4th of July arrival, transpo, MK (and Epcot & DS) advice sought!

[brettb]

Comments, advice, alternate suggestions will be much appreciated!

#2, #4, and #7 are probably my biggest quandaries.

The goal: Make our 4:45pm Be Our Guest ADR, upgrade tickets, see the MK fireworks
Bonus: See the Epcot July 4th Tag
Double-Bonus: See some of the Disney Studios fireworks from Yacht Club area


Unless Arthur or other issues get in our way, we should arrive at MCO at 2:05pm on Southwest.

I have an Alamo car reservation.
I have three Magical Express luggage tags.
I have an AP. Wife and daughter have 1-day passes that need to be upgraded.
We're staying at the Yacht club.

1) Cross our fingers that we arrive on time.

2a) DW and DD get luggage off carousel. I get the car. Should they bring the luggage to the Alamo lot? Or would be easier for me to drive around and pick them up at the curb? (I've never done that before.)
2b) We usually have 4 suitcases so this may not even be an option, but if we only bring three, I was thinking that using the luggage tags but driving to the resort would save us time. DW does not like this idea.

3) I already checked in online. Upon arrival at the resort, we will put bags in room (if ready) or store with Bell Services.

4) Get to MK. HOW?!? Disney Bus? Taxi to TTC, Grand Floridian, or Contemporary (to walk to MK)? I think driving to MK parking lot is a non-starter. It could be full even if the park isn't at Phase 4 and it limits flexibility at the end of the night.

5) Hope and pray that MK isn't at a Phase 4 closure. (Thoughts on this?) Have dinner at BOG.

6) Upgrade tickets at Guest Services inside MK (to get full value of 1-day pass)

7a) Watch fireworks somewhere that would get us out quickly, perhaps walking to Contemporary to get a cab to Epcot or Beach Club?
7b) Watch fireworks from TTC, take monorail to Epcot?

8) Cross our fingers that we get to see the Epcot 4th of July Tag

9) Exit through International Gateway and try to catch the end of the Disney Studios fireworks

10) Go to room at Yacht Club (hope that all suitcases are there if we used ME) and collapse.

 

[Robo]

Comments, advice, alternate suggestions will be much appreciated!

#2, #4, and #7 are probably my biggest quandaries.

The goal: Make our 4:45pm Be Our Guest ADR, upgrade tickets, see the MK fireworks
Bonus: See the Epcot July 4th Tag
Double-Bonus: See some of the Disney Studios fireworks from Yacht Club area


Unless Andrew or other issues get in our way, we should arrive at MCO at 2:05pm on Southwest.

I have an Alamo car reservation.
I have three Magical Express luggage tags.
I have an AP. Wife and daughter have 1-day passes that need to be upgraded.
We're staying at the Yacht club.

1) Cross our fingers that we arrive on time.

2a) DW and DD get luggage off carousel. I get the car. Should they bring the luggage to the Alamo lot? Or would be easier for me to drive around and pick them up at the curb? (I've never done that before.)
2b) We usually have 4 suitcases so this may not even be an option, but if we only bring three, I was thinking that using the luggage tags but driving to the resort would save us time. DW does not like this idea.

3) I already checked in online. Upon arrival at the resort, we will put bags in room (if ready) or store with Bell Services.

4) Get to MK. HOW?!? Disney Bus? Taxi to TTC, Grand Floridian, or Contemporary (to walk to MK)? I think driving to MK parking lot is a non-starter. It could be full even if the park isn't at Phase 4 and it limits flexibility at the end of the night.

5) Hope and pray that MK isn't at a Phase 4 closure. (Thoughts on this?) Have dinner at BOG.

6) Upgrade tickets at Guest Services inside MK (to get full value of 1-day pass)

7a) Watch fireworks somewhere that would get us out quickly, perhaps walking to Contemporary to get a cab to Epcot or Beach Club?
7b) Watch fireworks from TTC, take monorail to Epcot?

8) Cross our fingers that we get to see the Epcot 4th of July Tag

9) Exit through International Gateway and try to catch the end of the Disney Studios fireworks

10) Go to room at Yacht Club (hope that all suitcases are there if we used ME) and collapse.

2a) Take the luggage to the car rental.
2b) Don't do it.

4) Disney bus. It will get you there if MK is "open to resort guests."

7a & 7b) I don't trust non-Disney ground transportation in the crush of a holiday.
But, monorails will be busy, too. The TTC idea will likely work, but expect massive
crowds there, too, because of Poly beach construction restrictions.

10) I'd not try MDE for just your bags.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

If you intend to end up at Epcot then just put everything in the car, go park at Epcot (it isn't that likely that Epcot will close) and take the monorail to MK. The first thing they do for capacity is close the parking lots, and they sometimes direct MK traffic to park at Epcot anyway. You'd have to grab your car from Epcot after they have fireworks instead of just walking out to YC though. I'd do this only if you are running out of time for the BOG reservation.

If there is a Stage 4 closure, you're not getting in, even though you have a reservation at BOG. Anything less than a stage 4 closure, you're in.

If you must go to the resort first (like if you have to check in to get access to a dining plan - I don't think Yacht Club is doing bypass the front desk yet, could be wrong) then take the bus to MK.

 

[brettb]

2a) Take the luggage to the car rental.
2b) Don't do it.

4) Disney bus. It will get you there if MK is "open to resort guests."

7a & 7b) I don't trust non-Disney ground transportation in the crush of a holiday.
But, monorails will be busy, too. The TTC idea will likely work, but expect massive
crowds there, too, because of Poly beach construction restrictions.

10) I'd not try MDE for just your bags.

If you intend to end up at Epcot then just put everything in the car, go park at Epcot (it isn't that likely that Epcot will close) and take the monorail to MK. The first thing they do for capacity is close the parking lots, and they sometimes direct MK traffic to park at Epcot anyway. You'd have to grab your car from Epcot after they have fireworks instead of just walking out to YC though. I'd do this only if you are running out of time for the BOG reservation.

If there is a Stage 4 closure, you're not getting in, even though you have a reservation at BOG. Anything less than a stage 4 closure, you're in.

If you must go to the resort first (like if you have to check in to get access to a dining plan - I don't think Yacht Club is doing bypass the front desk yet, could be wrong) then take the bus to MK.

Thank you both! I will not try to convince my wife to use ME for luggage-only.

I have not gotten anything about bypass-the-front-desk so you're probably right about YC not doing that yet.

We do not like checking into the room very late at night (or leaving luggage in the car in the parking lot) so we will almost certainly check into the Yacht Club first and take the bus to MK.

Sounds like we're going to have to call an audible for the post-MK fireworks depending on crowds and where we manage to end up watching them. I'll check other posts (I know Robo's got some great ones with maps and sightlines), too. I think I recall somebody saying they play the music at TTC....

I think anything, including the BOG reservation) will be gravy if we manage to see the MK fireworks. I have a back-up BOG later in the trip if we miss this one. And I'm still trying to get one a *little* later. I had one for 9pm, which does us no good but managed to swap it for 8:05pm, which almost certainly doesn't give us enough time to get out for the fireworks.

Depending on what Arthur does, I'll cancel one or both of them.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's Arthur this time...Andrew is a retired cyclone name, since Hurricane Andrew caused massive devastation in 1992.

 

[Robo]

Sounds like we're going to have to call an audible for the post-MK fireworks depending on crowds and where we manage to end up watching them. I'll check other posts (I know Robo's got some great ones with maps and sightlines), too. I think I recall somebody saying they play the music at TTC....

Yes, TTC has loud and clear audio.

Here's the info (without Poly Beach.)

You can see them from TTC (they pipe-in the audio from
the show) but you are not allowed to stand in the
Ferry loading area.

You can see them from the boat-dock and an outside
observation deck near Narcoossee's restaurant at the
Grand Floridian. Anyone can stand on Narcoossee's Deck.
The outside deck is not a part of the actual restaurant. (All serving is done inside.)
The deck is accessed from the sidewalk outside the restaurant.
Also, good viewing from the Patio overlooking the Marina.
The sound of the show is piped into these areas too.

At the Contemporary, there is viewing on an outdoor
observation area on the 4th floor.
The California Grill observation areas are reserved for patrons that day of the Grill or Bar.

(Fireworks shown above are simulated.)

At Wilderness Lodge, the "secret place" to watch the MK fireworks is from the northern area of the Cast Member (CM) Parking Lot.

At the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds Marina (angle shown on the map below,) some of the view (especially of the "Fantasyland" pyro) is blocked by the now unused Discovery Island in Bay Lake and by the high-rise buildings of the Contemporary Resort.
But, the view from the Ft. Wilderness' sand beach (farther north) is more open.
Still the tree-level can block the views of the lower-firing pyro.

Here are the angles of the views in the Bay Lake area.

Below are the angles of the views in the Seven Seas Lagoon area.

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[brettb]

Thanks, Robo!

I'm leaning towards watching the MK fireworks from TTC. If it's less crazy-crowded than inside MK, that will be a bonus for my wife.