Countdown To Disappointment
Does an overpriced, overcrowded, and overhyped destination to spend New Year’s Eve sound like your idea of a good time? Don’t drop the ball this year. If you want to avoid waiting uncomfortably for hours to watch an underwhelming countdown, avoid these places on December 31st.
1. Times Square, New York City
The Time’s Square ball drop is arguably the most well-known New Year’s Eve countdown but it’s by far the most overrated. If you want to get anywhere close to the main attraction, you’ll have to stand there all day outside in the cold fighting for space with a crowd of rowdy tourists. What happens when you need to go to the bathroom?
Anthony Quintano from Mount Laurel, United States on Wikimedia
2. Sydney Harbour, Australia
The fireworks display is incredible but it’s short and the day leading up to midnight is painfully long. Unless you’re observing from your private yacht in the bay, you and thousands of others are all trying to get the best view. You’re either paying for an overpriced ticket at a crowded venue to sneak a peek or you’re reserving your spot with a towel on a patch of grass for seventeen hours.
3. Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is a party destination every night of the year, don’t bother going at its peak of busyness. Expect stuffed smoky casinos, long lineups for every venue, crowded swimming pools, and jacked-up prices for everything, from hotel rooms to restaurant menus.
4. Any Caribbean Island
Want to head to a tropical island to bask in the sunshine for NYE? So does everybody else. The Caribbean is packed with tourists during this peak season. You can count on resorts being full, beaches being crowded, and prices being more expensive than any other time of year.
5. Disney World & Disney Lands
Most kids are off school and parents are off work so families flock to their closest Disney park. If waiting hours in line surrounded by whining four-year-olds for a 3-minute ride is how you’d like to celebrate NYE then be our guest, be our guest!
6. Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is overrated any time of year so imagine the celebrity hot-spot during NYE. Even if you snag a ticket for a nightclub, you’ll be waiting ages for your overpriced drinks. Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve is best spent at a private estate party, otherwise, you’re partying in an overcrowded joint with a lot of sloppy drunks.
7. Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is a vibrant city that buzzes with exciting energy. On the week of NYE, it’s supercharged and on the verge of exploding. You’re squished like a tin of sardines on the streets and the venues are bursting with tourists. New Year’s in Tokyo is exhausting and better to visit other times of the year.
8. Any Family-Friendly Concert Outdoors
A family-friendly outdoor concert means hundreds of kids staying up past their bedtime. You’re asking for outrageous tantrums, annoying children’s music, and the constant worry about your kids getting lost in the crowd. On top of that, if you’re at a concert in the north, you’re stressed
9. The Hoover Dam, Nevada & Arizona
Why is the Hoover Dam a destination for a New Year’s celebration? It’s not a dam party venue, it’s just a dam. We can think of many other spots to shoot off fireworks from instead of crowding around the dam.
10. Resorts In Hawaii
Unless you’re filthy rich and can book out a resort to yourself, stay away from Hawaii around the new year. The room rates are at their highest and hardest to reserve. Want to lounge by the pool with your whole family? So does everyone else. You must plunk your towels down at 5 am and prepare for an unrelaxing vacation.
Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia
11. Rome, Italy
Rome is a tourist hot spot year-round and the Colosseum welcomes an outrageous crowd on NYE. Just like every other major city, expect inflated prices and hard-to-book restaurants and accommodations. If you want to enjoy the incredible Italian cuisine, don’t visit when restaurants can’t keep up with the tourists.
12. A Nightclub
If you want to ring in the new year with a massive hangover and regret, hit up a nightclub. Nightclubs in every city will throw a New Year’s Eve event which means they charge you more than usual for a ticket to get in and put overpriced cocktails on special. Unless you have a reserved spot with bottle service, you’ll be waiting and squeezing your way to the bar more than you’ll be dancing.
13. Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona attracts many visitors for New Year’s Eve where its reputation gets ruined. You can’t enjoy its renowned markets because they’re too busy and the stunning beaches are too crowded. If you want to stand squished amongst a bunch of sweaty strangers then a Barcelona NYE is for you.
Federico Giampieri on Unsplash
14. London, England
Just like Paris, don’t expect to get anywhere in London without a reservation booked well in advance. All the famous spots are flooded with tourists and wait times are painfully long. Every party and every venue are booked out and the public transportation after midnight is chaotic. They need to invent a quadruple-decker bus to keep up.
15. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
If you don’t like sharing a slice of paradise with thousands of others, don’t book a trip to Rio de Janeiro during the holidays. NYE seems to attract many eager travelers which spoils the views and the beaches. It’s a vibrant place all year long but it’s overrated and overpriced during the new year’s festivities.
16. Niagara Falls
You’ll spend your day in traffic until you reach your expensive parking spot outside of your tacky hotel. Crowds of people dressed in fourteen layers to keep warm will take over the walkways near the falls. All the big chain restaurants will be reserved and only a few will get a full view of the fireworks.
17. Bangkok, Thailand
Ring in the new year in a city overrun by tourists at the busiest time of the year. Bangkok will be full of Westerners partying for days straight and forgetting what year it is. Don’t expect a cultural experience if you visit Bangkok during peak season.
18. Paris, France
If you want to enjoy your NYE in Paris, you need to book well in advance. From restaurants to parties, everything requires reservations many months beforehand. Every landmark will be crowded, every subway will be overpacked, and prices will peak higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Joshua Veitch-Michaelis from Leamington Spa, England on Wikimedia
19. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai’s fireworks displays are massive but so are their crowds. Unless you can afford a private view spot, expect to arrive extremely early if you want a seat near any of their famous light shows. A trip to Dubai on NYE will put your patience––and your budget–– to the test.
Bengin Ahmad from Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Wikimedia
20. Casinos
Everyone thinks they’re lucky at the casino on NYE but many people destroy their New Year’s resolutions on the first day of January. Save yourself from a disappointing start to the new year and don’t flock to the slot machines.
