Changing hotels and New Year's Eve crowds About This Page:

[m_green]

We have scheduled and rescheduled our upcoming trip to WDW. We are now looking at rescheduling it again. We are trying to get all of our family there at one time, and we are now looking at the first of January through the 8th of January. My thought is to head to Orlando on the 30th of December, and spend the 31st at Epcot to see the Millenium sites. Is it easy to change hotels within WDW if we were lucky enough to find a room within the park for the 30th & 31st? Or how about from one of the resorts close to WDW? And finally, is it worth it to be there on the 31st, or will it be so crowded that we can't really enjoy Epcot?

Thank you for any input!
Michelle

[Dave Marx]

Good luck with your plans! We were at the Magic Kingdom last New Year's Eve. While it was quite an adventure (big crowds, huge traffic tie-ups and lots of doubt as to whether we'd get into the park of our choice), in the end we had a fabulous day and night.

If this coming New Year's Eve repeats last year's pattern (and there's little reason to think that it won't) the only way you'll gain admission to Epcot on December 31 is if you're a guest at one of Disney's on-property resorts. Only Disney resort guests (and I think Swan and Dolphin)were promised admission to a park on New Year's Eve. Even then, the early birds got the worm - Epcot's gates closed before 9:00 AM. Annual Pass holders also were promised admission, but Disney resort guests still had preferential treatment. Traffic from off-property was so bad that most drivers were turned away before they reached Disney property.

You won't have much trouble transferring from one Disney resort to another. They'll even transport your baggage between the resorts at no extra charge.

I suggest you book whatever reservations you can, as soon as you can. However, keep checking in for new availabilities. Last year a huge number of advanced reservations were cancelled during November and December when the travel agents and others who had booked them were forced to pay-up or surrender the rooms. If the same thing happens this year you may be able to rebook into a single resort for your entire stay.

Good luck!





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Co-Author, PassPorter Walt Disney World
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/

[wdwlovers]

WOW, WDW for New Year's Eve! What agreat experience! I can't even imagine! Good luck with finding a room! Dave had some good ideas. Wish I could be there too. Oh well, enjoy your trip!

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A dream is a wish your heart makes...
June 1991-stayed outside of Disney
Sept 1998-WL (honeymoon)
Dec 1-10, 2000-CBR

[m_green]

Thanks for the input. I called and talked to CRO... I can still make reservations for New Year's Eve - the catch... you have to make reservations for 5 nights. So, now comes the decision... Do we go then or do we go now???

Michelle