AK used to be the quietest park on NYE (relatively speaking), but that was before Pandora opened this year.
Historically, AK closed on
8:30 in 2016
10:00 in 2015
10:00 in 2014
8:00 in 2013
Because of the early closing times, there was no celebration to ring in the New year at that park. Therefore, most people didn't go there, instead, opting to go to Epcot or MK, and, to a lesser extent, HS.
Now with Pandora open, it's been drawing more people into AK, and the hours have been extended to reflect that. Even with the summer extended hours where only Pandora was open, the crowds have been much higher this year than in years past.
What does this mean for NYE? We're not sure, yet. Right now, I have very little faith in the park hours for anything past October. On NYE, AK currently posts a closing time for 9:00, but will that go later? Probably.
As for Christmas activities, the decorations will still be up, but virtually all of the Christmas specific activities for all parks end on the 30th.