New Years at WDW

[Sammy Mouse]

Hi all
First may I start of by saying this is my first post! YEY!
I am a frequent visitor to this forum but have not got round to posting myself so here it goes..

I will be arriving at Disney for my 9th trip on the 26th December this year ( 10 weeks to go!)
This is my first trip at Christmas/New Years time.
We are stopping for the first time at the Grand Floridian.
The plan for New Years Eve is Breakfast at Crystal palace 9:30am in MK then onto Epcot for the evening.
We have an evening reservation for 9:30pm at Nine Dragons ( our fave Epcot DR).

So here are my questions...
What time is best to enter Epcot on New years eve?
Are there any special fireworks or events on NYE?
I expect it will be busy but hopefully not as busy as MK.

Also does anyone have any advice on special things to do during that period?
Special fireworks?
Special parades?
Places to visit?
etc
Thank you in advance

 

[jrab0616]

Disney goes all out for New Years Eve. I've only ever been to MK for the events but it's truly breath taking. I know the parks tend to reach capacity early in the day, so go to the park you want to be in for the night time festivities and plan on staying all day. We were getting updates about all the parks and they were mostly at capacity by 2:00 in the afternoon. Of course MK reached capacity long before that.

 

[Ariel484]

We'll be there that week too!

If you want to be in Epcot for New Years get there as early in the day as possible and plan to stay there. It's the highest-capacity park buy it's also very popular for New Years. If you look back through old threads on this board you can find phase closing information for each of the parks on New Years from past years. I think I've heard that each country does it's own countdown to New Years...sounds pretty neat!

Check out the Osborne Lights at Hollywood Studios, the dreamlights and Holiday Wishes at MK, and the deluxe resort holiday decorations.

ETA: Info from last year: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/phase-closing-and-wait-times-holidays-2012.857363/

 

[real mad hatter]

Well first let me say..Have a good Hogmanay..I've often thought if I won the lottery,what time of year would I pick to visit WDW..It would be Christmas..Hogmanay I'd pick Las Vegas..Anyway, hope it is a magical trip..P.S.I gave you your first like..A fairy gets her wings tonight..LOL..

 

[jackson2005]

Went to Epcot last year for New Years eve, Never again. The bathroom lines were as long as the rides. We watched the first fireworks and went back to our room. We had 2 younger children, maybe just adults it wouldn't be so bad. Good luck.

 

[Sammy Mouse]

Thanks everyone for your responses.
My party is made up of four adults so we though Epcot would be most fitting to our party.
Thanks Ariel484 I've looked at last years info and it seems Epcot has never closed due to capacity so fingers crossed.
I see the bag check line is going to be very busy so no bag for me I think.
Any handy hints on quiet bathroom lines as it looks like that will be a problem?
Thanks for the like real mad hatter!

 

[Hot Lava]

Thanks Ariel484 I've looked at last years info and it seems Epcot has never closed due to capacity so fingers crossed.

Interesting. But I find this very hard to believe. NYE (all of Christmas to NYD) is notoriously crowded.

I was at WDW over ten years ago. We got to talking to a CM in one of the stores at EPCOT. She was telling us about how crowded it was on that week, and that EPCOT was the most crowded for NYE. She also said that they usually have to close the park by sometime in the afternoon.

I would not risk trying to park hop on that day. If you want to be in a particular park on that night, you should go to that park early and stay there.

 

[sgtmgd]

I was there New Years Day 2011 and MK/Epcot/DHS were all at capacity..made national news..it's always a risk that you get turned away even if you are a resort guest...although the Dining reservation may you4r saving grace if the worst crowds in history show up..It really is a great atmosphere...we stayed at the Boardwalk and it was amazing

 

[Master Yoda]

Thanks everyone for your responses.
My party is made up of four adults so we though Epcot would be most fitting to our party.
Thanks Ariel484 I've looked at last years info and it seems Epcot has never closed due to capacity so fingers crossed.
I see the bag check line is going to be very busy so no bag for me I think.
Any handy hints on quiet bathroom lines as it looks like that will be a problem?
Thanks for the like real mad hatter!

Bring a cup.

The bathrooms at the American Pavilion have recently been expanded which should help a little, but most of the bathrooms in WS are painfully small. You larger bathrooms in WS will be in the UK and America. If you go just outside of WS the bathrooms by the former Odyssey and the ones behind the Imagination pavilion will be your best bet. Most people do not even know that the ones behind Imagination exist so they are your best chance for a shorter wait.

 

[Ariel484]

Thanks everyone for your responses.
My party is made up of four adults so we though Epcot would be most fitting to our party.
Thanks Ariel484 I've looked at last years info and it seems Epcot has never closed due to capacity so fingers crossed.
I see the bag check line is going to be very busy so no bag for me I think.
Any handy hints on quiet bathroom lines as it looks like that will be a problem?
Thanks for the like real mad hatter!

Interesting. But I find this very hard to believe. NYE (all of Christmas to NYD) is notoriously crowded.

I was at WDW over ten years ago. We got to talking to a CM in one of the stores at EPCOT. She was telling us about how crowded it was on that week, and that EPCOT was the most crowded for NYE. She also said that they usually have to close the park by sometime in the afternoon.

I would not risk trying to park hop on that day. If you want to be in a particular park on that night, you should go to that park early and stay there.

Doesn't Epcot have the largest capacity of all the parks? Definitely that one or Animal Kingdom, right? I'm with you @Hot Lava, that's the one I expect to be most popular. I'm avoiding it like the plague on NYE this year!

Bring a cup.

Aren't we resourceful???

 

[Master Yoda]

Doesn't Epcot have the largest capacity of all the parks? Definitely that one or Animal Kingdom, right? I'm with you @Hot Lava, that's the one I expect to be most popular. I'm avoiding it like the plague on NYE this year!

It does, but the entire park moves to WS on NYE. I am not sure what occupancy WS can deal with, but I think 1/2 of Epcot's entire capacity would be pushing it.

 

[Minthorne]

For me NYE at WDW is too crowded in the parks. I recommend getting reservations for one of the dining experiences that include views of the fireworks. The range in prices from around $100 to almost $600 but they are some really amazing experiences.

My favorite (and where I'm going again this year) it at the California Grill. It will be my first time back there since the renovation!

 

[Ariel484]

It does, but the entire park moves to WS on NYE. I am not sure what occupancy WS can deal with, but I think 1/2 of Epcot's entire capacity would be pushing it.

Oh yeah, I totally get what you're saying, but maybe that's why they *technically* don't reach capacity - it's not at full park capacity despite the fact that everyone is in the same place.

 

[Master Yoda]

Oh yeah, I totally get what you're saying, but maybe that's why they *technically* don't reach capacity - it's not at full park capacity despite the fact that everyone is in the same place.

Correct. I think Epcot has only gone into a phased closure a handful of times. I think it hit Phase 2 or 3 on NYE in 1999.

 

[taz0162]

Thanks everyone for your responses.
My party is made up of four adults so we though Epcot would be most fitting to our party.
Thanks Ariel484 I've looked at last years info and it seems Epcot has never closed due to capacity so fingers crossed.
I see the bag check line is going to be very busy so no bag for me I think.
Any handy hints on quiet bathroom lines as it looks like that will be a problem?
Thanks for the like real mad hatter!

one thing you Have to look out for with the capacity on that day is that even with your reservations for Dinner that evening when they hit capacity that's it you are not getting in until capacity goes down enough to allow people to get in. So what I'm saying is plan to get there plenty early in hopes to avoid that issue. Been there for NYE several times. MK is crazy busy that day. HS has a great party. Each park has NYE hats and noise blowers that they hand out. Epcot grts really busy with people having Dinner reservations around World Showcase.

 

[Master Yoda]

one thing you Have to look out for with the capacity on that day is that even with your reservations for Dinner that evening when they hit capacity that's it you are not getting in until capacity goes down enough to allow people to get in. Been there for NYE several times. MK is crazy busy that day. HS has a great party. Each park has NYE hats and noise blowers that they hand out. Epcot grts really busy with people having Dinner reservations around World Showcase.

You can get in with a dining reservation all the way up to a phase 4 closure, which are quite rare.

 

[WDW Monorail]

Epcot will not have any phase of closure on NYE.
If you find long bathroom lines, head to World Showplace, it has the largest bathroom facility on the property.