question about july 4

[Jeanine3kids]

How is july 4th I know it must be crazy but aren't the extra magic hours a help?

thanks

 

[IndianaMouseLover]

Subscribing!

I hope the extra magic hours help.

 

[IndianaMouseLover]

Subscribing!

I hope the extra magic hours help.

We are also going to be there on July 4th.

 

[Sammie]

no they don't help at the Magic Kingdom. Other parks are manageable. The MK at times on the 4th have closed to nonDisney resort guests as early as 10am and closed to resort guests later in the day closer to fireworks time.

It is a zoo, sorry but true. Kinda like NYE on Time's Square, just go prepared for heavy crowds all day.

 

[lorli]

We have read this and are avoiding MK on the 4th. We will be at Epcot and see Illuminations.

 

[loonytoony]

it is busy

 

[teacher31]

We were there last year for the 4th and it wasn't as bad as we throught it would be. Granted, we hit MK on the 3rd for the same show, and avoided parks altogether on the 4th. We spent the day at DTD, pool and dinner at Cape May with fireworks from Epcot. We said the entire trip, "Where is everybody?" We honestly thought we wouldn't be able to move, and it wasn't nearly what we thought. I'd go if I were you with the understanding that "Yes, it will be crowded, but hey, we're at Disney!"

 

[madcoco]

It is a zoo, sorry but true. Kinda like NYE on Time's Square, just go prepared for heavy crowds all day.

Agree. Have run in and out 1st thing in the morning for pins and can't believe how fast they fill up.
It's become a tradition/expedition for us to head into the MK after the fireworks just to be in awe of the mass exodus. They open up the "backstage area behind mainstreet" to allow people to enter the park and bypass mainstreet.

 

[Tink10]

We'll be at Epcot too.......Wouldn't go to MK if my life depended on it

 

[mirthmaiden]

Did it once... never doing it again.

 

[dobtia]

2002....First trip ever to Disneyworld. We were not prepared like we have been for last two trips. We just winged it. Got there for rope drop. Two hours later it was crazy. Stayed till four and called it quits. I say stay away from Magic Kingdom on the 4th.

 

[dizzneebabe]

We were at MK for the 4th in 2003. I was 7 months pregnant-- We flew in that day, checked in to YC and headed over to MK by about 1pm. We expected it to be nuts and honestly, it wasn't that bad. It didn't get out of control until the fireworks. THEN we were like sardines!!!! The fireworks were SO cool in the round!!!!
We were led out the back behind Main Street afterwards, which was kinda neat to see. The only really bad thing that happened is that the crowd started to get out of hand right after the show was over. People wanted out and the CMs were not dropping the rope (which blocked off the bridge to TL) to let the crowd through. One guy with a double stroller started ramming people--mainly me and knocked me down. DH was holding onto our 2 DS's and didn't see it happen. I could have easily been trampled. I grabbed onto DH's arm from behind, pulled myself up and kicked the stroller back on the guy (it was empty). After that, I felt sick and we headed back to POR.

If you go with the mindset that it will be crowded--then you are not surprised by anything. I would go again to see them!!! I'm sure no matter which park you are in, you'll have a great time!!!!

 

[BeenDISedTwice]

no they don't help at the Magic Kingdom. Other parks are manageable. The MK at times on the 4th have closed to nonDisney resort guests as early as 10am and closed to resort guests later in the day closer to fireworks time.

It is a zoo, sorry but true. Kinda like NYE on Time's Square, just go prepared for heavy crowds all day.

Thanks for the heads up. I read elsewhere about the parks closing when they reach max capacity but didn't know they'd be that early. Guess we're definitely spending the entire 4th of July at MK (no park hopping that day) as we have adr at ltt for that night and probably won't be able to get into Epcot after we eat for fireworks. Probably just going to fastpass as much as we can and hope we get on a few things. Don't think we'll get on anything earlier than a 90-120 minute wait. Even though you said they stay open for resort guests until fireworks I wouldn't want to chance it with the adr as it is the one place we're looking most forward to eating at all week.

Didn't even hit me till I was reading about the naturalization ceremony at mk on the 4th the other day that we were eating at ltt that night. Irony because when I made the adr's I picked places based on what was available at a certain time not any particular day or place. Now to be at MK on the 4th, watching the naturalization ceremony, eating at LTT in Liberty Square with the characters dressed in Colonial garb, really makes it feel like the 4th of July rather than just visiting MK on any other day during our trip.

Going down for July 2-6 and have ddp adr reservations like this:
mon: 50's Prime Time at MGM
tue: Sci-Fi at MGM
wed: LTT at MK
thu: ohana's at Poly

We're probably going to go right to MGM on monday after arrival and spend the afternoon and night there since you can pretty much do it all in one day for that park and that's also where we have our adr so we're not going to have to park hop for that.

What are the chances we'll be able to park hop tuesday 7/3 (spend am/early afternoon at ak, disney quest, waterparks, etc) and still be able to get into MGM for sci-fi dinner adr at 6:30pm and then maybe get into MK or Epcot afterwards? Of all the adr's it's the least one I'm interested in so having to lose it and use a CS or TS elsewhere is no big deal if we can't get in due to max capacity closing on that day.

I'm hoping thursday will be our easiest day to park hop (post-holiday) using EMH and see most of Epcot and do the stuff we couldn't at MK on the 4th. The only things we'll be going to AK for is EE, KRR, and PW so I think we can hit those at opening and then scramble over to the other parks for the rest of the day. Friday will be a traveling day in the afternoon so I'm not sure what I want to do yet. Maybe hit a waterpark in the am and do DTD for lunch before grabbing DME.

 

[EmptyCinema]

I don't know about the 4th, but if it's like New Years, go to MGM. Great fireworks show, minimal crowd. I could actually WALK around!

 

[mirthmaiden]

What are the chances we'll be able to park hop tuesday 7/3 (spend am/early afternoon at ak, disney quest, waterparks, etc) and still be able to get into MGM for sci-fi dinner adr at 6:30pm and then maybe get into MK or Epcot afterwards?

I'm no expert, but that seems like a lot for one day, especially if you're relying on Disney transportation. I think you'd be spending most of your time riding around.

 

[maxiesmom]

Agree. Have run in and out 1st thing in the morning for pins and can't believe how fast they fill up.
It's become a tradition/expedition for us to head into the MK after the fireworks just to be in awe of the mass exodus. They open up the "backstage area behind mainstreet" to allow people to enter the park and bypass mainstreet.

Do they sell special pins on the 4th of July? In each park?

 

[patsal]

I'm no expert, but that seems like a lot for one day, especially if you're relying on Disney transportation. I think you'd be spending most of your time riding around.

I'd have to agree. It is very crowded everywhere in the summer. If you have a car you will be more successful with this but with Disney transport plan on at least an hour for eact time you need to use it--sometimes you'll get lucky and it won't take an hour, but if you plan that way at least you will not be disappointed.

 

[BeenDISedTwice]

I'm no expert, but that seems like a lot for one day, especially if you're relying on Disney transportation. I think you'd be spending most of your time riding around.

We weren't planning on doing it all on tuesday July 3rd. I only mentioned those as suggestions of what we might do on tuesday morning/early afternoon.

My question was more about whether we'd be able to do other stuff in the morning and early afternoon and still be able to get into MGM for 6:30pm ADR at Sci-Fi? I'm going on the assumption that on the 3rd, just like the 4th as a PP mentioned, the parks may close early to non-resort guests and closer to fireworks for resort guests so that is what I was worried about.