Happy Holidays in WDW, 2-year-old-style! Day 13: New Year's Eve in Epcot!

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December 31, 2018
[-- Trip Index --]

The BIG day was finally here - it was New Year's Eve! I'd been looking forward to this for ages, long before we even booked the trip. It was a real bucket-list-item of mine to celebrate New Year's Eve in Epcot some day - and not just mine, my brother and my mom shared this wish with me! As a family, we've never been that into Christmas or anything - New Year's Eve was always the holiday we celebrated the most as a family, and enjoyed the most. So getting to spend it in Disney, *with* our families, was just a dream come true. I had some nerves about whether the evening would live up to my expectations - they were sky high, and there were a million ways in which the night could be disappointing. I mean, it was going to be super busy, we had 3 kids under 3, my mom does not like big crowds and can get anxiety from that, and so on.

Spoiler alert: THIS WAS THE BEST NEW YEARS EVE EVER! It met all my expectations, and then some. This is gonna be a long post - I'm going to do my best to show you the crowds and give you tips for ways to manage NEY in Epcot with young kids, as our plans worked so well for us.

The morning started leisurely. We had breakfast in the apartment, watched TV, Myla had a nap, and I got caught up on work on the balcony, admiring my lovely view. Unfortunately, because we run our own company, work never stops for me. I need to work every single day of the year, 365 a year - on holidays, I try to keep it to a max of 1 hour per day, but it does need done. However, this lovely view and the sunshine sure made it bearable today!


Now, like the other busy days, I'd done my bit of planning for this too. We all knew it would be MOBBED everywhere, so looking/queuing for food is something we needed to avoid. So, I'd booked us a dinner at Garden Grill for 14:30, and my brother+fam one in Biergarten for 16:00 (they only decided to join after I'd already booked our meal, and I wasn't able to add them or find an alternate time). I also knew we had quite some hours to kill until midnight, so I'd booked Fastpasses for Living with the Land right after our meal, then Meet Mickey for 19:00, so just after the first showing of Illuminations to break the evening up for Myla, and one at 20:00 for Test Track for my mom and Michael to break the evening up a bit for them.

We were taking a bit of a risk staying in the apartment in the morning - most people advice you go into the parks earlier in the day, in case they close to capacity. However, with little kids and my mom, that just wasn't an option. Neither would last a full day until midnight. We were prepared for the traffic (we thought) and left the apartment at 12:45 to give us plenty of time.


We hit the first traffic jam going into WDW a few minutes later, and I took this at 13:15 when we took the exit to Epcot (straight on to MK was just as bad).


The timestamp on this photo was a full 45 minutes later, at 14:01. All together, it took over 90 minutes to drive from Windsor Hills and get parked in Epcot. I was starting to worry about our reservation - I'd wanted to be there in plenty of time because I knew they'd be busy. At the parking booth, we asked if there was any Preferred Parking left - yes there was! Phew! That was a lucky break - we paid $50 for it, but got parked close to the entrance even this late in the day, and also, it meant that after midnight, we could walk to our car and drive straight out! Seriously, we encountered NO traffic in the crowds going home because of where we were parked, so I'd definitely recommend this - a great use of $50 USD.

That said, if I was doing NYE at Epcot again, I'd do my absolutely best to stay in walking distance - Boardwalk, Beach/Yacht Club, or Swan/Dolphin. It'd be so much easier to nip in and out of the park, so that'd definitely be my recommendation. It wasn't fun to be stuck in traffic so long. But if you are driving, definitely do the Preferred Parking! Worth it on a day like that.

We quickly parked, got the stroller and bags out, and power walked into the park. There wasn't much of a queue at bag check or anything, so we were in the Land Pavillion with 2 minutes to spare. It was busy at Sunshine Seasons, and I was so glad we'd reserved a table:


We got given a beeper, and waited maybe 10 minutes before we were called and sat down.



This was our first time eating at Garden Grill, and I was a little nervous about this. I suffer from bad motion sickness, and had been worried the rotating restaurant would make me motion sick. Combined with the stress of running late, meant I wasn't too hungry at first - but luckily that faded, I was fine, and the food was gorgeous!



"Dude. I'm eating" She wasn't too impressed with Chip n Dale interrupting her enjoying the lovely bread rolls haha!



He did get a kiss after all though.


We were sat on the inside bit of the restaurant, so Myla kept climbing on my lap to see over the wall. Would be worth it to ask for an outside table, if you have a toddler!

Next up was Pluto.



Closely followed by Mickey.



The main course was served, and boy was it tasty! Plus, even though we hadn't paid for Myla since she was only 2, she still got a whole big plate of her own with kids' food, and her own deserts later on too! That made this pretty decent value for us!





We ended up seeing every character twice, and our server Lisa took a lovely photo of all of us:






Dessert was SO good!



Despite it being super busy, we never felt rushed, and we took our time, enjoying the food and character interactions. It was nearly 16:00 when we left, heading to our FP for Living with the Land. We'd all really enjoyed our meal, and I was super happy with this choice for NYE. Now truly leaving any stress and anxiety behind, we went downstairs and headed for the boats.



It was very busy everywhere, but with our FP, we were on the ride within 5-10 minutes.






It was our first time actually riding Living With The Land, as Michael and I had skipped it on our previous trip - it didn't seem like our cup of tea. But it was actually really interesting, and Myla really loved it! Glad we've done it, and we will for sure ride this again on our next trip.



Fastpass and dinner over, our plan now was to head towards World Showcase. It was now 16:30, and the next Fastpasses were at 19:00 and 20:00. I wanted to try and find a bench or place to sit to basically make our "base camp", watch the first showing of Illuminations from there, and have staked out a decent seat for the fireworks later.

Needless to say, it was SUPER busy in World Showcase already. This is where I was thinking it would be SO nice to stay in a hotel in walking distance from Epcot. We would have taken a break from the crowds by now, walked back to the hotel, and only headed back into the park later, maybe 9PM or so. That's definitely what I would prefer to do for a next time! But for now, we braved the crowds and turned towards Canada. Basically ALL the walking paths had been divided, a big white line down the middle, and each were only for walking one way. Even so, it was truly shoulder-to-shoulder walking for the most part, everyone bumping into you, and very slow going. Once we got past UK, I decided to head off the main path and walk towards the International Gateway, just out of the super-busy stream of people, and we immediately spotted a free bench there, looking out over the bridge between UK and France. Score!


We parked the stroller beside the bench, and all sat down. It was really nice down here - we had a great view of the bridge and Showcase Lagoon beyond, and the massive crowds, yet down here it was fairly calm and quiet, with plenty of space around the bench. Myla ran around for a bit, spotting ducks in the water, and I took her into the shop for a wee wander. We also went to the toilets there to change her nappy, but I hadn't realized they are technically *outside* of the park entrance! So when we wanted to walk back after the toilets, I had to scan in again - good thing I was wearing my MagicBand haha! All really nice and quiet though, the toilets were clean and quiet so well worth "exiting" the park for - the previous toilets we passed near UK and Canada were all heaving!

After about 20 minutes, Michael and I decided we wanted to go for a wander and soak up the atmosphere. My mom was very happy on our little bench, people watching, and Myla decided she wanted to go with us. We left the stroller with my mom, Michael lifted Myla onto his shoulders, and it was definitely more pleasant walking in the crowds without stroller! So off we set, heading towards France and Morocco, enjoying the atmosphere, and each other's company.


See the white line there? The main walkway was divided into lanes all around World Showcase, which definitely helped keep everyone moving.


Crowds in France.


View from our bench again - my mom took this while we were walking.





We stopped for a while in Japan to let Myla watch the fish, she LOVES this. She attempts to throw blades of grass into the water to "feed" them, and this'll keep her occupied for ages!

I have to say, in spite of the masses of people, the atmosphere was really really good everywhere. Nearly everyone was in a great mood, feeling festive, and I just felt absolutely buzzing from the energy of everyone around me too!



The sun was setting now on 2018 for good - it was a lovely warm evening, just perfect weather!



I took the above photo at 17:30 - and this is people already camped out for midnight. This was a prime viewing location though, between Japan and USA with no trees or anything blocking the view. Just to give you an idea of how early people start claiming spots for the fireworks - these ones looked like they'd been here for a good while already!

We also noticed that the farther we walked, the less busy it started to feel. The area around Canada to UK was definitely far busier than around USA and further on - so if you are scared off by the big crowds, just keep on walking! Further into World Showcase, it's nowhere near as bad as at the beginning! My mom really doesn't like crowds, so she had started to get a bit anxious seeing how busy it was, that's why we grabbed that bench near the International Gateway exit, but I reckon she would have been fine crowd-wise if we'd walked on a bit more. Nevermind, we were all happy with our bench - just a tip for you!

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By the time the sun had truly set, we were back at the bench, getting ready for the first showing of Illuminations. We went into the shop there and bought some popcorn, and we were all snacking and watching the pretty lights.







This was actually my mom's first time seeing Illuminations, and she loved it! It was actually really nice, with the backlit bridge in front - a great show as always!

I had been texting with my brother, they'd just finished their meal in Biergarten, and were now strolling around World Showcase towards us, stopping for various drinks and snacks and general fun on their way. For me, it was time for our next FP! I'd booked one for Myla and me only to Meet Mickey and Friends - for Michael and Hetty I'd booked Test Track later in the night as I knew my mom would like it and Michael LOVES it. Myla unfortunately was still way too small for it.

So I put on my hip carrier, and Myla and I went off together to brave the crowds around UK and Canada again! I preferred to carry her just because it was so busy and I didn't want anyone standing on her or anything!
Only this time, Epcot had opened up a backstage walkway, out a pavilion just before Canada (I think - trying to remember) which then takes you onto a path backstage that lets out next to the toilets at the Imagination Pavilion! I didn't take any photos of this as I was walking and minding Myla. But that was really good - that route wasn't crowded at all, and in fact, this side of Future World (Imagination towards Land Pavilion) was pretty quiet. Again, if the crowds bother you and you're unsure about braving World Showcase, there were LOTS of quiet spots and empty benches to sit at in Future World, and I'm sure you could find a decent view of the fireworks still.

We scanned into our FP around ten past 7 - the standby was super busy, and this was definitely, but understandably, a bit more rushed than last time we did this meet. Last time, the characters all really took their time - now it was more like, hello, hug, photo, next one. But totally understandable as it was sooo busy! Standby was at something like 65 minutes!







We got great photos, and Myla loved it regardless! Some fun comments and attention too for our dresses, Minnie made a big deal out of Myla wearing the "same" dress which she loved - so cute to see!

I headed back to 'our' bench after this to let Michael and Hetty go to their FP for Test Track. I actually choose to walk a different way back, not via the backstage walkway, as there was a dance party going on near the Fountains beside the Starbucks, and Myla wanted to go see it. So we walked that way a bit, danced for a few minutes, and then headed back to World Showcase. I followed the main walkway that leads straight to Port of Entry, the big shop at the beginning of World Showcase. From there I turned right to go towards Canada again, and suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a totally empty bench, just past the Refreshment Port kiosk - basically between the kiosk and the walkway that goes to the Imagination Pavilion! There was a little half-looped path just off the main walkway there, with several benches, a few of which were empty! This was basically a GREAT spot - clear view of the fireworks with less trees and obstructions than our other spot, and easier for getting back to the car after midnight too. So I walked over there and sat down, and phoned Michael to get him and Hetty to bring the stroller my way. They were there 10 minutes later and we all agreed it was a better spot - the bench was bigger too, so more room for my brother and sister-in-law too haha!

I then took my turn people watching while Michael and Hetty went on their Test Track FP. Myla ran around for a little bit - the path our bench was on, wasn't on the main foot path so it wasn't too busy, and was starting to get a bit tired too, so for a while she cuddled on my lap and we people-watched together, pointing out everyone's light-up headgear lol.





My mom liked Test Track, but she did admit she closed her eyes when it went super fast haha! It was a good break for them too, so they wouldn't get stiff or bored sitting too long.

When they got back, my mom sat with Myla, and Michael and I went off to get drinks. Now I don't normally drink at home, like at all, but for special occasions like this I make an exception!



It was around 9PM now, and my brother and family had finally met up with us also, after concluding their lap of World Showcase. Of course, they'd left Germany going clockwise, to meet up with us at the International Gateway, but then we moved benches and they had to walk even further - realizing when they reached us, they could have gone counter-clockwise from Germany and avoided most of the crowds haha!


The kids were happy to see each other, and Myla crawled in beside Jesse in the double pram as soon as they lifted Nina out for a bottle. They played and messed around for a while, and started naturally dozing off to sleep around 10. Steven and Ramona went on another walk or two - they went to get more drinks too, and then went to check out the dance party also. I headed off to the toilets one time, and went to browse in the Port of Entry shop, and Michael went off to get food. So we all took turns walking around and enjoying myself - leaving at least one adult with the bench, strollers + sleeping kids, and bags. It worked out really well for us, this tactic. My mom was very happy and relaxed to have a seat, and we were all just enjoying ourselves so much! The atmosphere was just electric, everyone around us seeming so happy and excited also.

Here is the view from our bench once we stood up:

That's the America Pavilion lit up across the water, so a great view!

The rest of the evening flew by, really. I was having the time of my life, and so was the rest of my family. Everything was just going so perfectly, down to the kids falling asleep and everything!


Before we knew it, it was 23:40, and time for the second showing of Illuminations!




Awesome as always! Now it was time for the real countdown! The voice over said something about New Year already having been celebrated in various countries around the world, and each lit off some fireworks when they were mentioned. Then everyone in unison started going 10-9-8-7 and so on, with each count lighting off fireworks in a pavillion, going clockwise and starting with Japan, then Morocco, then France, then UK, and so on, so by the time it reached 0, it was the America Pavillion's turn, and the start of the most incredible fireworks show I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. Oh my god it was so amazing! I videoed the whole thing, my mom took some photos. We were all hugging each other and saying Happy New Year, and we were all, except Michael lol, in tears - it just felt so special and unique to celebrate this all together this way.


I think this was count 10.


This was over Canada to our right, so probably count 7 or so.


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The sky was so lit up with fireworks, that actually most photos we took, show just a white sky lol. But seriously, it was so beautiful and impressive! Jesse woke up as soon as the midnight fireworks started - it was super loud of course. Myla slept through Illuminations and through most of the midnight fireworks, only waking up on the very last bang haha. We all cuddled the kids and stayed on our bench a while longer to let the first crowds disperse.

I know my writing probably doesn't do it justice, but it really was spectacular and amazing - the whole evening, the atmosphere, the fireworks itself. I loved it so so much, we all did! It was definitely more than worth bracing the crowds for!

Finally around 12:30, we decided to start heading towards the exit. Following my tip, Steven and Ramona, who had to Uber back to their hotel, actually headed to the Beach Club via the International Gateway, and got an Uber there instead of going to the Epcot exit. They got a car in like, 10 minutes, and were back at their hotel in no time.

We followed the crowds to the exit and the car park, taking our time as we were in no hurry.



Myla was now wide awake again, riding on daddy's shoulders.


First selfie of 2019!



My mom, beaming and so happy to have had such a great night in spite of some anxiety beforehand about her being able to handle the crowds - she needn't have worried, as she was fine!

In the end, it only ended up taking us around 10-15 minutes to walk from World Showcase to the car park, and of course because we'd parked Preferred, we were right at the front and in the car in no time. We didn't encounter any of the heavy traffic we'd expected going home, there was no queue out of the car park for the Preferred section (there did seem to be for the main parking I think, but I couldn't really see if it was long or not), and we were back at the apartment just after 1AM! Which was MUCH better than we'd expected.

Myla had fallen asleep again in the car and we were able to lift her straight into bed without waking her - and rolled right into our own beds ourselves after that.

All in all, this was such a successful evening for us. I still treasure the memories so much, celebrating New Years with my family in such a special place. I know the kids won't remember when they grow older, but we will always remember how it amazing it was with our nieces and nephews!

PS: I hope I've explained everything OK above - I get so excited that sometimes I start rambling haha! If you have any questions about planning your own NYE in Epcot, ask away!

[Palm trees]

What a wonderful day, your happiness and enjoyment simply pour through your words. Some great tips in there too regarding the crowds. Your matching dresses look lovely.

[Tinkermom]

So busy! But by the looks of it so worth it!