As the end of the year winds down, there is no better place to spend your New Year's Eve Celebration than at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida!  Besides the warmer weather you will find a variety of ways to spend your celebration from extreme family friendly to dance the night away party.

Let's review the highlights of all of the ways to celebrate New Year's Eve at Disney World!:


Magic Kingdom:

• Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks ­– Guests will ring in the New Year in front of Cinderella Castle with the cherished fireworks show on both Dec. 30 and 31, beginning at 11:50 p.m. (An additional showing – perfect for young kiddos – will light up the sky both nights earlier in the evening at 6:30 p.m.).
• New Year’s Celebration Dance Parties in Frontierland & Tomorrowland – Put on your dancing shoes and boot-scoot with a hoppin’ beat ‘til midnight in Frontierland. Or jump start the New Year with an upbeat get-together in Tomorrowland, blasting into 2018 with futuristic tunes.

• New Year’s Eve Dance Party – Starting at 7 p.m., guests can join in on a DJ dance party in front of the Chinese Theatre, which will come alive with special projections. The nighttime holiday show Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! will take place at 8 p.m., and finally, guests can ring in the new year at midnight with a showing of Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.

• New Year’s Countdown Fireworks – Say “au revoir” to 2017 around World Showcase as dazzling fireworks light up the sky to welcome 2018 in a booming big way. This spectacular is held only on December 31, beginning at 11:40 p.m.
• New Year’s Eve Parties – A DJ dance party will have guests dancing and grooving “around the world” with special entertainment at the America Garden Stage, Future World Fountain Stage and other areas throughout the park. Just for New Year’s Eve, you can move to your own beat with music playing in your headphones at the “Silent Groove” dance party that will take place at Future World Center.
• New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner – Celebrate with a lavish buffet of savory foods and decadent desserts at this ticketed buffet dinner in World Showplace. For reservations, visit disneyworld.com/holidays or call (407) WDW-DINE (3463).

Only WDWorld New Year's Eve Tips:

Epcot After-Hours Wind Down

The newest Disney World semi-exclusive experiment is coming to Epcot!  It is called Epcot After-Hours Wind Down and it involves staying at Epcot after the Illuminations: Reflections Of Earth show and visiting one of four World Showcase Lounge areas for a special treat of food & drink!

This new opportunity starts on April 17th and currently is scheduled to run through September 15th. Choose either La Cava del Tequila at the Mexico Pavilion; Spice Road Table in the Morocco Pavilion; Tutto Gusto in the Italy Pavilion, or Rose & Crown Pub in the United Kingdom Pavilion. Each location will have small bites paired with a beverage flight (additional beverages can be purchased) from 9:20 – 11 p.m. It’s a magical time as the park quiets down.

This will be considered a "ticketed" event costing $35 + tax & gratuity, and if you intend to try it, you should make reservations ahead of time.  To learn more about it, go to www.disneyworld.com/spring, call 407-WDW-DINE, or check in with Epcot Guest Relations to see if space is available.

The Sounds Like Summer Concert series returns to the Walt Disney World Resort for 2013 with a line-up that is sure to please Epcot guests.  This FREE concert series brings some of the best Tribute Bands in the nation to the America Gardens Theatre to perform.

This schedule for this year's event is as follows:

• Stayin’ Alive
  A Tribute to the BeeGees: June 9 - June 15, 2013

• Hotel California
  A Salute to the Eagles: June 16 - June 22, 2013
• Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot
  The Ultimate Billy Joel Tribute Show: June 23 - June 29, 2013

• Slippery When Wet
  The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute: June 30 - July 6, 2013
• SouthBound and Company
  A Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd: July 7 - July 13, 2013
• The Police Experience
  A Tribute to The Police: July 14 - July 20, 2013
• 2U
  A Tribute to U2: July 21 - July 27, 2013

Daily show times for the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series are set to take place at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM, except on July 4, 2013, when a special set of show times will take place at 5:15 PM, 6:30 PM, 7:45 PM and 9:00 PM.

During the 2011 version of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival the stars from Toy Story 3 will be featured as topiaries.  See Woody, Buzz, & Lotso all immortalized in topiary form by the talented Disney World Horticultural Staff from March 2 - May 15, 2011.

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will be making its 18th annual appearance at Epcot. It is certainly one of Disney World's best annual Special Events.

Here is the official Disney Press Release:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The heroes of “Toy Story 3” have left the toy box. Woody and Buzz Lightyear meet arch-enemy Lotso the teddy bear on the Future World playground for the 18th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2 through May 15, 2011, at Walt Disney World Resort.


The popular Disney•Pixar characters hit the sandbox as seven- and eight-foot-tall topiaries at the Epcot front entrance flower bed featuring a sand castle, strawberry-scented field and playground toys. Created by Disney gardeners and topiary experts with bold strokes of seasonal color, the topiary display marks the first time “Toy Story” characters have been showcased at the festival which, along with more than 100 topiaries, features seminars and gardening demonstrations, gardens bursting with millions of blooms, “flower power” music and more.

The “Toy Story” display marks the first time in seven years that the front-entrance floral spectacle showcases all-new topiary characters, says festival horticulture manager Eric Darden.

“It created unique challenges,” Darden says, “and it’s meticulous work. Woody is skinny, and it was a challenge to create his legs. The detail on Buzz is pretty daunting.” And the buzz on the pink-floral Lotso (a.k.a. Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear) is that he will smell like strawberries, just like his big-screen character, when guests stroll by.


Among the expertly crafted topiaries, another show-stopper will be the brand-new “Cars 2” display at the World Showcase plaza, Darden says. Large floral topiaries of “Cars” characters Mater and Lightning McQueen will park their colorful chassis beneath a black-and-white checkered arch. To complete the scene, gardeners will create floral flags representing Japan, France, Italy and the United Kingdom – destinations of the car characters in the sequel due in theaters June 24.

And Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and pals appear in topiary splendor among a Hundred Acre Wood wildflower display between Future World and World Showcase. They’re just in time to spread the happy news about the “Winnie the Pooh Movie” debuting summer 2011.

New in the Park!
An expanded Bambi’s Butterfly House, a new Healthy Living Garden, special gardener appearances on a new Festival Center stage and first-time Flower Power performers add fresh twists to the 18th annual festival:

· A roomier-than-ever Bambi’s Butterfly House grows three-fold this year in its new location along Imagination Walkway by Innoventions West in Future World. It’s the first time the popular garden has expanded since its 2005 debut, and guests will see more butterflies than ever, Darden says.

· The Healthy Living Garden invites park guests to join in fun activities designed for improving their health and well being. Areas of the garden, presented by Syngenta, focus on healthful eating, fitness, relaxation and meditation. An adjacent children’s play area keeps it all in the family.

· A new Festival Center stage brings nationally recognized garden personalities to the festival twice daily.


· Rapunzel lets down her hair at Rapunzel’s Tower in the Tangled Magical Garden inspired by Walt Disney Pictures’ animated film, “Tangled,” located between the Germany and Italy pavilions.

· Flower Power grows with new-to-the-festival pop acts. Melissa Manchester, March 25-27 (Don’t Cry Out Loud), Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., April 8-10 (You Don’t Have to Be a Star) and Juice Newton April 15-17 (Playing with the Queen of Hearts) are set to light up America Gardens Theatre with their timeless tunes.

· A new Festival Special Weekend is slated for May when Disney?Pixar presents a Pixar Animation Studios celebration in conjunction with the upcoming “Cars 2” big-screen debut set for June 24.

Throughout the festival, elaborate floral beds and entertaining exhibits will decorate the park landscape and showcase the extraordinary talents of Disney gardeners. A blooming Guerlain Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion returns with its never-ending “love story” of the relationship between plants and perfume. At the Japan showcase, the art of bonsai will mesmerize guests who stop at the pavilion’s vermilion torii gate.

Don’t miss:
· Flower Power concerts – Popular bands will rock the open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. Jose Feliciano is scheduled to kick off the concert series March 4-6. The Flower Power lineup also will feature pop favorites such as Davy Jones, Chubby Checker & The Wildcats, and Paul Revere & the Raiders.
· The Festival Center– Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend demonstrations and get ideas and tips from master gardeners. Includes Disney Gardening at Home and other presentations.
· Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden –Fabulous Disney fairies alight to greet young fans who enter this whimsical garden designed with play structures for children ages 2-5.

· Disney Gardening at Home presentations – Disney horticulturists will share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity.

· Special Festival Weekend Celebrations – An Art in the Garden celebration of plein air artists is scheduled March 25-27; the popular I Dig Bugs event is set for April 15-17; and a Fresh from Florida Farmer’s Market salute is slated for April 29-May 1. A date will be announced for the May Disney?Pixar weekend celebration.

More information about the 18th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting disneyworld.com/flower. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.