Planing a Disneyland New Year’s Eve Countdown

If you are looking for the perfect place to ring in the New Year, Disneyland is one of my top choices for a New Year’s Eve Countdown! It will provide a fun evening that your whole family will remember forever. With two theme parks to choose from and dozens of great dining options, you’re bound to have an incredible New Year’s Eve! Whether you are visiting with your family, as a couple, or riding solo, there is something for everyone. Before you decide to visit Disneyland for the New Year’s Eve countdown, there are plenty of things to consider. Today I’m going to share everything you need to know to plan the perfect NYE celebration at Disneyland!

Disneyland is Closed for 2020 until further notice. (https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/five-day/)

What to expect in Disneyland during New Year’s Eve

• New Year’s Eve Crowds – New Year’s Eve is the most popular day of the year for Disneyland theme parks. Many international and out of town visitors come and stay during the Christmas and winter break. It’s pretty common for Disneyland Park to prohibit new visitors once the park reaches capacity. After this point, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to enter since most people intend to stay for the evening NYE countdown fireworks. Therefore, if you hope to ring in the New Year at Disneyland, get ready for an all-day excursion.
• New Year’s Eve Special events – Expect there to be a party atmosphere throughout the Disney parks once the sunsets. There will be live DJs and additional staffed Disney characters throughout the parks. You’ll experience special entertainment and live music, special for New Year’s Eve. When you arrive, be sure to pick up a “Times Guide” for the full details of the day’s special events. This will help plan the rest of your day.
• NYE Countdown Fireworks – Usually, the exact timing of special events varies from year to year. On New Year’s Eve at Disneyland Park, there are usually two showings of the countdown fireworks over the castle. The first showing is at 9 pm to celebrate the New York countdown. You can then experience the show again at 12 am to welcome in the New Year in California time. Disney’s California Adventure welcomes in the New Year with an upgraded showing of World of Color for this special occasion.
• Opening Hours – Ensure you check out the opening hours for NYE at your park of choice on Disneyland’s official website. Disneyland will have extended hours to accommodate the countdown. Celebrations continue for an hour or so after the New Year has been welcomed in.

Disneyland New Year’s Eve and Countdown Game Plan

Choosing a Park – Disneyland Park or Disney’s California Adventure Park?

If you aren’t familiar with the Disneyland Resort in LA, it features two fantastic Disney theme parks. They are directly opposite each other. On a regular day, I’d recommend park hopping but, New Year’s Eve is not a good time to do this.

Disneyland Park

Disneyland is the original park that Walt Disney opened back in 1955. Disney’s California Adventure Park is the more recent addition to the resort featuring some fantastic modern attractions and entertainment.

Disney California Adventure Park

If you leave your park of choice, even just for an afternoon nap, you run the risk of not being able to get back in if the park is at capacity. Decide in advance with your travel party which park you are most interested in visiting. This will be the park you will also want to ring in the New Year at so take that into consideration as well. Disneyland is always going to be the busier of the two parks on New Year’s Eve for the countdown. For many people though, counting down to the New Year in front of Cinderella’s castle is a dream. Whichever park you choose, expect attraction wait times to be high throughout the day on NYE. You will need to bring your patience and set any children up with realistic expectations in advance of your visit.

When And Where To Get Tickets For The New Year’s Eve Countdown

All of Disneyland’s New Year’s Eve and Countdown celebrations are included in the day’s admission. There’s no need to buy any special tickets to participate in the party.

Whenever I visit a Disney park, I find it easiest to buy my tickets online in advance of my visit. I especially recommend this for NYE. This will save you time waiting at the ticket booths when you first arrive. You’ll also get the best prices and know your tickets are official when purchasing from the Disney official website. If you are a Disneyland annual pass holder, pay attention to any block out dates for your pass. New Year’s Eve is often excluded and you will need to buy an additional ticket to enter.

Parking at Disneyland During New Years Eve

If you aren’t staying at a local hotel, there are plenty of parking spots at the Disneyland Resort. Parking is $25 a day for a car or motorcycle with three locations close to the theme parks. We recommend taking a photo of where you’ve parked at the start of the day. There’s nothing worse than searching for your car at the end of a long day with tired kids!

Walking to Disneyland

If you are staying nearby, which I would highly recommend, walking to and from the parks is a fantastic idea. This way, you won’t need to pay for parking and search endlessly for a spot.

We arrived half an hour before the park opened on NYE and there was already a non-stop stream of cars entering. They do have staff there to guide you to the next empty spot. If you were to drive, I’d recommend going a bit before the park opens to ensure a parking spot.

When to arrive at Disneyland on NYE

The earlier you can arrive in the day, the better the experience you’ll have. If you are traveling with younger children, this is going to be a very long day. It will be worth considering if you think they’ll make it to midnight. If not, you can always watch the 9 PM countdown to celebrate with the East Coast. If want to enjoy the rides at Disneyland and see the parade, I’d suggest arriving at the time of opening. The first couple of hours of the day will be the best time to ride the most popular attractions.

The rides will get extremely crowded with multiple hour-long waits later in the day. In our experience, the lines started to build up by 10 AM. I’d recommend getting as much done as possible first thing in the morning. Then, you can pace yourself the second half of the day and attend the various special events put on just for NYE.

Disney Ride strategy for New Years Eve

Plan and prioritize your rides

Regardless of which Disney park you plan to visit, the best strategy is to get there early and get ahead of the crowds. If you plan to ride some of the most popular attractions, head to them straight away in the morning. I would also suggest planning out which rides you really want to ride and checking them off your list early. Otherwise, you will spend hours in line as the number of park visitors increases throughout the day.

Get a FastPass and MaxPass

FastPass will be available throughout the day, however, for this day I would recommend purchasing Disney MaxPass. Disney MaxPass allows you to select FastPass options from your phone instead of physically walking to the attraction. You will also be able to download photos taken by Disney staff at the end of the day. While it’s going to add $20 per person to your expenses, I think it’s well worth it to maximize your day, especially on NYE.

Night time spectacular Fast Passes

One of the most important FastPass tickets that you’ll want to get is for the evening night-time spectaculars, whether that’s Fantasmic, in Disneyland Park, or World of Color in Disney’s California Adventure. Try to secure one of these as soon as you can in the morning. as it will save you a lot of hassle later on in the day. By the afternoon and evening, you are bound to be getting a little tired, so take in some of the shows and longer attractions which will allow you to have a break from walking around the parks. One of the newest additions to Disneyland Park is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. If you or your family are huge Star Wars fans, make this the first stop of your day, as it will become incredibly congested later on.

Where to eat at the Disney Parks?

One of the most important preparations you should make for your day at Disneyland is booking your dining reservations in advance. While I always recommend this, it’s even more important on New Year’s Eve. If your budget can afford it, I’d try and book two table service meals for this day, which will allow you a good hour or so each time to sit down and relax. Reservations can be booked online, and you’ll want to secure these as far in advance as possible of your trip. Walking around for over twelve hours will take its toll on anyone, so give yourself a break to enjoy some good food. Otherwise, it could be difficult to find a spot to sit.

California Adventure Restaurant Picks:

• Carthay Circle in Disney’s California Adventure – For a guaranteed viewing spot for the World of Color show, try and secure one of their World of Color dining packages. You’ll enjoy a three-course meal before the show. With a seasonal menu and fresh, local flavors, you’ll enjoy dining in this Art Deco themed restaurant.
• Lamplight Lounge in Disney’s California Adventure – Ideal for lunch or cocktails and appetizers, Lamplight Lounge is a Pixar themed lounge overlooking Pixar Pier. The cocktails here are inventive, and there are plenty of fun non-alcoholic options too for kids and teens to enjoy.
• Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland Park – Overlooking Pirates of the Caribbean, you’ll enjoy having a rest from the crowds in this relaxing restaurant. Enjoy a New Orleans inspired lunch and dinner menu with items such as a surf and turf combo or jambalaya.

Disneyland Park Restaurant Picks:

• Oga’s Cantina in Disneyland Park – For any adult Star Wars fans in your family, they’ll love enjoying a drink or two in Oga’s Cantina. This is primarily a drinking location, but with incredible theming and Star Wars-themed cocktails. It’s the perfect place to kick off your evening for a Star Wars fan.
• Café Orleans in Disneyland Park – For a relaxed lunch, enjoy sitting outside at Café Orleans where you’ll enjoy a Cajun-themed menu. You can’t dine here without trying their Monte Cristo sandwich with a side of garlicky parmesan pommes frites.

If you are unable to secure a reservation for one of these restaurants listed above for NYE, don’t worry. You’ll find dozens of great snack and quick-service locations to choose from throughout the Disney parks. Try to avoid the main lunch and dinner times to avoid waiting for ages for your food.

If you are traveling with kids or anyone with dietary requirements, pack a few small snacks with you so that they don’t have to wait too long to eat. A great recent addition to the parks is the mobile ordering system, which is available at certain quick-service dining locations. This will save you so much time waiting in lines and allows you to pre-pay for your food and receive an alert on the Disneyland app when it’s ready.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations – Recommended locations for the New Year’s Eve Countdown

You’ll want to make sure you find yourself and your family a great viewing spot for the countdown to midnight. I’m sure if you’ve visited the Disney parks before, you’ll know it’s best to get a spot for the fireworks about thirty minutes in advance, but tonight will be a little different. People will camp out hours in advance for the evening show, especially if they want to be close to the castle. In Disneyland Park, the top place to watch the fireworks for the New Year’s Eve countdown is in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle or down Main Street, U.S.A. However, this area is going to be extremely busy, so the other great areas are in front of It’s A Small World or along the Rivers of America in Frontierland, which also feature big celebrations. 

If you are in Disney’s California Adventure, World of Color viewing is available around Pixar Pier. For a more relaxed evening, consider one of the fireworks packages. Disneyland offers packages for The Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge and the Plaza Inn, and they will save you plenty of hassle on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the countdown.

Special Entertainment for New Year’s Eve at Disneyland

A visit to Disneyland for New Year’s Eve also benefits from some of the fantastic holiday entertainment. The Christmas parade will be held twice during the day. There is one parade in the daytime on New Year’s Eve, and you’ll also enjoy the snowfall by the castle in the early evening. Throughout the Disney parks, you’ll find pop-up dance parties for the occasion. The main celebrations will take place in multiple locations, in front of the castle, outside It’s a Small World, and neard the Rivers of America.

Hotels and Where to Stay

If you are visiting from out of town for New Year’s Eve, I’d recommend staying at one of the on-site Disney hotels. While there are plenty of other nearby accommodation options, these hotels will grant you early access to the parks. As a perk as you’ll receive an Extra Magic Hour in the morning. This means you can get into the park earlier than the general public and get a head start on checking attractions off of your list. The best thing about the Disney hotels is their close proximity to the Disney parks, meaning you can walk from your room into the parks within minutes.

If you don’t fancy tackling the crowds on New Year’s Eve, Disney’s Paradise Pier hotel offers a gala dinner. This is a quieter option for families looking to celebrate the occasion with the Disney characters and magic. Depending on your hotel view, you might even be able to catch the fireworks and celebrations in your room.

Additional Tips for a New Year’s Eve Countdown at Disneyland

• Bring Extra Clothes – while it may be hot in the daytime, you are going to be in the park until late at night, so expect it to cool off by this time. Bring additional layers for your comfort later on in the day.
• Use the Disneyland App – At the end of the day, you’ll find the Disneyland App is a lifesaver. It has everything including MaxPass and mobile dining that we’ve discussed earlier. It’s the best way to keep an eye on wait times for attractions during your visit and to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.
• Ride closing times – Most rides will begin to close up after midnight. If you or your family have your heart set on riding something, don’t leave it until too late in the day!
• Pack your patience – It’s going to be a long day in the parks, and while I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time, set realistic expectations about how crowded the theme parks may be and pace yourself throughout the day.
• Bring something to keep you entertained in lines – If you are traveling with younger children, bring some form of entertainment to keep them busy. Later on in the day, you’ll find the lines for the most popular rides become extremely long.
• Bring a power bank for your phone – I’m sure you’ll want to record the countdown to midnight in the park, so make sure your phone and camera have enough battery to see you through until that time of day. Bring a power bank or additional battery. Don’t expect to be able to plug your device in anywhere during the day. If you do need a power bank, Disney does offer kiosks that sell them and you can trade them in for a newly charged one throughout the day.

Disneyland NYE countdown FAQ’s

• Is Disneyland Busy on New Year’s Eve? New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest days of the whole year in the parks. Due to this, Disneyland Park will likely reach capacity on NYE. Don’t expect to go on rides without long wait times, especially as the day gets later. MaxPass and FastPass will provide you with the best possible experience during NYE.
• What time does Disneyland close on New Year’s Eve? Check the Disneyland website to confirm before your visit, but Disneyland usually remains open until 2 am. Disney’s California Adventure will close a bit earlier at 1 am. It’s important to note that not all of the attractions will remain open until this time.

A visit to Disneyland is one of the most unique and exciting ways to bring in the New Year! If you are looking for a fun outing that the whole family will enjoy, this is it! As you can see, for the best experience, thought needs to go into your visit. You’ll want to have a rough plan of action before heading to the parks. With a little planning and our advice above, you’ll have one of the most memorable celebrations of your life and you’ll create memories that will stay with you forever.