New Year's Eve at Epcot in Review

The calm before the storm.

If I was to describe New Year's Eve at Walt Disney World in three words, they would be: spectacular, amazing, and owwwwwww. Seriously, I'm not sure a person my age is supposed to hurt this badly. The only reason I'm able to type up this blog post is because my fingers are the one part of my body that don't hurt. Still, I got to see some pretty spectacular fireworks and experience something that many Disney fans talk about doing, but not everyone gets to, so I probably shouldn't complain! Besides, I got some good ideas for future blog posts, and I'm eager to share my thoughts and impressions with all of you. So, here it is, the highs and lows of my quick two day Disney trip.

The good:

1) Cast members and guests seemed to be in great spirits. Given it was the end of a long and stressful holiday season, I really expected to run into at least one cast member during the past two days who had clearly reached the end of their rope and who was feeling less than jolly, but it didn't happen. All of them were polite, helpful, and friendly. They all smiled and laughed and seemed to be enjoying themselves. That was great to see - the holidays at Walt Disney World often means long hours and dealing with more impatient guests than usual, but if anything or anyone was getting under their skin, it didn't show. Cast members don't often get a lot of support or credit for being a big part of the guest experience, and it's rare for people to say thank you. As for my fellow guests, I heard very little whining or complaining and despite the alcohol flowing freely, didn't see too many examples of "drunk and disorderly" conduct.

2) Things were overall, organized. Clearly this isn't Disney's first time at the rodeo, and for the most part, they did a great job in handling the crowds and the flow of traffic. While I think crowds were handled better at Hollywood Studios versus Epcot, I can also appreciate Epcot is bigger and the design may not lend itself to the same procedures used there. I noticed at Epcot on New Year's Eve that viewing areas were taped off hours before even the 7 p.m. fireworks, and cast members were out politely, but firmly ensuring that people stayed within those areas only.

Afternoon crowds at Epcot -around 5 p.m.

3) Great weather. Okay, so Disney had nothing to do with this (at least I don't think they've figured out how to control the weather yet). But after living through three straight very cold winters, it was nice to ring in 2012 without freezing! In fact, it was about 79 during the day and around 50 degrees at night. It made standing in lines much more tolerable.

4) Unbelievable fireworks. Not only was I lucky enough to catch the fireworks on New Year's Eve at Epcot, the night before, I caught Magic Kingdom's New Year's Eve fireworks show (they always run them a day early as a "test run") from Wilderness Lodge. Both displays were utterly breathtaking and spectacular, beyond anything I've ever witnessed, and I've seen fireworks from just about every Disney World event or holiday, from 4th of July to the forgotten Pirate and Princess party. The fireworks at Magic Kingdom were so loud, it practically shook the Wilderness Lodge resort as it lit up the night sky. Similarly, Epcot celebrated by adding on a holiday celebration to the traditional Illuminations fireworks, which included acknowledging New Year's Eve at each individual country with fireworks synchronized to music of that individual country (except, for some strange reason, Italy, though I suppose it's hard to find an opera that fireworks go well with). At midnight, the sky exploded in a sea of noise and color so stunning, a collective "Wow!" was heard around us. It totally made being in the park all day well worth it.

Is it me, or is that a hidden Mickey?

The bad:

1) Lines. Everywhere. Remember how in an earlier blog post I mentioned how you have to keep reminding yourself to go for the experience, not the attractions? Well, it's the truth. With wait times on New Year's Eve of up to 280 minutes (Soarin), it's hard to get much accomplished. Other notable ride wait times included Test Track (240 minutes), Mission Space (175 minutes), Ellen's Energy Adventure (75 minutes), and The Seas with Nemo and Friends (60 minutes). This was around 2:30 in the afternoon! By the evening, even attractions like Journey to Imagination had 30+ minute waits. There were also long lines at stores and for food. I felt especially bad for women -lines for restrooms could be 40 minutes or longer in some parts of Epcot. The lines the day before at Hollywood Studios weren't much better, with Toy Story Mania never falling below about 180 minutes and Rock N Roller Coaster holding between 125-150 minutes.

2) Crowd control could have been better. Yes, yes, I know earlier I said it was overall very well managed. But I'm a lawyer, so I'm going to talk out of both sides of my mouth. Overall, I think it was well managed. However, exiting Epcot at night after the fireworks was madness. There was absolutely no control of the crowd or attempt to split the flow of traffic to keep people on each side going in one direction. The result was that my group had to hold onto one another for dear life to avoid being separated and dealt with an insane amount of pushing and shoving from World Showcase almost all the way to Spaceship Earth. For their part, cast members seemed unable to do little more to control the crowd then waive their bright red lightsaber wands and yell "Happy New Year! Keep moving!" Oddly, earlier in the evening, Epcot had opened 3 back paths in World Showcase that took crowds behind the park (in what are normally cast member only areas) and led directly towards Future World and the park exit. After the fireworks, however, all these same paths were closed off to crowds, despite the fact that they could have handled a large amount of people and led to an easier time exiting the park. I can only hope that come New Year's Eve 2012, Disney considers keeping at least one of these paths open for guests to use.

It seemed everyone wanted to leave at the same time right after fireworks ended.

3) Delays and problems caused by guests. Okay, I think I have a new pet peeve. Many of the delays in getting out of the park, especially with getting on trams and getting back to vehicles at the end of the night, was caused by guests' failure to listen to cast member instructions. Even if this is your first time at a Disney park and you're not familiar with procedure, you need only listen to the announcements being made, and follow what is said. "No more than 5 to a row" when getting on a tram means just that. If you try to cram 8 people into one bench, they will not allow it, and the tram cannot leave! Similarly, when they call for no further boarding, STOP trying to get on. Every time another guest did this, the cast member working on the back of the tram was forced to replay the same safety message again for everyone on board. This sometimes went on 2-3 times. When getting off at your stop, do as you are told and exit to behind the white safety poles, so the tram can depart. Don't make the cast member say the same thing a dozen times (and I only wish that was an exaggeration). Lastly, be smart about your surroundings. DO NOT try to walk in front of the tram while it is moving. It doesn't matter if you are in a crosswalk, it doesn't matter if you think you can make it across the road. Those trams may go only 5 miles an hour, but they easily weigh at least 2,000 pounds. You do not (and if you do, lay off the Mickey bars). If the tram hits you, you will be severely injured if you are lucky, but more than likely, killed. No one wants you to end your evening like that, and again, a cast member shouldn't have to physically raise their voice to you and tell you to stop moving for your own safety.

And the weird:

1) The huge number of guests wearing "1st time visitor" buttons. I could never in good conscience tell a person thinking of traveling to Walt Disney World on their first trip to go the week between Christmas and New Year's. It is the most crowded week of the year at the parks. After only two days, I was in agony from all the walking, waiting, and standing, and I saw many people who had fallen asleep on benches, leaning up against buildings, or passed out on the grass -though that could have been alcohol induced too, now that I think about it! If you are planning your first trip for that week, please don't go thinking the crowds and things you see are the typical Disney experience. They are not. It truly is possible to get on rides and attractions like Soarin or Rock N' Roller Coaster without having to wait 4 hours, and  it's not usually almost an hour wait for the bathroom. If you were a first time visitor just back from your trip and you went solely for the experience, I salute you, because you were very brave!

When all was said and done, would I do it again? In a second. Despite the crowds, the pushing, the shoving, and oh, the pain which is still lingering days later, there's something indescribable about being there for New Year's Eve. Next time, though, I'm staying on property. Even a short drive home felt long after being up for 20 straight hours. Now I just need to convince my wife that I'm not crazy.....

Bob is a Disney travel agent and Central Florida local. You can follow his exploits here and on Facebook.  Email him at Bob@PixieVacations.com or call him at 407-810-2528 for free concierge-level help in planning your next Disney vacation.