I used to love the July 4th holiday when I was a kid. First of all, it was summer - no school. Secondly, what could be better for a kid than having a holiday that served up kid's favorites like hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and watermelon. And finally there was the explosion of fireworks out in street in front of the house after it got dark. For me, the 4th of July probably ranked right behind Christmas in the holiday pecking order. It was one of those rights of passage of a kid when you were finally allowed to light off a firework as opposed to being relagated to just watching. It was great.
As I got older, the tradition of family, food, and fireworks contiued for the most part but then I began footing the bill for that cloud of smoke at the end of the night. Mrs. DisneylandTraveler got into it so much that she began reading reviews of fireworks and we would go from stand to stand to stand picking out certain fireworks from each manufacturer (Red Devil, TNT, Phantom, etc.). But there it was, all my hard earned money at about 9:30 at night, just a cloud of smoke and pile of debris. Well I could take a little solice in the fact that firework sales (where its still allowed) went to support community organizations and churches.
The tradition of lighting off fireworks for our family ended a few years ago. The boy got older and had more adult things to think about. For me and Mrs. DisneylandTravel, well we had seen so many firework displays at Disneyland over the last several years that we came to realize the nothing the 4th of July could offer anywhere else in terms of firework displays could ever match what Disneyland shoots off on most nights of the year (wind and weather permitting of course). I don't ever plan on spending another dollar at a local firework stand (sorry girl scouts, you can still hit me up for cookies in the spring). So that is how Disneyland has brought an end to one aspect of my 4th of July. There's still the hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and watermelon though. And dreams of my next trip to Disneyland when I watch my next fantastic display of fireworks.
(I don't know if it's true or not bu the rumor is that a nightly display of fireworks at Disneyland is around 50 grand)
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