July 4th - Two Words - Hot & Crowded

[Commando]

Just back from WDW. DH's parents took the whole family (24 of us and counting) for a family trip. We stayed at the All Star Sports (the only place worth staying aside from the fact that it saved father-in-law between $15,000 to $18,000 versus a monorail hotel). I'll just give a few thoughts on the trip but will be MORE THAN HAPPY to answer any questions you have.

Best meal - Crystal Palace July 4th dinner

Worst meal - 1900 Park Fare Cinderella's Feast July 2nd dinner

Crowds -- So crowded on July 4th at WDW that there were lines at 30+ minutes for the train and for the treehouse. Could barely walk down Main Street. Thank goodness we were only at MK for dinner (went to Blizzard Beach during the day July 4th) but skipped the fireworks. (I would have hated to see what the post-fireworks bus lines were like.)

Best rides - Rock 'n Roller Coaster (rode it 8 times on July 5) and Summit Plummet & Teamboat Springs (the latter 2 at Blizzard Beach).

Most disappointing ride - Tower of Terror - It used to be our favorite, but we don't like the "new" random drop series. The "old" predictable series was better than any of the random series we experienced...and we rode it more than 10 times.

Memories - Flying first class roundtrip and taking a stretch white limo from and to the airport (complete with 4-foot Mickey and Disney movies on a DVD). Selective Limo - $216 round trip (including tip).

Best character - Frollo - hands down. Perfect drama, even wrote "She is a gypsy!!!" next to the Snow White autograph. What a ham.

Final thought - If it's your first time at WDW, do everything you can to avoid July (or August for that matter). I can't tell you how hot and crowded it was. Didn't bother us too much since we have been to WDW so many times before and the "whole gang" was there, so we had fun even when we weren't doing anything. I can't imagine the poor people who had never been to WDW before trying to negotiate overcrowded parks in the blaring heat.

I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have.

(I'll also post this on the trip report, family, and restaurant boards.)

 

[Commando]

One more memory...I can't believe I forgot this one.

Our family opened Magic Kingdom on July3. Couldn't believe it when they asked us...almost fell right out. Great memory.

 

[swilphil]

We were there June 30th to July 3rd. I was pleasantly surprised at how short most of our waits were. We used fastpass a lot, went early, left in the afternoon, went back late at night. To beat the heat, we tried to alternate outdoor rides with indoor rides or shows. I did notice MK and MGM got very crowded in the evenings on July 2nd. We were able to go on a lot of Fantasyland rides, though, during the 9 p.m. parade.

It certainly isn't the best time of year to go, but it was manageable if you do it smart by using info from this board and Unofficial Guide. It seemed like there were lots of CMs on duty and everything was up and running.

 

[Beanie]

That is great about getting to open MK!! What an incredible memory that will be!

I went to MK on Easter Sunday last year and from then on, I have vowed NEVER to go to Disney on a holiday again!!

Glad you had a great time!

 

[mmgrdg]

Originally posted by Commando
One more memory...I can't believe I forgot this one.

Our family opened Magic Kingdom on July3. Couldn't believe it when they asked us...almost fell right out. Great memory.

what do you mean you "opened MK"?? I never heard of this! (and how did you get to do it??)

 

[Maddle]

and please - who is Frollo?

Maddle

 

[Commando]

Frollo - the villain from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" - the one who banishes Quasimodo to the bell tower. He was absolutely fantastic. . . a real bright spot.

Opening the park - every morning, they choose a family to open MK. You're announced to the waiting crowd ("the Cahill family from Louisiana"), get pictures taken, get this cute "official" certificate with your family name on it, and throw pixie dust in the air after the 10-to-1 countdown. You also get a headstart on the crowds. In fact, the CM told us to get moving right after throwing the pixie dust, because "they [the crowds] will mow you over." It was great to be absolutely first in the park.

I'll also note that I don't think our family would have been chosen if DH wasn't with us. I don't think I've ever seen a family where there wasn't what at least appeared to be a mom, a dad, and more than one kid. (We had 6 kids with us, ranging from ages 15-4, three of them "mine" - the other 4 were nieces and nephews.) I guess we looked like the part.

P.S. They used to let the family pick a "magic word" for everyone to say to open the park. We struggled on picking "just the right word." Hmmm, Mickey Mouse, Abracadrabra, Shazam, Buzz Lightyear, to no avail.....apparently no "magic word" needed any more.

Swilphil - You were very smart to avoid the weekend. Monday through Thursday were pretty manageable. But Friday (the 4th) through Sunday was almost unbearable, except for the first 2 hours a park was opened. We were usually back at the hotel before noon.

Let me know if you have more questions.

 

[polyfan]

We were there July 1-8. We hardly had to wait for anything. We did use fastpass for some things, but other than that I thought it was not bad at all. It was probably one of the easiest crowd wise that we have ever had.

 

[Jamieb]

We were there from June 28th - July 5th and did not really have an issue with crowds either. We planned around doing MK on the 4th though and went to Epcot that day. The crowds were not bad at Epcot on the 4th. It was a bit busy at MGM when we headed over there around 7:30 to catch the fireworks but we did not plan on doing any rides once we got to MGM. We just took it easy and waited for the fireworks to begin.

 

[Simba0319]

You said August was bad too. I have read that the last 2 weeks in August isn't that bad crowd wise. I know it will be hot.

Your trip sounds like a lotof fun. It's nice when the whole family goes together. We used to do that when I was a kid and I have the best memories...Probably why I am A Disney freak now!!

 

[dbond]

We were there from July 2-8. We were pleasantly surprised at how not crowded it was compared to a July 4th trip we took a few years ago. There were long lines, but we used Fast Pass at the MK on the 4th and never stood in a line. We arrived at the park at 11:30 AM and left at closing after midnight. We expected to need to return to the MK on another day because we didn't think we would get to ride anything on the 4th, but we rode everything we wanted to ride at least once. There were only 3 of us, so if you were moving with a large group then I can see how maneuvering in the crowds might have been a little cumbersome. But for a holiday, I thought it was an awesome day, managable and the fireworks were spectaculer. They launched from behind the castle and from the Seven Seas Lagoon and then had a total of 12 launch locations surrounding the park for the finale. We watched the fireworks from the Tomorrowland bridge, an awesome location. We skipped the first Spectro and walked on HM & BTMR during the parade and then got a seat on the curb on Main Street for the midnight parade. I thought the weather on the 3rd & 4th was pleasant, we didn't even need sunscreen those days because it was cloudy most of the day. We then all got sunburned on the 5th and the 6th & 7th were the hottest, most humid days. But timing our opportunities to be inside occasionally and having that spray bottle/fan thing in the lines was a lifesaver. We had a rain shower every shower afternoon that really cooled things off for the evening. We are used to heat & humidity in Texas, so we weren't bothered too much by even the hottest days. We are looking forward to going again for the 4th. You just can't beat the MK fireworks!

 

[allforpooh]

We were also there Jun 30th - July 8, other than the 4th I thought the crowds were on the light side. We only went to MK 1 day since that is our least favorite park and usually the most crowded. Other than the heat, which we worked around by staying in the pool most afternoons we had a wonderful time. Epcot was the least crowded and we spent several evenings there since it was walking distance to our hotel. I did think the bus service was a little slow from previous visits but nothing to bad.

My DH says that is probably the last time we go in July, he prefers Sept.

Overall we had a wonderful time.

Best Rest. - Rose and Crown & Spoodles
Least Impressed - Yacht Club Steak House - overrated/poor service

Something different - DD17 Surfing lessons Typhoon Lagoon

Favorite Ride - RNR Coaster - Mission Space

Best Show - Cirque Soleil La Nouba - the Discovery Channel does not do it justice. Pricey but worth every penny.

Denise

 

[Magickndm]

Originally posted by dbond
We watched the fireworks from the Tomorrowland bridge, an awesome location.

Hey....we were on that bridge too watching the fireworks! Did you get stuck there when they decided to rope off both ends after the show? NOT FUN! But I agree, the heat wasn't that bad for July, but being a native here, I have felt worse.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

We were at VWL from 7/3 to 7/6. Did Mk on the 3rd, MGM on the 4th (hopped over to Epcot after Sorcery in the Sky to see the special 7/4 add on to Illuminations), Epcot on the 5th (afternoon, we slept in! Mostly futureworld) and Epcot World showcase from 10:30 to 2:30 on the 6th.
MGM wasn't too bad on the 4th, we did R&R twice (our daughters did it 4 times--our son is too short, so DH and I babyswap) and ToT twice (DH and DS did it one more time while the girls and I waited for the fireworks). I had heard Mk was a madhouse on the 4th.
At MK we did a couple of old favorites we hadn't done for a year or two (Tikki Room), one we'd never seen (Carousel of Progress) and our usual suspects (HM, Splash, Space, BTMRR, Buzz, Pirates, etc.). We saw a little of spectro but not much because we won't camp out for it.
At Epcot we did some we'd never done, like Living Seas and Ellen's Energy adventure, which was cute. We got a bonus HISTA fastpass with our TT pass. Rode the Figment ride as well ( I know it has a different name but it escapes me). Also got to ride MISSION SPACE!!! DH was thrilled. Thanks for tips about going in the late afternoon. DH rode with the girls and then I babyswapped with DD#2 (DS again is too short--MS has a 44" requirement and he is 42 1/4"). They loved it and I thought the themeing, etc. was very very cool (love Gary Sinise!) but I thought I was going to hurl. I took me an hour or two to get over it.
Hot, hot hot. But we love it!
Robin M.
Poly 6/2000
BWV 6/2001
Poly 12/2001
BWV/Poly/VWL 7/2002
Dolphin 12/2002
Wonder/VWL 7/2003

 

[Disney Ella]

So why didn't you like dinner at 1900 Park Faire? I've never been there, but have heard good and bad reviews, and am just wondering what you thought.

 

[Commando]

Disney Ella, there is a pretty good discussion of apparently recent problems with 1900 Park Faire on the Disney Restaurants board.

See this thread:

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=402524

It seems that, while the restaurant has a good reputation, the service, food, and characters have not been up to par lately.