We actually ran the 4th of July gauntlet of watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks show at 9 PM and hopping a couple monorails to get to Epcot just in time for the 10 PM show. As an added bonus we caught the Hollywood Studio show in the distance while approaching Epcot's show. Many thanks to my lovely wife and two kids who were up for the madness. It is surely a night we won't forget as a family.
Here is what I used as a plan of attack. First, we parked at Epcot upon our arrival to Walt Disney World. Since it was still raining lightly we decided to ride some rides at Epcot since a lot of rides are indoors. We went on Soarin, Living with the Land, Finding Nemo and Test Track. Then we departed for Magic Kingdom on the monorail. We are lucky to be Annual Passholders because the monorail was closed to anyone who was not a Passholder or Resort Guest.
Upon arrival at Magic Kingdom around 7 PM, we could see the park filling fast. They were setting up for the parade even though the parade would not start until 10 PM. What this meant was precious space on Main Street USA was blocked off from viewing to allow for foot traffic back and forth. We decided to head to Cosmic Rays for dinner since it is our favorite counter service place at WDW. After dinner we tried to head back to Main Street USA to find any spot we could. Traffic was being diverted from tomorrowland behind the buildings along Main Street USA. In this area Disney was setting up an overflow viewing area for the fireworks. While the viewing spot was good, being in a behind the scenes working area seemed to cheat the experience of being in Magic Kingdom for the 4th of July. We then exited this area and were back at the front of the park by Tony's Town Square restaurant. We found space at the front of the park by the train station. With one hour to go the boys passed the time playing with the Disney provided hula-hoops. The crowd swelled to fill every available space on Main Street USA that Disney did not rope off for traffic. When the fireworks started we were pleasantly surprised the see the fireworks not only behind Cinderella's castle but also over Seven Seas Lagoon. It was a true panoramic show. As with all Disney fireworks shows they were well choreographed to music.
After the twenty minute show was done at Magic Kingdom we bolted for the monorails. Since we were positioned so close to the entrance of Magic Kingdom by the Main Street Train Station, we were able to catch the first express monorail that came upon our arrival at the monorail station. We then transferred to the Epcot monorail at the Ticket and Transportation Center. We just got shut out of catching the first Epcot monorail, but caught the second about 10 minutes later. Then we were off to Epcot for our second fireworks show of the evening.
After getting to Epcot we headed back to the World Showcase lagoon. We arrived just as the show started. We inched our way up to base of the World Showcase were it meets the walkway from Future World. A perfect spot to watch the show. After illuminations finished it's normally stunning show, we were treated to a Celebration of Independence finale. It was about a five minute show choreographed to music and sound bites from America's history. The grand finale was in a word, awesome! The bombs that burst in air that night were the most deafening that I have experienced in my life. Simply stunning! It was a great finish to a most magical day and why no one does family entertainment like Disney. Even with the overcast day, it was an experience my family won't forget.
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