The countdown to 2020 is on! There are just days left of the 2010 decade. If you are like me, you’re still deciding where you’d like to ring in the new year. Some Disney fans are gearing up to head to the Disneyland Resort for New Year’s Eve. Traditionally, December 31st is one of the most popular days of the year at the Disneyland Resort. But Disneyland compensates with increased park hours, special entertainment offerings, and a midnight firework show (which won’t be quite as unique this year).
If you have your heart set on going to Disneyland for New Year’s Eve, MiceChat has you covered with this game plan to help you survive this crazy holiday at the Disneyland Resort!
Disneyland
Continuing the yearly tradition of extended park hours on December 31st, Disneyland will remain open from 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM this New Year’s Eve.
For this year’s celebration, Disney is bringing back Mickey’s Mix Magic firework show along with three “New Year’s Eve” Countdown locations around the park. “It’s a Small World”, Rivers of America, and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle will each be hosting a countdown celebration where guests can gather to greet 2020.
Mickey’s Mix Magic showings will be at 9:00 PM and will then again at 11:59 PM to signal the start of the new decade. While we’re happy enough to see Mix Magic play at 9 PM, it seems a shame that there won’t be something more unique or nostalgic for the midnight showing.
Both the Rivers of America and Sleeping Beauty Castle New Year’s Celebrations will take place from 7:00 PM – 12:30 AM, while the “It’s a Small World” celebration occur from 7:00 PM – 1:30 AM.
Almost all entertainment offerings at Disneyland will have different hours than normal, so make sure to plan accordingly. Click Here to view the New Year’s Eve entertainment schedule.
New Year’s at Disney California Adventure
Disneyland isn’t the only option you’ve got for celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Resort. Disney California Adventure will be extending its operations on December 31st as well, with park hours from 8:00 AM – 1:00 AM. There will also be a number of special activities for the occasion.
You can find a New Year’s Countdown celebration happening at Paradise Gardens from 10:45 PM – 1:00 AM and a special dance party taking place in Hollywood Land from 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM.
If you hope to see any of the normal entertainment offered at California Adventure, be sure to Click Here to ensure that you don’t miss out. All entertainment hours have been adjusted to accommodate the extended park hours.
So you have decided to brave the New Year’s Eve crowds at Disneyland… Now what?
It’s no secret that New Year’s Eve at the Disneyland Resort is one of the most crowded, if not THE most crowded day at the Resort all year. A fair warning for you: the lines will be long, pathways will be jammed, and the conditions may be unpleasant. However, that shouldn’t stop you from ringing in the new year in Disneyland. Below are a few tips on what to expect during this hectic day, along with a few tricks that will help you maximize your time while trying to experience all that the park has to offer:
- MaxPass – One of the best investments to make on a busy day is to purchase MaxPass. This service allows you to reserve FastPasses from your phone instead of walking to the attraction itself, helping to save you lots of valuable time. The entire process happens on the official Disneyland App, so you will want to have that downloaded to your phone and ready to go before you enter the park. Without MaxPass/Fastpass, you will find yourself trapped in long lines and unable to ride many of the attractions you were hoping to experience.
- Viewing Fireworks – The New Year’s Eve fireworks display is one of the most popular events that Disney offers. Guests will wait hours to try and secure the perfect viewing spot for the show. If you hope to watch the fireworks display from a decent location, be prepared to hold the spot for hours. It will be packed and other guests will be grumpy, but the perfect spot for the fireworks is worth it… right? If you can do without a prime Main Street or Castle viewing spot, more space is available on Small World Mall and in New Orleans Square.
- Mobile Ordering – Also done through the official Disneyland app, Mobile Ordering offers a quick way to grab food without having to wait in long lines. Restaurants that offer the Mobile Order option will show up on the app (not all the eateries at the Resort participate) and from there you can select which restaurant you would like to order from and the available “return times” to pick up your food. After selecting your restaurant, choose your food items, and pay. When it’s time to return and pick up your food, indicate on the app you’re there and your food will be out shortly. If you’ve got your whole day planned for shows and attractions, this is definitely a time-saving trick. Be advised that if restaurants become backed up, mobile ordering is sometimes disabled.
- Make a Game Plan – MaxPass and Mobile Ordering only work if you have a rough idea of what attractions and shows you want to experience. So, be sure to talk to your party about what rides are mandatory to go on and which ones you can skip. This will make choosing MaxPasses much easier and allow you to strategically build your day around the location of rides and which order you should try to ride them in. Any successful mission has a plan of action behind it, and New Year’s Eve at the Disneyland Resort should be treated no differently.
- Have Patience – Everyone in the park will be dealing with the same frustration about crowds, ride break-downs, and unexpected obstacles that emerge throughout the day. Cast members will be doing their best to keep guests happy, but will not always be able to succeed in doing so. The best way to deal with these problems is to have patience. Remember why you chose to experience New Years at Disneyland in the first place, and try to focus on enjoying the excitement that the holiday brings. Take a deep breath and relax when something isn’t going the way it was supposed to, and adjust your schedule to fit the problem. Not many people get to say then ended one year and began another inside The Happiest Place on Earth, and that is a pretty neat bragging right.
- Dress For All Weather – Southern California weather varies wildly this time of year, often within a single day. It’s common for temperatures to swing 20 degrees or more from midday to evening. If you don’t want to carry around an extra jacket and gloves, consider renting a locker on Main Street as soon as you arrive. Lockers frequently sell out early in the day on New Year’s Eve.
- What if the park reaches capacity – It’s possible, though, not as likely as in the past, that Disneyland will reach capacity and begin turning guests away. Here’s what you need to know. The earlier you arrive, the less likely you are to be turned away. If the park starts to fill up, you shouldn’t leave if you can help it. While guests who were already in the park will be granted reentry in early phases of gate closing, that is not a guarantee. In the event the gates are hard closed, ask where the line is forming for reentry. As guests leave, they will start to let some guests back into the park. Be aware that not all cast members are well informed and it is common to be told false information about what phase of closure the park is currently in and where they are queuing up guests who would like to wait for reentry. However, we don’t expect the park to reach capacity this year due to aggressive annual pass blackouts. Still, it’s good to be prepared. If you do find yourself blocked out of Disneyland, Disney California Adventure should remain open and is a good alternative with great food and entertainment from the Festival of Holiday’s to supplement the park’s normal offerings.
$99 Disney Vacation Layaway Sale Extended!
We’ve got some great news for you. Our partners at Get Away Today are helping you save money on Disney theme park tickets and travel packages. AND, through the end of the year, they’ve got some great ways for you to gift Disney trips for a reduced deposit:
- For Discounted theme park tickets and travel packages, always start HERE: Get Away Today (When calling, always mention MiceChat so you get your special rates and deals!)
- Layaway Plan Sale Extension: Due to how popular the $99 Layaway Plan has been, Get Away Today has extended the sale through December 31, 2019. You can hold a Southern California vacation for just $99 down with final payment due just five days before travel. It’s the easiest way to plan a 2020 Southern California vacation!
- Layaway Plans can be used for any of our Southern California vacations and can be combined with any of our specials – like Extra Day Free Tickets and Extra Night Free Hotel Specials.
Book something amazing to look forward to – HERE
Let’s Hear From You
It is a good assumption that the Resort will be packed come December 31st (assuming that the weather holds out). But, with the right mindset and strategy, it can still be a memorable trip. Disneyland is a popular destination to celebrate the New Year, and crowds shouldn’t scare you away. Are there any tips or tricks that we forgot to mention? Do you have a favorite out of the way spots to ride out the crowds? Tips on which restaurants, rides, or shops will be least crowded? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Whether you will be celebrating at Disneyland or not, we hope that you have a happy and safe New Year and we are looking forward to sharing 2020 with you!