..

[C.Ann]

.....................

 

[Deb & Bill]

Don't stake out your spot where everyone says to stake it out - that's where we have had the most problems. Stay away from the area between Sleepy Hollow and Hall of Presidents. It's narrow there and people always want to squeeze in, no matter what time you arrived and they arrive. Find an area where there is either a lot of space behind you or no space behind you. Along Frontierland is a good space. If you can see a later parade, that's also preferable. Find your space early on, stay there - either stand the entire time or sit the entire time. Keep it close and don't leave any space between you and your family members. People will squeeze in or push you to get the space.

If you have a family member in a wheelchair, get to your handicap space early to get a front space.

If you don't have a family member in a wheelchair, stay out of the handicap viewing spaces. A CM will just move you out.

 

[kelljacques@aol.com]

WEe sit up on the deck near the train station. My mom sits there early(1 hour before parade starts) while I take my son on atrain ride. This works out great for us. You can even get a table and chairs to sit on.

 

[Ronda93]

If you want to sit ona curb, I have had terrific luck bringing a towel. If you spread it out and sit, it seems to form an invisible barrier. People who would normally run their foot right up under your rear will not step on your property (even if it belongs to the hotel : ).

You can sit on the curb and not have someone's kneecap right behind your head. Also remember to puff up... We use this as a joke now, but don't sit down and have your DGD leaning against you.... that's eight inches lost to the crowd. Leave a good foot or so between members of your party. That allows for condensing that doesn't require the use of your lap.

Good luck.

 

[WDWAurora]

I think a lot of the problems are the exception, not the rule. These things do happen, but it is not something that will DEFINITELY happen, if that makes sense. It could, but hopefully not. That being said, I think on the curb on mainstreet is one of the best places (which requires sitting VERY early) because there are a lot of cast members around for crowd control and souveneir sales, which makes it more difficult for things to get crazy, and if you're in the front row, you can more easily get attention should you need it. I think the towel sounds like an EXCELLENT idea, and that people are a lot less likely to step on your property.

My grandparents have also enjoyed sitting at the train station. They said it was very relaxing, with a great view of the parade!

 

[il-gander]

We had a great experience with the train station platform last week for Spectromagic. It does require being there very early to nab the spots, but it is really worth it.

We toured MK for the day last Monday, then took the monorail to Ohana for dinner and got back around 6:30 (Spectro was at 9 pm). The DH was perfectly comfortable sitting and waiting, so he went up and grabbed 4 chairs right in front of the rail and my DDs and I explored Main St. for an hour or so. DH reported that we could probably have waited until about 7 pm to get the seats. By the time we got back there were two more rows of chairs behind us.

The viewing from the platform is nice because it is elevated above the curbside crowd, and of course nobody can try to squeeze in front of you or your children when you have a chair in front of a railing! You can see all of the Spectro floats come out onto Main St., take the circle and then continue down the street. It was also great for viewing FITS without having to stand shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other people. We just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed! It is also very close to the entrance, and we were on about the 3rd monorail to the TTC after FITS ended, very easy journey out of the MK.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Are the towels long lost cousins of the chalk people??

 

[kilee]

We really like the curb seats, DS really enjoys being pulled into the parade when they stop the floats. Back in February we claimed a spot about and hour early on Main St for the afternoon parade. Where we were, was between a garbage can and a roped off corner. There was enough room for us and maybe one more person comfortably. Well as it started packing in there was a family behind us with 2 kids. We scrunched over so the kids could sit on the curb next to us as well. Then about 5 minutes before the parade started a women from across the street decided she wanted to videotape her grandchildrens reactions to the parade from across the street. So she went ahead and stood in the street right in front of us. Well, a CM told her to move so of course she took one step. They then asked her to move again. She actually turned around and pretty much sat on the laps of these other 2 kids next to us. There was not an inch to be had to begin with. The kids were getting so upset because she was literally half on them. (By this time the crowd behind us was 4-5 people deep). The little boy just got up and his father held him. What was really aggrivating was that the same CM stood right there and did nothing. She should of been removed to the back of the pack. DH and I said nothing because we felt is was really the other parents place to do so. I do have to admit though that we kept waving dramatically to the characters purposely putting our arms and hands in front of her videocamera.

I do find that you are always going to find the handful of people who want a prime spot at the last second. And they are usually ignorant enough to try and squeeze their way to it.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

and of course nobody can try to squeeze in front of you or your children when you have a chair in front of a railing!

Wanna bet! My son and I waited nearly 2 hours on the train station platform and sat in 2 chairs right in front of the railing. As the parade time drew closer, so did the crowd around us. I noticed some elderly people leaning against the railing about 5 yards from where we were seated. Well, I couldn't just SIT there. We got the seats down to them. Now we were standing. Ok, no big deal. Then came the late pushers. My son and I held our ground, but it's annoying to have to deal with inappropriate behavior in a "family" environment. As the parade started, I peered behind us and noticed a couple of kids buried within the crowd. I gave them my place by the railing and stood behind them while my son remained where he had been for the last 2+ hours. As the parade continued a few adults tried to push my son out of what they deemed to be their way. My goodness - it's Disney for heaven's sake. I am not quiet in those instances and have found a stern voice with a no-nonsense attitude a good antedote to rude behavior.

 

[BethC1952]

Buckaroo's Dad said:

... stern voice with a no-nonsense attitude a good antedote to rude behavior.

...and he's right! I use what my family calls my "schoolteacher look". I pull my glasses down my nose and look over them with a very mean frown, then roll my eyes. When I was teaching kindergarten, the kids loved it! Of course, they knew that my "look was worse than my yell"! It works wonders, though, with people who don't know me!

We found a great spot last December, just by accident! We were headed back from Liberty Square to Main Street over that little bridge when they closed it off for SpectroMagic. We stood for a moment to take a picture of the castle, and realized that the parade would come right in front of us in about 20 minutes. We were righ next to the bridge. No one could get behind us because they'd fall in the water, no one could get in front of us because we were really behind the bridge wall. It was great...looking at my pictures now I can see that I'm going to try that same spot next year!

Beth

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

Does anything bring out more inappropriate behavior than a parade?!?!

During our last trip we were sitting just off to the side of a viewing area for wheelchairs and and noticed an empty chair parked there. The space continued to fill up around the chair and a few minutes before the Main Street Electrical Parade started, four adults carrying a disabled boy, who appeared to be about 10 years old, showed up. They ALL wanted to sit in this space and started going after some of the people in chairs who "took the spaces they saved"!

Sometimes it's very difficult to keep your mouth shut!

 

[CarolA]

C. Ann,

If I remember correctly you are going earlier in December. I have gone NUMEROUS times during that period and really never had a problem. It is just not as crowded. I find the curb works well and the only issues I have ever had are with people "leaning" towards me, but I think that is more accidental in their excitement then on purpose. I like to camp next to a trashcan so I can lean against it!