Thousands are known to gather at Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland for an un-frog-gettable New Year's Eve celebration. Some frogs may even say it's the Golden State's version of New York City's Times Square. Planning on celebrating New Year's Eve at Disneyland? Here are our best tips to manage the big crowd and even bigger entertainment. Bring out the noisemakers! Ribbit!
We Frogs love the family-friendly party vibes at Disneyland on New Year's Eve, and so do a lot of other people! Expect to be surrounded by your new best friends because this is Disneyland’s most crowded night of the year. New Year's Eve is part of the Holidays at Disneyland Resort, which means you can expect regular holiday entertainment, plus special DJ countdown parties held just for the New Year's celebration. That’s a lot to keep track of, but we’ve broken it down by what you need to know. Follow our Frog Family tips below for celebrating New Year's Eve at Disneyland.
Tips for Celebrating New Year's Eve at Disneyland
Because Disneyland uses a reservation system, crowds are much more predictable. Gone are the days of Disneyland having to pause entry into the parks due to capacity. Park hopping is now easier for guests who want to experience New Year's fun in both parks. Every Magic Key is blocked out for New Year's. That keeps some frequent visitors home and allows Disneyland to know how many people have park hoppers.
The parks are fully decked out for the holidays with all the holiday entertainment. With parades, fireworks, good music pumping around the park, snowfall, and World of Color — Season of Light, the parks have great celebration vibes. You can encounter DJs around the parks as well as countdowns to the new year. All of this is included in your Disneyland park ticket!
We bring you advice from our New Year's Eve visit in 2023 and our best advice for celebrating New Year's Eve at Disneyland 2024!
1. Purchase Tickets and Reserve Early
New Year's Eve at Disneyland is one of the most popular days to visit, which means you'll want to purchase your tickets and make reservations early. Park reservations may fill up in advance. We can say with confidence that people should purchase tickets and make park reservations ASAP (up to 180 days in advance). If reservations do fill up, keep checking park availability here. New Year's Eve reservations may fill early, but then availability can open up as plans change. So if you can't get a reservation, just keep checking.
The 1-day New Year's Eve (and the surrounding days) tickets are expensive, but you get a lot of entertainment included. If you want to visit more than one day, you can save a lot per day with multi-day tickets, especially when you buy through Undercover Tourist.
2. Consider a Park Hopper!
We used to advise people to stay in one park because before the reservation system. The parks used to hit capacity and the gates would temporarily close to letting new guests into the park. But with the reservation system, capacity is controlled so that is less likely to happen. And again, there are no Magic Key passes on New Year's Eve, which means Disney knows exactly how many park hoppers are there.
Do you need a park hopper or a 1-Park ticket? A park hopper works better for some people than others. We park-hopped for New Year's Eve 2023. We rope-dropped Disney California Adventure from 8 until 11 a.m. We hit all our favorite rides with no wait (or a very short wait). Then we took a rest. We bought Genie+ but did not use it in Disney California Adventure. Instead, after entering Disney California Adventure we started reserving rides for the afternoon at Disneyland. Every time we reserved a ride, we set an alarm for two hours. Then we booked the next ride. That way, when we arrived at Disneyland a few hours later (after a nap), we had several Lightning Lane rides ready to go. It's one way to stay ahead of the crowds. Indiana Jones Adventure and Space Mountain were our first selections since they were distributing the fastest and had later return times that worked for our schedule.
If you are only visiting for the evening (or part of the day), choose a 1-Park ticket. We recommend making your park reservation based on where you’d like to be for the special evening entertainment. Skip Genie+ if you are arriving in the afternoon. But definitely get it if you arrive early and stay all day. You can save with the lowest-price Genie+ tickets through Undercover Tourist.
Once you choose a park, bring everything you need for the day. Get a locker to store sweatshirts, jackets and items you do not want to carry around all day. We brought hats and scarves for the evening.
3. Decide When to Arrive and Leave
Set your priorities for the day and set an arrival time that works for you. We Frogs like to arrive early, preferably when the parks open in the morning. Why? Some of the shortest wait times of the day are during the first two hours of park opening. Then the shortest lines of the day are before park close. the biggest lines are between noon and 6 p.m. The middle of the day.
Both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park usually open at 8 a.m., but they let guests filter into the parks a little early (about 7:30 a.m.) before rope drop at 8 a.m. You cannot access the rides and most of the park before rope drop.
Guests staying at one of the Disneyland hotels can access certain attractions in a park with Early Entry starting at 7:30 a.m. To take advantage of Early Entry, hotel guests should arrive at the park gates by 7:15 a.m. and have their room key ready to get beyond the ropes.
The parks stay open later than usual on New Year's Eve. Disneyland is open until 2 a.m., and California Adventure closes at 1 a.m. Check out park hours and events on our Disneyland crowd calendar. The lines get so short during the last two to three hours of the night, especially in Fantasyland! Here's a look at ride wait times at about 1:20 a.m. on New Year's Eve! Staying late has its advantages.
Here's another reason to arrive early: Genie+. At Disneyland, you cannot start making Genie+ reservations or individual Lightning Lane purchases until you have scanned into a park that day. So if you arrive in the morning you can start making your selections right away. Rides run through Genie+ options faster on holidays than on other days. If you arrive later in the day, you may not have any choices left.
In the morning, we recommend taking advantage of the short lines (without Genie+) and booking Genie+ return times for later in the day. You can also modify the times to later in the day, so you'll have options once wait times peak.
If you are arriving in the afternoon or evening, save your money by not getting Genie+. Most of the selections will be taken by then (or will quickly disappear). Only purchase Genie+ on New Year's Eve if you can arrive in the morning. Then, after making a selection, set your alarm for two hours to choose the next ride. If you need to make a change, use the modify function to look for new times or a different ride in that park. Doing that will not reset the clock on your eligibility window.
4. Utilize Genie+ to Save Time and Skip Some Ride Lines
Genie+ is a paid service that allows guests to use Lightning Lane to skip the standard queue for some attractions. Guests can purchase a theme park ticket preloaded with Genie+ to lock in the lowest rate or purchase the service in the Disneyland app after entering a theme park each day. The price can vary in the park, and we expect higher prices for Genie+ on holidays and other peak days. Genie+ allows park-goers to skip standby lines and use the Lightning Lane entrance for select rides.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day may be worth paying the extra money for Genie+, as long as you will be there early in the day to start making selections. You may only select one ride at a time. You can select a new ride after redeeming the previous Lighting Lane or two hours after you last made a selection, whichever comes first. (Set those alarms!) Another perk is that the Genie+ option includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads for the day. We love PhotoPass, as we enjoy preserving hoppy memories and posting our froggerrific photos. Look for New Year's photo locations and New Year's signs with PhotoPass photographers. Hop over to our Disney Genie and Genie+ FAQ for answers to common questions.
It is always a good idea to have a park plan in mind, but with large crowds, it can be hard to predict which attractions will have the biggest lines or just how hard it will be to walk around. Hit your must-do rides first and be flexible. Think of longer wait times as quality time spent with your friends and family. Play games to pass the time and make being more patient part of your New Year’s resolution! And bring those portable phone chargers to keep your phones going all day. (Want to create your own park plan for the day? Check out the SoCal Theme Park Day app!)
Pirates of the Caribbean and the Incredicoaster usually have fast-moving lines. Try to get a Lightning Lane reservation for the "it’s a small world" Holiday overlay and Haunted Mansion Holiday on New Year’s Eve. These rides both have longer-than-usual lines during the holidays because of their seasonal overlays. Water rides such as Grizzly River Run may have shorter lines due to cooler weather. Wear a poncho if you don't want to get wet.
If you are arriving in the afternoon or evening, skip Genie+. Most of the selections will be taken by then. Only purchase it if you can arrive early. Then it's a great strategy to reserve rides for the afternoon and evening when lines are long. A free strategy is to ride rides during the parades. Wait times drop during parade time.
The two most popular rides, Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers in California Adventure, have a buy-in option called individual Lightning Lane selections. No, these rides are not included with Genie+. But you can purchase up to two of these rides individually per day. The price varies per ride and day, and you can only purchase each ride once per person per day.
Individual Lightning Lanes can be expensive on New Year's Eve, so we say to avoid paying that by using good strategies. We use the free Single Riders line at Radiator Spring Racers. Your party must be willing to split up and each guest must be at least 7 years old.
Rise was $28 and Radiator Springs was $21 per person on New Year's Eve 2023. We always opt to save money where we can, so if you don't want to pay to skip the line, we recommend riding early via the free standby queue. We have a whole post on strategies for riding Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as well as one for Radiator Springs Racers. Keep in mind that Rise of the Resistance closes early at 10 p.m.
5. Dress in Layers and Get Free Party Hats!
No matter which park you visit, be prepared for cooler weather. There is sunshine during the day, but Southern California winter nights are chilly. Layers are your best bet, as crowds do keep Disneyland slightly warmer than it is outside of the gates. Bring a backpack for jackets and hats (or umbrellas/ponchos) or rent a locker. If you have a backpack, we recommend bringing refillable water bottles or snacks to avoid long food and beverage lines. Use Mobile Order to skip food lines, but order a few hours early because long waits can still happen when many orders are being processed.
If rain is in the forecast, dress accordingly. Wear waterproof shoes, a hat and a raincoat or poncho.
Don't froget to pick up your free party hats. At Disneyland, you can find them at the middle entrance to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and in Tomorrowland (near Launch Bay). At Disney California Adventure, pick them up outside Disney Jr. in Hollywood Land.
In addition to party hats, there are photo ops and hand-held photo signs around both parks. Make sure you take some photos in your party hats!
6. Pack Patience and Plan for Everything to Take Longer
Come evening, Disneyland Park will be pretty crowded. To keep everyone moving, Cast Members will create one-way traffic through the lands. That may mean taking the long way to get where you are going. You'll see large light-up Mickey direction signs. You can walk past the stage in front of the castle in the evening, but you cannot stop. There is a roped area there for people camped out for the fireworks, but for everyone else, this is a moving walkway.
Post fireworks, Main Street U.S.A. and the Hub area will be packed with people all trying to go different directions at once. We say to avoid this area for the 9 p.m. fireworks and shortly after. Many families with young children exit the park about this time. It becomes very hard to move and can be scary to have small children in such tight crowds.
7. Be Entertained
Shows offer opportunities to sit down and rest throughout the day. Take advantage of smaller musical acts, cavalcades and other park entertainment options that don't have a line this day. The entertainment calendar lists a lot of great choices. Keep in mind that shows are subject to weather conditions. If it's a rainy day, most outdoor shows can be canceled.
If you saw famous bands performing on New Year's Eve on television, keep in mind that those TV Disneyland performances were filmed weeks in advance. You won't see those bands at Disneyland on New Year's Eve. But you can enjoy DJ dance parties and countdowns!
Check the entertainment calendar for the Christmas Fantasy Parade, fireworks and other entertainment. Parades are earlier than usual and other shows have a different schedule than normal on New Year's Eve. The parades were at 12:45 and 3:15 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2023. The entertainment calendar is updated six weeks in advance. However, more specific details (such as countdowns and dance parties) tend to appear on the calendar about Dec. 27, so keep checking back as New Year's Eve approaches.
You will have to camp out sooner than usual for parades. Keep your eye on the parade route to gauge when to get your spot. We estimate about an hour and a half to two hours is effective. Just keep your eye on it, as crowds can be unpredictable. Use that time to sit down and relax — it’s a long day, so use your wait time as a welcome rest. If the forecast is chilly, bring a thin blanket to stay warm while you hold your spot.
As for fireworks, people will crowd the area near the castle, "it's a small world," and Rivers of America early. The fireworks on New Year's Eve are short (about 5 minutes). Fantasy in the Sky fireworks have no projections. So you can really watch them from anywhere. The countdown and music are only played in the main viewing areas (Castle, Main Street, small world and Rivers). But you can see them great with no crowds in Batuu or Fantasyland (near Dumbo). You have two chances to watch fireworks: 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. The crowds are challenging in the viewing areas post-fireworks. If you don't need to hear the countdown, watch the midnight fireworks at Dumbo and enjoy an empty Fantasyland with crazy short lines after the show while the crowds surge around the rest of the park.
During the holiday season, you can enjoy nightly snowfall. Snow falls during the Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty Castle on Main Street, U.S.A. (It was at 6:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve 2022.) You can also catch snowfall at these times in front of "it's a small world." We caught a surprise snowfall on Main Street at 1:30 a.m. What a great way to end a magical night!
There are New Year's Eve Countdown Celebrations in both parks from 7:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. In Disneyland Park, you can find them at Rivers of America, Tomorrowland, "it's a small world" at Sleeping Beauty Castle for much of the evening. You can enjoy projections, special party lights or photo ops there. Characters appear on the stage in front of the castle. Unless you are corralled in the fireworks viewing area, you can only walk past the stage without stopping to see them.
At Disney California Adventure, there are New Year's Eve Countdown Celebrations from 8:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. You can find them at the World of Color viewing area, Cars Land and Hollywood Land. Characters appear on the stage at the World of Color viewing area. This park is generally less crowded than Disneyland for the evening.
On New Year's Eve at Disneyland, park guests are treated to not one but TWO fireworks shows. How frogtastic! The fireworks that ring in the new year on Dec. 31 are the “New Year's Eve Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks Spectacular"). Showtimes are 9 p.m. (earlier than usual!) and 11:59 p.m. The New Year's Eve fireworks combine festive and explosive fireworks with a classic Disney playlist and a countdown to midnight for both East Coast and West Coast times.
If you want to watch fireworks near the castle or Main Street, talk to cast members early in the day for advice on when to get your spot. Expect to see people getting into position many hours before the show. Mickey and Minnie (and pals) make appearances throughout the night. Unless you are absolutely determined to see the fireworks at the castle or along Main Street, this is perhaps the one time we'd recommend watching them from alternate locations in the park. Rivers of America is a less hectic location, especially on years that you will already be in place for the 11:30 p.m. Fantasmic! show. Note that there is no Fantasmic! show in 2023, but we look forward to its return on May 24, 2024, and in New Year's Eve next year!
There may be fireworks packages for New Year's Eve at Disneyland. Plaza Inn sometimes has a fireworks dining package. You can also ring in the New Year with the New Year's Eve Fireworks Dining Package at the Tomorrowland Skyline Terrace that will put you above the crowd (more on that below, too). Plaza Inn does not offer its parade package on New Year's Eve.
You can see the full show well from "it's a small world" and can see the bursts and hear the music at Rivers of America. Other great spots to watch them include Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and near the exit of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or by Dumbo. However, you may not hear the accompanying music in these locations. If you choose to view the fireworks elsewhere, it will save you time from camping out; use that time for more rides. Plus, it helps you avoid the crowds after the show.
Cast members usually have the best advice and will know where you can and cannot stand. This prevents you from claiming a great spot only to find out too late that it is a designated walkway. Finally, when the fireworks are over, let the crowds thin out before you exit the park. Go on another ride or two, or get a snack while traffic dies down.
Be on the lookout for dance parties, which may pop up (hop up?) on the calendar. There are usually New Year's Eve Countdown Celebrations at "it's a small world," Rivers of America and Sleeping Beauty Castle. There is a holiday dance party with characters in Tomorrowland from 7 to 1 a.m.
When celebrating New Year's Eve at Disneyland, you might choose to party the night away at Disney California Adventure Park. The celebration heats up in the World of Color viewing area with a DJ and New Year’s party. You'll find a New Year’s Eve Countdown Celebration from 10:45 p.m. until 1 a.m. More dance parties are in Cars Land and Hollywood Land.
World of Color — Season of Light has altered showtimes on New Year's Eve. Shows were at 7 and 8:15 p.m. in 2023. The virtual queue for viewing the show opens at noon each day. Set your alarm for 11:55 a.m. to join it. The Hollywood Land Dance Party is hoppin' from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. In the past, there has been a New Year's Eve Countdown in Hollywood Land, as well. Be sure to ask about it in the park!
Several bands will entertain you throughout the day as part of Disney Festival of Holidays. The festival food and beverage booths are usually open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. One advantage to celebrating at Disney California Adventure is that you may enjoy a lot more adult beverages if that's important to you. Enjoy meeting characters, from the residents of Radiator Springs until 1 a.m., to your classic Disney pals on Buena Vista Street until 11:30 p.m.
Check the Entertainment Schedule for more holiday entertainment, such as the Disney Viva Navidad! Street Party and Mickey's Happy Holidays. Other holiday entertainment such as the Holiday Toy Drummers, Mostly Kosher, Blue12 Dance Company, The Mistletoes, and Tina and The Sounds of Celebration! will keep you entertained. Many of these shows get canceled if it's raining.
The New Year's Eve Countdown parties are usually listed on the events schedule by Dec. 27.
8. Enjoy Special New Year’s Eve Dining
With long lines and crowded walkways, taking a break for dinner is a necessary step. A festive meal is also a frogtastic way to get into the New Year’s Eve spirit! Inside Disneyland or Disney California Adventure, we recommend making dining reservations up to 60 days in advance to avoid long restaurant lines. If you want to make a reservation at a table-service restaurant or purchase a dining package for New Year’s Eve (if available), reservations are open as of early November and fill up quickly. If you have missed the reservation window, consider checking for walk-up availability in the Disneyland app. You can also Mobile Order to skip the food lines at quick-service restaurants. Mobile order dinner hours in advance as lines around the Hub get long as people wait for fireworks.
The normal Plaza Inn dining package with parade viewing for A Christmas Fantasy Parade is not available on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. However, special New Year's Eve Fireworks Dining Packages are available. If you love a good view of fireworks, but really would rather do anything else than stay in place for hours, then you might consider one of the New Year's Eve Fireworks Dining Packages. The Plaza Inn fireworks package (not offered in 2023) comes with access to the dining area and fireworks viewing area of Plaza Inn (located in Plaza Inn).
Another in-park option is to reserve the New Year's Eve Enchantment at the Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge Experience. This event takes place above Star Wars Launch Bay. You can come and go throughout the night, but your arrival time is between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Attendees can enjoy a special meal, as well as a choice of cold or hot beverages and a light-up event credential. This gives you a pretty good view of fireworks above the crowds. It does remove you from the crowds but may lack the energy the crowds provide. One downside to these packages is that if the fireworks get canceled, you do not get refunded. The plus side is that you can play games, enjoy beverages and charge your devices here. Plus, it allows you to escape the crowds.
You can read more about Disneyland dining packages. We are not normally big fans of the fireworks packages when viewing shows with a lot of projection because we like to choose our own viewing spots. But if you need to escape the crowds, then these are good options on New Year's Eve since fireworks are the main attraction and not the projections.
You'll also find special dining at the Disneyland Resort hotels when celebrating New Year's Eve at Disneyland. As we mentioned before, we don’t usually recommend leaving the parks in the evening on this day. If you do depart for a meal, there’s no guarantee they'll let you back in.
All table-service dining locations now serve alcohol at Disneyland Park. Oga's Cantina has out-of-this-world themed drinks in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Find out more in our post on where to find the best drinks with alcohol at Disneyland.
Napa Rose has a New Year's Eve Gala with dinner and dancing at 7:30 p.m. It's $350 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reserve through the app or visit Disneyland.com/dining.
9. Make Use of the Attractions and Entertainment Without Long Lines
Any holiday visit can come with long lines. But a few attractions are our favorites to visit on busy days. At Disneyland, hop over to Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island to escape the crowds. Look for characters around the park, catch the cavalcades in either park, watch musical acts such as the Disneyland Band and Dapper Dans or take time to enjoy Flag Retreat. There is so much to do at Disneyland besides the rides. The Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes always have a short line and will help you burn off that holiday eating! Another calorie burner is the climb up the newly reopened Adventureland Treehouse!
At Disney California Adventure, we enjoy good food and drink. We take an art class at Disney Animation or rest our flippers during Mickey's PhilharMagic. We watch the many musical acts available in the park and catch heroic adventures taking place in Avengers Campus. There is so much holiday entertainment hoppening in this park. Don't miss out on seeing the Holiday Toy Drummers!
10. Look up the Hours of your Must-Do Attractions in Advance
Some rides and lands have shorter hours. Toontown is closed from about 7 p.m. until just before 1 a.m. because of the two fireworks shows. So if you want to ride Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, plan accordingly. Same for "it's a small world," which closes with Toontown. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance closes at 10 p.m. Check the ride closing times around Pixar Pier. Signs said attractions closed about 11 p.m. and reopened after the countdown show. You can see ride hours that day in the Disneyland app and for future dates online.
If you have more energy, come back early on the morning of New Year's Day. The park is usually quiet in the morning on Jan. 1 while all of the late-night partiers sleep in. Take advantage of short ride lines. Catch the rides you missed the night before and make the most of the morning. Then, take a nice frog nap on your lily pad in the afternoon. The parks open at 8 a.m. on New Year's Day, with Early Entry at 7:30 a.m.
No matter whether you decide to celebrate New Year's Eve at Disneyland Park or California Adventure, be sure to check the Entertainment Schedule in advance (even up to that same week for last-minute additions). You can also check the Disneyland mobile app inside the park to find entertainment and possible surprises. That way, you won’t miss anything, including a potential surprise snow flurry or exciting live entertainment.
What questions do you have about celebrating New Year's Eve at Disneyland? Share them in the comments below! If you've visited on New Year's Eve before, tell us about your experience! Don't froget, you can view park hours, key showtimes and events on the Disneyland Crowd Calendar!
Related: Guide to the Hoppiest Holidays at Disneyland
Related: Disneyland Holiday Survival Guide Tips
Hoppy New Year!
