Experiencing the magic of Walt Disney World during the holiday season makes for a very special vacation, but being there on an actual holiday like New Year's Eve can require a bit of planning ahead along with a whole lot of patience. We've put together some information that we think will help you plan your New Year's visit in addition to any special happenings that will be taking place around Walt Disney World property.
Operating hours and events for New Year's Eve (subject to change):
If you plan on visiting a Walt Disney World theme park on New Year's Eve, here are some tips to help make your day as painless as possible:
1) You should arrive early in the morning at the park of your choice and be prepared to spend your entire day there. The parks often reach capacity with no further admittance allowed.
2) Guests staying in a Disney Resort are not guaranteed admittance into the parks and must have a Disney Park Pass reservation plus valid ticket media in order to enter. Note that having a dining reservation does not mean that you will be allowed in if that park has already reached capacity.
3) For your comfort, arrive early and rent a locker. Should the weather be an issue, you can stow your warm clothes or raingear.
4) If there's an attraction on your "must-do" list, try to make a Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane selection for it. It's not uncommon to see waits of 2+ hours at the most popular attractions.
5) The parks will have live entertainment throughout the day/evening in addition to special midnight fireworks. Be sure to grab a Times Guide upon entering the park; these can be found with the theme park guidemaps.
6) Roadways at the Walt Disney World Resort are extremely busy on New Year's Eve. It is important to plan extra travel time and to pay close attention to road signs, as road closures and redirects are typically in place across the entire property on December 31st.