DISNEY: Four on the Fourth

I wanted to collect a couple hard-to-get FastPasses and figure that July 4th would be a day when they'd be available... so off I went!

I knew that the parks were going to be busy, and I didn't want to stress out early, so I planned ahead and parked at DHS and took the bus to Disney's Animal Kingdom to start off the day. The crowd at DAK's Rope Drop wasn't huge. Once we were let free-to-roam, I picked up the FP for It's Tough To Be a Bug, then headed to Dinoland U.S.A. and rode DINOSAUR (it rides like a mechanical bull!). Next I walked over for a quick ride on Expedition Everest then I headed out. To Park #2!

I bussed to Epcot and, first thing, picked up my FastPass to Test Track (my last one to collect there). I then started to wander around the World Showcase and quickly realized that it still before 11am. So I walked back to the Land Pavilion to check out Soarin'. 90 wait = not even close to the play screens, so I bailed and rode Living With The Land instead.

I figured to get some food before the special 4th of July Voices of Liberty performance at the American Adventures Pavilion, so I took the Friendship boat to Morocco and walked over by Japan for my usual (the Tonosama Combination plate at the Yakitori House). The VoL show was very nice, and I took a vid of one of their numbers -- I posted it on my YouTube (LINK). After that show, I stayed and watched the Fife & Drum group perform. I then left and tried for a couple more FPs before heading out.

Park #3 was the Magic Kingdom. I look the monorails there, riding in the nose for the Epcot-TTC leg! When I got to MK, I watched the Dream Along With Mickey show at the castle (to check out who were dancing) then proceeded to the Hall of Presidents -- it's my annual pilgrimage to this attraction. It was very busy but nothing like the Country Bears Jamboree during Gay Days -- still, maybe I can up my effort and visit HoP twice a year. Then I headed out.

I took the Ferry Boat back to the TTC; it was a refreshing ride -- there were a lot of people out on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Then at the TTC, I hopped onto a bus headed for the last park of the day, Disney's Hollywood Studios (#4!).

There, I grabbed a FP for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and then headed to Lights Motors Action to try to get an invalid FP... fail! (I think LMA is on a different FP network. Anyways, TSMM wasn't taking single-riders so I went "nextdoor" to the refurbed Narnia attraction (which totally spoils the Caspian movie... and could've saved me a couple hours and $9). Then I went back to Animation Academy, where we were taught how to draw a sideways-looking Donald; this time, the instructor wasn't as personable as the guy who led the class the first two times I've been there, so my drawing looking old-school/sub-par, but oh well.

And that was it. I finished all four parks in about 8 hours (a new record?). I had to get back into town (Orlando) supposedly a friend's birthday party. Turned out that the party was on Saturday, not Friday, but still, I don't think that I could've handled the huge crowds at any of the parks. I'm glad that I made it out to the parks. It eased my mind to know that a holiday visit was doable.

Pictures from this trip can be found after the itinerary.
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Here's what I did this visit:

DHS (MUSIC 49)

Bus to DAK

DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM
- Rope Drop
- [FP] It's Tough To Be A Bug
- DINOSAUR (hanging in the trees)
- Expedition Everest (fast)

Bus to Epcot
- [FP] Test Track
- (Soarin' (bailed))
- Living With The Land
- Friendship Boat to Morocco
- Yakitori House (tonosama combo)
- American Gardens Amphitheatre: Voices of Liberty 4th of July show
- Fife & Drum
- [FP] Maelstrom (fail)
- [FPx] Mission:Space

Monorail to TTC (NOSE!) (LIME)

Monorail to MK (BLACK)

MAGIC KINGDOM
- Dream Along With Mickey
- Hall of Presidents
- [FPx?] Space Mountain

Ferry Boat to TTC

Bus to DHS

DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
- [FP] Indiana Jones
- [FP] Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show (fail)
- Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian (tired grandmother)
- Animation Academy (Donald looking sideways)

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