New Years Eve in Walt Disney World is so much fun! There are lots of different places to ring in the new year and each one is a little different. From the parks to Disney Springs there are countdowns and parties all over the most Magical Place on Earth! Last year we went to EPCOT for New Years and this year we were in Disney Springs, so with an assist from some friends I have the run down on all the celebrations!
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is the place to be if you have little ones that want to ring in the new year. They do a special fireworks show called Fantasy in the Sky that you can see on the 30th and the 31st at 6:50pm and 11:50pm. There is a countdown on Cinderella Castle and a DJ on the castle stage! This is a “dry” park unless you have a table service reservation so you stand a much better chance of a tamer evening here in Magic Kingdom. So if that is the vibe you are looking for this is the place to be! Plus who doesn’t want to see a NYE countdown on Cinderella Castle?!
EPCOT
If you want a wilder vibe with lots of libations to enjoy and a lot of energy this should be your NYE place! There are parties all over world showcase in different pavilions. A silent rave in the UK pavilion, a great DJ in the Italy pavilion and the China pavilion has a fire breathing dragon and a DJ!
It is so much fun! Very crowded, but really fun! I have to say that the countdown in EPCOT is amazing!! We got a great spot between the America and Italy pavilion near the stage and it was perfect. The countdown is really cool because not only do they do the traditional countdown at midnight but they also shoot fireworks off in each countries pavilion in the order in which that country rang in the new year! The fireworks are awesome, it’s quite a show. If you want to read more about NYE in EPCOT you can read all about our experience last year here.
Hollywood Studios
In Hollywood Studios you can find a DJ and some fun snoap in the hub with a pretty exciting party happening! They do a countdown on the Chinese Theater at midnight and it looked like so much fun! Between the lasers, music and snoap I definitely want to try this park out next year. We almost went to Hollywood Studios this year but ended in Disney Springs for reasons we will talk about next!
Disney Springs
We ended up in Disney Springs this year even though we were planning on going to Hollywood Studios because we won tickets to the Yacht Rock Revue concert at House of Blues! It was a blast! The band was amazing and the music was fantastic.
We started the night at Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar for some drinks with friends and then we had dinner at House of Blues. It was really cool to see all the fun stuff going on in Disney Springs for the holiday. There were full on dance parties happening at the stage by the movie theater and the stage by the Boathouse with DJ’s and lights. The Waterside stage was hopping all evening too!
We had a great time singing along and dancing with Yacht Rock Revue at House of Blues but it was tough to hang out all night since there were no seats. We stayed and enjoyed that for a while and then decided to go meet back up with our friends at the Waterside stage to rock out with Epic Party Band! You might remember one the Epic Party Band members from the Voice, Omar! They are fabulous and we had the best time, they made the countdown really fun at midnight.
There are lots of places to get a drink or a snack in Disney Springs and it was not as crowded as EPCOT so my hubby enjoyed it a lot more. There was lots to do for the kiddos while still being really fun for us big kids. Whether you wanted to dance or sing, drink or eat Disney Springs has got it for you!
Conclusion
In the past we never did anything for New Years Eve, we stayed home and I watched the ball drop alone on the couch since everyone else was asleep. Hahaha! But living here it’s crazy not to do something. Last year we were gifted ticket to EPCOT and this year we won tickets to the Yacht Rock concert so I’ll have to come up with something next year so Jay will still go out for the night. Hahaha!
The boys had their own little party at home with lots of junk food and NYE hats and horns and were just as happy as clams to have a little party at home. My master plan here is to hit up a different park or location every year for NYE so I guess I will have to try and win or find tickets for next year.
Thank you so much for reading along and I hope that you had a very Happy New Years Eve and have the most magical new year ever!