Should I expect to be trampled if I enter a park (specifically Epcot) on December 31? Still playing with the idea but curious if I enter the park first thing if it's crowds galore.
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Will we be trampled?
- Thread starter thewhitequeen
- Start date
Surf Fish2285
Member
Just keep swimming! You stop, you get squashed! JK :ROFLOL:
DH said if we go during this time frame he's planning on "experiencing the madness" that is New Years Eve. I think he's gone mad personally.
David S.
Member
I've gone to MK 4 years in a row on NYE and LOVED it, and NEVER got "trampled". I do rope drop to close (which the last 4 years has been 2 AM), and when the park opens it's pretty light since the rope drop is so early. I can get on a bunch of rides/attractions in the early hours as walk-ons, and start collecting FPs early. Since I know how to use FP to it's maximum advantage, I actually set my personal record for most MK attractions ridden in an operating day on a NYE. The LONG operating hours make it possible to do more, and FP cancels out much of the time that would be lost to crowds if there were no FP.
On a typical NYE, I can do every attraction in the park at least once and have time for night encores on SEVERAL favorites to close my night and ring in the New Year with a bang! And I still have time to experience the entire Christmas entertainment package - I see the Once Upon A Christmastime parade TWICE, the Celebrate the Season Castle Show, Holiday Wishes, and the Fantasy In the Sky NYE fireworks display to ring in the New Year.
After the fireworks, much of the masses and stroller set makes a beeline for the exit, and by 1 or 1:30 AM, attractions that had insane standby lines in the peak of the afternoon are often walk-ons. Of course, I always have a FP handy, just in case they are not!
I won't lie, though. There are SOME things about the NYE experience at MK that take getting used to. The pathways can get EXTREMELY congested, particularly in the Hub at nightime as many people get in one spot and stay there all night for the parade, Castle shows, and both firework displays. But since I usually watch the parade in Town Square and/or Frontierland, and prefer to view the Fireworks in the center of Fantasyland, this affects me to the minimum.
Also, the constant litany of people blowing horns all night from as soon as they are passed out in the afternoon can take some getting used to, as does the contemporary beat-heavy "Todayland" music and loud DJ chatter that replaces the traditional music loops on the parkwide audio system, and this kills the illusion of being in the western frontier, an exotic jungle, or the lands of storybook fantasy and futurism. Due to this radically different audio, I usually try to do at least one other full day at the MK each year when it has the long Holiday hours and Holiday entertainment package, to get a more traditional MK experience combined with the long hours and Christmas overlay.
Those are my only NYE "pet peeves", though, and other's mileage may vary. Now that I know what to expect, these things are less of a shock, and overall, I find the experience very satisfying, particularly being able to ring in the New Year in my favorite park with Mickey Mouse and the gang counting backwards from ten at midnight, the amazing Grand Finale of the Fireworks, and then ringing in the New Year on all my favorite attractions!
After the park is officially closed, I enjoy lingering on Main Street for yet another hour (as if 19 hours in the park wasn't enough!), enjoying the Castle Lights, Christmas Tree, Main Street Lights and other Christmas decorations, and of course the beautifully sublime Main Street Christmas music loop (which has thankfully reclaimed it's rightful spot from the loud DJs by this time!) And the atmosphere on Main Street at this time is very peaceful, serene, and relatively uncrowded, with scarcely a hint of the chaos it must have been like a few hours before!
And then after watching the MK lights fade away from the upper deck of the ferry, I like to sleep in, VERY late the next day!
I am already looking forward to this year's Holiday Season and NYE! Only a little more than 3 months to go!
EDIT: Oh, sorry, I see now you specified Epcot. Well, the general idea should still be the same, that if you get there at rope drop or very early you will get a good head start on the crowds, and not have to worry about getting shut out if the park reaches capacity. And you should have no problem doing any attraction you want that day if you use FP.
On a typical NYE, I can do every attraction in the park at least once and have time for night encores on SEVERAL favorites to close my night and ring in the New Year with a bang! And I still have time to experience the entire Christmas entertainment package - I see the Once Upon A Christmastime parade TWICE, the Celebrate the Season Castle Show, Holiday Wishes, and the Fantasy In the Sky NYE fireworks display to ring in the New Year.
After the fireworks, much of the masses and stroller set makes a beeline for the exit, and by 1 or 1:30 AM, attractions that had insane standby lines in the peak of the afternoon are often walk-ons. Of course, I always have a FP handy, just in case they are not!
I won't lie, though. There are SOME things about the NYE experience at MK that take getting used to. The pathways can get EXTREMELY congested, particularly in the Hub at nightime as many people get in one spot and stay there all night for the parade, Castle shows, and both firework displays. But since I usually watch the parade in Town Square and/or Frontierland, and prefer to view the Fireworks in the center of Fantasyland, this affects me to the minimum.
Also, the constant litany of people blowing horns all night from as soon as they are passed out in the afternoon can take some getting used to, as does the contemporary beat-heavy "Todayland" music and loud DJ chatter that replaces the traditional music loops on the parkwide audio system, and this kills the illusion of being in the western frontier, an exotic jungle, or the lands of storybook fantasy and futurism. Due to this radically different audio, I usually try to do at least one other full day at the MK each year when it has the long Holiday hours and Holiday entertainment package, to get a more traditional MK experience combined with the long hours and Christmas overlay.
Those are my only NYE "pet peeves", though, and other's mileage may vary. Now that I know what to expect, these things are less of a shock, and overall, I find the experience very satisfying, particularly being able to ring in the New Year in my favorite park with Mickey Mouse and the gang counting backwards from ten at midnight, the amazing Grand Finale of the Fireworks, and then ringing in the New Year on all my favorite attractions!
After the park is officially closed, I enjoy lingering on Main Street for yet another hour (as if 19 hours in the park wasn't enough!), enjoying the Castle Lights, Christmas Tree, Main Street Lights and other Christmas decorations, and of course the beautifully sublime Main Street Christmas music loop (which has thankfully reclaimed it's rightful spot from the loud DJs by this time!) And the atmosphere on Main Street at this time is very peaceful, serene, and relatively uncrowded, with scarcely a hint of the chaos it must have been like a few hours before!
And then after watching the MK lights fade away from the upper deck of the ferry, I like to sleep in, VERY late the next day!
I am already looking forward to this year's Holiday Season and NYE! Only a little more than 3 months to go!
EDIT: Oh, sorry, I see now you specified Epcot. Well, the general idea should still be the same, that if you get there at rope drop or very early you will get a good head start on the crowds, and not have to worry about getting shut out if the park reaches capacity. And you should have no problem doing any attraction you want that day if you use FP.
rsoxguy
Well-Known Member
I must admit that I am not a big New Years Eve celebrant. I find the whole exercise of "greeting in" the new calendar year to be a bit silly. I'm not a drinker, and so I'm usually in bed by 12:05. I know, your thinking, "rsoxguy, I wanna party with you".
Regardless, I think that I would have a great time celebrating NYE at EPCOT. A fun day in a place that requires no holiday, yet is enhanced by a holiday, followed by getting to kiss my wife. I say your husband is a sane, rational, and somewhat romantic guy. GO.
Erin_Akey
New Member
As someone who has spent MANY Christmas vacations in Disney, I can tell you EPCOT is the WORST of the parks on New Year's Eve.
they are all crowded, but EPCOT is the WORST and usually goes into several phases of the closings.
After last year, my kids made us PROMISE never to go back again at that time of year. It was just insane and just not fun.
they are all crowded, but EPCOT is the WORST and usually goes into several phases of the closings.
After last year, my kids made us PROMISE never to go back again at that time of year. It was just insane and just not fun.
rct247
Well-Known Member
Only go if you plan on enjoying the holiday festivities. If you plan to ride rides, then good luck. Maelstrom will probably have a 45 minute wait! Soarin will be around 2-3 hours, and all those beautiful grassy lawns will look like your average tourist heavy Florida beach with the amount of people just lounging on them.
*wait times are guesstimates.
*wait times are guesstimates.
wdwfanatic4yrs
Member
i was at epcot this past new years and in 2008. i normally don't do anything for new years but being at wdw was the best in my opinion. it was packed from around 3 on. don't plan on doing too much of anything aside from walking around the park at night but the atmosphere was awesome. and we were pushing a stroller and we were still able to get it around. the CM's did a good job of keeping people moving once it got later at night. MK was nice for new years too but i liked epcot better:sohappy:
We were there this past Christmas and New Year's. New Year's Eve at MK is a lot of fun. We did not care to commit the whole day there so we went to a different park in the morning and got to MK around 4:00. We walked right in. We were able to get a Fast Pass to Splash and visited Hall of Presidents and other less popular attractions. We had dinner reservations at Crystal Palace and then enjoyed the DJ music until the New Year arrived. Very crowded and noisy but fun for a change from our usual New Year's Eve tradition of not doing much. Traffic on surrounding roads is very congested after parkc closing. Be prepared and be patient.
JCtheparrothead
Well-Known Member
I made a promise to my sanity never to go between Christmas and New Years. My cousin took his Non Disney Wife there on Christmas day and now she wont go back there again...ever. :xmas:
DisneyMusician2
Well-Known Member
Having ALWAYS traveled to Disney during peak season (Easter and December), I don't think much of the crowds.
Take a good touring plan and HIT THE PARK!
I promise you'll live through it!
Take a good touring plan and HIT THE PARK!
I promise you'll live through it!
as long as you know that what ever you do, you are going to wait. Food, drink, bathroom, attractions etc. will all have long lines. Every pathway will be full of people. Get there early and don't expect to do much. Just have a good time.
Places I will never celebrate NYE again....Times Square, Bourbon St and WDW.
Places I will never celebrate NYE again....Times Square, Bourbon St and WDW.
Potentially we would be arriving on the 30th and departing on the the 10th of Jan so we have plenty of time in the parks. I (not DH) was planning to do resort type activities until after New Years Eve. We have time to think about it and I'll show him the responses here but I'm not thrilled with the idea of people pushing and shoving.
Spike-in-Berlin
Well-Known Member
Perhaps you will be trampled around new year...no make that a definitely...but you will have enough days at the parks to recover. I was once at the world in early January and after the NYE craze it was quite relaxed and empty with only short waits.
TurboCaroline
Is it 5:00 yet?
Anyone have any crowd pictures from NYE? I would love to see the madness...
Spike-in-Berlin
Well-Known Member
If you want to see crowd madness search for some trip report fotos from TDS and TDL, look at the lines at Indiana Jones or JTTCOTE, THAT'S crowd madness.
rct247
Well-Known Member
Here is a link to photos of Epcot on New Year's Eve 2009.
http://picasaweb.google.com/matpez/EpcotNewYearsEve2009?feat=directlink#
I also stand corrected...Maelstrom will be an 80 minute wait and Test Track's Fastpass line will resemble a normal stand by line on a regular day.
http://picasaweb.google.com/matpez/EpcotNewYearsEve2009?feat=directlink#
I also stand corrected...Maelstrom will be an 80 minute wait and Test Track's Fastpass line will resemble a normal stand by line on a regular day.
