Has anyone survived NYE in times square?

Hi Guys, planning for NYE and XMAS in NY so I was seeing if anyone has good tips for making it through this time with everyone else that gets packed ontop the street. Is it worth buying tickets to Bubba Gumps NYE party or does EM Sports have one. they seem to be the only ones near where the ball is dropped that have parties according to old posts. No portable toilets, is that true? Is it better just to stand in the crowd and take in NYE or book and be part of a party where you can leave close to midnight and watch the display?

Has anyone survived NYE in times square?

Yes, it%26#39;s true that once you%26#39;re in your pen waiting for midnight, you can%26#39;t leave and re-enter - so that means no toilet break, no chance to get food or drink, no chance to sit down.

Personally, I%26#39;d rather have the comfort of being at one of the parties at Bubba Gump%26#39;s, TGI Fridays or the Olive Garden, if I was going to do the Times Square thing. There are many posts on these here on the forum - I remember one poster named amandajayne from last NYE.

Have a read of the NYE info on the Times Square Alliance website:

http://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye.html

Has anyone survived NYE in times square?

Thanks Kateoz, I had a look at that website before I placed the post and read all about the parties that these places offer but just wanted some insight as to if they are still good, as in the experience of NYE in NY. Is the Olive garden in times square? It would be great to hear any stories for people that have experienced both.

I%26#39;ve done NYE in Times Square. It%26#39;s a once in a lifetime experience. Mostly because I%26#39;ve done it once and can%26#39;t say I%26#39;d ever do it again! :) If I were to do it again, I%26#39;d definitely choose being in a restaurant or somewhere with food, drink, bathrooms, warmth, etc. That being said, it was a very fun experience and I%26#39;m so glad I did it.

The biggest problem is not being able to leave to use the restroom. The standing got old, but we kind of moved our feet left to right while standing to keep the blood flowing and stay warm. But it was difficult not being able to eat or drink knowing that you would then have to use the restroom.

I always expected this huge party that would last well past midnight, but by the time the ball dropped everyone was hungry, thirsty, and had a full bladder. So it was like ';Happy New Year!!'; and then people kind of just left.... I was surprised how quickly it emptied out.

I should clarify that we were there for NYE 2002 (just a few months after 9/11) so it was much less crowded that it apparently usually is. We had plenty of room to move around in our grid which was nice.

We%26#39;re going to try it this year while there 12/29 thru 1/2. We did manage to get the Doubletree Times Square for 4 nights so I think we can go to our room when needed to use the restroom or have a cocktail.

Ausman ..... you would be pretty hard pressed to find a local that would venture anywhere Times Square on New Years Eve. Anyplace that might require an %26#39;adult diaper%26#39; is not cool in my book. Also keep in mind that you would have to get in the %26#39;pen%26#39; pretty early and you would definitely not be able to just show up at 11:00 and expect to watch the ball drop. I think people start showing up at around 6:00. An alternative that some of the locals have suggested is watching the fireworks display in Central Park near the pond. Do a search on the TA and I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll find more details.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne!

KellerHummer-

I don%26#39;t think so. It%26#39;s my understanding that once you%26#39;re penned in, you can leave, but you can%26#39;t go back.

Others will need to verify that however. I live here, and thus avoid TS whenever possible...

When we did it, you had to be in the pen by 6 pm. No one was admitted after that. You could leave, but you couldn%26#39;t get back in. The surrounding areas (sidewalks, etc.) could be walked through, but you couldn%26#39;t just stand there.

Not sure how it would work if you showed up at 11 pm. The streets might be too crowded to even be able to get a spot to see the ball drop.

Ausman - If you want to read more first-hand accounts, and don%26#39;t mind doing some clicking around, go to the bottom of the FAQ ';sticky'; here:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k1948627鈥?/a> FAQ_Frequently_Asked_Questions_for_NYC-

At the bottom of the FAQ are collections of trip reports.

Click on the collections and then browse the reports. I think the most NYE-TS reports are in the Couples collection.

I will be there at new year too and we have opted for planet holywood, I found a link on here to someone that went last year and sent them a message to ask if they enjoyed it, she said that it was a fantastic night with an open bar and loads of food, a good mix of people and music. i think last year it was $250. I have e-mailed them and they say they havnt as yet released their plans for this year but will do around end of July time. Hope thats of some help to you.