What do you do at Disney on New Years Eve?

[icesk8rmom]

My family is going to be at Disney for New Years Eve for the first time. We have never been to Disney for any holiday. We were thinking of going to MK, but can not get any dining ressies. What are some other things you can do on NYE at Disney?

Our party consists of myself, my husband, and our girls ages 11 and 7. We have been trying to come up with alternatives to MK.

Thanks

 

[SueM in MN]

Where are you staying?
We have been at WDW 3 times for New Years.
There was a notice placed under our door the night before NYE advising to chose a park and get there early in the day and stay at that park. If you go later or leave, if you are a WDW resort guest, you will get into a park, but not necessarily the park of your choice. When the parks get full, they are closed to prevent more guests from coming in. When DD and I were waiting for the bus the next morning, we talked to some people who had gotten on a bus going to MK, but while they were enroute the park closed and their bus was re-routed to Epcot.

One time we went, it was my oldest DD and I at MK. That was SO busy that you literally had to move when the pack of people around you moved; there was no space to get between people. It was fun, but DD was an older teen so I didn't have to worry about her.

My DH and I were at Epcot twice. It was not as busy as MK, but you literally would touch someone if you spread your arms out. The last time we went was 2 years ago with 2 other couples. In the late afternoon/evening, they start having entertainment in the different countries. Mostly it was DJs with different types of music, but some live bands too. Because alcohol is served in WS, you might end up seeing some people who are a little more 'celebratory' than others.
It was busy enough in Epcot that we decided to go back to our resort (BW) and come back later. As it turned out, there was a DJ right below the big balcony that faces the boardwalk. It was so pleasant there that none of us wanted to go back to the resort. We sent some of the men down to the Boardwalk to get pizza and just spent the night there. It was interesting to watch all the people enjoying the DJ. They had hats and noisemakers like in the parks and the DJ did games (with prizes) for the kids. So, my suggestion would be to see if there is anything planned for your resort and keep that as a backup plan.

 

[icesk8rmom]

We are staying at All Star Sports. We were planning on arriving the night before (Dec. 30) and finding a room somewhere off property. We were then going to arrive at ASSP around 6am on Dec. 31 and go to a park. I do not know if this is such a great idea after reading about the crowds. It might be better to have a nice dinner somewhere and forget the parks.

Thanks for the information.

 

[720L]

Does anybody know if the food courts stay open later on new years eve?(at the all star resorts)

 

[billwendy]

hi - we have been there a few times on NYE. I think it really depends on your family, and what you are looking for. We got to the MK early, and just camped out there all day long. It is VERY crowded - very tight pack for sure. We had alot of fun, but we knew what we were getting in to. We had a few people " camp out" to hold a spot on mainstreet for the parade and fireworks, and 1 year i think they even cancelled the parade because it was too crowded,,,i cant positively remember. They passed out hats and horns and people had lots of glow and light up necklaces and stuff - it was a party atmosphere for sure! we had a ball -

the lines were very long for sure - but after midnight, the park was still open for a few hours, so we went on rides then,,,what a way to start the new year with doing the mountain range at the MK!!!

now, if you think your 7yo isnt up to an all day affair, you may want to skip the parks and do some other things - maybe a water park or disney quest or rent a pontoon boat or just enjoy your hotel or something,,,if they fell asleep, carrying them through the park in that crowd would be awful - we also had to wait a long time for the bus to get back to the hotel...

you will have fun whatever you decide to do!!!

 

[HeatherC]

I've never personally been there for NYE, but my MIL was there last year with a couple of friends at Epcot. She said it was totally insane. She said you could barely move and while it was fun, they won't do it again. They also sat in the parking lot at Epcot trying to get out until 4am. This may not happen to you at all. I'm just posting what she told me. Sounds like it is REALLY crowded.

Have a wonderful trip no matter what you do!
HeatherC

 

[skuttle]

We're arriving at WDW on NYE. This will be our first time there for NYE. We plan on just hanging out at the resort. We *might* go to DTD, but that's it. No park for us! DS is only three, so I know it would be way too much for him!