Epcot New Year's Eve madness (photos and wait times)

[Yensid40]

260 MIN for Soarin'? I just don't get it. Where does the line even go? Some have said before that The Land isn't designed for flow even on light days. Others have said that it goes out the back door. So if it goes out the back door does it have switch backs or something in the backstage area? Did anyone get any pictures?

The last time we did New Years Eve was 2006 and we were in MK. I don't think we have ever spent a NYE at Epcot. It was slammed there as well. Extended queues were all over the place. Is that was Epcot was like?

 

[smk]

Wow It boggles my mind that I could leave for Philly Intl, get on a flight to Orlando and arrive before someone gets on a ride if they got in the line at the same time I left my home. No ride is worth that. Did they set up portable toilets in the que :lol:

I'd have time to drive the hour to the airport, fly down and eat a meal. Seems funny when put into that prospective, I would not wait in a line for almost 5 hours for any ride.

 

[mr_braver23]

I'd have time to drive the hour to the airport, fly down and eat a meal. Seems funny when put into that prospective, I would not wait in a line for almost 5 hours for any ride.

I cant even imagine waiting in line that long......:brick:

 

[raven]

79,000 was projected. And less than 4 hours after the last park guest left the property last night the park opened again for it's normal operating day today...with no evidence a party of that magnitude took place just hours before. The place is spotless! :animwink:

 

[jt04]

79,000 was projected. And less than 4 hours after the last park guest left the property last night the park opened again for it's normal operating day today...with no evidence a party of that magnitude took place just hours before. The place is spotless! :animwink:

The night crews never cease to amaze.

 

[wdwmagic]

79,000 was projected. And less than 4 hours after the last park guest left the property last night the park opened again for it's normal operating day today...with no evidence a party of that magnitude took place just hours before. The place is spotless! :animwink:

It's quite amazing how Disney setup and cleanup from these huge events. Awesome job to all the CMs involved :sohappy:

 

[TuffyCatt]

My family and I were at Epcot yesterday from about 10:30 am until after midnight and had a really good time. We've never done anything like this before, but went in knowing it was going to be ridiculously crowded and that we were just going to have to go with the flow and we really enjoyed ourselves. We were easily able to do Universe of Energy (which I hadn't seen for quite a while, and enjoyed seeing it again), Living with the Land (about a 30 minute wait), and the American Adventure (got lucky and were able to walk right in just before showtime) during the day and did Mission Space and Maelstrom with fast passes.

We had ADRs at Le Cellier for lunch and Les Chefs de France for dinner. This was wonderful - I would really recommend doing ADRs if your ever thinking about doing Epcot on NYE. It was a wonderful way to get out of the crowds for a little while and be able to sit down to a delicious meal with very little wait.

Before the first Illuminations show they had several backstage paths opened that you could take to get directly from the world showcase to future world. My brother and I took the one from between Norway and China that let out right next to test track. Seeing backstage was extremely cool, and they had lots of cast members back there making sure that it was easy to follow where we were going.

Overall had an amazing time - the countdown fireworks and fun atmosphere were definitely worth the few less than pleasant encounters we had with some of the more stressed out/impatient guests that got a little pushy in all the crowds. Huge props to all the CMs who worked so hard - you made the experience really amazing!

 

[wdwmagic]

Here is a video from last night's fireworks.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions...New-Year's-Eve-Finale-video-now-available.htm

 

[JafarMaleficent]

hollywood studios

Hollywood studios was packed most of the day. It was standing room only for Indy and Idol was full as well. We did backlot tour and great movie ride with barely any wait but everything else was at least 2 hours all day. The fireworks were awesome and mulch sweat and shears did amazing. I can say this I will never go on new years eve again. Oh and my brother in law said space mountain had a 300 min wait on Thursday.

 

[Rlevy33663]

Sardines

Was there last year for New Years - never again!! Disgustingly packed. Still had fun ('cause it's Disney), but the waits were also about 250 min. for Soarin' and co, so the only attraction we did the whole day was the American Adventure. My fave anyway, so it's all good. Did they have the salsa dance party again in America? So much fun!

 

[BrerFrog]

I was there for the New Year and things were crazy indeed! By 11 pm walking in WS was almost impossible, it took me 30 minutes to go from Mexico to China!

 

[WDW Monorail]

Last year, Tapestry puppets were in the Millunium Village building.

I was kind of expecting to be in Epcot again this year but didn't quite make it.

 

[timeman]

I went to Epcot yesterday also and it was crazy. This was my second time doing New Year's Eve at Epcot in the last three years. I got there around 9:30 and went straight to Soarin' and got a fastpass. Since the castmembers were handing you the fastpass instead of you having to put your pass in the machine I was able to run over to Test Track and get one there also. Captain EO was packed throughout the day, but there was no line. Later in the evening Imagination and the Seas were basically walk on.

I left Epcot around 12:30am after the fireworks and evening being able to see some of the Hollywood Studios fireworks from Epcot. I walked over to Hollywood Studios and got there around 1am. Hollywood Studios had EMH until 3am and most guest had left the park by the time I got there. I was able to see the Osborne Lights with no crowd and around 2am the wait time for Toy Story was under 5 minutes.

 

[RICKY MOUSE]

What a weiner:roflol::roflol:roflol:

 

[zulemara]

my 3rd time in EPCOT on NYE and for the third time I didn't even consider going on a ride. I can't believe people would go their on NYE expecting to ride anything!

I parked myself in the Italian pavillion at 7:50 and didn't leave all night! awesome awesome light show and great music. It es me off to no end that Disney can just pull 18 R-2s and another 18 of those other intelligent lights out of storage and create such a show. It was the closest to Mannequins I have seen and was great fun!

 

[unkadug]

Overflow area for fireworks viewing?

If they have to have "overflow" areas, that means they let too many people into the park.

If the park was designed for that many people there would be no need for "overflow" standing room.

 

[askmike1]

Overflow area for fireworks viewing?

If they have to have "overflow" areas, that means they let too many people into the park.

If the park was designed for that many people there would be no need for "overflow" standing room.

The park is designed to hold X number of people... it isn't designed to let those X number of people watch the fireworks. You can only pack so many people into the designated viewing areas around World Showcase Lagoon.

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

I didn't go in until around about 9:30 last night, met some friends out side of Spaceship Earth which was showing a 30 minute wait, we got in in less than 10 as the line never stops moving.

Then wen't to pay Figment a little visit, it was showing a 50 minute wait and we got through in 15 minutes.

The longest wait for us was at the Fish and Chip shop in the UK where we waited almost 25 minutes to get served.

Fireworks were absolutely incredible as always at Epcot, it was nice to visit Epcot again for new years eve as the last two years we had switched to Magic Kingdom. I just love the sheer power from the final launches, shoots right through my body! We watched near one of the large rocks near the lagoon in Canada and had a perfect spot.

It was the quickest I have ever got home on a new years night too, we parked in Explore 83 which is literally next to the exit of the park so had no queuing to get out. Previous years have taken up to three hours to get off of property, last night I was back in Davenport before 1 o clock!

Happy 2011 everyone! :sohappy:

 

[Space Mountain]

79,000 was projected. And less than 4 hours after the last park guest left the property last night the park opened again for it's normal operating day today...with no evidence a party of that magnitude took place just hours before. The place is spotless! :animwink:

At 4PM 12/31
MK= 55.8k
EC= 56.4k
HS= 26k~
AK= 18k~

 

[unkadug]

The park is designed to hold X number of people... it isn't designed to let those X number of people watch the fireworks. You can only pack so many people into the designated viewing areas around World Showcase Lagoon.

My point exactly.

In any other type of venue, the Fire Marshall would disperse too many people crowded into the same area that it wasn't designed to hold. I fail to see why this is acceptable, and condoned, in a theme park.