Ringing in 2020 at the Happiest Place on Earth

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Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is the happiest place on Earth and to ring in the New Year, I decided to spend a few days with Mickey Mouse and my favorite princes and princesses! Before I dive deep into this blog post, I want to put it out there that I did New Year’s in Disney by myself. I will admit that it was a bit overwhelming for me, but I had the most magical New Year’s Eve that I’ll never forget.

There were a few reasons why I chose to travel to Orlando for New Year’s. First, it has always been on my bucket list to visit Walt Disney World during the holiday season, especially during New Year’s for the fireworks show. Second, I will admit that I just wanted to be in a happy place for New Year’s whether I was ringing it in alone or with another person. During the previous years, I would ring in the New Year at a rowdy bar or nightclub with crazy drunk people surrounding me. I honestly, never really had a memorable night ringing in the New Year that way and waking up on New Year’s Day after spending over $100 on crappy alcoholic beverages was definitely not fun. As we rang in a new decade, I wanted to celebrate 2020 in a meaningful way that would make me happy and will always have me reminiscing on the magical night I truly had. I am thankful Disney allowed me to finally experience a New Year’s Eve to remember!

Prior to my New Year’s trip to Disney, I hadn’t been to Orlando in a decade (which was very fitting). I used to travel to Orlando every year for dance competitions when I was younger. It was definitely a treat visiting Disney and Universal as an adult and experience it from a different perspective. In this blog post, I am excited to talk about my magical experience at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and I will provide you with helpful tips that will prepare you for all the celebrations at the happiest place on Earth.

**Please note that this blog post uses affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase via my affiliate link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only promote and talk about products and services that I have used and like.

Getting to and Around Disney and Universal:

Flying from the New York City area to Orlando, Florida is super easy and I never have a tough time trying to find a flight there. Orlando is also a big international hub, so you won’t have a problem finding a flight to the city from anywhere in the world. One piece of advice that I could give you all is to not do what I did and plan this trip only a month in advance. Definitely plan at least three to six months out.

Disney in general is fairly expensive and during the holiday season, the prices are way higher! I was very lucky to find an affordable flight with a budget airline through Skyscanner! Since I was only in Orlando for three full days, I traveled around via Uber and Lyft, but if you are planning on staying a week or longer, I highly recommend renting a car.

I do want to forewarn you all that the prices for Uber, Lyft and taxis are extremely expensive the night of New Year’s Eve. From Magic Kingdom back to my hotel in Orlando, it cost me $80 USD. If you are staying on the Disney property, your hotel will provide you with transportation to and from the parks, but since it was too expensive to stay at Disney during New Year’s I had to figure out how to get to and from the parks on my own. Besides, New Year’s Eve, the prices weren’t too bad for an Uber or Lyft ride.

Where to Stay in Orlando during New Year’s:

As I mention above, staying on the Disney property during the holiday season is very pricey. Even if I booked way in advance, the prices still would’ve been extremely high for my budget and they also got fully booked quickly. (This also goes for the hotels on the premises of Universal Orlando.)

As much as I would’ve loved to stay on the properties of either Walt Disney World Resort or Universal Orlando Resort, I am happy that I booked my hotel through Wyndham Orlando Resort. It is steps from ICON Park, which is Orlando’s bustling entertainment district. The hotel is also right around the corner from Universal Orlando and SeaWorld and it is approximately a 15-minute drive to all of the Disney parks and attractions.

During my time at Wyndham Orlando Resort, I stayed in the Premium King Bed room that offered a king sized bed, ensuite bathroom and a balcony. The hotel itself also had a lounge and dining area with a bar; convention center; outdoor pool and hot tub; fitness center and free shuttles to Universal Orlando and SeaWorld. (There is also another Wyndam hotel in Orlando that is located on the Disney property called Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek.)

Since I have been to Disney a lot growing up, I have some other great hotel options for you to choose from based off of where I’ve stayed and where I’ve visited for entertainment or dining.

Luxury Hotels:

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Mid Budget Hotels:

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter

Walt Disney World Dolphin and Swan Hotels

Budget Hotels:

Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort

New Year’s Eve at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom:

Like I talk about above, I spent New Year’s Eve solo at Magic Kingdom and I will admit that it was overwhelming for me for a few reasons. First, even though I travel solo all over the world, I had never been to Disney without my family and I’ve never been to an amusement park by myself. I’m not trying to sound like a baby, but at first, I felt a little lonely and down that I didn’t have at least a friend with me. (I did invite and ask a handful of people who I thought would be interested in spending New Year’s at Disney, but because it was a bit pricey due to the holiday season, they couldn’t make the trip happen and I completely understand that.) As the day went on, I got very comfortable being by myself in Magic Kingdom and everyone was super friendly to me. The second reason why I felt overwhelmed is because Disney is super crowded during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. That is the week when kids are off from school, so it is a perfect time for families to take a vacation. In addition, not everyone celebrates Christmas, so a lot of people tend to book trips during this week too.

Out of all of the Disney parks I have been to throughout my 28 years of life, Magic Kingdom will always be my favorite because it takes me back to my childhood. As a 90s kid, my childhood was defined by Disney. I was a different Disney princess for Halloween every year; I collected every movie and watched them over 100 times; my childhood spring breaks were at Disney World and as an adult, I listen to all of the soundtracks and see the Disney Broadway plays in NYC. Coming back to Magic Kingdom as an adult had a whole new meaning to it. I cried happy tears on the “It’s a Small World” ride as well as during the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights show. I have such an appreciation for Disney and as an adult, I understand the stories behind each fairytale and I could now relate to a lot of the lessons they all teach.

The Crowds at Disney:

Now, I am not going to sugar coat this, but Disney during New Year’s is absolutely insane! There are loads of people everywhere, strollers, walkers, wheelchairs and more. It took me on average 75 minutes to over 3 hours to wait on lines for the rides (mind you, I didn’t get the Fast Pass); the lines to get food at a stand in the park was between 20 to 45 minutes, depending on where you wanted to eat (I didn’t even try getting into a restaurant on my own); walking from one spot in the park to the other took up to an hour and there were chunks of time where I was just standing in one spot and not moving at all. Usually, I am not a fan of heavy crowds, but this was definitely something I did expect when I went to Magic Kingdom for New Year’s Eve. The park even began turning away guests around 2pm on New Year’s Eve and geared them towards the other Disney parks such as Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Tips for Visiting Magic Kingdom on New Year’s Eve:

• Arrive to the Park Earlier: Unlike any other day at Disney World, it is best to arrive at any Disney park (mainly Magic Kingdom) earlier than you want to on New Year’s Eve because the park tends to get busier as the day goes on and if they reach maximum capacity, the park will be closed to new guests. What I ended up doing at Magic Kingdom on New Year’s Eve was leaving my hotel a little after 10am. Between the lines and security, I got into Magic Kingdom a little after 11am. I will admit that it was a long day for me because I didn’t want to leave the park and risk not getting back in, but I attempted to make the most out of my time there despite the heavy crowds.

• Leave the Park Late: Even though Magic Kingdom tends to draw in families with little ones, believe it or not, most people lasted at the park until after midnight! It ended up taking me around and hour and a half just to get out of the park itself. The lines for the exit, monorail and ferry were extremely long, but I just breathed through it all and had the patience to get out. Magic Kingdom closes at 1am on New Year’s Eve, so I recommend staying even later and going on some of the rides. If I wasn’t so exhausted from being there all day, I definitely would’ve done that. It ends up being a win-win situation for you because you can enjoy the rides without having to wait on lines and you could leave the park without the heavy crowds.

• Get the FastPass+: If you have not been to Disney before, the FastPass+ is the best way to fight the lines for rides and shows. The FastPass+ is a reservation system that doesn’t cost you extra money. You could reserve your reservation online for specific rides and/or shows and you will be directed to a special line with a shorter wait time. Getting the FastPass+ during the holidays is the best way to experience the rides at Disney World.

• Wear Comfortable Clothing and Shoes: Since you will be at the park for at least 12 hours, it is imperative that you wear comfortable clothing and shoes. I recommend bringing a backpack so that you could keep a sweater or light jacket on you because Orlando does get chilly at night during New Year’s. (There are lockers you could rent to store your belongings if you don’t want to carry your backpack all day. The lockers are great if you want to go on rides as a solo traveler or even if you don’t have a friend who wants to stay behind and hold your stuff lol.) During the day, you should be fine wearing shorts, a t-shirt or a lighter long sleeve shirt or jeans. I don’t recommend wearing a dress or skirt to the Disney parks, especially if you’re looking to go on rides. The perfect shoes to wear to Disney are comfortable sneakers or tennis shoes since you will be on your feet for most of the day.

• Line Up Early for Shows and Parades: During the holidays, Disney has so many magical shows going on that you’re not going to want to miss out on. Even during New Year’s, there are still so many wonderful Christmas shows and parades to see from your favorite Disney characters. When you first enter Magic Kingdom, I recommend getting a map and finding out when each show or parade is taking place. About an hour or so beforehand, I recommend getting a spot where you’ll be comfortable and where you could see everything. Whenever a show is going on at Disney during New Year’s, it gets mobbed and you won’t be able to move in that specific area. The shows at Magic Kingdom that you want to keep an eye out for are Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Christmas Day Parade on ABC (if you are at Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day), Cinderella’s Castle Dream Lights – A Frozen Holiday Wish Show and of course, Disney’s Countdown to Midnight: A New Year’s Eve Celebration!

• Stay Hydrated: New Year’s Eve at Magic Kingdom is a long and fun day and it is so important that you stay hydrated. I recommend purchasing a large water bottle that will replenish you in the sun, while you’re waiting on lines and even when you are having fun. Like I mention above, the lines for food and drinks are extremely long, so that is why you want to get something that will last you longer than usual.

• Be Patient: As I’ve repeated throughout this article, Disney is more crowded than usual during the holiday week. There are people of all ages and backgrounds; there are strollers, walkers and wheelchairs; there are individuals trying to keep up with their family and friends and there are also people who get very anxious with all of the crowds. Being in a place that is mobbed with so many people will definitely test your patience, but it is important to know that everyone is in the same position and the best thing to do is just breath through it all and even try to make conversation with those around you!

• Get the Park Hopper Pass: In regard to getting park tickets, there are so many ways you could go about it. I will admit that the Disney park tickets are quite expensive per person and the best way to save is by either getting the annual pass if you go to Disney a lot, getting a multi-day ticket or even waiting to get to Orlando and getting discounted tickets at your hotel (which is what I did). If you are looking to experience New Year’s Eve magic at more than one Disney park, I highly recommend getting the Park Hopper Pass. (Special tickets and pricing may be available for Florida residents during specific times of the year.) Please note that the Park Hopper Passes are not included for Disney’s water parks – Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

• Have Fun Being a Kid Again: Whether you are traveling with family, friends, a significant other or by yourself, there is no excuse to not become a kid again when you visit Walt Disney World. Even though I didn’t get to go on as many rides as I have in the past when I visited during the off seasons with my family, I absolutely love the thrill of every single one of them! My favorite rides at Magic Kingdom are It’s a Small World, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Pirates of the Caribbean. I also love seeing all of the characters and I still have my autograph book from when I was a little girl. I hope to one day make it to Cinderella’s Castle!

Happy New Year Disney Style: Ah, New Year’s Eve at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom was a dream come true! During the holiday season, the Cinderella Castle is lit up with gorgeous blueish/purple Christmas lights for the Disney movie Frozen (which is one of my favorites). I literally couldn’t stop staring at its beauty! Once the sun went down, the gorgeous Christmas lights and decorations of Main Street USA and the Cinderella Castle magically glowed! Main Street USA also had fake snow falling from the buildings, which made it even more magical.

When it came to Disney’s Countdown to Midnight: A New Year’s Eve Celebration, there were two firework shows – one at 6pm for the kids and the other was at midnight. I obviously saw both shows and they were absolutely magical! Just like New Year’s Eve at Time’s Square in New York City, you will need to start lining up for your ideal viewing spot early (not as early as Time’s Square though). I found a great spot that I discovered around 7pm, which was five hours before midnight. Thankfully, the Countdown to Midnight show has a live DJ, performances with Disney and Pixar characters plus more. I also got very lucky and met a fellow solo traveler as I was waiting. We became friends with the people around us who were a couple and a group of cousins. That is what I love about solo travel, I always meet new friends and we end up having a blast! (Please note that once you leave your area leading up to midnight, you will not be able to get back into the same spot you were at.)

On the hour leading up to midnight, there were Disney Christmas and New Year performances and at 11pm there was the magical Cinderella Castle Dream Lights – A Frozen Holiday Wish Show which had me in goosebumps because it showcased all of my favorite Disney fairytales from my childhood (Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Aladdin, Peter Pan and of course, Frozen). Disney always does an outstanding job with their shows. I was literally in happy tears the entire night and I felt like I was placed in a whole new world (no pun intended). Around 15 minutes before we rang in 2020, the firework show went off again and it was even more magical for me since I had a better view. Overall, ringing in the new decade at Walt Disney World was a dream for me and I am so happy I got to cross it off my bucket list!

Other Disney parks and entertainment hubs that are great for ringing in the New Year are Epcot and Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney). I am lucky to have visited every single Disney park, including the water parks in the past. Since it’s been a while, I don’t remember specifics to include in a blog post, but I definitely will be back to Disney in the future.

New Year’s Day at Universal Orlando Resort:

I am proud to say that on New Year’s Day 2020, I finally got my acceptance letter into Hogwarts! I absolutely love Universal Orlando Resort. Home of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, Universal boasts my favorite parks in Orlando. One of the main reasons why I couldn’t wait to come back to Universal Orlando is because of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Harry Potter World opened during summer 2010, a year after I had last been there, so I felt like I missed out and had to go see it sooner than later. Since I was on a time limit, I mainly spent my day at Universal checking out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. (I have been to Universal Orlando Resort quite a few times in the past. My favorite rides at Universal Studios are Revenge of the Mummy, E.T. Adventure and Men in Black Alien Attack. The rides I enjoy at Islands of Adventure are The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Jurassic Park River Adventure, The Amazing Adventure of Spiderman, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges and Storm Force Acceleration.

Pricing and Tickets:

Just like Disney, Universal Orlando Resort is also on the pricier side, especially during the holiday season. In fact, tickets for Universal are a little more costly than the ones for Disney, but it is totally worth it and you could always find discounts online or at your hotel in Orlando. I was very thankful that I got my Universal tickets through my hotel. You could either get a ticket to one of the Universal parks (either Universal Studios or just Islands of Adventure), but I think it is worth it to get both, especially if you want to see all of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Crowds at Universal during New Year’s:

Overall, the crowds at Universal during New Year’s Day was not nearly as crowded as it was in Magic Kingdom during New Year’s Eve. I personally think a lot of people who were visiting Disney during the holiday week left early on New Year’s Day. Don’t get me wrong though, the park was still a bit crowded and the lines were around the same as they were for Disney.

If you are looking to get priority status boarding for rides and shows at Universal Orlando, I highly recommend purchasing the Express Pass. It is a little more expensive than a regular ticket at Universal, but it is definitely worth it if you don’t want to wait in long lines. One of the best parts about traveling to Universal solo is that you have access to the Single Rider Lines at no additional cost. What is great about the Single Rider Lines are that you could get on the ride even before someone who has an Express Pass! (Perks of solo travel!)

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

Just like Disney, I also grew up reading the Harry Potter books and watching the movies. I would definitely say that Harry Potter was the definition of my preteen years. (Side Note: My college even had a quidditch team, but I was too chicken to do it.)

Whether you are a Harry Potter fan or not, you will definitely have a blast at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Harry Potter World is split between two parks: Diagon Alley is located at Universal Studios and Hogsmeade Village on the Islands of Adventure side. I loved visiting both sides! (Edinburgh, Scotland is also a wonderful place to experience if you’re a Harry Potter lover. Click here to read my post.)

I started my time at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Diagon Alley at Universal Studios. I first ran into The Knight Bus, with the talking shrunken head. It was pretty hilarious to say the least! I walked through Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, where I bought the chocolate frogs and got to pretend like I was in the real Weasley twins’ shop in the movie. I also got to go into Ollivander’s Wand Shop, where the wand chooses the wizard. (I didn’t actually purchase a wand though. Kind of regretting it now lol.) In addition, I also walked into Gringott’s Bank, which was pretty cool!

When it comes to food and drinks, I recommend getting food at the Leaky Cauldron, which resembles the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Here, you could get delicious British pub food, all imported from the United Kingdom! I also got the Harry Potter staple, butter beer, at The Hopping Pot. You could get butter beer cold or heated and it tastes like a butterscotch cream soda. I actually tried butter beer for the first time when I was in Edinburgh, Scotland, but the difference was that the one at Universal didn’t have alcohol in it. (Side Note: Unless you go to a restaurant, it is very difficult to find alcoholic beverages at both Disney and Universal. You won’t have a tough time finding alcohol at Epcot and Disney Springs though.) In addition, I recommend getting ice cream at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour on a hot day.

To get from Diagon Alley in Universal Studios to Hogsmeade Village in Islands of Adventure, I took the Hogwarts Express Train, where I got to experience the actual train ride from platform 9 ¾. You go into the actual train car that Harry, Hermione and Ron rode in and you could look out the window and see the train actually depart from King’s Cross. (It is opposite if you go from Hogsmeade Village to King’s Cross.)

When I got to Hogsmeade Village, it felt like I was placed in a Christmas village. I loved all of the little shops and it was absolutely magical finally seeing Hogwarts in real life! On the Hogsmeade Village side, you could find most of the Harry Potter rides. In total you ride Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Flight of the Hippogriff and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

I hope you all enjoyed reading about my New Year’s getaway to Walt Disney World and Universal in Orlando, Florida. If you have any questions about my time, please email me at [email protected].

Looking to extend your stay in Florida. Click here to read my blog post on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Basic Facts of the United States:

Currency: United States Dollar, Capital: Washington D.C., FL State Capital: Tallahassee

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