Westgate New Year’s Eve celebrations look a little different depending on where you stay. From fireworks in Orlando and a country-style countdown at River Ranch to a Las Vegas stay near the Strip, each resort offers its own way to close out the year. Maybe you already own a Westgate week, or you’re thinking about buying one. Here’s what to know about celebrating New Year’s Eve with Westgate. That covers reserving, exchanging, buying, and selling a holiday week.
Orlando: Westgate Vacation Villas and Westgate Lakes
If you’re planning a Westgate New Year’s Eve in Orlando, two resorts put the celebration right outside your door.
Westgate Vacation Villas and Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa each host their own fireworks show. So you can enjoy the countdown without leaving the property.
For owners—or travelers considering a resale purchase—New Year’s week can also be a useful way to experience what a Westgate holiday stay is actually like. Planning ahead gives you a better chance of securing the week and accommodations you want while still being there for the resort’s holiday traditions.
River Ranch
In unincorporated Polk County, Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo stretches across 1,700 acres along the Kissimmee River. On New Year’s Eve, the resort hosts its Country Countdown New Year’s Eve Celebration. Expect guided and open line dancing, a live country DJ dance party, midnight fireworks, themed food, and signature drinks.
The resort is considered to be one of the last untouched pieces of Florida wilderness. Horseback riding, a petting farm, airboat rides and more put guests in the great outdoors.
Accommodations run from luxury glamping in Conestoga wagons, teepees and luxury tents to platform tents and primitive campsites. There are also RV sites with partial hookups, alongside the resort’s suites. Westgate publishes the full range.
Las Vegas
In Las Vegas, the experience is less about an on-property countdown and more about having a convenient home base near the action. Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino does not promote a ticketed New Year’s Eve party of its own. That said, guests have access to suites, Edge Steakhouse and Fresco Italiano. The SuperBook is on site, and the monorail runs to the Strip.
For owners hoping to spend the holiday there, reserving early is one of the most important steps you can take.
Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino keeps its own entertainment calendar. Barry Manilow’s residency continues at the International Theater, and Soul of Motown runs there too. Of course, there is a casino on-site, plus a pool and cabanas. The resort also has its own Las Vegas Monorail station for getting to the Strip.
Westgate Flamingo Bay Resort
Within minutes of the excitement near the Las Vegas Strip, a free area shuttle can whisk you away to any of your events for NYE. All the comforts of a fully-furnished home including private bedrooms, fully-equipped kitchens and amazing amenities will make for a perfect trip.
Reserving a Westgate Holiday Week
Westgate’s own marketing materials recommend booking holiday stays up to 11 months in advance. Your actual reservation rights and booking window, however, are determined by your ownership contract.
Starting early can improve your chances of getting the resort, unit type, and travel dates you prefer.
Reservation rules vary by ownership and home resort. At participating properties, owners generally receive priority when reserving at their Home Resort. The rest of the booking process depends on the terms of your contract.
Maybe your home resort isn’t where you want to spend the holidays. You may be able to exchange into another Westgate property for $99. That opens access to 24 resorts within the system. That flexibility can make it possible to spend New Year’s somewhere completely different from where you originally purchased.
Owners with float-season weeks may have additional options. A single week can be divided into shorter stays. You might take a three-night trip and then a four-night stay. So you can fit multiple getaways into your schedule.
You may also be able to borrow a week from a future year without paying a borrowing fee, although maintenance fees and taxes still apply.
Can’t use the week yourself? Owners can send a guest at no additional cost, provided the guest is at least 18 years old.
If you’re using an outside exchange company such as Interval International, keep an eye on the timing. Deposits must be made at least 60 days before the usage week.
Buying and Selling a Westgate Week on the Resale Market
Buying a Westgate holiday week on the resale market gives you another route to ownership without purchasing directly from the developer.
Through Timeshares Only, you can search for a particular Westgate resort, unit size, season, or week. From there, compare available postings and decide which ownership best fits your plans.
If you’re selling, the process begins with gathering your ownership details: the resort or vacation club, week number, point allotment, and unit number. Those details form the basis of the posting buyers see in the marketplace.
From there, the ownership is advertised through the Timeshares Only marketplace and a network of partnered brokerages. So it reaches people actively looking for a Westgate timeshare. That includes buyers hoping to spend New Year’s at one of the destinations above.
When offers come in, you decide which one, if any, to accept. There is no requirement to take the first offer, so you stay in control until you move forward.
Once an offer is accepted, Timeshares Only recommends Fidelity Real Estate to prepare the closing documents and complete the transfer out of your name.
Maybe you own a Westgate week you no longer use. The timeshare selling page explains how to gather your ownership information. From there, you begin marketing the week to buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Discover Your Next New Years Getaway
Westgate New Year’s Eve looks different at every property. Orlando brings fireworks. River Ranch brings line dancing. Las Vegas puts the Strip a monorail ride away. Whichever fits your plans, the week is easier to get when you start early and know what your contract allows. So check your ownership terms. When you’re ready to plan the next one, browse Westgate timeshares for sale or rent.
