Hi there, Emmicah!
Welcome to planDisney and what a wonderful question you've brought to us! That's so exciting to hear that you will be spending New Year's Eve at the Disneyland Resort this year. I can't think of a more magical way to ring in 2024 and I know that you're going to make memories to last you a lifetime that night! I've also had the pleasure of welcoming the New Year by being in the Parks at the stroke of midnight and would be happy to impart my tips.
The first thing to know about this time of year is that the period leading up to and including New Year's Eve can be incredibly busy, so expect high crowd levels. I like to recommend that everyone pack their patience, as it can take much longer than usual to navigate the Parks. However, everyone is there to have a good time, so be courteous of fellow guests and understand that you can still have a blast even though things might take a bit longer. I would recommend picking one Park and limiting your Park Hopping if possible, because there is a possibility that one or both Parks might close for capacity and I wouldn't want you to be unable to re-enter a Park!
I would also recommend planning ahead as much as possible and securing your dining reservations when they open up 60 days in advance. If you don't see a particular venue that you'd like, keep checking back because guests often change their plans and cancel reservations, thereby opening them up for other guests. And I would definitely recommend adding
Genie+ to your tickets in order to avoid waiting in standby queues as much as possible.
You'll get to see both Parks decked out in their festive best during the
Holiday Season celebration, which will still be ongoing as you visit! My favorites during the Holidays would be
A Christmas Fantasy Parade,
Haunted Mansion Holiday, and
World of Color - Season of Light. I also love picking up a Sip and Savor Pass at the
Festive Foods Marketplace at Disney California Adventure and sampling many of the multicultural holiday dishes they offer.
And as far as New Year's Eve specific activities, they haven't made announcements yet about what will be offered, but I am certain that there will be plenty of locations where you'll be able to count down to midnight with other enthusiastic guests! Keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog for the latest news and updates. Last year, there were performances filmed for
‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023 that were located throughout the Parks, along with special fireworks planned for Disneyland Park but the evening was rained out. Be on the lookout for noisemakers and other complimentary celebratory handouts from Cast Members that night!
Emmicah, that was certainly a lot of information to present but I hope that it was helpful for you. If you have any more questions about your visit, please feel free to write back to us again! You're always welcome at planDisney! Until next time!
Wishing You a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow!
-Al