ALL EARS® Readers were asked
to submit family ideas for
spending New Year's Eve at WDW!

Here's what they had to say:

Celebrating New Year Eve with my family at Disney World would be a nostalgic trip for me. I would focus on the Magic Kingdom - riding all of the rides that I remember from childhood and sharing those memories with my family as we ushered in the New Year. (WAldr33239)

My family and I spend the day at the Magic Kingdom seeing the attractions. To celebrate the New Year we have a delicious dinner at the Grand Floridian Cafe, we get dressed up of course! We take in the sights and sounds in the GF lobby and then before the clock strikes twelve, we head back to our lagoon view room and watch the outstanding display of fireworks that are going on all around us. It is a magical feeling, indeed!!! dynamatics

We took the kids to Magic Kingdom for New Year's Eve during the 25th anniversary celebration. We got there early and did not leave for fear of park filling up. Forget the rides. The lines are too long! However, there was plenty of entertainment around for all. The Christmas shows/parades were still running then. This is a good day to find all the hidden treasures that are often overlooked on busy days running to the rides. Make sure you make priority reservations for meals and bring snacks for the kids (bottles, baby food for little ones too).

The park is packed!!! But, it is a fun way to actually have a New Year's Eve OUT with the kids. We viewed fireworks at Main Street. They were amazing and it was closer to get out. But still, plan on a long wait and a mad rush to get back to your car. It is worth it!

That said, however, plan your vacation so you arrive a day or two before New Years and then stay for the majority of your stay after the New Year. Christmas season is too crowded to really enjoy the park with young kids. But, right after New Years, it is off season and few lines to contend with.

While I would not return to WDW during Christmas season again (as we did last year--the week before Christmas), I would most definitely do the New Year's trip again. It is the best of both--crowded, hectic fun time, with lots of parades and outside entertainment (although expensive for lodging), then much slower paced, short lines and off season pricing to enjoy the rides. Linda in MD

My suggestion is to have a fantastic late meal at the Grand Floridian and then walk with that special someone to the beaches of the Polynesian and let the clock strike 12 while looking across the water at the castle and fireworks. (disner2)

What better way to celebrate New Years than with family, so why not have dinner at 'Ohana where the restaurant means "Family" and then watch the fireworks from the beach of the Polynesian. (Suzanne Friedenreich)

For New Year's Eve I'd stay away from Magic Kingdom, for sure. We'd go to Epcot and just slowly work our way around taking in the sites and sounds of all the people. Since it's so busy, we'd so a few of our favorites, but mostly just enjoy Tapestry of Nations and Illuminations and people watch. By taking it easy, we'd all be rested and able to stay the whole day to see the New Year in. (Debbie Chambers)

My family (husband and two daughters then aged 11 and 16) and myself spent this past New Year's Eve in Epcot and had the most wonderful evening. My suggestion is this: Book a Priority Seating at one of the World Showcase restaurants for around the time that country will be celebrating their own midnight back home. For example, the UK is five hours ahead of WDW, so at 7:00pm in Orlando it is midnight in the UK. By booking our PS for 6:30pm on New Year's Eve, we were enjoying our meal in the Rose and Crown when midnight struck in the *real* UK! There was much hooting and hollering in the Rose and Crown as everyone celebrated the UK New Year, and then we got to do it all again five hours later when it turned midnight for everyone in Epcot! (wolfes)

We plan on spending New Years Eve in EPCOT with a nice dinner at Chefs de France followed by the spectacular fireworks! tigger2esq

Look for Cast Members and entertainers to come out and enjoy the fireworks from behind the scenes on this night. We were at Morocco and the whole band came out to watch the fireworks on New Years eve. It is one day even cast members can't resist. Kevin

I would love to be in Disney's World Showcase at Epcot and state that I had been in all those countries on New Year's Eve. It is obviously spectacular and stuff that dreams are made of.... but then that's Disney. (Michele)

I have gone to Disney on New Years Eve for the past five years. My tip is going to MGM and watch the bands. Some recent bands there were Van Halen, Cheap Trick, LFO, Youngstown, and the Monkee's Davy Jones. But that's not my whole tip. If you exit the park before midnight and stand in the parking lot, you can see fireworks all around you, along with hearing blasting music. It really is amazing to see all the parks fireworks at the same time, as it only happens once or twice a year. Gregory

This may sound like a pat answer, but I think celebrating New Year's Eve at Pleasure Island would be great for the family. There's plenty of entertainment that even children would enjoy, such as the fireworks, confetti & music. (Janine Ho)

I think a great idea for New Years Eve would be to have a great dinner at Bongo's Cuban Cafe and then of venture over to Pleasure Island for the HUGE fireworks spectacular! Jennifer Segrave

Many people spend New Year's at Pleasure Island, but I like spending it atop the Contemporary for the best view of all the fireworks from WDW and surrounding areas. poohj80

I would spend the night at the resort your staying at on New Year's Eve. After a few days at WDW, the kids may not be able to stay up until midnight. Get a bottle of champagne and celebrate quietly with hubby. The next morning, head out early for the parks! K Clark

Being a two working parent family, the ideal New Years Eve of course would be at Disney World that goes without saying. After a long year of hard work (9 to 5 and doing our best to mold a beautiful child) just sitting back taking in the magic of Disney as a new year rings in would be enough for me. Whether it be watching glorious fireworks or watching the smiles on my family's face I would be simply put.....HAPPY !!!!!!! Lisam826

I have two ideas for spending New Years Eve at WDW. We have been contemplating both. The first would be to do a 3 day in the park 4 day at sea Disney Cruise where we would wind up out at sea on New Years Eve. It would be great to be drinking champagne on the deck of the boat at midnight looking up at the stars after having spent some time in the parks.

The second is to go to the Cirque Du Soleil's La Nouba on New Years Eve. I don't know if they do it or not but Allegria offered a "Spend New Years with The Cirque" thing. They performed Allegria and then afterwards you got to ring in the New Year with the troupe. I didn't get to go but it sounded really fun. I would like to do that with La Nouba if they offer it. I think that would be memorable. I think we are going to shoot for the first one this year. Robert Meisch

I think an early day in the park, pool and a rest at your WDW hotel and then dinner at the California Grill at the Contemporary for a great meal and fireworks for the grand finale. What a great way to start off the New Year!! Susan Karpman

Ah........the whole family gathered in a room with a balcony that offers a spectacular view of the "World".......the kids (would be jumping on the beds!!!!)....and the adults would be inhaling the beauty and wonder that lies before them outside....peaceful and exhilarating... as we welcome the New Year and another glorious day awaits us!!! Celeste Romagnoli

We like to visit Disney World during the summer months. Primarily because we can go for a couple of weeks. In preparation for our most recent visit (July 2001) we had family nights to "talk Disney." On New Years Eve 2000/2001, we watched home videos of previous family trips, and reminisced of times gone by. After midnight and the customary "Happy New Year!" we we able to say "We're going to Disney World this year." Although it was months away, it seemed closer with those words. (Cybrary)

For my family, celebrating the New Year is not partying at midnight, but watching the year's first sunrise. We would hire a boat from Sammy Duvall's at the Contemporary and bob in the middle of the Seven Seas Lagoon drinking hot coffee, eating warm blueberry muffins and watching darkness turn to light as the first dawn of a New Year breaks over a silent WDW. (Robin Goodman)