Disneyland Park

Image: Disney

If you’re spending New Year’s Eve on the West Coast, Disneyland is the place to be. Sure, it’s guaranteed to be more crowded than Disney California Adventure, but nothing beats watching the fireworks illuminate Sleeping Beauty Castle at the stroke of midnight. This year, the biggest addition to the park’s festivities is the Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge, which offers its guests a premium fireworks viewing location… at a premium price.

Park hours: 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM (January 1, 2018); Extra Magic Hour/Magic Morning 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Special events:

• New Year’s Eve Experience at Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge: If you’re feeling fancy, you can fork over $90 per person to enjoy an exclusive lounge in Tomorrowland from 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM. The ticket covers a snack box of assorted sweet and savory treats, a non-alcoholic beverage, a $15 coupon for Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port or Galactic Grill and another non-alcoholic beverage to toast the New Year. The price alone should make this a relatively relaxed way to catch the fireworks sans large crowds, but if you just need to put your feet up and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, there are much more affordable options at your disposal.
• Fantasmic!: For those who’d rather celebrate the new year with Sorcerer Mickey, there will be a special 11:59 PM performance of Disneyland’s nighttime spectacular on New Year’s Eve, though guests can also see the show at its regularly scheduled 9:05 PM and 10:30 PM start times.
• Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks Spectacular: You can catch two viewings of the fireworks at 9:00 PM and 11:55 PM on New Year’s Eve. Unless you’re dead set on ringing in the new year in front of the castle, find a spot by “it’s a small world” Holiday or hotfoot it to the Rivers of America prior to their 11:59 PM showing of Fantasmic! (the fireworks are scheduled to be set off at 11:55 PM). If you feel you can forego the accompanying projections with the firework show, you should also be able to find a relatively crowd-free spot along the trail that loops around the back of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or behind King Arthur’s Carrousel in Fantasyland.

Best spot to ring in the new year: No matter where you go in the park, you can expect a crowd. Most people will be packed into the Hub and Main Street, U.S.A. for the final countdown at Sleeping Beauty Castle; if you go this route, make sure to stay closer to the Hub than Main Street in order to avoid the post-fireworks stampede back to the main gates.

Disney California Adventure Park

Image: Disney

Disney California Adventure doesn’t draw the ridiculous attendance numbers that Disneyland does, but you should still prepare for much longer lines around the holidays – especially with Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! and the Festival of Holidays attracting heavier crowds than usual.

Park hours: 8:00 AM to 1:00 AM (January 1, 2018); Extra Magic Hour 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Special events:

• “Fountains and Fireworks” Countdown to 2018: Instead of ringing in the new year with a late-night performance of World of Color – Season of Light, Paradise Pier will light up for a special DJ dance party, featuring a brand-new light and water show and a countdown to midnight at Mickey’s Fun Wheel. Showtimes are listed at 9:00 PM and 10:15 PM, with the big countdown and fireworks finale kicking off around 11:45 PM.
• New Year’s Eve Countdown Celebration in Hollywoodland: If you can’t get out to Paradise Pier in time, Hollywoodland is hosting an 80s-themed dance party and celebration for the new year.

Best spot to ring in the new year: There’s likely no better spot to celebrate the new year than Paradise Pier. Since that area of the park will draw more crowds as the night goes on, you might want to secure a FASTPASS to the 9:45 PM showing of World of Color – Season of Light and plan on sticking around there for a couple of hours.