Looking for Tips for July 4'th Week (HoneyMoon)

[Robbyat]

I am getting married in a couple weeks and taking charge of the honeymoon to keep the pressure off the fiance. I have been to Disney in the past but its been awhile. We are flying in on June 30'th and leaving July 7'th. She is a teacher so we dont have many other options for dates and any tips people could give would be much appreciated.

Current Planned Schedule

Monday: Fly in ( Staying at Swan) then hit MGM
Tuesday: Bright and early Magic kingdom and then epcot at night
Wed: Fully day at universal
Thursday: Open day, possible more epcot and maybe animal kingdom
Friday: 4'th of July so just relaxing
Sat/Sun: Nothing planned, I know its going to be busy so maybe a water park.

We have already booked everything including the dinner each night. I am a huge Disney fan ( 4 times in the past but last at 18) and looking to have a really good. My primary concern is the lines and crowds, and I am hoping by going early in the week that it wont be as bad.

Thanks in Advance for responses

 

[Robbyat]

Also do you think Epcot or MGM would get more crowded as the day went on

 

[wild01ride]

Wed: Full day at universal

This is the only gross miscalculation that I can find with your plans.
Otherwise, have fun!



LOL! Seriously though, I was in WDW for the 4th last year. It was definitely crowded...and it was definitely, definitely HOT!

The key will be to not be set on hitting all of the rides you want during the day - EMH (Extra Magic Hours) are the key to hitting the rides you want!
Use the morning to get what you can done. When the lines start getting long, opt for the shorter waits at less-popular attractions. Make sure that sometime in the morning you grab a Fastpass for one of your choice attractions. Make sure to work it so that you can enjoy the Fastpass attraction around your lunch and any other plans you have for the day (some Fastpasses may run out early in the day for this time of the year).
Eat lunch when you've realized that everything is too busy.
Then, take time to check out the sites and sounds without waiting in line for any attractions.
At this point (especially on these hot-weather days), try to make a trip back to your resort - hit the pool to cool off, then take a nap to rest up before dinner. This will also give you a chance to put on a fresh change of clothes before leaving for the evening because, trust me: your clothes from the day will be hot and sticky!
Do whatever you've got going on for dinner and make the most of the evening EMH!

Congratulations on the marriage and have a great time!

 

[Robbyat]

Thanks for the info

Two quick question

1. Do you reccomend ecpot or mgm on the first day ( thinking possibly might push one to thursday)

2. What exactly is extra magic hours

 

[SpongeChampion]

Thanks for the info
2. What exactly is extra magic hours?

Extra Magic Hours is where Disney keeps the park open a few hours later. Like for example Magic Kingdom usually closes at 10pm but on an Extra Magic Hours night it closes at midnight.
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When you get to the parks, get there early like maybe 8, 8:30 in the morning. The parks however don't open til 9. Do the "popular" rides first. You know the rides that have a wait time of 30 minutes-1 hour long or occasionally even longer. Also, you might wanna visit Downtown Disney during your honeymoon. It's a facility filled with shops and restaurants so you just spend money like there's no tomorrow.

 

[piratemom]

We'll be at the Swan, too, from the 30th through the 7th, so I'm glad you asked the "July" question. I'm also a teacher and my family and I have to go when I am off from school.

It will be hot and crowded, but we plan on going to the extra hours and taking it easy. With as much time as you have, there is no need to rush. Many of the attractions are indoors where it is cool. We bought some fans that "mist" and plan on dressing as cool as possible with lots of sunscreen.
Our plan is to FP the popular rides and then go from there.

Congrats on your upcoming wedding, you both will have a BLAST ~:sohappy:

 

[devoy1701]

slight mis-interpretation of Extra Magical Hours in the post above:

EMH is available to the guests only staying on property....there are morning EMH and evening EMH....everyday...one of the 6 Disney parks opens 1 hour early and another stays open 3 hours late...so in the summer...MK is usually opened until 11...but on an EMH day, it will be open till 2am to onsight guests.

There is a link on the calendar on Disneyworld.com to which park has EMH on which days... evening EMH is great, esp during the last hour of a late EMH at MK...sometimes MK is opened until 3am!!!

And I don't recommend just relaxing on the 4th if you want to catch one of the great firework displays for the holiday.... The parks are bound to reach some kind of capacity on July 4th and I would hate for you to not be able to get into the park to watch the show!!!! :wave:

 

[normdisney]

Congrats we spent our Honeymoon there in 1977. Then it was just the MK and River Country.

I would forget Universal and spend the extra time at Disney less driving and it will be a zoo so you will need the extra days. Make sure you see Fantasmic at MGM:sohappy:

Go over to the Poly to watch fireworks on the 4th from the Magic Kingdom get a drink and sit on the beach.

 

[DisneyPirate85]

CONGRATS to both of you!
We Honeymooned there last year over July 4th week as well! It was hot yes but we planned for that and best advice I can give ya is STAY AWAY from MK on the 4th itself.....its shoulder to shoulder on that day there, we always spend the 4th at EPCOT and since your at SWAN just a nice boat ride or 7 minute or so walk. Use the EMH and plan according to that schedule much cooler late evening and lines not as long.:wave:

 

[Eyekimore]

1. Do you reccomend ecpot or mgm on the first day ( thinking possibly might push one to thursday)

I personally would start at EPCOT if it was my honeymoon. I find strolling through EPCOT with my DH to be very romantic- with the music and the lighting. Enjoy every minute. My DH and I spent our honeymoon at WDW almost nine years ago. The time passes way too quickly!

Congrats!

 

[wild01ride]

I personally would start at EPCOT if it was my honeymoon. I find strolling through EPCOT with my DH to be very romantic- with the music and the lighting.
Congrats!

I agree completely. We always start and finish a trip at Epcot. MGM is fun to hit (during EMH and with a FastPass), but our true love is for Epcot. We could spend days there without taking in any actual attractions.
Epcot has a lot of potential for people-watching (and there will be a LOT of people there), there are numerous cultures represented to keep things interesting, and then of course, there's the food and drink from all over the world. While the bulk of the park's crowds are huddled tightly in a three-hour line for Mission:Space, we could casually stroll from country to country sipping on a drink and enjoying the ambiance.
I would definitely suggest being at Epcot at least for the first evening to grab a bite, a drink, and take in Illuminations. There's nothing better than the peaceful music and the fireworks in the sky to enjoy a romantic evening! And when Illuminations is over, don't hesitate to take your time leaving the park. Especially if you're staying at the Swan (did I read that correctly?), you can take all the time you want because you'll be walking back to the resort. They play some amazing music for more than an hour after Illuminations, which is a great chance to grab a bench and share some time in front of the World Showcase lagoon. At some point, they perform the "burnoff" on the barge which is a huge ball of fire as they purge the remaining propane from the system. It's a spectacle in itself!

Congratulations and enjoy!

 

[AEfx]

Oh, I was so afraid this was going to be a "how do I see every attraction in all the parks on one of the busiest weeks of the year" post.

Thankfully, it wasn't and you seem like you have a good grasp about what can be done in that timeframe. Looks like a solid plan, just make sure you are at MK SUPER EARLY that day so you can get in the most possible.

Good luck, and congratulations!

AEfx

 

[travelgip]

Congratulations on your Wedding! I will be down there at that time as well. I have seen alot on these posts that if it is the MK fireworks for July 4 you want to see, you can see them from the TTC, GF, Poly, Contemp & WL boatdock. Not as crowded as in the park but you'll get the full view and some sound. Epcot & DHS also do a fireworks shows that are very good.