New Year’s Eve in Disney | Parks, Cruise Line & More Fun

If you are a Disney adult or a Disney family and you are looking for something to do for New Years Eve this year, the Disney theme parks (or a Disney cruise if you really want a vacation) might be the best option!

The experience is top-notch, festive and fun and the best part- the parties in the parks are included in the cost of your park ticket or annual pass (if you don’t have blockout dates). So, if you are still undecided, let’s get into everything you need to know about a New Year’s Eve in Disney experience. 

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What To Expect From New Year’s Eve in Disney Parks

Celebrating NYE in Disney parks is an absolutely amazing experience, but it does come with a few disclaimers. If this is your once in a lifetime trip to Disney, I don’t recommend going the week between Christmas and New Years, and especially celebrating NYE in the parks.

While it’s a great time, it’s not the ideal Disney experience if this is your one time to visit Walt Disney World. The parks are crowded, so lines are long for attractions and Disney characters, and it’s just an overall very busy time of year. There is also by far enough to do in the parks without a special event, so you may feel torn to do one thing or another and lose the chance to do some of the park experiences. 

If you take regular trips to the Walt Disney World resort, this could be the perfect chance to experience something new, festive and fun in the parks. We fall into this category which I truly think makes a big difference in the outlook about the experience.

There are three parks with a NYE event- Magic Kingdom park, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We have experienced both Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but I am excited to share information about all three events! Keep in mind that Disney’s Animal Kingdom usually closes early on NYE, by 6pm at the latest. 

In my opinion, NYE (really- the week of Christmas) is not the time to go to Walt Disney World if this is your only chance at a Disney vacation. It’s a busy and non-typical experience. If you are an Annual Passholder, local, or a Disney regular- it’s the perfect NYE bucket list celebration! 

What To Expect from New Years Eve on a Disney Cruise 

While this post is mainly about the Disney parks, there are festive experiences to be had on a Disney cruise line fleet as well! If you are looking for an opportunity to get away after Christmas and celebrate on the high seas, or maybe on Disney’s Island- Castaway Cay, this checks all the boxes.

There are celebrations throughout the evening, including special dinner menus, a big deck party, and a magical New Years fireworks display. We have experienced a New Years Eve cruise once (though it wasn’t on Disney cruise line) and it was so much fun. We would definitely do it again if timing worked out! 

What To Pack For New Year’s Eve in Disney Parks

Be prepared for a long day in the parks if you want to celebrate New Years, which means you may need a slightly larger than usual park bag. Check out this list for all of my Disney must-haves!

• Festive things like party hats, noise makers, necklaces and more. There were so many kind people in the parks giving these out to other guests, but don’t expect them from Disney. I have heard that in previous years there were cast members handing out hats, but we didn’t experience this at either park. I always like picking my own anyway. 
• Glow sticks and light up necklaces! This falls into the above category but I definitely recommend a few things that light up. 
• Hats, gloves and a scarf. Florida weather in December is all over the place, it could be 70 once night and 40 the next, which is exactly the weather we had. It was warm and lovely during the day, one night we had 70’s which was perfect but the next it was warm during the day and near freezing at night. Thankfully we had gloves and hats because it would have been quite cold. 
• Bring all the layers. I recommend fleece lined leggings, a t-shirt, sweatshirt for the evening and even a winter coat if the weather calls for it (which again, one day it could and the next it doesn’t). 
• Consider hand warmers. You may never think that these would be necessary in Florida, but keep in mind you will be out until the middle of the night. It gets dark early in the day and cold after a few hours. 

New Year’s Eve In Magic Kingdom 

We had so much fun in Magic Kingdom. Spioiler alert for one of the below tips: The greatest thing about celebrating in Magic Kingdom- they host the exact same celebration on December 30th AND 31st! Giving you the opportunity to experience the festivities on the 30th in Magic Kingdom and the actual NYE in another park, Disney Springs or at a resort. 

Let’s get into what makes New Years Eve in Magic Kingdom so magical, and I’m not going to say we basically got a Very Merry Christmas Party for free…but we nearly did! 

• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. A special parade, usually reserved for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, will float through the park twice on the 30th and twice on the 31st. 
• Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration Show. Another fun event usually reserved for the Christmas Party takes place three times throughout the night on the 30th and 31st. This show takes place on the castle stage. 
• Live DJs Around The Park. Tomorrowland, Frontierland and the castle stage all hosted DJ’s who kept the party going from around 7pm until 1am. We had a blast dancing in Frontierland to the DJ who played on the bridge. 

• The Collective Five singing and dancing show in Tomorrowland. This was a fun show for the whole family.  
• Countdown on the castle & fireworks show. The DJ’s stepped away around 11:50 for the New Year’s Eve fireworks to start, leading up to a countdown projected onto the castle. This was so cool to see! You can also see the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks at 6:30 pm! 
• Snoap on Main Street! I love a good snoap fall and was surprised to see it on Main Street after the countdown. 

Tip & Tricks for Magic Kingdom

• We grabbed our spot in the very front of Main Street around 9:30 pm. Two DJs were on the castle stage, so it was like a 2.5-hour dance party until the countdown started. Screaming High School Musical with my sister in front of the castle on NYE- magical! If you want to be close- I recommend grabbing your spot by 10/10:30 pm if you want to be close to the front. 
• Determine what’s important to you regarding the countdown- close to the projection on the castle or seeing the full fireworks show. If you want to see the projection up close, grab a spot as close to the castle as possible, if you want a view of the fireworks, don’t go any closer than the Walt Disney statue. 
• Be prepared for crowds. While it didn’t seem busier than a typical busy Disney day, it was crowded. 
• Think about a mid-day rest for the adults and a nap for the small children! We took our time throughout the day, rested when we stopped to food, and had several coffee breaks- but we forgot to force a nap for my daughter. She missed the countdown and was bummed the next day. 

New Year’s Eve in Epcot

Think dance parties, non-stop excitement, and the typical vibes of EPCOT x 10! All day it feels like core memories will be made. It really is the coolest experience for Disney loving families. You may be wondering, how was it any different than a normal park day? Let me explain! 

• The Silent Disco. We’re huge silent disco fans, all three of us always have a blast. It was so fun to sing, dance and laugh in the World Showcase of Epcot. The silent disco last year for us took place in the gardens of the UK pavilion. I have heard that it can change, so it may not be in the same place each year, but I would keep an eye out here because the space worked perfectly! 
• The DJs and Dance Parties. Three additional DJs were setup throughout the world showcase- Japan, Italy and China. They were all great! The crowds were manageable, especially in Italy! We walked along the side and were able to get to the front with plenty of space. The DJ pumped out smoke “bubbles” which were a huge hit.
• Festive Dining & Drinking. Some festival booths were still open which were delicious. Festival of the holidays ended the day before, but we were able to partake in some of the food and drink booths! You will also find a few champagne stands set up around the park once it’s mid-afternoon. There were at least three additional set up in France alone. 
• NYE Countdown. There really isn’t a reason to have a view of the lake, we thought there would be a big show but it was mainly fireworks and a countdown. We could have been anywhere in the park and enjoyed this! Each country sets off fireworks as the countdown goes through and then there are fireworks in the middle- but again, do’t feel like you need a lake view for this! 
• The Crowd. Everyones favorite reason to avoid a Disney park. It feels wrong to say this because every year could be different BUT the crowds didn’t feel crazy. It was that of a usually busy park day, nothing insane. 

Tip & Tricks for Epcot

We learned a few things, if we were planning to do EPCOT again for NYE, knowing these few things would made the day absolutely perfect. 

• The park is likely open 9am – 1am. 
• You can see the typical Epcot evening entertainment Luminous fireworks show at 6:30pm instead of later in the evening. 
• Specifics of NYE Events Are Unknown. It was a little frustrating that 99% of the cast members seemingly (they could have been directed to avoid answering) knew nothing about the extras throughout the day. We didn’t know when events started, where they would take place, how they were organized, etc. There is also limited information online- not sure why this is? However, we were prepared knowing we would take the experience as it happened without being able to plan many details. 
• Ring in the New Year throughout the day. We were told each country would celebrate the new year when it was their time to celebrate (ie: European countries 6 hours before Florida, China 13 hours before Florida). We purposefully grabbed drinks and headed to toast the German new year at 6pm and not a thing happened. BUT we were in the UK at 7pm (5 hours before Florida) and they had a big celebration! We also talked with a few people who were in China during their countdown time and they had a celebration as well. I’m not sure what occurred in other countries earlier in the day. 

• Crowd management at the silent disco was non-existent for an hour before. We noticed 3 DJs setup in the UK gardens in the evening and assumed it to be the silent disco location. We heard rumors it would start at 7:30pm, noticed a line and gave waiting a go around 6:30. The line was a disaster because it wasn’t sectioned off, no cast members were around, and it was LOTS of people in a very tiny area. The “line” moved quickly once it opened, and they set up stanchions once the initial line was in the DJ area. 
• Explore the whole park. There are celebrations popping up all over the park, don’t just land in one pavilion and call it a night- be prepared to get some steps in to see the magic all around the park. Look for street performers, special merch and people having a grand time. 
• If you want a more formal night, I recommend booking a meal with a fireworks view, a dessert party or a fireworks cruise. Many of the restaurants around the lake, like Spice Road table, will have a special dinner menu with a fireworks view from specific tables. Some experiences will include champagne! 

Celebrations In Hollywood Studios

We haven’t yet experienced this for ourselves, but I am happy to share what I have learned from friends experiences! 

• The park is usually open from 9am until midnight, with a countdown celebration at the strike of 12 am. 
• Street performers and entertainment is set up around the park for an added layer of excitement. 
• This is generally the least crowded park out of the three open on NYE, though that doesn’t mean there will be short lines. It’s still quite busy! 
• Additional bars are set up all around the park. 

Other New Year Experiences in Disney

• Disney Springs usually has fun and festive entertainment and DJs but they will not have fireworks. With many restaurants and bars around the property, you are sure to find special experiences within individual locations as well. This is a great way to have a bit of Disney magic without needing a park ticket or a resort reservation. 
• Disney Resorts offer great options, an exciting midnight countdown and fun activities. Keep in mind that these vary based on the resort and are reserved for resort hotel guests. 

Overall, I can’t say enough good things about our experience celebrating New Year’s Eve in Disney. It was a fun way to spend New Years Eve in the Disney parks, and was a great start to our Happy New Year!