Who else was at MK NYED?

[Luv2Roam]

ooo... I think I am all MK's out.
We arrived around 10:00 a.m. and lasted through the last firework.
Just as crowded as you read about and would expect. But we had a good time.
The CMs were GREAT. And Disney really did seem to go out of there way anyway possible. But they sure took in the $ yesterday.
The weather was perfect. The NYE pin sold out before noon we had heard.
There was a fist fight in front of the castle in the evening, shortly before the first fireworks, I think. We knew something was going on (while standing on Main St) when we saw at least a dozen security walk rapidly towards he castle.
Lots of pushing, shoving, herding and cramming. No one will be surprised that last minute guests showed up at fireworks and parades, trying to cram and weasel their way into spots where others had been camped out for hours (or where there were not areas to be allowed in) and yelled/got angry when they were turned away. (Some things never change. )
The crowds were generally good natured. But as the evening wore on you could tell some guests were nastier. DH even made the comment it was the most aggressive guest day he had seen at MK.
Even the ladies restroom lines were tremenously long. Sad when you time your bathroom breaks during parade time!

Eating at sit down or without PS was crazy. Don't even thing about it for anyone going in the future. It is only for the brave at heart. That is an entirely terrible time.
Luckily we had a hearty breakfast at Kona Cafe and dinner at LTT.

Overall a good day. But not sure I want to repeat for next year. We were towards the front of MK late afternoon and guests were entering. Unless I wanted to spend all day and evening in a specific park NYE, I would just take my chances entering late afternoon and enjoy an evening.

There were two Christmas Parades, two SpectroMagic parades, and two GREAT sets of fireworks. Midnight WAS something not to be missed.
And various bands thrown in the mix here and there too.
FREE party hats and horns too. (for 50,000)
It took us an hour from Main St to our car, which we considered good in that crowd. We slipped out the side and drove home in no time.

Anyone see the crowds on camera? There was a large camera with a boom at the end of Main St. on a second floor building. (Over the ice cream parlor.) We figured ABC was showing live shots from various locations. Think they got the fist fight live and showed that? The Disney version of COPS.

 

[lovethattink]

ABC showed live shots of the castle. Couldn't really make out faces. They showed a couple fireworks. Also, showed live shots of DLR.

 

[Feralpeg]

We were at Epcot yesterday. Very crowded. People sitting and lying everywhere. Blankets thrown down on every grassy area. Lines to get drinks, etc. were 20 deep all day. We had PS in Japan. We stayed until after dinner. We got our hats and slowly made our way out. We came home and watched the fireworks at midnight at MK from our front porch. Wow! What a show! I don't think we will do a park on NYE again.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Anyone attending a future park on NYE I suggest arriving later.
OR literally set yourself up with a blanket and food. (Makeshift tailgate party as much as possible.)
Stake out a bench and stay there, relax and enoy a Disney day chatting, watching, reading, whatever.
Don't stand in two hour lines for Space Mountain and all the rest. (The only ride we were on was the TTA, and even that had a slow line. Which there was no reason for it beng slow.)

 

[PatriciaH]

We got to Epcot around 6pm for the big band buffet at World Showplace. The dinner was great for $29.99-the band was awesome! It was SO crowded and the noisemakers were VERY annoying. They were just handing them out as we got there and the noise was disgusting. Mostly tipsy adults blowing them in your ear. After dinner it was a lot quieter I guess their novelty wore off We took the boat over to MGM and they were still letting people in. It was not as crowded as Epcot but still pretty bad. The Lights, Camera Fireworks show was really great. Lots of people smoking in the crowds-so dangerous for the little ones. Most of the smokers had young children with them too! I felt bad for them. We saw the 2 sets of fireworks and Spectro the 30th at MK very good! It took a good 1/2 an hour to get out of the Epcot parking lot. We will probably do something else next year. Gaylord Palms had a masquerade ball that looked cool.

 

[palmbeachguy]

Wow....I left West Palm yesterday morning at 4 am. Got to Disney, after checking into the hotel, at 7:30. We took the ferry over to the MK because the Monorail line was down the ramp. We got into the park no problems.

First stop was Stitch because we haven't ridden it yet. Two words on Stitch that follow along with everyone elses opinion......IT SUCKED! After that we got a fast pass for Buzz. Went and rode Buzz from the pass.

Other than that we just lounged around. We lounged becuase we knew it was going to be a looooooooonnnnnnnnnngggggg day. At one point the husband fell asleep on the castle steps in the back. It's crazy how long it took to stay there. People were saying they closed the park at 11:45 am.

ANYWAY. Long story short. HUGE CROWDS Long lines. Great parades, as always. :jumping4: :jumping4: It was a great countdown and wonderful way to bring in the new year. Overall I was very impressed, but probably will not go back for New Year's Eve again. As a passholder, and a very frequent visitor, it was just too crowded. But you still have to do it at least once!

 

[AladdinsPrincess]

DH and I had plans to spend New Years Eve at Epcot (staying offsite) but we chickened out at the last minute because of all the high crowd reports earlier in the week. I regretted it a little last night, and we're already thinking about going next year. How much does it matter if you stay on Disney property versus off?

Also, we did go to Epcot and MK on Thursday night and I think we saw all the same firework shows (they even did a countdown and yelled "happy new year!" and all that at MK at midnight) but the crowds were probably way more tolerable! Although I'm sure it lacked the excitement of the REAL New Year, it wasn't a bad subistitute!

 

[kilee]

Every year our local ABC channel shows a split screen of NYC and WDW. This year the local channel decided to show the fireworks in our local downtown area. I was so mad as every year I look forward to that little glimpse of Disney on NYE!!!
Sounds like it was more up to par than Christmas turned out to be at the parks.

 

[PKK/MJK]

After being at EPCOT for the past two NYE's, we decided to be brave and go to MK this year. To make things easier, we splurged and checked into a concierge room at the Poly yesterday--a totally new experience for us. Arrived at MK about 12:30--no problem getting in although the parking lots were already full. We went in Timekeeper--which we hadn't seen in a very long time--watched the parade (saw our DD as 'Belle'--of course we were very proud) and one of the Castle shows. The place was very crowded--although it seemed to be this crowded on 12/27 and 12/28 also. People were still civil and friendly--but we left by late afternoon and returned to move into our Poly room. Spent the rest of the day and evening there. Watched the first fireworks from the beach then sat in the concierge lounge where we had free drinks, hot snacks and the most incredible view of the MK through a floor-to-ceiling window. We were given hats and horns and free champagne. Watched the midnight fireworks from there and they were spectacular!!!! Let me tell you, this was the way to do NY's Eve!! Decided I like the 'rich life.' LOL!!

 

[Luv2Roam]

After being at MVMCP (last day) and MK on NYE, I can say I see no reason to buy MVMCP tickets, if someone plans to do both.

PKK/MJK -- I LIKE your style! :jumping4: Sounds GREAT!

 

[fdecker]

We got to Epcot on the 31st before the gates opened. The morning hours were great. Up until about 11am, there were no lines for anything that we tried. We did Test Track a couple of times (with it breaking down constantly during our trip, but quickly back up except, we hear, on NYD when it was down for a few hours), Mission Space (which also broke down and cost us 30 minutes sitting on the floor in the blue bay until they moved us to the gold bay to ride) and most everything else we could think of.

Things got more crowded as MK was closed for entry and all the other people who come just for the fireworks started streaming in. I noticed a distinct mark at about 4pm where it became difficult to walk around the lake. From then until after the fireworks it was standing room only.

There is a grassy "park" near Germany and we laid there on the grass for a 30 minute nap before the sun went down. That recharged us enough to last the rest of the night.

I almost got into it with one of the typical *******s who think the rules don't apply to them. There are more of them it seems during special events and when things are more stressful with crowds. He was smoking as we all walked shoulder to shoulder, his ashes falling on the kids. There were more *******s with cigars too. I said something polite to ask if they could smoke in the smoking areas as the park was smoke free and cigarette guy said "really?" and then took a long slow toke as he sneered at me. How immature can "adults" be? This was a 40 year old man! I wonder if he still says "I know you are, but what am I" if you called him what he is to his face.

I resolve next year to bring a spray bottle of water and if anyone is smoking near me in a non-smoking area and won't stop, I will help them stop. If they can blow smoke vapor on me, what can be wrong with blowing water vapor on them?

Lots of fat, obese, lazy people on handicapped vehicles. I guess it was bad for them too since they took to running over people as few gave way to them. However, we saw one of these guys having no trouble and no need for his cart as he bellied up to the bar at the Akershus buffet later that evening... about 20 plate fulls. Sorry, but if you are fat and not one of the 1% of the obese population that actually has some unpreventable medical condition that makes you fat other than you can't keep yourself from eating three complete Double cheesburger meals in one setting (yes we saw that too), maybe you could use the walk.

To the guy who took his cart on our bus, taking 10 minutes of our time and three seats, and then had the nerve to get off of it and sit his fat *** on three more seats, I wish some very un-Disney things on you.

We had PS for Akershus that night at 6:10. They were running 30 minutes late they said, so we ran somewhere else for 15 mins. No one in the park who did not have a PS could eat anywhere except in the 20 minute lines at the fast food places. People were begging from about 4pm on trying to get into a restaurant.

Turns out we missed them calling our name and the girl at the front was not communicating with the hostess. We kept asking about it and she said they had not missed anyone yet. Only when I went up to the podium and heard someone say their reservation was 30 mins later than ours did I see a card with our name on it crossed out with "called 4 times". It was a madhouse and they were doing their best under the circumstances.

They put us back in the queue, but it was getting so close to the first fireworks that we told them we would come back after that. We did and we got seated right away at about 8pm. I really recommend this buffet. The main courses are actually small servings you order as you want them, but the buffet table with cold cuts, salads, etc. was very good and could make a complete meal in itself. (Or 20 in the case of Mr. Fatty Cartrider)

As for the party, the bands and DJ's really made it fun. The DJ in Innoventions Plaza really had a party going and the cameras that they showed on ABC caught the action from each area that had their own party going on.

The fireworks at Epcot were breathtaking. There was a stunned silence for about 3 seconds after the last chest-thumping barrage before the place went nuts. There were the regular fireworks, followed by the fireworks around the lake from behind each area in the order they celebrate New Years in their own time zone, followed by this amazing extra New Year's display and finale. There were rockets from 360 degrees around the lake and Chrysanthemums from the center that filled the sky as dozens and dozens of boomers punctuated the display. Unless we make Canada this year for the big fireworks spectacular, that may be the biggest fireworks display we will see anytime soon.

We hung around for a bit more and enjoyed the crowd and the music and then tried to leave. That took two hours. The people in our original line may still be there because that line did not move one car in 30 minutes. We finally found a back way and then realized that our great "front row" parking spot was the lot 2 lots from the entrance. We had to depend on those people from the front lots letting some of us in. Two hours later we were finally back at the hotel.

The family just couldn't get up early the next day, but I was there to open the Magic Kindom. Glad I could run on 3 hours of sleep because me and about 400 of my closest friends had the entire park it seemed for the first 2 hours. I rode Space Mountain twice, took my time taking pictures of main street. Went to the back of the park to ride Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain, and enjoyed my first experience at Disney of a cast member saying, "If you want to ride again, just stay on"!

I highly recommend New Year's Day from opening to noon if you can do it. I have never seen it so empty and it was wonderful. It was like a dream or some episode from the twilight zone like the one where Burgess Meredith only wants to be able to read and a nuclear blast kills everybody but him. I started to wonder if maybe being cut off from the news there had not been a Tsunami on Lake Buena Vista that I just did not hear about, but by noon or one I realized that this definitely was not not the case. The motorized fatty chairs were leading the charge.

So to all you who were there, I probably saw the back of your head during the fireworks display, to those who were not, Happy New Year!

-f