I paid $2,500 to spend New Year's Eve at Applebee's and it was worth every penny

• Evan Lund bought three tickets to spend New Year's Eve at the Applebee's near Times Square.
• This was his second time attending with his wife and the foreign exchange student they hosted.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Evan Lund, a 36-year-old IT security manager from Loveland, Colorado, about paying thousands to ring in the New Year at Applebee's in Times Square. It's been edited for length and clarity.

My wife Julie and I have partied in Vegas, ventured off to a friend's winery in Iowa, and on occasion hunkered down on our couch in front of the TV at home in Colorado, but there's nothing quite like a New Year's Eve in Times Square.

At the same time, standing out in the cold, fighting a crowd for hours, and wearing an adult diaper is not my idea of a celebration, so I decided to research a more comfortable alternative. I started researching, at the end of 2022, when a high school exchange student from Uzbekistan, whom we hosted for eight months, said her dream was to visit New York for New Year's Eve.

A Google search led me to Balldrop.com, a website that features a variety of ticketed New Year's Eve events in New York City. I soon learned most of the parties only accommodated guests 21 and older. Since the exchange student who we were hosting was only 18 years old we needed to find a party catering to all ages.

It soon became clear the best choice for us was Applebee's. All of this, of course, came at a price. Our three tickets, which were the least expensive option, cost $699 a piece. After taxes and service charges the total came to just over $2,500.

In 2022, I spent New Year's Eve at Applebee's

Many of the other New Year's Eve festivities, despite their high ticket prices, only offered a televised streaming of the ball drop or a view from a window or terrace.

We figured if we were making the trip to New York City, specifically for this reason, we should do whatever we could to get as close to the action as possible. Applebee's was not only family-friendly and open to all ages but, barring any unforeseen security issues, all ticket holders were escorted to the street and granted access to a dedicated area behind barricades for a live view of the ball drop.

We bought the cheapest seats, but they were the best

For that price, we each had a window-facing high-top counter seat in the bar area of the Applebee's on 50th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue, a few blocks away from the ball drop on West 43rd Street.

Although they were the cheapest seats in the house, I think they were the best because the views of Times Square provided us with plenty of great people-watching.

Higher-priced tickets came with seats at an actual table but the best bang for our buck were the bar stools. We got guaranteed seating and all-inclusive access to everything that everyone else got for less money.

The food was more high-end than I expected

Normally, I'm not an Applebee's guy, but I'll go there on occasion. I mostly go if I'm traveling on business and need to grab a quick bite, but on New Year's Eve they take everything to the next level. The food isn't your typical Applebee's fare. It's much more high-end than I ever expected.

There are passed hors d'oeuvres including items like avocado and shrimp ceviche and chicken wontons, a full buffet including steak and salmon, and an assortment of desserts. There's also a premium top-shelf open bar for guests 21 and older and different types of specialty cocktails as well as a Champagne toast.

The best part is that twenty minutes before midnight all 400 Applebee's guests are personally escorted outside to a designated area to watch the ball drop. There's no waiting in the cold for hours or fighting to get a good spot. We literally just have to walk outside and head to the corner for a clear, unobstructed view of the ball. You can't beat that.

We used hotel points and airline miles to cover our New Year's Eve trip

After the ball drop, the party is over and since our hotel, the Marriott Marquis, was only a few blocks away, we were back in our hotel room within fifteen minutes.

We redeemed Marriott points for our stay otherwise it would've cost us somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,200 a night. We also used airline miles to cover our flights, which would normally run us about $600 each. Our only hard costs were the Applebee's tickets which are worth every penny.

I went to Applebee's for New Years Eve again, in 2023

Our most recent exchange student, a 17-year- old high school student from Poland, said she'd also love to visit New York for New Year's Eve. We had such an awesome time bringing in last year that I went online and booked the same seats at Applebee's for the same price to bring in 2024. Last year, I ordered the tickets by phone but this year I did it online so I actually saved some money and paid $2,264 for our three tickets.

This year's party did not disappoint, in fact, I'd say it was even better this time around. In addition to everything they offered last year including a live DJ and standard giveaways like hats, tiaras, and noisemakers, the servers were way more interactive with the guests. They chatted and danced throughout the night, which really elevated the party atmosphere.

The Applebee's also had dancing robots, which were fun to watch. Plus instead of being in a barricaded area outside like last time, we were allowed to stand directly in the middle of the intersection on 50th Street and Broadway — the street was blocked off to traffic. It was amazing.

If you're going to do New Year's Eve in Times Square, I think this is the way to go

I had a Tito's and Sprite in my hand and my wife of 11 years alongside me. We're giving these exchange students the experience of a lifetime, and then right before the clock strikes 12, boom! We waltz out into the street and take in all the festivities without any hassle.

I'm already counting down the days until next year.