Calling all 4th of July Fireworks experts....

[momsgoofy]

Okay, I'm heading to WDW July 4-10 with Dsis and Dniece staying at YC. My Dsis is adamant about seeing the fireworks, which to be honest I can't wait to do either, but I know it's gonna be nuts. I know there are going to be fireworks at MK @ 9pm, Studios @ 9pm, special time for Illuminations @ 10pm which makes me think there will be fireworks at Epcot as well. If memory serves me right, there should also be fireworks at Downtown Disney as well.

So 4th of July Fireworks experts...

Where do they shoot off the fireworks at in the Studios?
What is the best place to see them?

Do they have fireworks at Epcot? If so, where do they shoot them off?
What is the best place to see them?

Do they have fireworks at Downtown Disney? If so, where do they shoot them off?
What is the best place to see them?

Feasibly, I wonder if we could (depending upon our room assignment naturally) see any from YC...just wondering.

Okay, thanks so much for the info! I know the DIS folks should have some answers!!!

 

[gatorfreud]

Well I do not have too much experience, but...

We planned to do MK for fireworks, but we had to leave for a midday break with the kids, and the crowds coming in around noon scared me! So we went to DHS instead....

We watched from in the middle of the main street, looking toward the hat. There were enough fireworks for my little ones to enjoy, but honestly, it was a pretty lame display I thought. So if you are really wanting to see some awesome fireworks, DHS is NOT the place (at least in 2006 it wasn't).

 

[Pirate at Heart]

I am interested in this as well. We will be at the BC July 3-5 then the Poly 5-8 My plan is to spend the 3rd (my birthday!) at MK and the 4th at Epcot. Any fireworks information would be great.

 

[CanadianGuy]

At the Magic Kingdom - on both July 3 and 4th.. Fantasy in the Sky replaces Wishes on those two nights only.

There is usually a slightly extended version of Illuminations on both nights.

Exact times for these fireworks shows is currently posted on the July Park Hours & Fireworks/Parades Info page here on the DIS

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/july08.cfm?requesttimeout=1000

A special fireworks is usually announced for DHS for the fourth as well. That's usually announced closer to the actual date.

There are no fireworks at DTD or AK that I'm aware of ...



Hope this helps,

Knox

 

[valenrandy]

Last year as we left epcot after the 4th of july fireworks there was a huge display of fireworks looking out east from the parking lot. Did anyone else see those? Were those at DTD?

 

[AmyBWV99]

Epcot's the place to be on the 4th. Great display.

 

[valenrandy]

For the brave at heart!

Is it posible to see the mk 4th from the TTC ferry boat dock and once its over to quickly jump on monorail to epcot and watch epcots 4th from the big fountains?


I figured from the fountains because we were up on the gaurdrail last year and most of the show was up above us. Like this we wonk strain our neck!

 

[WDSearcher]

For the brave at heart!

Is it posible to see the mk 4th from the TTC ferry boat dock and once its over to quickly jump on monorail to epcot and watch epcots 4th from the big fountains?


I figured from the fountains because we were up on the gaurdrail last year and most of the show was up above us. Like this we wonk strain our neck!

Probably not. Everything -- monorails, ferry boats, parking lots, etc -- will be shoulder-to-shoulder PACKED on J4. You're likely to get stuck on a monorail or not even make it onto the monorail by the time IllumiNations starts at Epcot. And, if it's like past years, they may not even let you in the gates that late at Epcot. Epcot is the one park that is more likely to close at the END of the night rather than earlier in the day.

 

[ckotcamp]

Um...EPCOT just does the normal Illuminations deal on 4th of July. We went there last year and it was same old same old. DHS has the special 4th of July fireworks, and MK has something different than usual too, but EPCOT is still just normal. DTD didn't have any fireworks that I knew of.

 

[WDSearcher]

Um...EPCOT just does the normal Illuminations deal on 4th of July. We went there last year and it was same old same old. DHS has the special 4th of July fireworks, and MK has something different than usual too, but EPCOT is still just normal. DTD didn't have any fireworks that I knew of.

Epcot is not just "normal" fireworks on J4. After the show is over, there is a special barge that is filled with fireworks. They fire that afterwards. I've seen it a half-dozen times over the past several years.

 

[safetymom]

Epcot is the place to go for 4th of July fireworks. They do Illuminations and they have another show afterwards. It is awesome!!!

 

[Lucky82061]

For the brave at heart!

Is it posible to see the mk 4th from the TTC ferry boat dock and once its over to quickly jump on monorail to epcot and watch epcots 4th from the big fountains?


I figured from the fountains because we were up on the gaurdrail last year and most of the show was up above us. Like this we wonk strain our neck!

I highly doubt this... just too many people to really think about park hopping on this night.

The MK Fireworks are very nice, and if you stand on main street and watch you are completely surrounded by them. They fire them off from behind the castle, behind the main gate, and certain points to the left and the right.. I always loved these and it is completely different from the normal wishes show. However, MK gets packed.. and I mean packed on the 4th. We were there last year and you couldn't move around main street when it came time for the fireworks. Also, since the fireworks are shot off from multiple locations, the ferry and the monorail stops running around fireworks time. Also, there is usually a spectromagic showing shortly after the end of the fireworks so you have to contend with people staking out their spots for that and the traffic that causes on the way out of the parks.

Epcot's fireworks are the exact same show except for an additional part at the end of the main illuminations show. So if you've seen illuminations, you will know exactly where to watch these from.

I have only seen the fireworks at DHS once and I remember being somewhat unimpressed. They are shot off behind the big hat so anywhere along the main entry road is a good place to view them from.

I have never seen fireworks at DTD so not sure about them...

My biggest advice for the 4th of July is, pick the one park you want to do that day and the one fireworks display you want to see, go early and stay all day. It is extremely crowded and the parks can fill to capacity, so if you go too late you may not be able to enter.

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

For the past 20+ years we've been at WDW during the week of July 4th. Always at GF or POLY. We love to watch the "EXPANDED" Fireworks from one of those two areas.

This year we are in 4 rooms at the POLY.....my favorite!

 

[ckotcamp]

Epcot is not just "normal" fireworks on J4. After the show is over, there is a special barge that is filled with fireworks. They fire that afterwards. I've seen it a half-dozen times over the past several years.

Didn't seem any different to me. It's only like an extra minute or two, if that. I haven't seen really fantastic new fireworks shows at WDW except for the P&PP fireworks.

 

[Pirate at Heart]

Epcot is the place to go for 4th of July fireworks. They do Illuminations and they have another show afterwards. It is awesome!!!

Can't wait to see it!

Thnkx

 

[valenrandy]

Didn't seem any different to me. It's only like an extra minute or two, if that. I haven't seen really fantastic new fireworks shows at WDW except for the P&PP fireworks.

Its actually 3 1/2 to 4 mitutes extra after the normal show. Very powerfull and breathtaking too. The finnale is like no other at disneyworld.

P&PP fireworks are really great especially the attck the castle part.

Grad nights are neat as in the show has current music with the fireworks.

P&PP and RDCT from DL are by far the best of the regular shows.

 

[disneymomjcs]

We were at MK on 4th of July. We ate dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern and left our CC so we could go out and watch the fireworks. They were awesome and in 360 views. Everywhere you looked it was just beautiful.

We loved them and it was a little crowded but nothing like Christmas time.

We went back and finished dinner afterwards but it didn't seem totally crowded.

All day crowds weren't huge.

 

[momsgoofy]

Thanks everyone for your share of information! I will discuss it with Dsis and Dniece and see if they have any preference. It kinda sounds like Epcot may be a good choice. I can't recall what time we fly in on the 4th, but I have been wondering if getting into MK is going to be such an issue that we might skip it. Anyway, it's not just my decision so I'll talk to them and find out.

Thanks again for all the info!

 

[CanadianGuy]

Bumping...