Conflicted about coming for New Year's Eve

[BarbieGal457]

Also, what if you stayed somewhere more economical but dined at the Poly on NYE and watched fireworks from there? That way you escape major park crowds, you can watch the fireworks most likely more comfortably (and rest your feet!) while also maybe saving some dollars by paying less for lodging.

 

[Disney Khi]

You have gotten a lot of good advice. I haven't been for New Year's, so I can't contribute to that. However, I do have a thought on timing. If this is your first year married and you don't have kids yet, I think you should take the trip now. Once you have a kid it is going to be a lot harder to do a trip like this. Going with a kid to WDW is fun, but it's different than an adult-only trip. So, I would go this year while it's just the two of you.

Have fun planning!

 

[BarbieGal457]

You have gotten a lot of good advice. I haven't been for New Year's, so I can't contribute to that. However, I do have a thought on timing. If this is your first year married and you don't have kids yet, I think you should take the trip now. Once you have a kid it is going to be a lot harder to do a trip like this. Going with a kid to WDW is fun, but it's different than an adult-only trip. So, I would go this year while it's just the two of you.

Have fun planning!

I also agree with this, so I do lean towards you going more than not. Having been on NYE, I know we had a ball but truthfully I cannot imagine doing it with little ones! I should've said that previously, I apologize. I can only imagine a "regular" WDW trip is stressful with tiny humans, so if you really do want to do NYE I too would suggest doing it sooner than later if you can.

 

[FSU Girl]

You have gotten a lot of good advice. I haven't been for New Year's, so I can't contribute to that. However, I do have a thought on timing. If this is your first year married and you don't have kids yet, I think you should take the trip now. Once you have a kid it is going to be a lot harder to do a trip like this. Going with a kid to WDW is fun, but it's different than an adult-only trip. So, I would go this year while it's just the two of you.

Have fun planning!

I also agree with this, so I do lean towards you going more than not. Having been on NYE, I know we had a ball but truthfully I cannot imagine doing it with little ones! I should've said that previously, I apologize. I can only imagine a "regular" WDW trip is stressful with tiny humans, so if you really do want to do NYE I too would suggest doing it sooner than later if you can.

Reading through I was starting to agree cancelling was the best decision. Then I read these and now I'm thinking it is probably the best time to go before having a baby. I definitely plan on taking my baby, but no way on a crazy holiday like NYE. My fiance also has two kids of his own and every other NYE we have them and I wouldn't plan on taking them at that time either so it would push that date out when we could even more.

 

[Skywise]

If you have TPV for the club level you can see them from your balcony but you'll definitely have access to beach viewing. The parks will be a zoo which you can mitigate with FPs and ADR (ADRs being almost a must) but you're not going to be able to do nearly as much on a "normal" day. People will stake out firework viewing positions early in the morning in MK on both the 30th and 31st so keep that in mind too. Traffic itself is a nightmare on the 31st and anything requiring bus transportation will add to your travel time.

If you don't need to worry about the parks as much (go in the mornings or take advantage of EMH) it's still a great time as you're there for all the festivities and magic. If you can still change it - you might look at getting TPV at the Contemporary (non club) which will be cheaper but put you far closer to the fireworks action.

 

[FSU Girl]

If you have TPV for the club level you can see them from your balcony but you'll definitely have access to beach viewing. The parks will be a zoo which you can mitigate with FPs and ADR (ADRs being almost a must) but you're not going to be able to do nearly as much on a "normal" day. People will stake out firework viewing positions early in the morning in MK on both the 30th and 31st so keep that in mind too. Traffic itself is a nightmare on the 31st and anything requiring bus transportation will add to your travel time.

If you don't need to worry about the parks as much (go in the mornings or take advantage of EMH) it's still a great time as you're there for all the festivities and magic. If you can still change it - you might look at getting TPV at the Contemporary (non club) which will be cheaper but put you far closer to the fireworks action.

I originally had the Contemporary booked, but it seems like the music isn't pipped in on the TV like normal. So I switched to Poly where it is. At Poly I have a garden view booked so we'd have to go to the beach to view the fireworks. Originally I wasn't planning on watching the fireworks from inside the park, but with the club access now I probably would since it's a guaranteed spot away from the crowds. I think I'd do Epcot for the 31 so we'd monorail back and then walk from TTC. We like doing ADR on a normal day so we'd definitely have them if we went.

 

[LizGirl]

Another vote for going and having fun before becoming parents!

I took my kids (10 & 8) for NYE this year. They are travel veterans - we live out of state but are AP holders and go as often as we can (as well as other destinations). They did great with both 12/30 MK and 12/31 EP. But DH and I couldn't really get into the celebration and relax. It was still fun but it's a different kind of fun once you have kids in tow.

I don't know what the bus is like getting back to Poly on NYE but I definitely recommend spending 12/31 at Epcot. MK was cool and fun on 12/30 but Epcot had such great energy. And the crowds weren't as terrible as I thought they would be.

Getting back to Saratoga Springs, however, was a different story!

 

[AngiTN]

The energy at Epcot is what is impossible to describe.
MK just didn't have the same energy, even with the DJs going on the 30th. Maybe it was there on the 31st. It was the same DJs so I'm guessing it was the same so that's what I'm basing my opinion on.
Plus, MK was open till 3:00 AM on the 30th, with EMH, where it closed at 1:00 on the 31st. So you had more time to stretch out and relax, so to speak, after fireworks on the 30th.
We slept in, moved to an Epcot resort and then headed over to Epcot for the day, took a nap and then spent the duration at Epcot. The crowds are part of the fun.
But no, even at 10, I wouldn't have wanted to take DGD. Not because she wouldn't have been any trouble or because the crowds were a problem but it would have distracted me. So do go sans kids if at all possible. It is totally different
The only place you have to pack "your patient panties" as I like to say, is in bathroom and drink lines. They are massive. Boys, girls, doesn't matter. Lines are long. Even inside restaurants. So you learn fast to go before you have to go. As long as you do that, it is manageable. And I clearly had no problem with finding enough to drink, I got plenty tipsy. Not bad mind you, no hangover or anything like that but I wasn't hurting that night for sure.
And boy was it nice to walk out and to our room at BWI. So worth the move over from CR