New Year's Eve Secrets? About This Page:

[daddyof2princessess]

Ok folks I am posting this because I know the collective body of Passporters will know all.

What are the best New Year's Eve secrets. All of it: best park to hit during the day-least crowded viewing spots for the fireworks-anything you can think of.

[DyanKJ130]

We were there last NYE and MK reached capacity pretty early - say, around 10am or 11am. CMs directed the overflow to Epcot I'm guessing because it absorbs crowds the best. Epcot reached capacity, as well, but I do not know what time of day - afternoon maybe? We spent the day at DHS and experienced crowds, but the park never reached capacity. Once the 'party' started, the area closest to the hat was the most congested.

During the day, I'm sure the AK had the lightest crowds. We spent Christmas Day there and there were very few people around.

If you or your family really 'need' to see the NYE fireworks at MK, they usually show them on the 30th, as well. It will be crowded, but not as crowded as the 31st. Another idea might be to have dinner at one of the monorail resorts, WL or FW and then watch the fireworks from one of the beach areas at the resort. You may or may not be able to hear the music, but the show is still beautiful. (We enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner at 'Ohana and then watched the fireworks from the beach. It was calm & relaxing - much better than our experience attempting to view the fireworks in the MK on the 4th of July - WAY too crowded and NYE would be worse. It felt too chaotic to me.)

Hope this helps! You are going at an absolutely beautiful time of year!

[daddyof2princessess]

Helps a lot

[lukeandbrookesmom]

Thanks Dyan! We were wondering the same thing - thanks for asking the question daddyof2princesses!

[tdandboys]

I would try eating at one of the restraunts as well.

[bsblady01]

we are planning to get to the magic kingdom at opening and are planning to stay at the park til closing. we are haveing dinner at tony's

[Holland]

Our NYE secret is to celebrate on December 30th. MK is open until 3:00 am and will have the same fireworks as on 12/31. We're pretty worthless on the actual NYE and bum around the resort and hit DTD that evening for dinner and a bit of shopping. Early to bed on 12/31 and up early on 1/1 since a lot of people will sleep in.

We've done this a few times and it's always worked for us.

Going at this time of year is a tradition for us and even though the parks are very crowded, we still have a great time. It just takes a little bit of planning.

Have FUN!

[5SOXFNZ]

I have nothing to add since I've never been for NYE, I just wanted to say that I think it is so incredibly awesome that Dyan has spent so many holidays in WDW!! Have you hit all the "major" ones Dyan???

[Katara81]

Originally Posted by bsblady01

we are planning to get to the magic kingdom at opening and are planning to stay at the park til closing. we are haveing dinner at tony's

DH and I have been on NYE once, about 10 years ago now (high school senior trip w/ friends), and this is what we did. We just accepted the fact that it would be crazy crowded and we wouldn't get to see a whole lot, and we still had a great time. We were able to hit some biggies - POC, Jungle Cruise, HM, Space Mountain, and a few others. But, then again, it would be a very different experience now as a family trip with DD. 8 teenagers can get around much more quickly and easily in the MK than a family with little ones. I would agree that Epcot or AK would probably be the parks that would be least crowded - Epcot simply because there is more room for the crowds to spread out, and AK because there are no fireworks to draw the crowds.

[DyanKJ130]

Michelle (Holland) gives some great advice about celebrating on the 30th, spending a quiet evening on the 31st (A PassPorter friend of mine was at DTD on NYE 2008 and she said it was DEAD!, while we were wading through the crowd at DHS. I'm sure the crowds at DTD have diminished since the closure of Pleasure Island) and then start early on the 1st. Everyone is too tired from the late night.


We chose our parks based on Tour Guide Mike's recommendations and he never led us wrong.

Originally Posted by 5SOXFNZ

I have nothing to add since I've never been for NYE, I just wanted to say that I think it is so incredibly awesome that Dyan has spent so many holidays in WDW!! Have you hit all the "major" ones Dyan???

Thanks, but No! I wish! 4th of July 2004, Christmas 2005 & 2008, NYE 2008. (I guess they are the 'most major' ones ) We have gone to MNSSHP, but that was over a long weekend in September 2007. I don't know if you would count Presidents' Day 1999 & 2010...it's school vacation week here & it is a national holiday, but there really aren't any major WDW 'events' then. We haven't gone over Easter, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving. I can't complain - I feel very fortunate for the amount of time we've been able to spend there. (We're also tied to school vacation weeks since I am a teacher, so we pretty much have to go during peak/holiday times.)

[NYC Gal at heart]

Nice question I'll be checking for updates for sure.

[JerseyDad]

....lotsa' great info here.....thanks!!


....aware that this is one of the most crowded times of the year.....but this will be our first time at WDW on New Years Eve....in fact it's the FIRST time in 27 years of marriage.....and 2 years of "pending marriage" time with my wife...that we've EVER been away from home for New Years. We'll have our 13 and 20 year old daughters with us....and we have dinner reservations in Morocco (Restaurant Marrakesh) at 8:30 that night...so it will be something special...

....crowds or no crowds!!


....I WILL stay positive....I WILL stay positive....I WILL stay positive

[janicelovesmickey]

2 decembers ago, we parked ourselves at DHS from opening to closing, had all our adr's and just took our time doing whatever...

this NYE we plan on doing the same at epcot, we have the early princess breakfast..in fact we have adr's for all 3 meals.
We are going to call it an early night on the 30th, having dinner at jiko
then go home then get up super early on the 31st.

We plan on getting FP's as much as we can but were gonna have a leisurely day and night and not rush things since we will be there for a good 18hrs.

We also wait for every one else to leave the park before we head out.