Best fourth of July fireworks!

[mouseketeer mom]

Our first fourth of July in WDW!
Where should we watch the fireworks? Want to plan dinner around our firework night.

[1DisneyNut]

In front of the castle at magic kingdom is the most picturesque and exciting but pretty much anywhere in magic kingdom is great. However, the magic kingdom will be jam packed shoulder to shoulder on 4th of July. We used to go on the 4th almost every year but it got to the point they were allowing way to many people in. The last time we went, it was so packed; it took us over an hour and a half to make it from the entrance to the end of main street. It was literally shoulder to shoulder and we had to squeeze between people and say excuse me all the way through. All the parks were extremely busy the whole week. The fireworks are probably the best you will ever see and worth seeing once but we will never go the week of the 4th again. I'm not trying to rain on your parade and any day in WDW is fun but I thought I would warn you what you will be up against.

[11290]

Magic Kingdom on the 3rd (same fireworks as the 4th - just not as crowded) and Epcot on the 4th. Not as crowded for the 4th and the only night they do the "holiday" fireworks.

[DizneyRox]

MK is a mad house... We got there one year about an hour before the fireworks and gave up trying to get anywhere. We couldn't get past the train station, trying to get across the way to head up through the shops would have resulted in injuries...

I'm pretty sure that was the 3rd too, we always planned on Epcot for major holidays. MGM has fireworks too, it's a treat because they aren't that common, but it holds crowds even worse that MK.

[VWL Mom]

When Limited Time Magic was first announced they said something about an Independence Week celebration. I wonder if that means 4th of July fireworks all week long?

[mouseketeer mom]

Oh boy. I don't want to do that shoulder to shoulder thing at all. We were there on Christmas Day and that was not good. Same horrible packed situation. I hated it. What is Epcot like on the fourth? Is it illuminations or something else? Maybe I should scrap the MK idea for the fourth. I just want holiday fireworks though...not the usual illuminations. Also..do you think we could enjoy the holiday fireworks on the beach at the Poly on the 3rd? That way we can see both Epcot and MK holiday displays. The third is our arrival day.

[1DisneyNut]

I would view them from the beach at the Poly or at the Contemporary before I would go into MK that day. I know at the Poly they play the audio that goes with the show just like they do in MK so you will have the exact same experience from there except not having the castle right in front of you.

[markyv]

I also recommend the beach at the poly. They will pipe the same audio in as heard in the theme park. Narcoosses restaurant at the Grand would be another good choice. You could view the fireworks from the deck outside the restaurant. Music is piped in here as well.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I don't think I'll ever go back to MK on July 4. We did it once and it was a mob scene. My 8 year old nephew got punched in the face by some woman trying to push between him and my sister to get on the boat back to the parking lot. I got shoved into the fencing and my sunglasses got broken in my backpack. People were pushing and shoving in the park trying to get past you to see the fireworks. I've heard that Epcot is a lot more civilized, mostly because there is more room.
If you are going to the beach at the Poly, I'd even get there early and stake out a spot as I'm sure that probably gets fairly busy also.