Paint the Night Parade and Disneyland Forever Fireworks Strategy

[T0rrent]

We did both the fireworks and Paint the Night on Sunday. We decided we were going to go to IASM to watch both. The first paint the night was going on, so we were kind of stuck while waiting for it to clear. What we ended up doing though was we saw a couple of spots open up behind some trash cans that we quickly snagged. This gave us an excellent view of the fireworks (but could not see the projections on the wall, but could see nemo and tinkerbell fly from matterhorn to the castle) and for the parade, it ensured that my wife, who is short had no one really in front of her as no one is going to occupy a space behind a trash can, and the kids on the sidewalk were sitting, so pretty much a perfect view of the parade. Total camp time was essentially just fireworks to parade start. So a little over an hour.

 

[Astylla]

We did both the fireworks and Paint the Night on Sunday. We decided we were going to go to IASM to watch both. The first paint the night was going on, so we were kind of stuck while waiting for it to clear. What we ended up doing though was we saw a couple of spots open up behind some trash cans that we quickly snagged. This gave us an excellent view of the fireworks (but could not see the projections on the wall, but could see nemo and tinkerbell fly from matterhorn to the castle) and for the parade, it ensured that my wife, who is short had no one really in front of her as no one is going to occupy a space behind a trash can, and the kids on the sidewalk were sitting, so pretty much a perfect view of the parade. Total camp time was essentially just fireworks to parade start. So a little over an hour.

My husband beat me to posting this LOL. If you want a clear view of the IASW projections I would advise going down as far down to IASW as possible , near where the Merida meet and greet was , down below by the railing are half concrete benches that would likely give a better view but given the high crowd level I was very happy with our choices. There were significantly less people at the 11pm parade so if that's an option I highly recommend it. The great part about this area is there are several food and drink vendors close by. This is by far my favorite parade and should not be missed.

 

[BeccaG]

Here now. About 80-85% of curbside viewing I can see claimed for Paint the Night tonight at 850 within 20-30 minutes of the afternoon parade. Probably 50% taken by those who had curb seating for Soundsation. So if you want the curb for Paint the Night, plan to watch Soundsation and grab your spot then. Also, per CMs once folks are asked to stand you cannot hold curb spots for those in your party. Interested in how they will enforce that or allow potty breaks.

 

[BeccaG]

Ok, now they are saying your party has to be in place at 830. May be related to where you are sitting. We're at Coke Corner....

 

[RobynPrincess]

Was there today and I saw CMs picking up unoccupied blankets, folding them up and putting them to the side ; pushing abandoned stroller into parking areas. I asked if that was the new policy and they answered "yes"! They stated "when the park it is that busy it is not fair, it blocks walk ways and takes up space where people can sit." So no saving places... for now at least.

I was there for the 24 hour event, plenty of blanket saving going on. I really don't think it's fair.

 

[mom2rtk]

I was there for the 24 hour event, plenty of blanket saving going on. I really don't think it's fair.

That's not good to hear. I was optimistic after someone else posted they had changed that policy. Hopefully they're still ironing out the kinks.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Someone asked about which side of IASM to sit on. I'd face IASM from across the walkway. If you go into the first row of the raised area across the way, you get a really good view of the parade. But, for the fireworks, it's better to be closer to IASM. So, I think it depends on your priority.

I know blanket saving stinks, but what about when some of your party members need to go to the bathroom or get dinner? Can one person hold down the fort so to speak for 10-20 minutes as long as it isn't a prolonged time? I didn't have to worry about this when I went solo, but I'm taking my kids in August and it will be a whole different ballgame.

 

[RobynPrincess]

That's not good to hear. I was optimistic after someone else posted they had changed that policy. Hopefully they're still ironing out the kinks.

I hope they are too, I feel very strongly that it's not a fair thing to do, nor would I do it myself.

 

[VandVsmama]

There is no way I am going to sit on a curb for 5 hours just for a parade. What do you want to bet these are southern CA locals catching the parade before the AP block out days start?

Perhaps we will just plan on seeing Soundsational and will skip Paint The Night parade. We can probably still see fireworks though from Fantasyland. Oh well, we will get more ride time that way.

 

[DLmama]

We watched Paint the Night on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, we found a great spot right in front of Disney Clothiers around 6pm. DS ended up sitting on the curb and I stood right behind him, with DH behind me. After the parade, everyone spilled into the street for fireworks. The fireworks were awesome, but it was so packed on Main St, they were hard to really enjoy. I'm short and couldn't see the projections on the castle.

Sunday, DS wanted to watch the parade and fireworks again. We weren't willing to invest the same amount of time, so we tried to find a spot near it's a small world. This was about 30 minutes before the parade started. We ended up on the platform across from the ride, towards the back. When it started, the people in front of us stood up on the ledge and we had a bit of a hard time seeing. DS stood up on the short fence since there wasn't anyone behind us and had a great view. Watching the fireworks from there was a completely different experience, that we actually enjoyed much more than we had the previous night. The projections are also shown on it's a small world, which helped bring the whole concept together. Also, make sure you can see the Matterhorn mountain. We couldn't the first night and didn't know we had missed something really cool.

 

[Beamo2014]

We were just there on Memorial Day but had to leave early and missed both PTN and the fireworks, going back next Friday and I was really hoping that we could catch them then and that things wouldn't be too crazy. Our youngest is 19 months now though and it is very difficult to keep him distracted for long periods of time so its getting harder to even try and stake out a good spot for parades these days. It was so much nicer when he was younger and would sleep for hours at a time....

I noticed no one really mentioned any of the benches. I think I have noticed that those get filled up pretty quickly now a days. With three small children and being short myself our best bet would be a bench or a curb, or else we don't get to see much.

 

[AustinTink]

How is the crowd for the 11pm showing? We are not going to attempt the earlier showing of the parade.

 

[ter-moo]

We were there Monday (Memorial Day). People were already two-three deep saving places 3-4 hours before the parade started. We squeezed in the back about 35 minutes before it started and could see just fine. We happened to be with friendly people who were accommodating and helped the children get in front of the tall adults. That's not always the case, unfortunately. Once the parade was over, the C.M.'s just had everyone stand up and move into the middle of the Main Street for the fireworks. That was squishier and harder to see that night because of the crowds, but it was fine. SOOOOO much is going on for that fireworks show that there's always SOMETHING to look at, even if you don't see everything! (and I'm not sure you COULD see everything in one showing, even if you were the only one in the street!)

As we were leaving the park (around 10:30), it seemed like fewer people were saving spots for the 11:00 parade. There was definitely room behind the curb-sitters pretty much everywhere, so if you can stay up that late, it's probably a more pleasant time to go.

 

[daisyx3]

We will be at DL/DCA in a few weeks. We are going from San Diego on a Wednesday afternoon, spending Wednesday and Thursday nights at CCI, then leaving late Friday back to San Diego (we are visiting our daughter, 23, and taking our son, 17).
My daughter went for two days last year and said we need to see World of Color. Is that different than the new Paint the Night? If so, is one better than the other?
And for the fireworks and nighttime parades, are FPs available or do we have to queue up and sit there for a couple of hours?
Just wondering because we have never been and since she and her husband are moving back to the midwest in the fall, we may never be back, so my main focus is the DL rides that are not at WDW, then the ones that are better at DL. I don't want to sit around waiting for parades and fireworks.
Daisyx3

 

[SMD]

There is FP for WOC and F! There is currently no FP for Paint the Night and Fireworks. The shows only started on Friday and so far people have been camping out for most of the day. It's really too early to say what the crowds for the shows will be like once the summer blockouts start for the lower level APs. Right now people are rushing to see them because it's their own chance for awhile. I think with 2 adults and a 17 year old you're in a good position because you can see over people and you can split up a little if you can't find 3 good spots right together.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

World of Color is a water and light show that takes place inside California Adventure. It has been running for a while but they just introduced a new 60th anniversary show, so it will be different from the show that your daughter saw, but should still be good. You will need to get a FP for it and then show up for the section and time listed on the FP. You can also choose from some dining packages that offer reserved viewing areas. Note that everyone must stand for the show, no sitting on the ground (you can sit while you wait).

Fantasmic! used to be staking out a spot hours before, but now it uses FP as well. There are dining packages available for this show as well, with the Blue Bayou package guaranteeing a seated view of the show (on the ground with a provided cushion), and the Riverbelle Terrace package likely providing ground seating as well (it does not say it is guaranteed).

Both of these FPs are disconnected from the ride FPs, meaning you can continue to get ride FPs throughout the day even though the shows aren't until the evening.

Paint the Night is a brand new parade that is very popular and for which people have been staking out spots for hours (no FPs). The fireworks show is also brand new, popular, and has no FP. I haven't been yet, but supposedly the fireworks are good from multiple locations in the park, rather than just Main Street as before. If you watch Fantasmic!, usually the fireworks happen right after and if you stay in your same spot you will get a good view.

As for whether World of Color or the parade is better...I haven't seen the new shows so I can't really say. I am more interested in seeing the parade just because it's something different and there haven't been any night parades for a while.

 

[figment_jii]

My daughter went for two days last year and said we need to see World of Color. Is that different than the new Paint the Night? If so, is one better than the other?

It is worth noting that a new version of World of Color debuted last Friday along with the new parade (Paint the Night) and fireworks show (Disneyland Forever). So the show your daughter saw last year is no longer being presented. The new show is getting somewhat tempered reviews, but I think the basic structure is the same. I haven't seen the new show, but nothing has indicated that they've improved the viewing area, so I'd guess the same issues remain (if you're short, seeing the show is difficult).

And for the fireworks and nighttime parades, are FPs available or do we have to queue up and sit there for a couple of hours?

As others have said, there are no FPs for the fireworks or parade, so you will have to stake out a spot if you want one. Guests start lining the parade route from mid-morning to see the new parade. If you are okay with a further back spot, you can probably wait until a few hours before the show to find a spot. Fireworks has many more viewing areas. DLR deliberately scheduled the fireworks to start almost as soon as the parade and F! end so that guests watch the fireworks from wherever they are, rather than try to move around (F! ends at 9:22, the parade at 9:25 pm, and fireworks starts at 9:30 pm). The fireworks are designed to be viewed from Main Street, IaSW Mall, and the F! viewing areas. Each area has different benefits and drawbacks.

Just wondering because we have never been and since she and her husband are moving back to the midwest in the fall, we may never be back, so my main focus is the DL rides that are not at WDW, then the ones that are better at DL. I don't want to sit around waiting for parades and fireworks.

I think you can probably see the fireworks without sacrificing too much time (if you're willing to have a non-prime spot), but the PtN parade and WoC show will require more time. I'd say, you'd need to put in at least an hour for the second parade, much more for the first parade and at least 1.5 to 2.0 hours for WoC. You can find a lot of good info about WoC (not the show necessarily, but the set-up and viewing area) in the WoC SuperThread. In terms of the parade, the minimum wait is probably going to be for the second parade. If you watch the fireworks from somewhere on the parade route (e.g., Main Street) and move immediately to the parade spot after fireworks ends, you have a good chance of getting a front row spot (but you will have to wait about an hour for the parade).

As a WDW Vet, I suggest taking a look at HydroGuy's DLR Guide for WDW Vets to get a sense of what is similar and what is different between the two resorts, including the attractions.

 

[iKristin]

I watched the 11PM showing last night, got in place at 10:53 lol. There was a small roped off corner between the fire station and the Emporium that only had a couple people standing in it so I had a front row seat

 

[AustinTink]

I like what I'm hearing about availability at 11. We are night owls so this will definitely work for us.

 

[Disney Kidd]

I went to Disneyland last night to watch The Paint the Night parade and fireworks. The parade started at 8:50. A Cast Member told me that you want to be sitting down by 7pm to get a spot in Main Street. The area by It's a Small World is less crowded. There was another parade at 11pm that night, and you could get a spot a few minutes beforehand, no problem. I didn't want to sit for two hours so I strolled into Main Street at 8:30. Definitely no spots left, but I ended up watching it from inside the Emporium and by walking back and forth on the walking path. I could basically see the whole thing! Once the parade is over, you fill in the space of the parade route for the fireworks. This is important: YOU MUST HAVE A VIEW OF THE MATTERHORN AND CASTLE! I was on the walking path towards the end of parade and filed in directly in front of the castle. Be ready to fill up the space at the end of the parade because it filled up instantly!