Celebrate New Years Eve at Disneyland!
Kids ARE invited to help ring in New Year 2009!
Want a great "family style" way to ring in the New Year Celebrate New Years Eve at Disneyland! Every year Disneyland throws a HUGE family party---and you're invited!
Here's what you can expect when you attend the exciting bash for New Years Eve at Disneyland---
1.) Bands, bands, bands---For this special event, the park will be featuring one-day-only bands (with varying musical styles) to help you party down & get into the mood to celebrate.
2.) Party Favors---There will be party hats and favors. What's New Year's Eve without looking and sounding silly...er, should I say, "Goofy!"
3.) Special Ring-in-the-New-Year fireworks show---You won't have to look at your watch to tell if it's midnight at Disneyland---you'll KNOW!!! Fireworks will splash in the sky, music will play, and the crowd will roar!
4.) Special Park Hours---Keep listning to the bands and riding your favorite rides until 2 am! on January 1st (Note: If you celebrate at Disney's California Adventure, closing is one hour earlier, at 1 am.)
5.) Christmas entertainment & attractions--By attending Disneyland Park on December 31st, you'll still be in time to see the popular Disney Christmas parade and fireworks show...and snowfall, too! Plus, the Holiday Haunted Mansion (starring Jack Skellington from 3D Nightmare Before Christmas!) will still be running. So will the holiday version of "It's A Small World." In addition, several showings of the popular nighttime spectacular "Fantasmic" will be performed. To see pictures and discover details about all of the Disneyland Resort's wonderful holiday activities, please see the Disneyland Christmas Events 2008 page of this site.
Disneyland New Year's Eve--Busy entertainment schedule!
Disney Princess Fantasy Faire
Maximum amount of "extra" entertainment for New Year's Eve---Disneyland always has extra entertainment on hand besides their major parades and fireworks displays. How many entertainment "extras" scheduled for any given day depends on the size crowd that Disneyland Park honchos think will be attending the park. Since New Year's Eve crowds fill the park to its entire capacity, every type of extra activity that Disneyland has in its bag of tricks is pulled out for the day.
<.p>For December 31, 2008, this means that you'll also have the following entertainment options in addition to the parades, fireworks and Fantasmic shows:
Disney Princess Fantasy Faire: Little girls adore this attraction...which actually features several componants. At times, you'll see a live show starring 3 of the Disney Princesses at one time (they rotate; you won't know for sure which ones are performing until they enter the stage.) This is an interactive show, and children in the audience are taught a little dance which they perform as the princesses perform it on stage.
After the show is over, girls and their families have the option of (1) meeting the princesses in person (what a line there is for this!) of (2) doing some Disney-themed coloring, or (3) getting a "glamour makeover" in the adjacent salon. There's also a princess-themed shop which sells costumes, accessories and toys relating to each of the Disney Princesses---Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, Mulan, Snow White, etc.
More pictures of the Disney Princesses you'll see here: If you'd like to see more photos...and a slide show...of the Disney Princesses you'll see and the activities you'll enjoy at this fun children's attraction, please visit the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire Pictures page of this site.
Jedi Training Academy
Jedi Training Academy---Boys love the Jedi Training Academy...and so do girls! Alhough little girls pretty much have the Princess Fantasy Faire all to themselves, little boys have to share the Jedi Training Academy with the fairer sex. Not all little girls want to become princesses; others wish to save the universe! Thus, whether your child is a girl or a boy, they're nearly certain to enjoy this "real" training session for wannabe Jedi. Over 2 dozen children (between about age 4 and 9: they have to fit the costumes) are selected from the audience. They're given both Jedi robes to wear and "light sabers" to carry. A Jedi Master leads them in group instructions that teach them how to wield this instrument of deadly destruction.
The kids learn their craft just in the nick of time---a space ship bearing BOTH Dart Maul AND Darth Vader arrives. The new padowans have to fight fiercely both physically...AND mentally, as well. (They are given kind, almost pleading invitations to turn to the Dark Side. The kids all gallantly refuse.) Any Star Wars fan is bound to think this show is cute...even if he or she doesn't have any kids.
More about the Jedi Training Academy: If you'd like to see more pictures of Star Wars characters, and learn more about what goes on at the Jedi Training Academy show at Disneyland Park, please visit the "Jedi Training Academy Pictures" page of this website.
Billy Hill and the Hillbillies
It takes more than tourists to keep Disneyland Park full and the cash registers ringing. Plenty of local Southern Californians have to visit the theme park to make it profitable, as well.
And, when this urban-oriented crowd enjoys a rural-themed music & comedy show like Billy Hill & the Hillbillies...well, you KNOW it's got to be good!
Perhaps the guys in this funny group know ahead of time that they'll be "up against" some anti-rural sentiment. But, for whatever the reason, the first segment of the Billy Hill show is spent "drawing in" the crowd...focusing on the crowd's likes, dislikes, and mutual love of Disneyland. You may enter the show thinking, "Well, it doesn't sound that great...but I'll give it a try." But you won't be thinking that way when you leave---you'll be an enthusiastic supporter!
Expect to laugh. Expect to be charmed by the modest, almost self-depreciating patter. And expect to be amazed at all the different positions in which these fellows can play their instruments!
Aladdin & Jasmine's Story Tale Adventures
Unfortunately, Aladdin & Jasmine's story time adventure is not scheduled for New Year's Eve, 2008. However, this picture of Jasmine (to your left) has been very popular with young readers, so it's being kept on this page!
Where can you see Aladdin and Jasmine on New Year's Eve?: In the Disneyland Christmas Parade! Fans of the Disney character Princess Jasmine won't want to miss seeing Aladdin and Jasmine waving to their fans from the parade. If you'd like to see a picture of Princess Jasmine in the Disneyland Christmas Parade, check out the Disneyland Christmas Parade Pictures page of this website.
Princess Jasmine also appears sometimes at Disney's California Adventure park. Usually you can see Princess Jasmine in the wonderful live production of "Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular." However, on New Year's Eve 2008, the Aladdin musical will not be held. Nevertheless, you may be able to see Jasmine, anyway...because sometimes she's one of the "strolling Disney characters" that you can meet 'n greet in the "Hollywood Backlot" section of Disney's California Adventure Park.
Disneyland New Years Eve--Things to watch out for
What could possibly be wrong with this scenario? Nothing really...if you're mentally prepared for what some guests may consider to be "the dark side" of New Years Eve at Disneyland Park.
1.) Disneyland generally fills to capacity on New Year's Eve. The fire marshall has set a "maximum capacity limit" for the amount of guests Disneyland theme park can safely hold. And Disneyland carefully abides by those rules.
What does this mean for would-be New Year's Eve celebrants? It means a great deal about how you need to plan your day! Even though the New Year 2009 won't be ushered-in until midnight, you'll have to arrive at Disneyland's gates long before then if you want to be sure you're admitted. Once the park's maximum attendance figure has been reached, no more new guests can be admitted.
Will you get tired arriving during the daytime for an event that won't happen until midnight? Quite possibly! An alternative to heading to Disneyland might be to plan on visiting Disney's California Adventure Park, just next door to Disneyland itself. There's no guarantee that the Disney California Adventure Park won't fill to capacity, as well...but it's much less likely.
2.) Maximum crowds mean maximum lines inside the park. Even though Disneyland has the maximum amount of rides open and entertainment going on, a crowd is still a crowd. Plan on waiting for rides and attractions. Plan on waiting for a good spot to see the parades & fireworks. Plan on waiting in line for your meals. Bring your patience with you to the park!
3.) Most season pass holders won't get into the park "free." Only the Premium Annual Disneyland Passport holders...the ones with absolutely NO block-out dates...will be able to wave their passes and walk past the turnstiles. For owners of every other type of Disneyland season pass, this will be a black-out day, and you'll have to purchase an extra ticket.
4.) Disneyland Resort hotels are full. If you haven't yet made reservations, and you were hoping to stay overnight at one of the Disney Resort hotels, your chances of getting a room are slim to none. In addition, Disney's "good neighbor" hotels (the independent establishments which surround the park) also fill up fast...and rates are higher than they would normally be, as well. Nevertheless, the GOOD news is that if you have a car and can stay a bit further away from the park, you'll find that Orange County has many motels, and you'll most likely find room at one of them, even on short notice. Play it safe, however: once you firm up your travel dates, it's always the best idea to reserve a room, as well.
New Year's Eve at Disney's California Adventure
Not most Disney fan's first choice....
You can celebrate New Year's Eve with the entire family...kids included...at Disneyland's sister-park, Disney's California Adventure.This is not most people's first choice of New Year's Eve celebrations. The Disney honchos know this, and that's why a billion-dollar plan to beef up this park was recently announced. When all the new additions have been added (which take until 2012 for completion) then people may hold a different opinion of the matter. But for now, it's still a 2nd choice for most.
There are a number of reasons, however, why you might choose to attend the New Years Eve celebration at Disney's California Adventure. These reasons might include---
1.) You don't have to get to DCA as early in the day as you would in order to be admitted to Disneyland (which, as mentioned above, always closes its gates after reaching its maximum capacity crowd) This is actually a very compelling reason. The reason families want an all-ages New Year's Eve celebration is because they want the kids to have fun. But, kids tend to wear out & get grumpy after a certain amount of hours.
2.) Disney's Electrical Parade is usually performed at Disney's California Adventure. However, at the time of this update (November 17, 2008) Disney's Electrical Parade is NOT on the list of entertainment scheduled December 31st at DCA.
What other entertainment is scheduled for Disney's California Adventure on New Year's Eve?
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