A Complete First Timer's Guide to the New Year's Eve Ball Drop in Times Square

Experiencing the Times Square New Year's Eve celebrations was something that was on our bucket list for years. When we finally got to experience it in person, it completely blew us away - the chaos, the stimulus, the confetti, and even all the waiting was completely over the top. Even though we thought we did our fair share of research before our visit, there's nothing that actually prepares you for this event in real life. Which is exactly why we put together our own guide on what you can actually expect at the Times Square NYE Ball Drop - including our best tips.

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Planning Your  First Visit to Times Square NYE

Like we mentioned above, no matter how much research we did before New Year's Eve, not a single site seemed to provide us with all the information we were looking for. Trust us, you'll want to be prepared for this almost 24 hour event (there's LOTS of waiting), so here's some things we wish we would have known before we stood in line to enter the viewing area.

• entering the viewing area is based on a free, first-come, first-serve basis, you do not need tickets!
• the Times Square viewing area is cleared out and blocked off the night before, and is closed and guarded by the New York City Police Department - so there's no way for people to "sneak in"
• there are multiple entry points according to the Times Square website, however when we visited everyone was being redirected to one main entry point, with one other line for handicapped guests
• it is absolute chaos to get inside, even with the police guarding the entrance, but once you're past the barricades there's lots of open space, even when it fills up later in the day
• each year they give out freebies to people in the viewing areas, so keep your eyes out - we got Planet Fitness hats & balloons, Kay's Jewelers gloves, Carnival necklaces and Hong Kong scarves to commemorate the 2023 New Year
• in total, we ended up waiting for 13 hours, and there really are no bathrooms available (more on that below)
• backpacks, chairs and umbrellas are not allowed - but food, drinks, and games are
• the Times Square Ball is raised at 6 pm, and around this time singers also begin practicing & the news coverage begins - before this it's basically just a lot of waiting
• there is an overwhelming amount of confetti - so if you're worried about keeping some for memories, you'll easily be able to scoop some up at the end

​Our Favorite Tours in New York City : 
- Empire State Building Entry
- NYC Helicopter Tour
- Statue of Liberty & Cruise

Our Complete Guide to the Times Square New Year's Eve Experience

What Time to Get to Times Square
Many blog posts, and even the official Times Square website, tells you to arrive around 3 pm, but this will only work if you want a viewing spot a few blocks away by Central Park. We arrived at the entry point around 10:30 am, and even at this time the amount of people waiting to get in was a bit overwhelming. If you want a spot close to the stage and ball drop, I would get there by 11 am at the latest.

Where to Enter the Viewing Areas
The official website says there are multiple entry points to Times Square on New Year's Eve, including : 38th, 49th, 52nd and 56th Street - all from 6th and 8th Avenues. However, when we arrived we only saw one entrance, where everyone was being herded to, and the rest of the day only saw people entering from this one area - 49th and 7th. By the time we arrived at 10:30, it was already chaos. There was a huge line of people waiting to get let in, and a huge mass of people waiting at the front for the cops to open the gate. By 11 am, people were pushing, cutting in line, cops were yelling, and it felt very uneasy.

Inside the Viewing Areas
Once you've made it into the barricaded viewing sections, life will be a lot easier than when you were trying to get in. A lot spacier, a lot easier, and a lot slower. The next 13 hours will feel like a lifetime, especially if it rains all day like it did for us. We recommend finding a comfortable spot where you can sit, and if it's near a barricade then you'll have something to lean on too. We ended up choosing a spot all the way down at the intersection of 44th so that we could see the entire ball drop. If you're more interested in watching the live performances, make sure to choose a spot closer to the Planet Fitness stage. We also found an empty spot against a barricade, which was great because we had something to lean on throughout the 13 hours of waiting. Since umbrellas aren't allowed, we recommend dressing in layers for the weather and bringing ponchos if it calls for rain - they also make great rainproof layers for sitting on if you have an extra. ​At some point during the day we received our iconic Planet Fitness hats, Kay's Jewelers gloves and Carnival necklaces.

Bathrooms
The most asked question we've been getting since we attended the Times Square ball drop was ab out the bathroom situation - so to answer all your questions - there is no bathroom that you have access to if you're viewing the ball drop publicly. You can definitely leave the enclosed areas to use any public restrooms, however you won't be able to get back in to the viewing area. We saw multiple people leaving the area because they couldn't hold it, and unfortunately they were not allowed back in. Your best bet is to limit what you eat and drink the morning of and night before, and wear some sort of pee pad or diaper just in case.

Our Best Times Square NYE Tips :

• Arrive before 11 am.
• Sit near a barricade to lean against and bring snacks, water, a rechargeable phone battery and games to play.
• ​Leave the umbrellas, backpacks and chairs at home. Opt for ponchos, small purses and other thin items to sit on like a large garbage bags or plastic shopping bags.
• Wear layers - it could snow, rain, be windy, so you'll have to dress for anything.
• ​Wear a pee pad or diaper if you're not sure about the bathroom situation, and limit your food & liquid intake.

Watch our New Year's Adventures here!

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Other New York City Blogs :
-> Koreatown Food Guide
-> Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Guide
-> One Day Guide to Harlem

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