4th of July Trip - Are We Crazy?

[NMK62303]

I would second a pp about seeing the MK fireworks on the 3rd, and then I would recommend going to Epcot for the 4th, they do the regular Illuminations show but then a special patriotic ending that is AWESOME! If you do decide to go to Epcot on the 4th, be prepared to stake out a good spot early. I started saving our spot by 7:30 for a 10:00 Illuminations show, and then we all just took turns saving the spot, hanging out, shopping, people watching, etc. we have been there the last three July4th weeks. We usually just get counter service supper and eat while saving our spot. We actually met a lady in 2011 who sat next to us during the pre-Illuminations wait who befriended our special needs son and now is a great family friend whom we visit every trip!!
We also love the Beach Club during July, can't say enough good things about the pool and the relaxing times we have he there over the years.
Just FYI we got to MK by 1pm and had no issues with getting in, stayed until closing. For the 4th we entered Epcot about 6 or so. It is awesome to be able to walk right into the back entrance from the Beach Club.
We love that time of year, strongly suggest a mid-day break from the heat and enjoying the parks at night, have some ponchos for those summer pop up showers, and drink plenty of fluids! Crowds are quite manageable.
Enjoy planning your trip!

 

[MulanMom]

We've done 4th of July a few times and will be there for 2013! As our children have gotten older, the times we can go to WDW have become more limited. Our first trip, we watched the 4th MK fireworks on the 3rd from the Poly beach, then were in Epcot on the 4th. We actually were more impressed with MK's fireworks. Last time we went in 2011, we again watched the MK fireworks on the 3rd from the Poly beach, then spent the entire 4th at our resort, capping the evening at Jiko. I really don't recall the crowds being super bad, especially the rest of the week. We did some rope drops, but we got lazy our last trip and slept in, hung out at the pool in the afternoon, then went into the parks late afternoon until close. With a young one, you obviously can't do that, but I think if you do the tried and true rope drop till late morning, back to the resort for a midday break, then back to a park for evening, it will be workable.

An advantage that we like when it's crowded is that the parks have great hours, they are geared to run at full capacity and it spreads the crowds out.

Good luck with your decision. IMHO, I think you should try it for yourself once. Our mid to late August trips, for some reason, seemed to be a lot more humid and wetter!

 

[JennLynn]

We were in the parks the 4th of July week last year and had such a great time that we are booked again this year. The biggest advice, have a plan and look at the recommended parks for each day. Last year the crowd calendars were online before the 180 ADR date so were able to plan properly. We found going back to the resort at lunch took too much time so we just made sure we had a reservation at lunch in an air conditioned restaurant and it worked perfectly.

With a good plan and use of fast passes, even on 4th we had no waits over 25 minutes. Yes it's busy but it is completely doable. We didn't even have waits for buses.

We wanted to see the fireworks on the 4th at MK but didn't want to deal with the crowds so we had dinner at O'hana and watched from the beach.

I personally think the week of the 4th is an amazing time to be in the parks!

 

[bcrook]

We were there for over a week including the 4th! We had a great time. It is always hot in the summer so that isn't a big deal. I agree with a PP, I like it in summer when it is crowded and the parks are running at full speed and LATE hours.

Epcot fireworks on the 4th were worth any other hassles. I stayed at Boardwalk though, so it was nice to go back to the pool in the middle of the day for a little break.

I know MK is crazy crowded, Epcot was reasonably crowded (but not as bad as a Saturday in October during Food and Wine!!!). I wonder how DHS and DAK are on that day. I would imagine much less crowded. DAK doesn't have fireworks, so maybe it is empty?

Go for Independence Day! Celebrate with thousands of others. The American Pavilion even more special that day. It's always fun at WDW.

 

[hawkeyesparks]

We have done the 4th, one time and that was enough. I dont regret the experience but i would never do it again. It was crowded to a degree that I was could not have believed if i hadn't seen it myself. We did not have kids then and I would not eant to go to mk with them on that day.

We have several times though showed up on the 5th and the crowds were fine

 

[bcrook]

We have done the 4th, one time and that was enough. I dont regret the experience but i would never do it again. It was crowded to a degree that I was could not have believed if i hadn't seen it myself. We did not have kids then and I would not eant to go to mk with them on that day.

We have several times though showed up on the 5th and the crowds were fine

Try a different park on that day. DHS has a big fireworks show too!

 

[Mike2023]

I have to say being at Disney the last two July 4th weeks, I have to disagree with others saying it is EXTREMELY busy or crazy.

My family loves going during this week.

You WILL need to plan however. I am a big planner so that helps a lot.

You will need to have your ADRs in line and park plans as well.

I would suggest a few things:

- take afternoon breaks if you can (going to the pool or taking that baby home to cool off will be a life saver)
- take with you a couple of frogg chilly pads (they keep you cool all day long if needed)
- freeze some water and allow to melt as the day goes for drinking (if this is not an option then just simply ask for cold water during the day at the park.. its free)
- do MK on July 3rd and HS or EP on July 4th. (MK WILL be crazy as others have suggested on the 4th, so simply take in the fireworks on the 3rd instead)
- don't take anything with you into the parks that is not necessary (its a lot more comfortable in the summer when you don't have to carry a big backpack. Or simply make sure the stroller you take has a place to put your bag when walking around)
- PLAN PLAN PLAN (sorry but during the summer and yes this particular week you need to know what park you want to go each day and a good overall plan of attack)
- read easywdw and touring plans to schedule your park days (both of these places are great to look at when trying to figure out what park for each day and tourning plans even has an app to help schedule the rides for the day)
- MOST IMPORTANT HAVE FUN AND BE CAREFREE! (look people are going to be cranky and hot and some are just miserable, but if you plan correctly and take afternoon breaks to cool off the 4th of July is ausome. You just need to understand that other cranky people are not going to bother you)

Don't simply throw July 4th out because it is busy. The entire summer is busy unless you go the last week or two in August. Its hot all summer long and you will miss out on some fantastic fireworks and park events if you skip this week.

Take it from someone that enjoys going this time of the year and you'll have a great time. Just plan ahead of time.


edit: if you can stay at the monorail resorts or the Epcot resorts this will be a major plus for afternoon breaks

I agree with this post.

Our family was down for the week this year and we had a blast. Yes, you need to manage your expectations and plan ahead but there are some great benefits from going down this time of year.

1. EMH at MK where the park is open till 3am. (might be 2am with new EMH rules in 2013). This was great, being in the park this late is an experience and it really does die down.

2. The 4th of july fireworks are the best I have ever seen. Go to MK on the 3rd to get there fireworks then epcot on the 4th if you must. We went to DTD for the day as I was not going to step into a park. We where lucky enough to have a room facing epcot at BCV and watched the fireworks from our balcony. AMAZING

Tips,

Be at the parks for rope drop and get as much done in the first 3 hours of the park being open. We would leave the parks around 1pm or 2pm and spend the afternoon at the hotel pool, or exploring other resorts. Then head back to the parks after dinner.

Rent a car. The bus system is understandably crowded when the parks are busy. If your resort is an epcot or MK resort you might be able to due without.

Drink lots of water. Get a hydroflask and fill it with as much ice as you can in the morning with water. We would refill it multiple times a day and still have ice left by the end of our outings.

TAKE IT EASY. Just relaxe, grab a dole whip and watch the other people freak out at how busy it is.

Really, Disney at it worst is better then anywhere else. Just being there makes our family happy.

 

[photo_chick]

So...My wife decided she wants to treat her parents to a Disney trip for their 40th Wedding Anniversary. Being a Disney lover myself, I am all about it.

The initial plan was to go summer 2011, but my wife got pregnant (with our first!) and we decided to postpone until 2013.

Both my wife and my mother-in-law are teachers, so our travel dates are limited to holidays (where they would still have to take time off from work which they would rather not do) or summertime.

We tentatively scheduled for the week after Easter (I know the crowds are pretty brutal at that time, but figured the weather would be beautiful), but something came up and we had to nix that.

We then decided on the last week of June, right when they are done school for the summer. However, we live in the NE (my wife and I in Philadelphia and my in-laws Long Island) and hurricane Sandy has already added an entire week onto their school years! So, that was the end of that plan.

We figured we wouldn't even touch 4th of July week and do the second week of July instead. I was literally about to book the trip, when it was brought to my attention that my cousin's wedding is the second Saturday of July (they never sent Save the Dates)!

So, we are now looking at the week of 4th of July.

From my research, I have found that during this week the parks are EXTREMELY crowded, hotel and airfare is EXTREMELY expensive and it is EXTREMELY hot!

Is it really that much worse than other weeks in the summer??? The way I look at it is that Florida in the summertime is hot. Period. Whether it is 85 (June) degrees or 95 degrees (July) it is hot. Also, Disney is expensive regardless of when you go. Are prices that much more inflated during 4th of July? The crowds is my biggest concern...

We were there for 4th of July 2011. It was awesome. Yes, it's crowded but in my experience I've found Disney knows how to handle crowds well. The only time it was unbearably crowded was during the fireworks at Hollywood Studios (we did MK for fireworks on the 3rd, HS on the 4th). We worked the fast passes so we didn't have to wait in long lines for headliners and used the Lines app to find short lines for whatever was near us. I have a kiddo with ADHD and Aspergers so we can't do lines more than maybe 20 minutes with him. We stuck to that and were able to ride everything we wanted. The heat didn't bother us, but we're from Texas so those 95 degree temps were almost like springtime for us. Just stop for breaks and drink lots of water.

It wasn't so much that prices were higher on this trip, it was more that there were no discounts available to us when we went. It's hard to compare costs to our previous trips since we stayed longer but it was more overall.

 

[bcrook]

We were there for 4th of July 2011. It was awesome. Yes, it's crowded but in my experience I've found Disney knows how to handle crowds well. The only time it was unbearably crowded was during the fireworks at Hollywood Studios (we did MK for fireworks on the 3rd, HS on the 4th). We worked the fast passes so we didn't have to wait in long lines for headliners and used the Lines app to find short lines for whatever was near us. I have a kiddo with ADHD and Aspergers so we can't do lines more than maybe 20 minutes with him. We stuck to that and were able to ride everything we wanted. The heat didn't bother us, but we're from Texas so those 95 degree temps were almost like springtime for us. Just stop for breaks and drink lots of water.

It wasn't so much that prices were higher on this trip, it was more that there were no discounts available to us when we went. It's hard to compare costs to our previous trips since we stayed longer but it was more overall.

That answers my question!

 

[juliebug1997]

We did two straight July 4th weekends, 2010 and 2011. We were much smarter in 2011, because we went to Typhoon Lagoon and had a blast. We went to Garden Grill for dinner at Epcot that night and it was perfect.

Many people would say that you can see the July 4th fireworks at MK on the 3rd as well and encourage you to go then. I would say to watch them from one of the beaches because you can't pay me enough to be in MK for their July 4th fireworks ever again. It was a nightmare and people in ECVs yelling "Fire" to get others out of their way, etc.

We have found that, after the 4th, things seem to normalize out and it's not completely out of hand. We go early, go back to our room to cool off and then get back out when it's dinner time. Very doable!!!! If you are on the dining plan that has snack credits you can use the snack credits for cold water.

 

[Kevin1281]

The first bunch of posts pretty much convinced me that I need to see if it is possible to reschedule for later in the summer (right before my wife goes back to school/work). The more recent posts now have me thinking it may not be too bad.

When is it that schools down south normally start up again???

 

[Kevin1281]

When is it that schools down south normally start up again???

^^^After the summer that is.

 

[kaybird]

I have to say being at Disney the last two July 4th weeks, I have to disagree with others saying it is EXTREMELY busy or crazy.

My family loves going during this week.

You WILL need to plan however. I am a big planner so that helps a lot.

You will need to have your ADRs in line and park plans as well.

I would suggest a few things:

- take afternoon breaks if you can (going to the pool or taking that baby home to cool off will be a life saver)
- take with you a couple of frogg chilly pads (they keep you cool all day long if needed)
- freeze some water and allow to melt as the day goes for drinking (if this is not an option then just simply ask for cold water during the day at the park.. its free)
- do MK on July 3rd and HS or EP on July 4th. (MK WILL be crazy as others have suggested on the 4th, so simply take in the fireworks on the 3rd instead)
- don't take anything with you into the parks that is not necessary (its a lot more comfortable in the summer when you don't have to carry a big backpack. Or simply make sure the stroller you take has a place to put your bag when walking around)
- PLAN PLAN PLAN (sorry but during the summer and yes this particular week you need to know what park you want to go each day and a good overall plan of attack)
- read easywdw and touring plans to schedule your park days (both of these places are great to look at when trying to figure out what park for each day and tourning plans even has an app to help schedule the rides for the day)
- MOST IMPORTANT HAVE FUN AND BE CAREFREE! (look people are going to be cranky and hot and some are just miserable, but if you plan correctly and take afternoon breaks to cool off the 4th of July is ausome. You just need to understand that other cranky people are not going to bother you)

Don't simply throw July 4th out because it is busy. The entire summer is busy unless you go the last week or two in August. Its hot all summer long and you will miss out on some fantastic fireworks and park events if you skip this week.

Take it from someone that enjoys going this time of the year and you'll have a great time. Just plan ahead of time.


edit: if you can stay at the monorail resorts or the Epcot resorts this will be a major plus for afternoon breaks

I agree with this!! We have gone July 4th many many time's (Including our first trip for our honeymoon) It is hot, and crowded and I LOVE IT!!! Even better than Christmas I think! Tour the Campgrounds on July 4th, lots of decorations and the golf carts are decked up for a parade. We love to stay at the CR for the 4th. Watch the MK fireworks from the balcony, then hotfoot it to the monorail and see the show at EPCOT. Because it is busy, there is LOTS of entertainment. Take it easy in the heat, and you will have a terrific time!

 

[blessedby3]

^^^After the summer that is.

We are in SW Virginia and we start back up around Aug 25th.
How long does your wife get for Christmas break? If it goes a couple of weeks into Jan, maybe that would be a good time to go. I feel bad for folks who have no option of times to go because (besides summer) they are teachers.
Good luck to you whatever you decide to go with

 

[North of Mouse]

We avoid going to WDW at that time like the plague because of all the things you mentioned, but obviously a lot of people do go, so just so you know what to expect - it will be crazy crowded and *very* hot - the mixture would drive us wild. Good luck!

 

[Allieran3]

Sorry wrong post

 

[kaligal]

July is extremely hot and unbelievably humid. For some older people, it is literally unbearably humid and they are taken away in ambulances.

July is a really terrible time for older people to go. Seriously.

This continues through August and part of October. At some point in October, the humidity breaks and all is well. Every when it is hot, it is okay.

I'd advise leaving for Orlando the day they are done with work. Seriously. I'd leave that afternoon.

Later in the summer will suck.

 

[Kevin1281]

We are in SW Virginia and we start back up around Aug 25th.
How long does your wife get for Christmas break? If it goes a couple of weeks into Jan, maybe that would be a good time to go. I feel bad for folks who have no option of times to go because (besides summer) they are teachers.
Good luck to you whatever you decide to go with

Unfortunately, she doesn't get long enough for Christmas break. This, plus we have her birthday 1/1 and my son's first birthday 1/8.

 

[Kevin1281]

I'd advise leaving for Orlando the day they are done with work. Seriously. I'd leave that afternoon.

Later in the summer will suck.

This was our plan, but Hurricane Sandy added a week onto the school year, and then a good buddy of mine gets married the following Saturday. Not doable. Then, it is 4th of July week!

 

[FOV]

Kevin, we'll see you there! I think good planning will make a difference.