I dont have a death wish But, I do want to go to Disneyland on the 4th of July.

[MadMadamMIMi]

Hello All,
I'm new here but, after reading some old posts, Im already loving the community!
I'm Mimi, and even though its been a little while since I've been to Disneyland,
I try to keep up on the news nonetheless.

So, by now you know im a little nuts- wanting to visit the park on the 4th.
I searched the old posts and I didn't really find a lot of helpful info.

I read that the 4th is the 2nd busiest day of the year and that crowds will be a 9 out of a 10 according to some crowd prediction website but then, I also read in another post that the website was not that reliable?

So I have a few questions :

Does Disneyland have a special patriotic fireworks show or, do they do the normal fireworks with a few nods to America?
Do any of the characters have special dress?
Are there usually any special hoilday meals or snacks available?
Is the celebration only on the 4th itself?
Might we be able to get the same experience on the 3rd?
Would it be a huge mistake to only buy a one day ticket for DL only? This will only be a one day trip for the 2 of us ( my husband and I) and unless we would miss something unbelievable in CA Adv. I think we'd prefer to stick in one park.
Will the Disney hotels have any patriotic plans?
And, as far as restaurants go, should I make a reservation now? I really loved Goofys Cafe and The Remy the rat Restaurant near pirates of the caribbean .. I think the actual name was something french.
And, as far as crowds go and waiting in line, what should I expect 2 hour lines? 3 hour lines?
How do I find out if a magic morning ( early admission ) is available for the 4th?

Any additional advice would be wonderful!

[sbk1234]

Bring your patience.

[ManaByte]

This is the most important thing: Get to the park around opening and DO NOT LEAVE. Not to DCA, not to your car, not for any reason other then a death in the family. The park will hit capacity by 11:00am at the latest, and if you leave you may not get back in. So get there early and plan on staying late and staying in one park.

Disneyland does the normal fireworks, with a special extended 4th of July finale with a LOT more fireworks.

[Indiana Joe]

Welcome to MiceChat!

The 4th is usually very crowded, especially in the hub area as many people wait all day for the nighttime fireworks. If just going for the day, get there early and get fastpasses for any rides you must see.

Also there have been rumors that there will be a special 4th of july version of Word of Color this year, so if that happens you may want to get a park hopper. Just make sure you get to DCA early to get a fastpass for the show (assuming they operate the fastpass system the same way for the holliday show as the regular show).

[ManaByte]

Again I would advise against park hopping.

July 4th and December 31st always hit capacity and they usually need to call in Anaheim PD to guard the turnstyles from angry guests who aren't able to re-enter the park after leaving.

No matter what type of pass you have, you are not guaranteed re-entry when they hit capacity and on July 4th it's best just to stick to Disneyland and not bother park hopping.

Disney wants to use a 4th of July WoC to lure people over to DCA just to make more room in Disneyland.

[JM Disneyland]

Even a packed park could be fun, You just need to enjoy the atmosphere rather than enjoying the park's features.

Too many people that you can barely walk. Ride queue lines could be around 4hrs+ There is a line for everything.

I went on 4th of July once because the park was closing extra late. I didn't ride anything really, I had plenty of food and just relaxed, Put on my headphones and toned everything out.

Fireworks were cool, but nothing like Halloween Screams or DCA New Years.

[Princess Victoria]

On July 4th we usually get there around 1pm. I don't think the park usually gets to capacity until around 4pm, when they begin turning people away. Once you get in, you'll probably want to stay there. After the fireworks, the park tends to clear out and wait times drop. And yes, Disneyland does have a completely different fireworks show for the holiday. DCA is reportedly having a unique World of Color show this year, but I doubt it'll do much to lower attendance at DL. There will just be more for more people to enjoy.

[doppio]

We were at Disneyland last 4th of July. We didn't experience any of the problems mentioned above. We went back to our hotel twice and park hopped all day. No issues. The only time it did seem a little crazy was about an hour before the fireworks, the Esplanade filled quickly with locals. Blankets and chairs everywhere.

[MadMadamMIMi]

Great tips! Thank you!
We are thinking of staying at one of thes resort hotels, are there any real perks to staying there during high traffic days? Is there anyway we could be guaranteed entry? Someone told me during th summer there are lines at the turnstiles long before the park opens.
How early should we get there? Is character dining worth it with only 2 adults? How early should I book dinner reservations?
Will all of the constuction in the resort be complete by July? Where do I check for ride closures?
and, not that I plan to leave once I get in the park but what happens to all the people who have tickets and are denied entry or re entry? Do they get refunds?

[Not My Real Name]

BTW: What is the capacity for the parks? I think back in the '60s, DL set a Guinness world record for having over 80,000 guests. I'll bet the fire department put a stop to having that many people in the park at one time.

[bayouguy]

I definitely understand your lure to Disneyland on an especially crowded day. I took my daughter there on December 27th 2010. The park was not letting people enter Disneyland, ticket sales stopped, and it made the 11 o'clock news. But we had a rather good time there. Definitely stay in Disneyland as previously suggested by ManaByte. Look how the crowds flow and go where they ain't going. Eat well throughout the day in an air-conditioned restaurant (like the Village Haus in Fantasyland) and drink plenty of water.

[ManaByte]

I definitely understand your lure to Disneyland on an especially crowded day. I took my daughter there on December 27th 2010. The park was not letting people enter Disneyland, ticket sales stopped, and it made the 11 o'clock news. But we had a rather good time there. Definitely stay in Disneyland as previously suggested by ManaByte. Look how the crowds flow and go where they ain't going. Eat well throughout the day in an air-conditioned restaurant (like the Village Haus in Fantasyland) and drink plenty of water.

That day was because of the rumor being spread that the Christmas parade would be a hard ticket in 2011, which looks to be false now.

[bayouguy]

That day was because of the rumor being spread that the Christmas parade would be a hard ticket in 2011, which looks to be false now.

I hope you're right.
There was synergy happening that day too. Me and my daughter ate in a nearly deserted Village Haus Restaurant. Most lines that my daughter wanted to ride on were short. There was only one time when a crowd became too overwhelming which was after the Christmas parade. So it could happen on the 4th of July too (not a Christmas parade though, sorry). And as a bonus, we ran into some relatives who tried to get into Disneyland the previous day but couldn't so they returned early the next day and stayed in Disneyland all day.

[AaronInCal]

Seems like the past few years July 4th has not been that bad at the parks. It is busy and it gets a very congested for the fireworks much earlier then usual. But overall, it is close to a usual busy summer day.. Possibly many people have been scared away with how bad it used to be.

[Seawolf]

I agree with the post above. Over the last 5 years, 4th of July hasn't been very busy due to previous years of horrific crowds. With So-Cal ap's slowly becoming the majority pass of choice, people have decided to skip this day due to blackouts and go on a more comfortable date. The people visiting on the 4th are usually park hopper tickets and premium ap's, but still expect summer crowds. I would highly recommend World of Color as your evening entertainment to avoid Main Street.