New Year's access restrictions on the Palm Dubai: Atlantis answers your questions

As confusion mounts with the access restrictions to The Palm Jumeirah on December 31, organisers of the biggest New Year’s Eve party on the beach have clarified the entry process to Sandance, in a bid to ensure a streamlined approach for attendees on the night.
 
As the emirate attempts to create history once again, organisers of the Dubai World Record 2014 have confirmed that only residents, guests and people with special passes will be allowed on the manmade island at certain hours, with access on The Palm closed to everyone post 10.30pm, citing safety reasons.
 
Dubai will be attempting to break The Guinness World Record for the ‘World’s Largest Fireworks Display’ on December 31, with a six-minute display choreographed across the whole of The Palm Jumeirah and The World Islands.
 
However, several revellers who hold tickets to the massive party on Nasimi Beach, are not amused with the restrictions being imposed, which includes a no-car access to private vehicles unless you meet a certain criteria.
 
Several others have raised questions on the registration process itself, along with the transportation modules available to shuttle them to the venue.
 
Emirates 24|7 spoke to Dima Ayad, Vice President of Marketing, F&B and Entertainment, Atlantis, The Palm, to answer all queries raised for the NYE gig.
 
With the new access restrictions in place to enter The Palm Jumeirah, how does this affect Sandance ticket holders?
 
The setup will be similar to one people are used to at the regular Sandance registration points at Nasimi Beach.
 
However, the entire process will be shifted to the American University of Dubai, with the Roads and Transport Authority scheduling special shuttle buses to ferry people to the venue, from 5pm onwards.
 
Can tickets and wristbands be collected in advance to avoid chaos on the day?
 
We are encouraging all those who have purchased their tickets online with Virgin, Timeout to call those entities up and arrange to have them collected in advance.
 
Similarly, if you have purchased online with the Atlantis The Palm site, you can head down to the festive centre and collect your tickets.
 
However, wristbands will only be issued on the day itself in exchange of the ticket, how it always works at any Sandance.
 
Does the same rule apply for those holding table reservations?
 
They can start coming from noon to collect their wristbands. Buses will commence from 5pm.
 
Will any wristbands be issued at the main event itself on the night?
 
No. People have to come to AUD as the whole registration operation will be moved there.
 
How early can people come on December 31 to start the process?
 
They can come as early as 12pm on the day itself to get the registration process completed. However, the RTA buses will only start shuttling people from 5pm, possibly a little earlier.
 
What is the frequency of the buses shuttling people? Will there be enough?
 
We have ensured there will be enough buses on hand to shuttle people, with the frequency determined on how fast it fills up. If the bus is full, it will leave immediately.
 
We also have a specific dedicated Sandance bus lane that will ensure people get to the venue as fast as possible, without the traffic jams that have been witnessed at previous major events.
 
What about Palm residents themselves who are attending Sandance? Will they also have to shuttle back and forth?
 
Unfortunately, yes. We have attempted to come up with the best solution to ensure that the masses get to the party with the least amount of hassle.
 
As the authorities have imposed restrictions, the only way to get your wristband will be from the AUD.
 
Can people travel by taxis or private cars to the venue once the wristbands are collected?
 
Due to the entry pass permits, only RTA appointed bus functioning with us will be heading to Sandance. Taxis may be deployed by those attending the gala dinner but won’t be allowed near the venue without the entry permit.
 
You must travel by the bus. Meanwhile, private cars without entry permits past certain areas won’t be allowed.
 
At what time will the last bus leave?
 
The last shuttle bus will leave at 9pm, which is the shut off time for the AUD operations. We are forced to do this as ferrying on The Palm will close by 10.30pm.
 
Are refunds being issued to those who don’t want to be part of the restrictions that have been imposed?
 
Unfortunately, no refunds will be handed out, as per our policy, unless an event is cancelled.
 
Residents who will be attending Sandance will be privy to a historical night for Dubai, as the city attempts to smash a Guiness World Record.
 
We urge those attending Sandance to make the most of the free transport we are providing to the venue; frankly, all major global events around the world follow a similar set up for safety reasons. We are doing the same.
 
Details on the access restrictions on The Palm on December 31…
 
Residents can use their passes to bring in their guests, providing they follow the permitted access timetable.
 
From 8am to 9pm, access is limited to event pass holders in their personal vehicles and passengers in taxis holding such permits.
 
From 9pm to 10.30pm, access to passengers in taxis holding event pass only.
 
Between 10.30pm and 1am access will be stopped for the purpose of safety and security. However, provisions will be made only for emergency situations.
 
The roads will reopen at 1am to pass holders, taxis and shuttle buses only.
 
All restrictions will be lifted from 6am on January 1.
 
As parking space on the Fronds is limited, residents are advised to limit the number of guest vehicles to a maximum of five vehicles per villa.  Each vehicle will have a car pass.
 
Walking around The Palm Jumeirah will be restricted from 10.30pm onwards to ensure the safety of residents and visitors during the show.
 

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