Well my original plans of going in Feb. have fallen through. We can not pull our oldest dd out of school that time of year. She's in all advanced classes and we have been strongly advised not to.
Our next option to go is July 3rd-11th. But I'm afraid that with the 4th of July being on a friday that is is going to be crazy crowded.
This will be our very frist trip and I want to have the best time possibly with my family. Advice?
Our last two trips were during the 4th of July week. We came a few days prior and both times, right on through the 3rd was terrific, as far as crowds go. If you can, arrive as early on the 3rd as possible and try to get to the park you most want to see that day. Is it crowded? Is it real hot? YES! But, it is also one of my favorite times to go, because it is the summer and nothing beats the 4th of July fireworks shows!!! They are beyond amazing. The worst, as far as crowds go, are during parades and fireworks. You have to find your spots early and stay put until the events, then stay close as you try to leave. Better yet, go into the shops to avoid some of the crowds who are all trying to leave.
Another tip I highly recommend is to sign up for Tour Guide Mike, which you may have noticed a lot on these boards. Just go to
www.tourguidemike.com and you will get all the best tips for your timeframe specially tailored for what you are looking for in your Disney trip. I believe it cost me no more than $20 and he will show you all the inside tricks for avoiding crowds, spending less time in lines, everything! You can even email him personally. He does this for a living and really knows his stuff.
My thinking is with the 4th being a holiday I'm so worried that the whole weekend might be unbelieveably packed.
How long did you have to wait for rides? Were you able to see all the shows you wanted? And what was the temp when you were there?
Were there some rides we waited for near an hour? Yes, but not many. I just reminded myself that if I was in any amusement park in the summer that I would be waiting at least that long, but we did really well with getting Fastpass tickets every time we could, and that helped. Also, take advantage of the early morning hours and late night hours. You can see a lot during those time frames. Another great way to see places like MK during this time, with the least amount of headache, is to schedule a breakfast at Crystal Palace or the Castle. You can schedule it for earlier than the park opens. When you arrive, you can get some incredible pictures on a Main Street that is typically empty or nearly empty of people. Then, when you finish, head straight to the area you want to see first. We normally take the earliest breakfast available, so we are at our rides locations before they have officially opened the park. You can't ride yet, but at least we're in the best spot to get rolling.
We are going June 27th-July 3rd. Should we expect big crowds everywhere? Do they do special fireworks other days besides the 4th?
Yes, expect big crowds everywhere. It's the most crowded time of the summer. Last year they did special fireworks in all the parks on both the 3rd and the 4th to help accomodate the increased attendance during this time.
