Hey there Sydney, it's great to have you here at planDisney!
If there's any day of the year when having a great game plan and sticking to it will be extra crucial, it's definitely New Year's Eve in my opinion. If you've ever wondered what it's like to feel surrounded by tens of thousands of people all in one spot - this is the day to do it! Thankfully there are Cast Members who are specially tasked with handling the crowds in
Magic Kingdom Park, from the Parade Audience Control (PAC) team to the Daily Operations managing guest flow along
Main Street U.S.A. during the busiest times. I've been doing a bit of in-person panelist research around the theme parks this week, so I asked the
Cast Members at Guest Relations for a bit more insight on your New Year's Eve plans:
- Though you may not require a Theme Park Reservation to enter Magic Kingdom Park depending on the kind of admission you have, this still does not guarantee entry if for any reason they cannot admit any more guests by the time you arrive. This could be due to a variety of reasons, including ensuring that guests are safely able to enter the theme parks without reaching capacity or any other limitations; though rare, this was observed as recently as this weekend as folks surged in for a chance to be present during the taping of the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade. Guests had to wait outside the entrance and even beyond security until they were clear again to enter, even despite having reservations and the Cast Members at Guest Relations made it clear that despite having a dining reservation this does not necessarily guarantee entry in these situations.
- Earlier this year, Park Hopping guests visiting during Spring Break received notifications via the My Disney Experience app temporarily limiting them from enter Magic Kingdom Park, while providing them with the following number to call for updates: 407-560-5000. (While this number may be subject to change in the future without prior notice, calling this at the time of writing will currently provide you with an automated message indicating which of the theme parks are continuing to admit guests at that moment.) It may be a good idea to keep this number handy in the event that you do decide to risk leaving Magic Kingdom Park!
Personally, I wouldn't want to spend New Year's Eve potentially stuck waiting around at any of the theme park entrances and would probably save visiting the Disney Resort Hotels for virtually any other day of the year. (In my opinion, it wouldn't be worth the risk of leaving Magic Kingdom Park for the potential of being disappointed as crowd levels climb into the afternoon!) If your heart is set on seeing the Fantasy In The Sky Fireworks to ring in the New Year, you might be interested to know that there are actually four chances to do this on both December 30 as well as December 31 at 6:30 P.M. and 11:50 P.M. so you can avoid having to miss out. Whatever you choose to do Sydney, I hope you make the right decision that you feel most comfortable with and that you don't encounter any difficulty celebrating New Year's Eve the way you want to!
Here's to finishing 2024 off right at the Most Magical Place on Earth!
Prince