Disneyland New Years Eve

[rosscoe]

With the new job, I have two more LA trips in the next couple of weeks.

 

In LA for New Years eve ( and since I am not a drinker ) was thinking of heading to Disneyland for the night.

My flight arrives around 8.00am on New Years eve, should be at the Hotel ( Long Beach ) around nine am.

 

My Questions are

 

 

: What am I in for?

: Guessing it will be insane

: Do I have to be there all day?

: Is it worth it?

: Will I get any rides in?

: Would it be better to go to DCA?

 

 

Cheers

Edited January 3, 2011 by rosscoe

[Coaster Cow]

Short answer: yes.

 

Long, much better answer:

I was just in Disneyland for the last three days and it was crowded. Really crowded. But for my family, we were fine because we had been to Disney World on Christmas and New Years, and they've had to shut the parks down. We know some basic essentials: Get in early, go hard until about 11, when it gets horrible either take a nice break at the hotel or just sit back and people-watch, then stay late. USE FASTPASS. Californians don't seem to use it as much as in Orlando.

If you want to get all the rides in, you've picked the wrong day. If you have all the right options, it doesn't have to be that way. I got both parks done over Christmas Eve-Christmas Day by taking advantage of staying at the Grand Californian and using the early park hours. You will get many rides in, as long as you are okay with lines, and will even get some of the blockbusters done.

DCA will be less crowded for sure, but the same principles apply as above.

I say its worth it, but only if you know how to do Disney with crowds. Plan carefully and commit, and as long as you like your riding partner, lines shouldn't be a problem. Just go and have fun!

[rosscoe]

Thanks for the info, anyone else have any tips?

[Sir Clinksalot]

We have been going to NYE most of the past 5-6 years. Didn't go a couple of years in between there due to my wife's back surgery.

 

It's a very fun day/evening, but bring your patience and don't expect to or be disappointed if you don't ride much. It's not about that anyway.

 

We typically end up over at DCA since that is where the booze is and there are typically less people than Disneyland.

 

There is a chance of showers, so that will diminish the crowds a bit. We did it in the rain about 5-6 years ago and it was a fun time since the rain stopped about 8pm but the crowds never showed up.

 

The good thing is that after midnight, most of the ride lines will be very short and you should be able to get some rides in between midnight and 2am when the park closes.

[BelizeIt]

I spent last years New Years at the Disney/DCA parks so here's some advice.(I had an awesome time)

 

First, buy the Park-Hopper pass, yes it's $100 + bucks, but what the hell it's New Years!!! Both parks will be Rocking all Night! Your going to have an awesome time! What the hell is another $25 bucks(for an extra park) on New Years! So do it!

 

If you can, arrive extra early(The park will sell-out early) so that you can start to collect your Fast-Passes for the day. If you want to hit up the 'rides', then start getting your Fast-Passes for them. Let's say you arrive at 10:00 am, head over to DCA an get a Fast-Pass for Soarin, then leave DCA, and head over to Disneyland and get one for Space Mountain.

 

Now even though your Space Mountain Fast-Pass say you have to use it between 1:00-2:00 pm, that means nothing you CAN use it at 9:00pm at night if you want to, you just can't use it before 1:00pm.(I have never had a Disney cast member not allow me to use a fast-pass because it was past the stated time) So with a bit of effort on your part, going back and forth between the two parks you can collect many Fast-Passes and use them at your leisure.

 

Maximize your Fast-Pass options.(The ticket will tell you when you are eliglible for another Fast-Pass) This system works great for those who know how to use it. (minimal lines for you)

 

This way you can watch the Disney Christmas Parade (Which is excellent!) Or World of Color.

 

Now later in the evening(Around 10-11pm), the cast member will hand out (Free) Hats + Whistles. But if you can get your hands on these items is random chance, I received it last year, but endlessssssssssss people kept asking me where I got them from.

 

Hopefully you'll come across a cast member who gives you these New Years items, but who knows.

 

Overall, you can have a great New Years at the Parks...............Good Luck To You!

[rosscoe]

Thanks for all the info, Sounds like a really fun yet busy night

[Top Thrill Dragster]

Single Rider Lines, USE THEM!

 

 

Disneyland

 

Splash Mountain

 

Indiana Jones Adventure

 

DCA

 

Soarin Over California

 

California Screamin

 

Grizzly River Run

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Thanks for all the info, Sounds like a really fun yet busy night

 

It is a fun night, DCA has a better dance atmosphere I think. Also, get there early and get fast passes for as much as you can in the morning and hold them till later (if you didn't already know, they don't expire at the time it says, they're accepted all day) In 2008, using Fast Pass, I was able to ride 90% of the attractions in the park and held a Fast Pass for every attraction that offered one (this was at DL) It is possible to have very full day if you know what your'e doing and know how to work with the system.

[rosscoe]

Top Thrill, thanks for the single rider list. Pity Space Mountain does not have a single rider.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Don't buy park hoppers. Disneyland's gates can and will be shut to any incoming guests as early as shortly after noon, regardless of if they've already been inside Disneyland that day or not. If you want to be in Disneyland at midnight, just go in, stay in, use FastPass & Single Rider, and have fun.

[the ghost]

Its a bit late to answer, so I'll post a question in this thread. Did the ska band Suburban Legends play this year? I heard they play every new years eve at Disneyland, and that for me would be about worth park admission on its own as they are a favorite of mine. I keep missing them, so if its true they play every year I may come next year just to see the Legends!

[rosscoe]

Spent 14 insane hours at Disneyland and DCA on New Years eve.

 

Missed my transfer from Long Beach, $80.00 dollars later in a Taxi, arrived at the park with pre payed ticket in hand. Hit every major ride in both parks at least twice. Had no line longer than sixty minutes ( Space Mountain, second time around ).

 

Crowds where not too bad, but park was packed for the whole day and tickets where sold out by 2.00pm . Used single rider and fast pass. Park hopping was allowed! DCA was a strange park, not really sure what they where trying for! The Tron party zone was, well interesting.

 

Having it snow near the Castle after the fireworks, was magicall.

 

Highlights: The man who gave me a fast pass for Space Mountain

: Dancing with Tigger

: Tower Of Terror ( it makes so much more sense in English! )

: Riding the Matterhorn again for the first time since 1988

: Running into the people I was supposed to go with at 9.00pm

: Main Street at Midnight.

 

 

[rosscoe]

Should also add that it was Freezing loved it.

Later that night Tigger and I dance to LADY GAGA'S Bad Romance

Insert small castle joke here....I've sat on things bigger than that!!!

Main Street, an hour before Midnight

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

Define freezing. New Years Eve here got into the negatives, so I would have thought Anaheim was warm.

[rosscoe]

Coming from an Australian summer, Anaheim was freezing. I think with wind chill it was in the negatives.

[BelizeIt]

I'm glad you had a fun time. I really enjoyed my New Years visit last year. (My first New Years visit in 10+ years)

 

It seems like you visited many of the attractions the park has to offer. (Hopefully the park didn't hit capacity) Which would have limited your access to just one park.

 

You traveled a looooooong distance, I'm glad you had a great time!

[Sir Clinksalot]

Cool pics ... we spent 14 hours at DCA ... no freakin' joke.

 

But it was an awesome/quite relaxing day. We got our Midnight World of Color tickets then just walked around, took in a few rides, collected FP's and spent most of the day/evening at the Sparkle Bar at the winery. We ended up riding pretty much everything (Soarin', Screamin', Tower and most of the smaller rides).

 

The midnight show at DCA was incredible, from what I'm hearing it blew Disneyland's show away which is a first.

[DJeXeL]

Went to the 2009/2010 NYE party at DCA and was pleasantly surprised. The had 3 different dancing areas with music that everyone could enjoy regardless of age and musical taste. Was crowded but manageable. Seems to me the DCA side of the party was more adult oriented however I could be wrong. Wasn't able to make it this year unfortunately.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ DCA this year was actually kind of lacking on the "dance" part of it (which was fine with me). They didn't even have any bands playing in the wharf.

 

They had Electronica, which was surprisingly not very crowded when we went through about 8:00.

[DJeXeL]

Yea I just thinking about that cause the larger of the 3 dance area was in front of the Hyperion Theater and with ElecTRONica I don't see that happening. I actually like ElecTRONica more so than GlowFest

[rosscoe]

Cool pics....

 

The midnight show at DCA was incredible, from what I'm hearing it blew Disneyland's show away which is a first.

 

 

I nearly picked up a fast pass for the midnight show, and thought better of it. Maybe I should have.

 

And thanks for the cool pics comment