Hey Howdy Hey Kelly and welcome to planDisney!
Spending New Year's Eve in the parks is a fantastic way to ring in the new year with a little Disney Magic! That being said, a lot of people also have that mindset and around Christmas and New Year's Holidays are when the parks are most likely to fill up. Let's go over a strategy to make sure you get to the park you want for that day.
As you have experienced Kelly, earlier this year Disney no longer requires Theme Park Reservations for date-based tickets, which it sounds like you have. While this is great, you are no longer guaranteed access to a park if it fills up and hits capacity limitations. What you can do is get there early.
If you are staying onsite at a Disney Resort hotel, you will have access to
Early Theme Park Entry where you can enter the parks 30 minutes before the general public and be set for the day. If you are staying offsite, I would plan to get there as close to the official opening time as you can. Parking lots typically open 60-90 minutes before the parks officially open which may be a good time to arrive for your best shot at getting into the parks.
Since this is the busiest time of year for the Disney Parks, it is also important to know who gets priority in the parks. Disney will always prioritize Guests staying onsite at a Disney Resort hotel. Typically when the parks begin to fill up, you may get updates on your
My Disney Experience app with the attendance situation. Disney will usually first stop allowing Park Hopping and then stop letting people in who are staying offsite and lastly, for Guests staying onsite as it gets closer to hitting capacity limits. The best advice I can give you is to get to the parks early!
While I have not been to Disney during the New Year's celebration, this is one broadcast our family watches almost every year. No one puts on a show like Disney and a celebration of the New Year is one you won't want to miss. Best of luck getting to the parks early and having this experience! If you have any other questions please let us know, we are always happy to help.
To Infinity and Beyond,
Nick