New Years Eve at the Parks

[Master Gracey 5]

I tried a search since I'm sure this has been asked before, but after 20 pages I'm only back to the spring and no luck yet. So please forgive a 'repeat' question.

We're all booked for a trip around New Years now, and I was looking at the park hours. MK, DHS are open until 12am, and Epcot is open until 1am, but there are firework shows listed for 11:55. Do the parks stay open later with EMH on New Years? We're willing to stay as late as they let us, but what times have they historically stayed open until? Anybody have experience with this?

Thanks!

 

[wdwmagic]

Yep the fireworks are around midnight, and they have operated EMH at some of the parks in previous years.

 

[DisneyFan1003]

We've done the MK twice on New Year's Eve and don't think we left the park unitl around 2:00 AM either time....

 

[wdwwdeagle]

just found my times guide from last New Years week (Dec. 27 - Jan. 2).
I'll just give you the closing times and fireworks times of each park for Dec. 31:

MK - 2am - w/Wishes at 8:30pm and Fantasy in the Sky at 11:50pm
EP - 1am (both FW and WS) - w/Illuminations at 7:30pm and 11:40pm
HS - 12am (regular closing), but with EMH until 3am - it doesn't list the fireworks time for some reason. However, that's where we spent NYE, and my recollection is that Mud, Sweat and Shears did a countdown to midnight, and then the fireworks started right at midnight.
AK - 8pm - no fireworks.

If you would like operating hours for other days during that time frame, just say what you need and I'll be glad to post them. I was in your place this time last year, trying desperately to come up with a plan, so I know how you feel. Cheers!

 

[Master Gracey 5]

just found my times guide from last New Years week (Dec. 27 - Jan. 2).
I'll just give you the closing times and fireworks times of each park for Dec. 31:

MK - 2am - w/Wishes at 8:30pm and Fantasy in the Sky at 11:50pm
EP - 1am (both FW and WS) - w/Illuminations at 7:30pm and 11:40pm
HS - 12am (regular closing), but with EMH until 3am - it doesn't list the fireworks time for some reason. However, that's where we spent NYE, and my recollection is that Mud, Sweat and Shears did a countdown to midnight, and then the fireworks started right at midnight.
AK - 8pm - no fireworks.

If you would like operating hours for other days during that time frame, just say what you need and I'll be glad to post them. I was in your place this time last year, trying desperately to come up with a plan, so I know how you feel. Cheers!

Thank you! It looks like we'll have time after midnight whichever park we choose to be in (excluding AK of course). Glad to see there are options too depending on our preferences. Between NYE and MK having EMH until 3am on Dec 30th, we'll have a couple of long days in front of us, but fun ones!

 

[TOTGuy]

Just a word of advice from CM with experience in the parks. Go with DAK for NYE. It's no fun at the others. Epcot is the only park that really serves hard liquor so it's insane (5 hour waits for soarin'), Studios has lots of thrill rides so it's busy, and MK is...MK. I suggest seeing the fireworks the night before (they do a "dress rehearsal" to try and stave off crowds). Just my .02

 

[David S.]

I tried a search since I'm sure this has been asked before, but after 20 pages I'm only back to the spring and no luck yet. So please forgive a 'repeat' question.

We're all booked for a trip around New Years now, and I was looking at the park hours. MK, DHS are open until 12am, and Epcot is open until 1am, but there are firework shows listed for 11:55. Do the parks stay open later with EMH on New Years? We're willing to stay as late as they let us, but what times have they historically stayed open until? Anybody have experience with this?

Thanks!

I've gone to the MK for 4 consecutive NYE's and had a BLAST! I picked it because it's my favorite park and couldn't imagine ringing in the New Year anywhere else.

To answer your question about past closing times, the MK has closed at 2AM all four times I've been there for NYE. I'm surprised to hear they are listed as only a midnight close; but I bet that will change. The MK seems to have a habit of initially posting conservative closing times for peak seasons like Christmas and Easter, and then extending the closing time when it gets much closer to the date. Due to the crowds that will be in the park, closing WITH the firework show seems extremely unlikely to me!

In the past four MK NYEs, I've always enjoyed how the crowd thinned out after the fireworks and I was able to ride many of my favorites with no waits to ring in the New Year (either due to walk-ons or due to me having FPs I had collected throughout the day! )

Anyway, here is a recent thread about people's opinions on NYE in the parks:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=614643