I love that you are already planning your Walt Disney World vacation to ring in 2014-I'm an advance planner too! In case you aren't aware, the week between Christmas and New Years is typically the busiest time of year at Walt Disney World. Expect heavy crowds in all of the theme parks-its important to pack your patience along with your clothes! However, it is also one of the nicest times to visit, due to all of the beautiful holiday decorations in both the theme parks and hotels, along with the special parades and fireworks. All of the theme parks will be very busy on New Years Eve, and may fill to capacity early in the day-especially the Magic Kingdom. In order to avoid the heavy crowds, which your in-laws may appreciate, you may want to spend the day at leisure, plan on eating a nice dinner and then viewing the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian Resort-they even have speakers playing the music that goes with the fireworks and the views are great. Also, several of the restaurants in the Contemporary Resort and Grand Floridian Resort offer special New Years Eve dining packages with fireworks viewing included-they are pricey though, and usually start at around $149 pp and can run up to $500. Details of which restaurants will be offering these packages are not available yet- you may make
Dining Reservations up to 180 days in advance, or you can call
407-WDW-DINE(407-939-3463) to check details on available restaurants and special packages. Disney''s Hollywood Studios and Epcot usually offer some type of New Years fireworks as well, and may be a less crowded option for theme park viewing. Consulting the
Park Hours and Calendars about six months in advance should give you a better idea of what's happening. If you think of any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask me...happy planning!