New Special Events for New Year's Eve at Walt Disney World

New Year’s Eve is a big night at the Walt Disney World Resort. Known for having amazing fireworks shows every night of the year, the parks have to set off so many on this special date to make it even more magical! For guests looking to observe these spectaculars from outside the parks, there are quite a few options this year- some old and some new!

If your goal is to stay out of the parks on New Year’s Eve while still enjoying the fireworks shows, Disney has a variety of options for you. They range in price from $99 per person to an eye-popping $675 per person. Let’s start with the most affordable and work our way up.

The Boardwalk Resort is offering a Countdown to 2020 event for $99 per person. The website describes it as taking place at the Atlantic Dance Hall and offering delectable bites and a complimentary glass of champagne along with views of the Epcot fireworks from the first and second floor balconies.
The Flying Fish restaurant on the Boardwalk also has a special New Year’s Eve prix fixe menu on December 31, 2019. Based on the information on Disney’s site, it is unclear whether this provides any fireworks viewing as it is not mentioned. I believe this to be a special fancy dinner for NYE rather than a reserved space for fireworks viewing. The dinner starts at $150 per person.
The Pixar Party at Disney’s Contemporary resort returns this year. This party is offered on both Dec 30 and Dec 31, but is currently sold out for Dec 31. We attended last year (review to come later). I kept stalking the Disney site for cancellations and got a reservation a few weeks out. So if you love Pixar and the offerings sound good to you, keep trying! The Party is $199 per person and includes dinner and alcoholic beverages, including a complimentary glass of champagne to ring in the new year. *Please note that the fireworks viewing is in the “Porte-Cochère” also known as the parking lot! It is ground level viewing.
Also at the Contemporary, they will continue to offer the Countdown to Midnight in the Fantasia Ballroom. If culinary delights are your thing, you will prefer this offering to the Pixar Party. Countdown to midnight comes in at $299 per person and includes gourmet food, alcohol and fireworks viewing in the aforementioned “Porte-Cochère” For an additional $200 you can add-on the Ink and Paint experience in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Ballroom prior to the Countdown Experience.
Next up, we have the Bienvenidos 2020! New Year’s Eve party at Toledo’s restaurant at the top of the new Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs resort. I recently enjoyed the tower and Toledo’s restaurant, so I can speak to the quality of the food as we found it to be delicious. This experience comes in at $400 per person and includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
The new Riviera Resort is getting in on the celebration for its first year with the Mezzanotte at Topolino’s Italian Masquerade. The $550 per person price tag includes an elegant dinner, drinks and musical entertainment. Masquerade masks are provided and the site says that it is Italian tradition to wear red for NYE, so guests are encouraged to incorporate red into their ensemble.
Finally, if you’re a traditionalist who likes to go all out for this holiday (including with your wallet), you may want to check out the Contemporary Resort‘s Elegant Evening at the California Grill. For the $675 per person price tag, guests will enjoy gourmet food, to include sushi and other California favorites, alcohol and entertainment. The website states there will be a sleight of hand magician and a portrait artist and the party will conclude on the rooftop terrace for Magic Kingdom fireworks viewing.

There are more and more options each year for celebrating New Year’s Eve at Walt Disney World! I would prefer to book a room with fireworks viewing or club level room in a resort with a good view of fireworks from the lounge rather than book some of these pricier options!

What do you think? How do you prefer to celebrate New Year’s Eve at Disney World?

-Rebecca W Davis