NEWS: Disney Releases 4th of July Celebration Schedule

Let’s celebrate the United States of America – Disney World style! If you find yourself at the Disney World parks for the 4^th of July festivities there are many ways to celebrate the United State of America. Disney has released the details on the special activities to celebrate the 4th of July.

Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Shawn Slater:

Independence Day is coming up, and the parks at Walt Disney World Resort are planning to celebrate our nation’s birthday with some star-spangled salutes to America!

If you’re visiting Walt Disney World Resort for the 4th of July, here are some highlights of the special entertainment planned for that day:

• Magic Kingdom Park – “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” rockets into the air above – and all around – the park. This special, fireworks spectacular will be presented two nights in a row, at 9 p.m. on both July 3 and 4. You can also rock out each night to DJ dance parties in Tomorrowland and Frontierland, each a great location from which to catch the fireworks! The Muppets Present…Great Moments in History: Miss Piggy, Kermit, Fozzie Bear and friends reenact famous moments in American history in a whimsical way. The live show is performed daily in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom.
• Epcot – On July 4, enjoy special evening concerts of great American songs by Voices of Liberty at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the America Gardens Theater. Throughout the day, you can also meet Mickey and the gang in patriotic attire outside The American Adventure, and at 9 p.m. that night “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” joins the celebration with the addition of a heart-pounding, all-American grand finale!
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Spend the Fourth celebrating some of the great icons of American popular culture at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with “The Music of Pixar LIVE! A Symphony of Characters” at 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m., the all-new “Disney Movie Magic” experience at 9 p.m. and “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular” which takes to the skies at 9:30 p.m. with fireworks, lasers, projection effects and more!

Looks like the 4th of July is going to be a blast all across Walt Disney World Resort.

RELATED ARTICLE: Top 9 Holidays & Celebrations to Experience at Disney World

by Mike and Jamie Sylvester

It’s no secret that Disney World event planners know how to throw a party! From special ticketed events to general admission perks, Disney is all about having a good time! If you haven’t had a chance to enjoy your personal celebrations at Disney (such as your birthday or anniversary), we highly recommend you wait no more! On top of our own festivities, Disney has some incredible celebrations they invite all of us to join them for. So, let’s join the party with these top 9 Disney World’s holidays and celebrations.

9 – Independence Day

Let freedom ring at Disney Word! July 4 is one of the most popular times to be at Disney World so while we mention this as a great celebration, be sure to be prepared for extremely large crowds. In the past, Disney has offered special fireworks at Magic Kingdom on both July 3 and July 4 along with a special 4^th of July parade. Epcot’s American Adventure Pavilion around the World Showcase is another fun place to be with characters such as Mickey, Donald, and Goofy sporting their patriotic costumes!

8 – RunDisney

Yep, Disney even celebrates running… or power-walking in our case! There are several RunDisney events that take place at different times of the year including the Marathon Weekend (early January), Princess Half Marathon Weekend (late February), Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon (mid April), and the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend (early November). The very best part of running these events is the after party! Relax with great music, characters, and more. Our favorite after party was the Wine and Dine Half Marathon when they handed out beers at the finish line!

7 – Earth Day

Earth Day – a holiday typically missed… but not by Disney! In fact, did you know the Animal Kingdom theme park purposely opened on Earth Day (April 22)?! For the Earth Day weekend, Animal Kingdom holds a Party for the Planet presented by Disneynature that is included in your theme park admission. As if Animal Kingdom isn’t already focused on the beauty of the Earth, they throw this special celebration with extra opportunities to explore nature and wildlife. There are interactive activities, special entertainment, more animal encounters, fun merchandise, and a commemorate photo opportunity.

6 – May The “Forth”

Calling all Star Wars fans! Hollywood Studios has an extra special dose of Star Wars on May 4, in celebration of “May The Fourth (get it – sounds like Force) Be With You”! Included in your regular park admission, this is just an extra special day at Hollywood Studios for Star Wars fans to enjoy special merchandise, extra May 4^th shows and specials, and a stronger presence of Star Wars characters. In other words – it’s a good time to get together with fellow Star Wars fans and have an epic time!

5 – Galactic Nights

Previously ending in 2015, Star Wars Weekends are on the return as of April 2017 but with a slight change. No longer included in the general park admission, guests now need a special ticket for the Star Wars: Galactic Nights. The first Star Wars: Galactic Night took place on April 17, 2017 with the admission fee of $129 plus tax for the 7pm – midnight event. Star Wars celebrities, behind the scenes of Star Wars films, interactive scavenger hunt, park access to multiple attractions, photo ops, parades, fireworks – all the works… and all Star Wars themed!

4 – Villains

Celebrating Villains?! Well, at Disney – the bad guys do in fact get a party! Hollywood Studios is the place to be for a Villain-full celebration known as Club Villain. Club Villain is a special ticketed event that typically takes place on select Friday and Saturday nights in early September through late October. Filled with evil performances, to die for food, bewitching cocktails, and legendary Disney Villains – it’s a memorable event worth checking out.

3 – The Arts

You don’t have to be an avid art follower to enjoy Epcot’s newest festival which celebrates the arts! With the first year a great success, Epcot plans to hold the International Festival of the Arts again in January and February of 2018. Known as the “ultimate cultural celebration”, guests visiting Epcot with valid park admission have a chance to explore masterpieces of visual art, live performance arts, and tasty culinary arts. Special weekend workshops and seminars are available as well (sometimes at an extra cost) so you can let your creative side go!

2 – The Seasons

We head back to Epcot to celebrate our favorite seasons with two annual festivals that have been crowd favorites for years. Spring is celebrated with the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (early March – late May) while fall holds the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival (late August – early November). The Flower and Garden Festival exudes all things spring with their breathtaking topiaries, thousands of flowers, outdoors kitchen exhibits, concert series, and more. The Food and Wine Festival is probably our favorite as the cool fall weather in Florida is the perfect time to walk around Epcot’s World Showcase to taste and drink the variety of cuisines offered from multiple pavilions. These two festivals are included in your park admission and are the perfect way to celebrate the seasons!

1 – Halloween and Christmas

Halloween and Christmas are the biggest celebrations to come to Disney World! Not only do the parks go big with incredible decorations, but Disney Springs and even the Resorts jump in on these holiday action. The most popular way to celebrate these two holidays is by purchasing a special event ticket to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (select nights between late August – early November) and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (select nights between mid November – late December). Both of these parties have special fireworks, characters, parades, and merchandise. Put these parties on your must-do Disney list!