July 4th Help Please

[Minnie-Mickey]

This was not my first choice of vacation weeks. I am aware that it will be crazy. We usually travel labor day specials for WL. It will just be myself and 15 yo DD. We land at MCO at 9am. DME to POP. Will we be able to get into the park before closures due to capacity based on this time schedule? Do you recommend I cancel our dinner in the park? I read you may not get in even if you have dinner and they charge a no show fee. How would you plan out the day? What happens to FP if you are denied entry into the park you planned? I do not own a smart phone. I have a 2002 flip phone. I would not be able to change on the fly. Trying to keep this trip a surprise and hoping it is not a hot mess. Any suggestions from someone who has been during this time would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[lovndisney12]

I haven't been during this week but have Christmas week which has similar issues with max crowds and mid-day park closures. Which park are you planning to go to on your arrival day and what day is it? For example, Christmas day (which would be similar to July 4th) filled to capacity around noon that day. However, other parks did not. So, if you are trying MK on your arrival day it could be tough to get in mid-day depending on the day/date of the week. (Check crowd calendar to see what parks are recommended and not recommended for that day). If the park you are trying to get into is a recommended park that day - you should be OK. If it is a NON recommended park then you may want to re-think your plans / strategy for that day. But, the parks don't completely close for the entire duration of the day - so you would probably be able to get in later in the day - so if your FP and dinner reservations are later in the day / evening - you would probably still be fine in a non-recommended park. (Exception would be on 4th of July as crowds will increase for the fireworks)

Tips for extremely high crowd levels - arrive at the park early (RD if you can) and use the crowd calendar suggested days the best you can. Most days we will do a lunch TS if we are eating in the park and then it allows the opportunity to leave the park in the afternoon and go to the pool, relax at the resort, DD, etc. if the crowds are just too much.

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

We were planning on MK on the 4th of July. It usually takes 3 hours airport-hotel-park during most visits which would put us at noon. I am guessing longer due to crowds. We had FP starting at 2pm but I started moving them later and later. Now I am just so unsure. If you cant get in what happens. Do you wait outside the gait, do they stop running busses?

 

[Imagineer22]

We are arriving on Saturday July 4th as well for our week long vacation. Our flight gets in about 9:45am and will be taking DME to DAK Lodge. We are planning on going to MK arrival day as well. We have Anna and Elsa FP for 3:30pm. I hope we can make it! We went on July 4th in 2009 and while it was busy it was still 'doable' as long as you had the mindset that it was busy and not a ride everything kind of day. I know things have changed over the past few years but it seems any time MK reports closings they are lifted by early afternoon. Also, remember the park closes in stages so if you are staying on property you will be let in until the park is at its final closing stage.

When was the last time MK was closed to resort guests????

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

That is an interesting question, I can't find out when the MK was closed to WDW guests. We also had our first activity at 3 pm but I now have moved it to 4 pm just in case.

 

[maxiesmom]

This was not my first choice of vacation weeks. I am aware that it will be crazy. We usually travel labor day specials for WL. It will just be myself and 15 yo DD. We land at MCO at 9am. DME to POP. Will we be able to get into the park before closures due to capacity based on this time schedule? Do you recommend I cancel our dinner in the park? I read you may not get in even if you have dinner and they charge a no show fee. How would you plan out the day? What happens to FP if you are denied entry into the park you planned? I do not own a smart phone. I have a 2002 flip phone. I would not be able to change on the fly. Trying to keep this trip a surprise and hoping it is not a hot mess. Any suggestions from someone who has been during this time would be appreciated. Thanks

Honestly? I would either not go to MK, and maybe try and get an ADR at the Poly or the Contemporary so that you could see the fireworks. Or skip MK and go to Epcot. Their fireworks are pretty awesome as well. They do the normal Illuminations, but add an extra bit to the end. It is incredible!

Epcot is a lot less likely to close than MK.

 

[AlohaAnnie]

We are arriving July 4th around 7pm our plan is to swim at Saratoga Springs and eat at Downtown Disney or Saratoga Springs Counter Service Artist's Palette.

 

[skuttle]

If you want another option, we were able to walk into Epcot and get a spot seated on the grass across from the Imagination pavilion between 6 or 7pm. We went to AK late afternoon and stayed there until the park closed, then took the bus over to Epcot.

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

Thanks for the replies. Thoughts on park hopping, is it needed at this time of year? Is it worth the cost?

 

[skuttle]

Thanks for the replies. Thoughts on park hopping, is it needed at this time of year? Is it worth the cost?

We got hoppers for our July 4th trip simply because we knew we would always went back to our room mid-day to beat the heat. The hoppers allowed us to go to a different park in the evenings. MK will be open really late for several days during the week so hoppers would allow you to go to one park during the day and then back to MK in the evening if you wanted to do so.