Surviving Independence Day week @ WDW

[Eddie512]

Will be arriving July 4th, staying at Polynesian probably watch fireworks there ('Ohana if I can get in for dinner). Is there any conventional wisdom or any helpful hints to pick which parks to visit (or avoid) on the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th? Prepared for crowds and heat but trying to make the best possible plan!

 

[dmband]

We go that week all the time and in fact are again in '17.
MK is always the worst, ep seems to be best due to the size
This yr things are actually in your favor though. When the 4th is mid week the crowds are not as bad vs a fri- mom where people will make long weekends out of it more.
So I would recommend ep on the 5th and after that I don't think it will matter as much

 

[MidgeD79]

We usually go during this time also. We always go to the park with emh in the am, eat lunch go back to hotel to swim and then decide where next.

 

[Oswin]

We were there the past few years from July 1-10. We'll be going again the same dates in 2017. We found crowds to be very manageable, the Poly staff to be very good at controlling non-resort guests at having access to the beach on July 3 & 4 so resort guests would have room to watch fireworks, and transportation to be great. If we were up in the AM, we'd hit a park until about 11 am or noon, head back to the resort from 12-5, and then head out at night for dinner and to close out a park. If we weren't up in the AM, we'd sleep in, then roll out of bed and eat lunch and swim and head out to the parks at night. There were some nights where the park we visited at night had very low waits -- even MK had nights that week where the waits were much lower than we expected them to be. We all thought the past couple of years we have the most successful/fun trips on July 4 week because the parks and resorts are running at their most efficient and we're able to get more done.

 

[Hopefully]

Will be arriving July 4th, staying at Polynesian probably watch fireworks there ('Ohana if I can get in for dinner). Is there any conventional wisdom or any helpful hints to pick which parks to visit (or avoid) on the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th? Prepared for crowds and heat but trying to make the best possible plan!

Most tables at 'OHana have no view or little view of the fireworks. You can request, but not wait, for a table with a view.
Your best bet is to eat early enough to be finished with dinner and go and watch from the beach. They pipe in the music and it is a great distant view.
Have Fun