're not late for our reservation! LOL!!

OK, I am there every NYE (at least since 1999) and I disagree with this. While it is crowded, and will take longer moving land to land, 4 hours from ToonTown is way out of line. The train will take you 15 mins one you get on, and it might take a couple trains to get on, so maybe 25 mins. And this is later in the day. That said, my kids usually walk because it is faster. Now, at the end of the night, if you try walking out after midnight fireworks, it can take you an hour plus to walk down Main St. We usually find a place to relax for a bit before trying to exit.

 

[Sully14]

I spent 4 straight Thanksgivings at DLR over a decade ago. The place was mobbed. This year, I called the GCH and asked some questions about New years Eve.. I have AP's and are DVC members, and staying at the GCH through DVC for New year's Eve.

I asked several employees about the parks getting maxed out; they said there are 'unwritten Disney policies that you won't find anywhere' but that Hotel guests will be instructed on how to get into the Parks on NYE. I was told to follow 'specific verbal instructions given to us in the hotel lobby that morning.

So, with Carsland, will DCA be able to match DL at Midnight?
Does the resort go crazy at 9pm Pacific Time since ABC usually shows midnight east coast time on television? (Does Disney celebrate the 4 time zones?)

Do hotel guest with AP's get in using a special entrance? Are hand stamps needed even for AP's staying at the Disney Hotels?

I know, a lot of questions ! Looking for a little help !

 

[Malcon10t]

I asked several employees about the parks getting maxed out; they said there are 'unwritten Disney policies that you won't find anywhere' but that Hotel guests will be instructed on how to get into the Parks on NYE. I was told to follow 'specific verbal instructions given to us in the hotel lobby that morning.

Be VERY careful believing this. I've heard it before, I've heard guests believe it, and I have known a specific person who believed it, had stayed at the GCH, purchased 15 Fantasmic! preferred seats, and when they showed up at the gate at 9pm, the Fire Marshal said "Sorry, I have the park closed due to capacity." They were an extremely unhappy group. Disney refunded their Fantasmic! seating, comped them the next trip, but it was not the way they planned on spending their NYE. They had been told by misguided CMs that hotel guests would not be turned away.

Think about it this way... They are going to have to drop the attendance count by over 12000 persons (1/5th of each parks max?) in each park to make sure every person staying in the 3 hotels will be allowed attendance at any time.

 

[ArchOwl]

Holy cow!!! Is this correct??? An hour to get through each land?? I'm so glad I asked about how crowded it going to be so I know what to expect. I usually avoid the crazy busy days with hoards of people. But, I'm just going to look at it as an adventure and go with the flow! Maybe we'll just park ourselves in front of the Club 33 door to be sure we're not late for our reservation! LOL!!

I also disagree. I have been there for NYE and it didn't take an hour for each land. It can be very crowded and it will take longer, but an hour for each land is overkill. However, the closer it gets to midnight, the more I would detour around the Hub area as much as possible. Try to use the lesser known paths to navigate.

I spent 4 straight Thanksgivings at DLR over a decade ago. The place was mobbed. This year, I called the GCH and asked some questions about New years Eve.. I have AP's and are DVC members, and staying at the GCH through DVC for New year's Eve.

I asked several employees about the parks getting maxed out; they said there are 'unwritten Disney policies that you won't find anywhere' but that Hotel guests will be instructed on how to get into the Parks on NYE. I was told to follow 'specific verbal instructions given to us in the hotel lobby that morning.

So, with Carsland, will DCA be able to match DL at Midnight?
Does the resort go crazy at 9pm Pacific Time since ABC usually shows midnight east coast time on television? (Does Disney celebrate the 4 time zones?)

Do hotel guest with AP's get in using a special entrance? Are hand stamps needed even for AP's staying at the Disney Hotels?

I know, a lot of questions ! Looking for a little help !

First, get a handstamp! Even if you have an AP, for sure get a handstamp. There are several levels of closure for the parks, from stopping the sale of one day tickets, to only allowing re-entry but not first entry, all the way up to the closure of the gates by the Fire Marshal. If you have a handstamp, that is your proof that you are a re-entry.

And as the PP said, be very careful about thinking that hotel guests will get into the parks no matter what. Unless things have changed, I believe the Fire Marshal is the one making the call on closing the parks down. Not sure how Disney can get you in if the Fire Marshal says no. Unless there is a new procedure or something, the hotel guests and APs are in the same lines as everyone else. That means if you approach the gates at 8 or 9pm and Disneyland is at capacity, you wait in the long lines in the esplanade until it re-opens.

Your best bet if you must be in Disneyland is not to leave. I did DCA last year and it was no where near as crazy as DL. I left DCA and re-entered in the evening with moderate lines, but nothing too bad. Of course, with DCA being much more popular this year, who knows if that will be the case this year or not. The other benefit of DCA is the GCH entrance that only hotel guests are allowed to use. In my experience last year, they were enforcing this pretty much the whole day on NYE. This would be very convenient for you.

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

On New Year's Eve 2010 they closed the DL turnstiles around 1 or 2 p.m. and sent people to DCA (which also had it's doors closed at some point). Plan on staying in the park after the morning if you want to be there at midnight.

I was there... it was fun! And super crazy... got to see the backside of the west side of Mainstreet to exit.

Bring a stroller or something if you have a young one who gets tired.

If you have a very young child, FYI, I saw lots of moms in the bathrooms (crazy in there too) trying to change sad, screaming babies late at night. They appeared to be so tired and uncomfortable... poor babies.

 

[Disneyluvr2]

OK, I am there every NYE (at least since 1999) and I disagree with this. While it is crowded, and will take longer moving land to land, 4 hours from ToonTown is way out of line. The train will take you 15 mins one you get on, and it might take a couple trains to get on, so maybe 25 mins. And this is later in the day. That said, my kids usually walk because it is faster. Now, at the end of the night, if you try walking out after midnight fireworks, it can take you an hour plus to walk down Main St. We usually find a place to relax for a bit before trying to exit.

Whew! I like your answer a lot better Malcon10t! Hey, did you change your Club reservation to 2:00? I'm sure we'll still be there. I'd love to meet and say hi!

 

[Malcon10t]

Whew! I like your answer a lot better Malcon10t! Hey, did you change your Club reservation to 2:00? I'm sure we'll still be there. I'd love to meet and say hi!

We are still at 1130a. I won't know if we change it til later in the month. I will make sure we look around for you.

 

[cmwade77]

I say to allow that amount of time because it CAN take that long, not that it WILL take that long. I have had it take over an hour and a half to get from Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln to City Hall. That being said I had one New Year's Eve where it rained a lot mid-morning to Afternoon, then dried up and the parks were virtually empty and were walk-ons for everything.

So, yes your mileage will vary, but it can indeed take 4 hours and when you are dealing with a reservation that you have to pay full price equal to that of a one day admission ticket (i.e. the person going to Club 33) for if you don't make it, allowing extra time is always a good idea.

 

[AlisaMom]

And what about January 2-6? Are these days still very crowded? Thanks.

 

[Sully14]

Staying at the GCH 12/28 through 1/1. Made dinner reservations at Goofy's kitchen on 12/30 at 5pm. Will we be unable to re-enter either DL or DCA after dinner (say 6:30 or so) even with an AP, a hand stamp, and staying at the GCH?

On 12/31 we are dining at Carthay Circle, so we plan to enter DCA early and stay there all day and all night so we don't get blocked out ! My concern now is the 30th.

 

[Malcon10t]

Staying at the GCH 12/28 through 1/1. Made dinner reservations at Goofy's kitchen on 12/30 at 5pm. Will we be unable to re-enter either DL or DCA after dinner (say 6:30 or so) even with an AP, a hand stamp, and staying at the GCH?

If the park is closed, wait about 30 mins. The parade will go by and about 7pm there will be a crush of people leaving, adn you should be able to leave. Also, if you have dinner at 5pm, I wouldn't expect to be entering the parks until closer to 7 anyway!

 

[tbgmom]

We were in DL for NYE 3 years ago. It was also our MM for our trip. My mil took our boys back to the hotel around 5 or 6 because they were exhausted, and dh & I stayed in the park. It was definitely crowded. I think we waited in the standby line of Indiana Jones for 2 hours to ride as I hadn't had a chance yet that trip (someone had to stay with our youngest who was too short while everyone else went). We also went on IASW - I think the wait for that was about an hour. I didn't mind standing in line hanging out with dh. We had arrived in California late Christmas Day & we'd had very little 'us' time, so it was nice to visit with each other without having to worry where the kids were.

I remember being amazed at the crowds & thankful that dh knew where he was going and that he's a pretty big guy so he could get through the crowds. I hung onto his hand tightly & followed. But you couldn't get anywhere fast, that's for sure!

We had very low expectations of the rides we would ride on that night, and that was OK because whe had done a bunch during our MM and it was the last day of our holiday, anyway. We did our best to enjoy the atmosphere, but dh's dislike of crowds & our early morning caught up with us so we didn't actually stay for the fireworks, deciding to head back to the hotel instead and were able to see some of the fireworks from there.