Xmas/New Year

[MaleDisneyBeliever]

Hi folks,

I'm considering my first Disney trip over a festive period this year. I'm thinking about 3 nights from the 30th December, and taking in New Years. I have no experience whatsoever for this time of year, so have several questions, and hope my fellow DISers can help.

1. When is the best time to make the booking? I know when the prices are due, but does history show a better time to book? Is there likely to be any offers, of will I just have to make do with shareholders reduction?

2. Will I be expected to purchase a ticket for New years Eve? Assuming they stay open late and celebrate? Will my standard ticket be ok, or do they work to a similar plan to that of Halloween parties?

3. What are crowds like?

4. Is everything open or are there more closures, whether it be rides, stalls, shops or restaurants?

Thanks guys!
Ryan

 

[A Small World]

Its very very very busy during this period.

You dont need a seperate ticket for New Years Eve - there are fireworks etc but it is usually heaving and lots of people who've been there on New Years Eve have said they wouldnt do it again.

Everything is open as usual including restaurants but be warned some of them have very expensive menus on that evening

 

[Fiona35]

It is very very very busy on New Years Eve and bitterly cold as well!! There are so many people trying to get warm that its near nigh impossible to sit down anywhere to eat anything or drink anything hot!! Ride queues were around 2-3 hours wait and in the freezing cold thats not much fun! From memory all of the rides were open apart from some of the kiddie rides.

The table service restaurants have an expensive menu for that evening, so if you are looking for something not so pricy it is counter service I am afraid, also the hotels have expensive menus too.

The fireworks when I was there went off at Midnight, we didn't leave the park till 1am, we were only staying at the Sequoia so we wouldn't have to fight for a bus but due to the masses trying to leave it took us an hour to walk to the room!! We fell into bed around 3am!! We learnt the next day that alot of people staying offsite had had to either walk it back or get a taxi as the shuttle bus stopped running at 1am and the queues for the buses were horrendous!

It was an okay experience, marred by my purse being stolen from my backpack, more people includes more pickpockets!!

I personally wouldn't choose to go again at that time of year, there are not many discounts to be had as its an extremley peak time for the park and as such they have no need to offer discounts. I would rather go and see the xmas decorations end of Nov/begining of Dec to soak up the festive atmosphere.

 

[arabesque]

Sorry that the other posters didn't have great experiences at Christmas, we go every year for 3 or 4 days always including New years eve and we have a great time, yes there are a lot of people, yes there are queues, yes some of the restaurants are more expensive but to us its the best way of starting the year, so go ahead and try it.
If you can stay in either New York, Sequoia lodge or Newport Bay you won't have to wait for a bus to get back to your well needed bed, have fun whatever you decide.

Lynn

 

[Lisa_C]

I don't want to write to much on this as some people know how I feel about NYE at DLP...I'd never do it again!

Apart from being extremely cold, the crowds were just too heavy (and this is coming form a summer visitor who sees some huge crowds!) and there was a lot of drunk people about. It was Dad's first experience of Disney, and he was so upset as he paid for the trip. I've always raved about Disney and he just broke down in tears as the people were so rude. I got separated from my pushchair and ended up screaming form my daughter. Dad got punched when he wouldn't let someone past (again he was holding the pushchair) and ended up shouting and swearing ( though mild) and it was an awful experience. I was really sad that I missed out on so much due to the crowd levels that I booked a summer break for all of us, which was fantastic.

I've sworn never to return during that time frame, though I was pretty upset that we missed all the Christmas things so I'm going with my best friend for Bonfire night and hopefully we'll be there long enough for the Christmas festivities to kick in

To be honest, I'd say if you want to see fireworks, go July or August. NYE can be spent anywhere! Or if it's the Christmas extra's then go before in November to avoid the crowds

Hmm, I said I wasn't going to say much (oh and we also had a bag stolen in Planet Hollywood from INSIDE! Which contained my daughters blanket and gloves etc so you can imagine the price we had to pay to replace then via Disney's shops!