While Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, provides a family-friendly and festive New Year’s Eve celebration, you’ll need to manage your time and the massive crowds wisely if you don’t wish to lose your patience before the New Year even begins.
The most important thing to know about Disneyland Resort on New Year’s Eve is that the crowds are enormous. Bypass the ticket kiosks by buying your tickets online and get there early. It’s not uncommon for Disneyland or Disney California Adventure to close its doors to the public once either park hits capacity. Once you enter a park, stay put. If you leave the park and try to return after it has reached capacity, you will not be allowed back in under any circumstances due to fire codes. The lines are extensive for nearly every attraction, so grab a Fastpass early if there’s something you’d like to ride. The passes allow you to return to the attraction at a predetermined time and stand in a significantly shorter line. If you want a prime view of the evening fireworks show, be warned; visitors begin camping out in designated areas along Disneyland’s Main Street and the Rivers of America from the moment the park opens.
Both parks provide holiday-themed entertainment, such as Disneyland’s daytime Christmas parade that travels down Main Street. The exterior of It’s a Small World is covered in multicolored Christmas lights while the inside includes toy soldiers, Santa, snow and Christmas songs. The main celebration -- a New Year’s countdown and a fireworks show complete with falling “snow” -- takes place at Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, which looks like a winter wonderland, drenched in twinkly white lights and icicles. The park often hosts two fireworks shows, a televised performance at 9 p.m. for the east coast crowd and another at midnight. There’s also a countdown over the Rivers of America and California Adventure’s Paradise Pier, the latter of which also includes a small fireworks show and World of Color performance with a holiday theme. Enjoy dance parties with DJs in front of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland Terrace, It’s a Small World and California Adventure’s Hollywood Backlot Stage. Cast members hand out hats and noisemakers in the evening, adding to the celebratory mood.
You’ll battle crowds when it comes to your dining experience as well. Avoid the breakfast, lunch or dinner rush by making reservations online up to 60 days ahead of time. Preferred seating is typically available at such restaurants as Disneyland’s Blue Bayou and Cafe Orleans and California Adventure’s Ariel’s Grotto and Carthay Circle Restaurant. To save time, you can also grab fast food meals from quick service restaurants and eat them while waiting in line for an attraction.
Disneyland and California Adventure stay open later than usual on New Year’s Eve, typically until 2 a.m. and 1 a.m., respectively. When deciding on which park to visit for the day, keep in mind that California Adventure is usually less crowded than Disneyland but also offers less programming. Some people decide to skip the parks all together and simply watch the fireworks from the public plaza that connects the two parks. You can also view the fireworks from nearby Downtown Disney, which also hosts an outdoor Winter Village and ice rink.
