The 4th of July Fireworks & a Magical Moment!
Around 8:00 p.m., we found ourselves wandering around Fantasyland toward Tomorrowland. We happened to walk by the
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and noticed that the line was still about a 3 1/2 hour wait.
It looked like Nemo was going to be a "no-go" for us on this trip. As much as we both would have liked to experience it, we just weren't willing to stand in that long of a line.
It just meant that we would have to plan a return trip!!!
We continued our journey until we hit a mass amount of people!!!
Being the 4th of July, people had started claiming their fireworks seats EARLY and the park was rapidly filling up.
Even though we had
VIP seating, we still wanted to head to the platform early to claim our seats. Plus, we figured it wouldn't be half-bad to get out of the crowd!!!
We made it to the train station at around 8:30 p.m. We were the first to arrive for the "roped-off" section, so we claimed the benches that were front and center.
It was quite fun to people-watch! The crowds were getting larger by the moment and there was so much action around us. I snapped a couple pictures of the castle from up top......notice the crowds, particularly in the 2nd shot!
As we quietly laughed and talked amongst ourselves, we noticed many people trying to "sneek in" to the VIP seats. They were promptly "kicked out" by the CM's. We received a few angry glares from some of the unhappy people who were not able to join us in the section, so we were actually quite relieved when another couple showed up. The man, who was pushing his wife in a wheelchair, asked if we minded if they sat next to us for the fireworks. We happily motioned for them to join us, and we quickly became fast friends.
I think we talked the entire time until the fireworks began. The woman was re-cooping from chemo treatments, after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Even though she was quite ill, her husband wanted to take her on a "Dream-Filled" Vacation. She told us that her doctor gave her less than a year to live, and she wanted to enjoy the rest of her life to the fullest!
She truly was an inspiration to both Chris and I!
The four of us continued to chat like old friends and got a good laugh when the CM told a group of people that the VIP seating was for their "Celebrity Clientele." Hardly...
However, we did watch Jason Lee and his family sneek into the section about 2 minutes prior to the start of the fireworks.
Soon, the fireworks began and all I can say is SPECTACULAR!!!
The "Dreams Come True" Fireworks were amazing once again, and the special 4th of July fireworks were truly magical. This was definitely our BEST 4th of July to date!!!
Here is a clip that features the 4th of July fireworks finale...
At the conclusion of the fireworks, we sat and talked with our new friends for about 10-15 minutes, since we knew it would be near impossible to head down into the crowds and make it out of the park. We were comfy, we had great conversation going, and we were content just sitting around for a few.
Our new friends were going to be in DL for the next 3 days, and we were giving them the low-down on all of the great shows and rides to see.
They happened to ask about the Nemo ride, being that "Nemo" was one of their granddaughter's favorite movies. We mentioned that we didn't ride it due to long lines. They continued on by saying, "We were thinking of heading over there right now...would you like to join us?" They also said that they were able to get right on all of the rides due to the wheelchair/illness.
We politely declined, not wanting to abuse the "power of the wheelchair" at a park. They basically
scolded us and said that they would be
offended if we didn't go with them, since we were their
new friends. We smiled and agreed to join them!
Rather than fighting the crowds down below, we decided to hop on the train to head over to Nemo. Being nighttime, the air was a bit brisk, but we enjoyed the ride all the same. As we unloaded the train and approached Nemo, we noticed that the wait was still over 3 hours long!
We quickly joined the line with our "new friends,"
and boarded the ride in about 3 minutes.
What a cute, cute ride! We LOVED it.......the special effects were fabulous and the company made it even more special!
After departing the ride, we sadly said our goodbyes and shared many smiles and hugs.
Our new friends told us how "special" we had made their night and we told them that our evening was so "magical" due to them!
Chris and I smiled at each other as we walked away. We glanced back once, only to watch our friends disappearing into the crowd behind us. We thought about catching a few more rides on our last night, but soon decided against it. I mean, what could top riding Nemo? We felt like we were floating on air as we headed back to the CCI.
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On our final morning, we slept in, got picked up by the
Disneyland Express, and headed to the airport. We were relieved to have an "uneventful" flight home.
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Looking back, we have some fond memories of our California trip that will indeed, last a lifetime. California is a beautiful state, and we were fortunate to see so many of the wonderful places that it showcases. Disney was and is always so MAGICAL, and we feel thankful to have shared in the magic of the "Original Park."
Thank you to all my readers who followed me on this journey!!!