Thoughts about NYE?

[MonorailMan]

Have any of you guys been to WDW during the New Year's celebrations? If so is it as crowded and insane as it is at Christmas? I'm trying to make plans for a trip, but will be more than willing to hold off a few more weeks if I have to in order to avoid the crowds.

 

[mikelan6]

I would avoid the parks during NYE if at all possible. I was there once for it, and left way before midnight. There were queues for everything ... Even the mens room!

 

[OrlandoMike]

The three parks that have fireworks are at capacity by noon! Once you leave a park, you may not get back in. Lines are ridiculous! Traffic is a mess! Last year it took me 2 hours to get from MK to EPCOT at 2am!!!

I would wait....

Just an FYI, by the 3rd of Jan, the parks are empty!

 

[goofykb03]

Have any of you guys been to WDW during the New Year's celebrations? If so is it as crowded and insane as it is at Christmas? I'm trying to make plans for a trip, but will be more than willing to hold off a few more weeks if I have to in order to avoid the crowds.

If avoiding crowds is more important to you than celebrating NYE in WDW, I would definitely recommend waiting until the week after NYE. It will clear out within days of the new year and get very quiet. NYE is absolutely insane in WDW... I've done it 3 times (twice at MK, once at Pleasure Island when it was still there) and it's PACKED. I have resolved to never go back during that week between Xmas and NYE ever again. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful time of year to be there celebrating the holidays and I'm glad I've done it... but it's exhausting

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

It seems I have heard that the week between Christmas and New Year's is the most crowded week of the entire year. Crowds make me grouchy, so I personally would not plan to go that week.

 

[zulemara]

insane, yes, worth it? I believe so. Look at it this way, I can go anytime I want, I generally hate going when it is crowded, but I'll be in EPCOT on NYE this year! Bring on the techno in china and Italy and the awesome fireworks!

 

[ConcKahuna]

Epcot for NYE is amazing. Worth the headache and crowds, I just recommend making it the first day of your trip, since after that everything clears out!

 

[dvcblt93]

insane, yes, worth it? I believe so. Look at it this way, I can go anytime I want, I generally hate going when it is crowded, but I'll be in EPCOT on NYE this year! Bring on the techno in china and Italy and the awesome fireworks!

What happened to "Shove it Disney, I'm going to Universal?

 

[glenpreece]

Epcot for NYE is amazing. Worth the headache and crowds, I just recommend making it the first day of your trip, since after that everything clears out!

I spent last NYE in Epcot and it did not reach capacity. For the bathroom it was easier to exit the park and reenter at IG than to trek it over to UK for the nearest in park washrooms. I waited in line for Test Track for about 2hrs+ just for something to do LOL. I watched the fireworks at International Gateway. After making my way around World Showcase and viewing the differnt dance parties. It was INSANE. It took me til 2:30am to get back to my hotel. Traffic was buymper to bumper trying to get anywhere after midnight and I found the crowds did not think out much at all after New Year's. Been there done it, never again.

 

[BoomNLeon]

NYE at Epcot is worth doing. Once.

The week after NYE is quieter, but the marathon brings in a whole new crowd teh week before MLK.

 

[Sphyrna]

Wow, I didn't realize Epcot was the place to be for NYE! I'll have to catch it at least once. Maybe after I move there.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Crowded doesn't quite cover it!

We go nearly each year, and have seen some amazing results of capacity numbers. Once in Mexico, the CMs were up on the walls shouting to guests who were actually LOCKED in a human traffic jam and could not move. Scary.

We may not stay until Midnight, but we do love to be in EPCOT for at least a couple of hours on NYE evening... worth the fun, but not if you don't like shoulder to shoulder capacity. (Seriously)!

 

[MonorailMan]

You wanna hear something insane? I completely forgot that I've been to WDW during NYE! This should be proof that I've been insanely busy over the past few months considering I marched in the parade that introduced SpectroMagic to the world during that trip! That was the only time I've been to WDW 2 years in a row: I went for Christmas in 1990 and NYE in 1991. And now that I think about it, the crowds are definitely insane for both events.

 

[L&Lfan]

I was at WDW on NYE 1975! KC & the Sunshine Band were performing in front of Cinderella Castle. IT WAS INSANE! I've never been in a bigger crowd! You couldn't move except along with the massive throng......I'd never do it again, personally....

 

[rpmdfw]

We did NYE at a park once.

Just once.

NEVER. AGAIN!

 

[ReneeandLori1226]

Magic Kingdom was crazy but wonderful all at the same time when we were there for NYE in 2006-DP and I loved it and hated it all at the same time!

 

[hematite153]

Epcot for NYE is amazing. Worth the headache and crowds, I just recommend making it the first day of your trip, since after that everything clears out!

I agree with the beginning of your trip advice.

We were there (sort of) once for NYE. We arrived around 4-6pm on the 31st, ate dinner at the All Star Movies food court, went for a swim, then, drove to the TTC to watch the early fireworks from across the water. We were gone before the rest of the crowds could get anywhere near us and asleep before anything got busy at the all stars. (Are there still early fireworks as well as late ones, or was that an unusual event?)

The next morning we made rope-drop for Epcot's relatively quiet EMH. It was a more crowded day than I like, but, they still had the "seasonal only" things open on the 1st whereas they were closed the next day. We hit every park before calling it quits at 1am.

We were exhausted, but, spent the rest of our trip hanging out at resorts just relaxing and enjoying ourselves. It was an overall enjoyable experience.

However, we got stuck in a crowd at MK once when we ended up there on MLK day (we had no idea that was a holiday!) and it was awful -- people climbed on my DW in her wheelchair! -- so, the actual parks on NYE sound frightening to me.