The Fourth of July

As you read, this we are just about two weeks from the Fourth of July.
It’s one of those special days of the year where everyone in the United
States comes to celebrate the birthday of America.

We all have fond memories of what we have done in years past. Were you
in a parade? Did you participate in some games and races?

How about those backyard cookouts with the family? And, oh, do we remember
those Fourth of July fireworks.

Now let’s turn to 2003. Have you determined your plans for this year’s
celebration? Are you going to a special breakfast slated to benefit a
local charity? How about those hometown parades?

Have you ever thought about what possible itineraries you could put together
for a Fourth of July at Walt Disney World?

In this session we take a look at some suggestions of what to do (and
what not to do) if you happen to find yourself at WDW on the Fourth of
July.

The Importance of May 5

Before we turn to July, let’s turn back the clock to May 5. If my math
is correct, that is about 60 days before The Fourth of July. It is from
this day onward that you can call ahead to make priority-seating reservations
at one of the many WDW restaurants.

Because the Fourth of July is a busy holiday, it’s even more important
to be pro-active in arranging any special dining intentions you have in
mind for this special day.

Here are some places that tend to fill up fast for lunch and dinner on
The Fourth of July:

Cinderella’s Round Table

You can imagine that this particular establishment is tough enough on
normal days. If you would like to book a meal here you best be up early
on May 5 and have a quick trigger finger to dial dial dial. It doesn’t
hurt to keep your fingers crossed.

Liberty Tree Tavern

This restaurant is very popular on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
You can also put down The Fourth of July for yet another popular day.
Those guests in the park get very patriotic on the Fourth and the Liberty
Tree Tavern is the first place they think of when they get those patriotic
feelings.

Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room

Hmmm, why this Epcot restaurant? Well, those sly guests will fill up
this restaurants time between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. because it is a prime
spot to view the special extended presentation of the Illuminations. Your
humble author has priority seating this year at this restaurant for this
evening.

Cantina de San Angel

See Rose and Crown Pub Dining Room above.

California Grill

This restaurant at the top of the Contemporary Resort fills up fast because
those patrons are also looking forward to viewing the Magic Kingdom fireworks
from the observation deck.

Hoop-Dee-Do Revue

This is a popular dinner show and even more so on the Fourth of July.
However, it’s the earliest show that is the big favorite. The later shows
are not necessarily as crowded, as most guests are concerned about watching
fireworks.

Mickey’s Backyard Barbeque

That’s right. It’s pretty popular on this day if it is scheduled. Think
of the setting: Now you know why it’s popular.

It goes without saying that the three major theme parks (the Magic Kingdom,
Epcot Center, MGM Studios) have heavier-than-normal crowd levels and thus
more hungry mouths — so plan accordingly.

So if you plan on a special meal on the Fourth — then the time to call
is on May 5.

Hot Spots on the Fourth

The Fourth of July is without a doubt one of the four busiest days of
the year for Walt Disney World. The other three days are Easter, Thanksgiving,
and Christmas.

Let’s look at the hot spots for that day where the crowds may be just
a tad heavier than some may prefer.

The Magic Kingdom is obviously the most popular theme park. Many families
target that theme park as the place to be on the night of the Fourth.
You can imagine the crush of people on Main Street U.S.A. that evening.
Not only will many of the tourists be there, but you can also bet that
some of the locals may take in the fireworks.

If you plan to be at the Magic Kingdom that particular evening, think
about entering the park sometime in the mid- or late-afternoon, but no
later. Getting around will be difficult, and you will see some long attraction
lines.

If you wait until evening to get in, you may find that the park has either
reached its capacity or that you can only move at a pace of about five
feet per hour as soon as you get within the turnstiles.

Epcot does not experience this glut of guests as do MGM-Studios and the
Magic Kingdom. If you are particularly annoyed with large crowds, then
Epcot is the park for you on the Fourth.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a great park to tour on the morning of the
Fourth. Most people head directly to the Magic Kingdom or MGM Studios.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom park should be the lightest park for this morning.

Extra Activities on the Fourth

There are a few extras that take place on the Fourth of July in WDW.

First, in the Magic Kingdom, Fantasy in the Sky fireworks display
takes on a whole new dimension. Those guests who plan on viewing this
nighttime spectacular from Main Street U.S.A. are in store for a special
treat. On the night of the Fourth, guests will be treated to what many
call the “360-degree Fantasy In the Sky.” Besides the
fireworks from behind the castle, guests are also entertained from the
special Fourth of July display set from Seven Seas Lagoon. For several
minutes, the night sky turns into day as the sky lights up from all around
the resort.

Usually, the Magic Kingdom nighttime parade — presently SpectroMagic
— takes place around 9 p.m. followed by Fantasy in the Sky.

However, the night of the Fourth will have a slight schedule change.
The fireworks display draws so many guests that the theme park begins
the show an hour earlier than usual — this year, that is 9 p.m.

SpectroMagic take place at 10:30 p.m. and midnight
that evening. If you plan to go to the Magic Kingdom that evening, you
will surely get your money’s worth in fireworks as well as people.

The popularity of this Fourth of July celebration makes the Magic Kingdom
theme park the hottest spot in Florida on that day.

Disney-MGM Studios celebrates the Fourth of July a bit differently, offering
its guests Sorcery in the Sky and a special salute to the Fourth
of July. This takes place on Hollywood Boulevard high above the Great
Movie Ride.

WDW veterans may remember Sorcery in the Sky from the early ’90s,
hosted by the late Vincent Price. Following this special presentation
is an extended Fourth of July fireworks spectacular.

This makes for a tough decision for many guests — should they see
the “360” at The Magic Kingdom or “Sorcery” at MGM-Studios?
Fantasmic will be shown at 10:30 p.m. at MGM on this evening.

Not to be outdone, Epcot will provide its guests with a special Fourth
of July presentation of Illuminations that will surely please all
who attend. For those of you who plan on attending, please note that Illuminations
starts at 10 p.m. on the Fourth because Epcot will be open for one hour
later than usual that night.

Of course, Pleasure Island will also get into the act with its own salute
to America with a special fireworks display.

You cannot escape fireworks in Orlando on the night of the Fourth of
July.

Scenarios for the Fourth

Now that we know about crowds, restaurants, fireworks, and parades for
the Fourth, it’s time for us to draft a few scenarios that might just
work on this big day.

It’s important to remind guests with children that the Fourth of July
can be a very exhausting day so it would be a good idea to plan a light
July 3 and early bedtime for the kiddies (and the grown-ups). You want
everyone to be well rested for the The Fourth of July festivities.

Scenario #1: An Epcot Evening

Morning – Start off the morning at the Animal Kingdom. The crowds
should be light and you may be able to do quite a bit before mid-day.
Try to fit in breakfast at Donald’s Breakfastsaurus. On this day everyone
will need that extra boost of energy.

Afternoon – More than ever it pays off to spend some quality pool
time on this day. It’s a pretty good guess that it will be hot, hot, hot
in Orlando on the Fourth of July, and if you can take steps to ensure
that you’ll be fresh for the evening activities, then do so.

Evening – Ah, we have made reservations at the Rose & Crown Pub
Dining Room so we are heading over to Epcot. If we are lucky enough to
leave earlier in the day, we may catch a performance of the Liberty
Voices on the Fourth of July. That would be entertaining. We finish
the evening watching the special Illuminations presentation and
return to our resort fulfilled but not exhausted, as we planned our day
well.

Scenario # 2: A Magic Kingdom Evening

Morning – Start off with a Character Breakfast at Chef Mickey’s
in the Contemporary Resort.

Afternoon – After breakfast, head off to Disney Quest. That’s
right. If it’s a sunny day even better. You’ll get some quality time there,
and to top it off no heat and humidity. What an idea. No crowds and you
are enjoying most of the hottest part of the day in an air-conditioned
building. You’ll be in great shape for the night’s activities.

Evening – Leave Disney Quest around 5 p.m. and do some shopping
at Downtown Disney. Again, it may not be too crowded. This is a good time
to buy those souvenirs. Take your time. Around 6 p.m., head over to Fort
Wilderness and have a nice relaxing meal at the Trail’s End Buffeteria —
cheap but good food. At around 8:30 or so, head over to the Magic Kingdom
but don’t go in the park. Plant yourself outside the park, but go near
the dock and near a speaker. Enjoy the fireworks.

Scenario #3: A MGM-Studios Evening

Morning – Start off the morning at Trail’s End Buffeteria
at Fort Wilderness. No crowded theme park — just a relaxing breakfast.

Afternoon – After breakfast, do a little shopping at either
Downtown Disney, or even better, visit the Character Warehouse at Belz’s.
Why not? After you have shopped, head back to your resort to get your
camera, freshen up, maybe take a nap, and try to get to MGM-Studios by
4 p.m.

Evening – If possible, make a Fantasmic Dinner Package arrangement.
Find a spot on Hollywood Boulevard for the 5:30 p.m. Disney Stars and
Motor Cars Parade. After the parade, enjoy your Fantasmic Dinner. Return
to Hollywood Boulevard and find a good place to watch Sorcery In the
Sky. After the show, head over to Fantasmic.

Commando Style

Now let’s have a little fun by looking at a commando approach to the
Fourth of July. Are you ready to take the plunge? Are you in shape? Join
me as we piece together a scenario that’s a bit more exciting than those
three we have just discussed.

Here’s a table of the theme-park entertainment for the Fourth of July.

When attempting commando-style touring, the challenge is to see as much
as possible. The drawback is that when you stretch yourself too thin,
you may see a lot but your viewing locations may not be the best.

Let’s give it a try.

Scenario #4: Commando

9:30 a.m. – Go to the Storybook Princess Breakfast at Akershus
in Norway, at World Showcase in Epcot.

11 a.m. – Grab a Fastpass at Test Track.

1 p.m. – After Test Track, go see the Voices of Liberty
and the American Adventure.

2 p.m. – Take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, and find
a spot to watch the 3:00 Share a Dream Come True Parade.

4 p.m. – Go to Disney-MGM Studio to see the Disney Stars
and Motor Cars Parade.

6:30 p.m. – Have dinner at Hollywood and Vine.

9 p.m. – Watch Sorcery in the Sky.

9:30 p.m. – Go to Epcot to watch Illuminations.

10:30 p.m. – See Fantasmic.

11:30 p.m. – Go to the Magic Kingdom to watch the midnight
SpectroMagic parade.

1 a.m. – Kiss good-night.

2 a.m. – Enjoy pleasant dreams.

Is this possible? There are some obvious tight spots, like going from
Sorcery in the Sky in MGM to Illuminations in Epcot.

The key could very well be in from exactly where you watch these events.

For instance, you should view the Share a Dream Come True Parade near
the Magic Kingdom train station, Sorcery in the Sky from halfway
down on Hollywood Boulevard, and Illuminations from Showcase Plaza.

Traffic is another potential concern. The monorail and bus system is
a consideration but remember that taking the monorail means switching
at the Ticket & Transportation Center, and buses do not go from theme
park to theme park — so driving is a factor.

It’s too bad that Sorcery in the Sky isn’t being shown at 10 p.m.
— you could almost see both Fantasy in the Sky and Sorcery
in the Sky if MGM had moved Sorcery in the Sky to 10 p.m.

If you make any attempt at a commando scenario for the Fourth, please
drop me a note so we can share in your experience.

I will be at WDW on the Fourth of July so I will have to decide which
scenario to take. If you’re wondering, I’m leaning towards a combination
of Scenarios #1 and #3, and our commando scenario.

Happy Fourth of July.

Next time

We walk in the shoes of a Disneyland cast member on his initial visit
to Orlando and Walt Disney World.

Class dismissed.