Chicken Guy NYE Ball Drop Review: Read This Before Buying

For many visitors, watching the Times Square Ball Drop is the ultimate New Year’s Eve experience in New York City.

But there is a problem.

The free option can be brutal.

You can arrive around 1 PM, stand outside in the December cold for hours, remain behind barricades, carry your own snacks, and essentially give up your position if you need to leave in between (even for a quick toilet break, that’s the reason people wear diapers to the event).

People want an easier option, a more comfortable premium experience.

That is where BallDrop.com comes in.

One of its New Year’s Eve events for 2027 is at Chicken Guy Times Square, where tickets are advertised starting at $549 per person.

For that price, you get food, an open bar, indoor seating and, most importantly, a “Guaranteed View of the Live Ball Drop.”

Sounds pretty good.

Until you read the fine print.

Do not book the event until you read this article and the terms on their website carefully.

We went through every word of the listing and also contacted Balldrop.com for clarifications.

Here are the things we think you absolutely need to know before spending your money.

1. The “guaranteed” Ball Drop view has a very big catch

The listing says:

“Guaranteed View of the Live Ball Drop from the Sidewalk in Front of Chicken Guy Times Square”

That sounds pretty clear.

But underneath it, the purchase terms say:

“Access to the street and the live view of the ball drop is subject to security conditions on the evening of the event.”

“No refund or credit will be provided if the view is unavailable.”

So let’s put this in simple terms.

You are being sold a “Guaranteed View”

But:

Access to the viewing location is subject to security conditions.
The viewing location is the sidewalk outside the venue.
If access isn’t available, you don’t get a refund.

2. The $649 ticket can cost substantially more

Let us do the math for a family of 3.

The advertised ticket price was: $649 per person

Three tickets should be: $1,947

The displayed order on checkout showed:

Ticket subtotal: $2,141.70 ($64.90 per person added as administrative fee)
Fees: $281.43
Digital ticket delivery: $5.95
Final total: $2,429.08

That’s $809.69 per person.

The $649 price turned into more than $800 per person at checkout.

For three people, that’s $482.08 more than the basic $1,947 ticket price.

Pretty substantial, no?

Another thing that is very easy to miss – the administrative fee of $64.90 is per person.

When we contacted Balldrop.com to enquire about the “Fees”, they said those were not taxes but included “ticketing fee, credit card processing fee and payment processing fee”

3. The Ball Drop view is outside

The package includes:

Reserved indoor seating
A private table

But the Ball Drop view is described as being from the sidewalk in front of Chicken Guy.

You will have to leave the venue at around 11:30PM (or the time they tell you) and walk outside in the cold. It is worth considering if you have children.

So don’t read “indoor seating” and assume you will be sitting indoors and watching the Ball Drop.

4. What happens if security doesn’t allow access?

This is the part we find particularly concerning.

The terms say:

“No refund or credit will be provided if the view is unavailable.”

Think about it.

You could:

Book months in advance.
Pay hundreds of dollars per person.
Travel all the way to NYC.
Attend the event.
Enjoy the indoor venue.
Have your food and drinks.
Then discover that you cannot access the sidewalk for the Ball Drop.

And according to the terms displayed with the ticket: No refund.

A pretty significant risk for something being marketed as a “guaranteed view”.

5. The refund policy

BallDrop.com’s refund policy says “All sales are final.”

It also says:

“No refunds will be issued under any circumstance unless an event is canceled or rescheduled.”

So if your plans change for any reason, there is nothing you can do. Not even if you want to cancel weeks or months in advance.

We strongly recommend reading this policy before purchasing, particularly if you’re booking months ahead.

The refund terms are mentioned on their FAQ page.

The red flags we found

Before buying, we’d keep these points in mind:

$649 advertised price per person.
Total price for 3 came to $2,429.08 ($809.69 per person).
Significant additional fees are added.
The event advertises a “Guaranteed View” of the Ball Drop.
That view is from the sidewalk, not indoors.
Sidewalk access is subject to security conditions.
No refund if the Ball Drop view is unavailable.
All sales are final. Changes to your plans don’t qualify for a refund.
Also worth considering – the event is marketed as family-friendly but is also described as a nightlife event.

So, would we book it?

Here’s what we think.

Getting to watch the ball drop without standing within barricades for 10 hours is not cheap. Private rooms with views of the Balldrop can cost thousands of dollars at hotels like Marriott Marquis, M Social, Tempo By Hilton.

We’re not saying $800 is too much for a New Year’s Eve experience in Times Square.

There are people who happily pay a premium.

The problem here is the combination of the price and the terms – which we think aren’t very fair from a consumer point of view.

When you’re potentially spending more than $800 per person to watch the most famous ball in the world fall 130 feet, that little “terms and conditions” asterisk can become a very expensive one and ruin the first hours of a New Year.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Venue & comfort

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Food & drinks

⭐⭐ Ball Drop certainty

⭐⭐ Value

⭐ Price transparency

⭐ Refund flexibility

Overall: ⭐⭐

We would not risk our money on this event.