Trip planning help around NYE ?

[marivaid]

Hi there.. So, my mom & I are going to be at Disney from Dec 28 to Jan 3rd. We want to do the parks of course but also have to do some non-Disney stuff like Premium Outlets,Florida Mall,Marketplace and.. Walmart LOL - yep we HAVE to include a trip to Wally World to get some clothes for my sister who is plus size and cant find affordable,casual things to wear at home.

I've been reading that the parks will be crazy crowded until NYE,included.
Initially I had planned to do a park in the morning, shopping in the afternoon and then another park in the evening (giving us a couple hours sometimes in the afternoon to nap). But now I'm thinking, it may be wiser to put all the "shopping" in the days before NYE, and do more parks after Jan 1st ? Since the kids will go back to school on the 2nd, hopefully that means there will be less people in the parks after that. What do you think ??

We are going to spend NYE at Epcot because Mommy Dearest already warned me that NYE in an alcohol-free park is NOT an option for her.

 

[dixiedizfan]

There should be less people after New Years, but keep in mind the parks will still be very crowded the first few days of January. Most schools in the southeast don't go back til the second week of January, and being that New Years Day falls on a Monday next year, even more people will be staying that week. It will still be less crowded than the days right before New Years, but not as much as you'd expect.

 

[KCMiller]

Hi, and welcome to the DISboards! You may want to do a search using the keyword NYE or New Years Eve - there are lots and lots of trip reports, discussions and general posts about going at this time of year, and if there's one thing I can tell you about WDW the week between Christmas and New Years is that planning is crucial!

KC

 

[marivaid]

Thanks for the help & the welcome I've been planning, pretty much have my week "set" but I'm not sure if it's gonna help any since we may not be able to move through the crowds at all ? I dont expect to be able to do any of the rides at Epcot on NYE, well maybe 1 if we're lucky enough to get Fast Passes.

Question about that, is it possible to get Fast Passes, get out of the park, and come back with those FP still valid ? My mother said she doesnt want to get to the park early on the 31st because we'll have to stay late, but I sure dont mind. I was thinking of going by myself when it opens for EMH, make the rounds and get FP for some of the rides and then either leave and get back to the hotel, or have her meet me in the park.

 

[KCMiller]

You'll get varying answers to this one, but the short version is yes, you can pick up a FP early in the day and use it later - I've done this many times, and yes, I've done it at EPCOT on NYE. That being said, you can only get FP with a valid admission, which means that you'll only be able to use your own ticket (unless your Mom comes in with you). And you can only get one FP per roughly two hour window. Again, to learn more detail, do a search on FP or Fast Pass, and believe me, you'll get more info that you can shake a stick at!

If you're planning on being at EPCOT and eating anywhere, call WDWdining right now to make your ADR's - the restaurants don't accept walkups except as a fluke on the big day, and the lines for counter service dining are huge.

KC

 

[marivaid]

DUH about 3mns after I posted I realized that I could only get passes for myself.. and cant get another one until my 1st one expires.. and also, if I take her admission with me to the park (which is probably not even possible) how on earth would she get in ?! LOL I'm not too sharp today!

We have an ADR for Garden Grill that night at Epcot at 8 Looking forward to it a lot !

Thanks for your help