4th
of July Fun
Hi Everyone,
It’s Marc. Most of you know me from the Mickey Mouse Movie
House Reviews. Today, I decided to branch out from my regular genre of writing
and give you my “review” of adventures on the 4th of July.
Hopefully, I won’t bore you too much. My first stop was Main Street to visit
Pluto. As most of you who have visited Walt Disney World know, Pluto, Goofy,
Minnie Mouse, or Marie are usually in the small flower garden where the
“Enjoying the Magic” statue of Roy O. Disney and Minnie Mouse is located.
Pluto, while not a vocal character, provides plenty of entertainment for the
guests. When he saw me, he became very excited and started jumping up and down.
When the photopass castmember calmed him down, he instructed me where to stand.
When he said, “turn around” to face the camera, Pluto misinterpreted the
instruction and turned around with his back facing the camera. Well, at least
we can say that Mickey taught him how to follow commands well (even if they
aren’t directed at him).
My new stop was to see Anna and Elsa. For those of you who
haven’t met them yet, a quick update on their location. They have moved from
the spot near Norway’s Stave Church in Epcot’s World Showcase to the Princess
Royal Hall in the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, as in Norway, the wait for
Arendelle’s famous royals is still anywhere for one to three hours depending on
the day and time. Thankfully, Anna and Elsa have joined the list of available
fastpass options so young fans of Frozen can meet their favorite princesses and
their parents don’t have to wait in the summer heat for three hours. Having
booked my fastpass for them online, I was quickly admitted in and had a great
chat with Anna and Elsa. Both of them told me I reminded them of Olaf (which I
took as a compliment) and Elsa offered to give me my own personal snow cloud if
the heat became too intense for me. I laughed and thanked her for the generous
offer. I will definitely consider it for the future.
After leaving Anna and Elsa’s area, I decided to visit
Cinderella and Rapunzel (whose meet and greet area is next door to Anna and
Elsa). While I didn’t have a fastpass for them, the line moved fairly quickly
for a holiday weekend and it gave me a chance to admire the new layout of the
Princess Royal Hall. For any of the readers who remember the old Princess room
from Mickey’s Toontown Fair, this room is ten times more amazing. Not only is
the space bigger, but the room itself is ornately decorated with painting of
all the Disney Princesses (up to Rapunzel) as well as a beautiful replica of
Cinderella’s glass slipper that guests can take a picture with. Rapunzel and I
chatted first. She told me how she was very excited about the 4th of
July but wasn’t really sure what to expect in terms of the festivities. I told
her there would be fireworks that would look as beautiful as the lanterns that
were released for her birthday. She smiled and said it would be the best day
ever for her because Eugene was going to get a boat for them to watch it in and
buy more apples for Maximus. Afterwards, Cinderella and I talked about her
plans for the holiday. She said she planned to watch the fireworks from her
castle and told me to watch the sky because her fairy godmother had some
magical surprises in store for the celebration. She also asked me to make sure
her fairy godmother didn’t lose her wand or the magic would get out of hand. I
promised her that I would make sure things went smoothly and thanked her for
helping me believe in my dreams. She hugged me and told me to have a great
holiday.
My third stop (after having lunch at Be Our Guest) was to
see Merida. She gave me a big hug and admired my coat since the patterns
matched the ones on her sash (see picture below). She said she planned to watch
the fireworks with her parents and I advised her to make sure that her brothers
didn’t get in the way of the events. She smiled and said she’d make sure they
behaved themselves.
My last meet and greets were Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell.
Both of them can be found at the Town Square Theater (Pixie Hollow was
relocated from Adventure to the Town Square Theater in May of this year). Tink
was excited to hear all about the 4th of July festivities but like
Rapunzel, was a little vague on the details. I explained that it was very
similar to the Pixie Hollow Games in that two teams (England and America)
competed and America won and so now we celebrate the victory with fireworks,
just like when Rosetta and Chloe won the Pixie Hollow Games. She said she wanted to get a good seat for it
and said that she would tell Rosetta and the rest of her friends to watch the
sky. She also said she had some magic plan for that night too. After seeing
Tinker Bell, I headed next door to visit Mickey. For those who haven’t seen Mickey
since 2010, there’s a very special surprise waiting for you but I won’t spoil
it for you. Let’s just say he has a lot to say to the guests who visit him now.
Finally, I took my place near the castle and saw the amazing
fireworks! This was the first time I had seen the 4th of July
fireworks so I was very impressed with show! I can say that the fireworks rival
the ones in Wishes (and having seen that show numerous times) that says a lot
for a show I’ve only seen once. Well, if you’ve reached this part of the
article, it means you haven’t fallen asleep and I thank you for taking the time
to read my 4th of July adventures. Just a few tips. As I mentioned
before, Anna and Elsa’s wait time is extremely long so I advise getting a fast
pass months before your trip to ensure that you will be able to meet them. In
terms of attractions, while not previously mentioned in this article, the Seven
Dwarfs Mine Ride is spectacular but due to its popularity, is another
attraction that requires a fast pass for a guaranteed spot. In conclusion, the
4th of July festivities, like the other holiday events at the Disney
parks shouldn’t be missed. I recommend finding a spot either near or in front
of the castle for the fireworks, for, while the show can be seen all over the
Magic Kingdom, a front row seat makes it more comfortable and enjoyable for
everyone in the party, especially those with small children. That’s all for
this review. Be sure to join me next week for my review on Disney’s latest
theatrical release, “Planes: Fire and Rescue.”
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