Trust me, it took a bit of getting used to for me as well hitting 2 buttons in succession, but it really worked out for me in the end. I think what I'm usually doing after the launch is just holding up to get Kitty to jump ASAP, then mashing both punch buttons in rapid succession.
Idk how you do it, but ofr almost every fighting game I play, I have to mash the same button 50 times just to make sure it comes out. I'll press tons of extra buttons if I need to lol.
Yeah after the bounce, 4, fan does not require a dash. The 4, lift will though. I tend to use 2, lift instead for the sake of it being much easier to time, having much more reach, and not even sacrificing a whole lot of damage (2%). I do not recommend using EX lift for the sake of a bnb combo. Meter is too precious.
This is all my experience from online as well, so yeah, it can work.