Could WDW’s New Year’s Eve events possibly include a party inside of DisneyQuest?

Jim Hill

14 years ago

Look. I know. Hanukkah ended on the 9th. And Christmas and Kwanzaa are just around the corner. So the last thing that you probably want to hear about at this point is another holiday.

But given that a lot of you like spending New Year's Eve at Walt Disney World but don't necessarily enjoy the crowds that you encounter at the Parks at that time, I thought that you should be made aware of a couple of special ticketed events that are being held at the Resort this year. Plus one as-of-yet-unannounced seasonal event that the Mouse appears to have tucked up its sleeve for NYE 2010 or 2011.

But first let's talk about those Fireworks Dessert Parties that are being held at the Magic Kingdom on December 30^th & 31^st. Here a select number of Guests will have the lower level of the Tomorrowland Terrace all to themselves. Where they'll then be able to wander back-and-forth between several self-service stations and sample a wide selection of desserts & beverages. Plus these Guests will receive a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage that they can then sip while watching hundreds of colorful shells explode overhead at this theme park.

If you'd be interested in taking part in one of these Fireworks Dessert Parties, the first two will be held on December 30^th – with Seating No. 1 getting underway at 7:30 p.m. while Seating No. 2 starts at 10:50 p.m. While a third will be held on December 31^st starting at 10:30 p.m.

As for the cost per person, Guests ages 10 and up will have to pay $39.99 to gain entry to these Fireworks Dessert Parties, while WDW visitors ages 3-9 will be asked to pay $21.99

Now if you'd like to have a really special New Year's Eve at the Magic Kingdom, you might want to consider signing up for that theme park's Dinner & Dessert Party. Which will get you access to Tomorrowland Terrace's lower level starting at 6:30 p.m. Where – far away from the crush of the crowd – you'll be able to dine on beef short ribs, carved pork, seared tuna and sushi. Not to mention salads, fruits, cheeses and artisan breads. And once dinner is over, you can help yourself to some dessert and then stack out a great spot for watching that night's fireworks display.

Mind you, gaining entrance to the Magic Kingdom's Dinner & Dessert Party is going to cost you more. Guests ages 10 and up can expect to pay $155.99 per person, while WDW visitors 3-9 will be asked to fork over $76.99. And just in case you're wondering, you can't use the Disney Dining Plan to pay for this NYE-only Disney World experience.

Also … Since seating is limited for all three Fireworks Dessert Parties as well as at that Dinner & Dessert Party, reservations are strongly recommended. Which is why – if you're giving this seasonal experience some semi-serious thought – you should probably give (407) WDW-DINE a call ASAP to see which seatings are still available.

And if you're lucky enough to actually snag a seat on Tomorrowland Terrace's lower level on December 30^th & 31st … Please be aware that you're still going to need a ticket to the Magic Kingdom in order to gain entry to those Fireworks Dessert Parties and/or the Dinner & Dessert Party.

The interior of La Hacienda de San Angel. Photo by
Gene Duncan. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

Also also … Give how many people tend to crowd into the Magic Kingdom on or about December 31^st, Guests who are taking part in these special ticketed events are being advised to get to that theme park as early as possible and to then check-in promptly at 6:15 p.m. at the Tomorrowland Terrace.

Of course, if Epcot is more your speed, you should then be aware that this theme park also has a special ticketed event in the works for New Year's Eve. This involves a six course dinner which will be held at the World Showcase's newest restaurant, La Hacienda de San Angel (which is located along the water right outside of the Mexico pavilion) starting at 9 p.m. Here for $225 per person (if you'd like wine & liquor with your dinner) or $199 (which will feature a menu without alcohol pairings), you'll enjoy live entertainment as well as have a spectacular view of the NYE edition of "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth."

Just be aware that the Magic Kingdom & Epcot's fireworks displays are weather permitting. And should December 30^th and/or 31^st prove to be wet & windy … Well, you may need to find another way to ring in the New Year.

Which brings me to that event that the Walt Disney World Resort reportedly has in the works for NYE 2010 or 2011. This past Friday, the Company registered three domain names:

disneyquestnewyearseve.com
disneyquestnye.com
disneyquestparty.com

Which suggests that – while construction crews are busy flattening Pleasure Island (which used to celebrate New Year's Eve 365 days a year) to make way for the Hyperion Wharf project – Disney Parks and Resorts may be looking to shove this indoor interactive theme park back into the spotlight. For a little while, anyway. And what better way is there to remind WDW visitors of the assortment of attractions that can be found inside of DisneyQuest then by staging a special New Year's Eve party inside of this Downtown Disney venue?

However, given that the Mouse has yet to announce that anything like this is in the works for December 31, 2010, I'm betting that WDW management is keeping this New-Year's-Eve-party-at-DisneyQuest idea in reserve for 2011. But what do you folks think? If Disney World did make tickets to an event like this available, would you be willing to sing "Auld Lang Syne" while manning a cannon aboard "Pirates of the Caribbean – Battle for Buccaneer Gold." More to the point, how many doubloons would you willing to surrender in order to spend your New Year's Eve inside of an indoor theme park?

Your thoughts?

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Thanks and Happy Holidays!