Best Spot for the Parade of Dreams?

[disney-inspired]

We usually NEVER sit and watch the parade but this time it's just my BFF and myself and she is a BIG parade, show & firework fan. I caught part of it last time but didn't have the best spot.

So this is really a two-part question because besides the best location (which I think would be in the center by the Partners statue) when would be the best time?
The 3:30p or the 6:30p show?

Thanks a bunch friends

 

[davidsprincess]

We sat right near IASW and had an awsome view as that is where the parade started. I don't know if it still starts from there since they closed down ISAW. We saw the 3:30 show and loved it. Hope that helps!

 

[disney-inspired]

We sat right near IASW and had an awsome view as that is where the parade started. I don't know if it still starts from there since they closed down ISAW. We saw the 3:30 show and loved it. Hope that helps!

When I caught it last week, it started on Main St.

 

[Armadillo4]

On a 2-parade day, the 3:30pm parade starts at IASW and works it's way to the front of the park and Main St. USA. Since the floats are now at the front of the park, the 6:30pm parade re-traces it's steps: starting at Town Square and works it's way back to IASW. I'm not certain of the direction on a 1-parade day (during the off-season), but I'm guessing it's from IASW to Main St. USA.

As far as the "best time", there are plusses and minuses for each. The 3:30pm is out in more sunlight and thus great for picture-taking. The 6:30pm parade has more shade, so it's generally cooler and easier to wait for. These are generalizations but fair IMHO.

As far as the best location? Is there a particular float or character(s) that you and your BFF like? POD has short "show stops" where the parade comes to a halt and a dance/performance scene takes place. I think it does this three times during the whole route. If you're big fans of a particular character or float, it's nice to find a spot where that float stops so you can experience those characters for an extended period of time. Also great for more photo ops. I'll try to dig up an old post from somewhere that lists the approx. locations of each float during it's show stop.

 

[bumbershoot]

I really like watching it from in front of the bathrooms over "behind" or around the corner from Alice, on the way from FL towards TL. Not only do you have bathrooms, but there's only one side for people so all of the characters have only one way to look.

 

[pixiewings71]

We like watching it from IASW when it starts there at 3:30. We haven't tried it where Bumbershoot suggests but I imagine that would be a great place too.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Last time we sat a curb on Main Street near the entrace facing the train station for the 3:30 parade. The only thing that I didn't like was the parade started at IASW, so since we were where the parade ended, we waited a little longer. But besides that, we had a perfect view. The parade was fantastic! If you don't mind waiting, I highly recommend it. We waited about 30 mintues, DBF went and got us some pretzels and Cherry Coke while I was holding our spot...

 

[mystic_path]

I really like watching it from in front of the bathrooms over "behind" or around the corner from Alice, on the way from FL towards TL. Not only do you have bathrooms, but there's only one side for people so all of the characters have only one way to look.

LOL this is my favorite spot too.


Also although the parades are the same, the costumes and floats look different in different lighting. Like when it gets dark out, the floats and costumes have a glow to them thats really magical. I really like watching the evening parades.

 

[Armadillo4]

I'll try to dig up an old post from somewhere that lists the approx. locations of each float during it's show stop.

Found it. This comes from another Disney message board from the user PanFan. Credit goes to her. There are three show stops, hence the 1, 2, 3 listed for each float. And make note of which parade time that you want to watch, as the locations are different. I hope some folks find this helpful!

Parade Route from IASW to Main Street (first parade of the day--3:30 on days with two parades, 7:00 on a one-parade day):

Peter Pan/Tinkerbell/Main St. Train Station
1) Just below the Matterhorn before Triton Gardens
2) Next to Coke Corner
3) Just before the parade exit in front of the Mad Hatter shop

Beauty and the Beast
1) Near the bathrooms below Alice in Wonderland across from the Matterhorn
2) South side of the Hub
3) In front of the Main Street Train Station

Pinocchio/Gepetto's Float
1) Between the Mad Tea Party and Alice in Wonderland.
2) South side of the Tomorrowland entrance, by the Plaza Inn
3) Near City Hall

Little Mermaid - Ariel
1) In front of the Mad Tea Party
2) North side of the Tomorrowland entrance
3) Near the Fire House

Little Mermaid - Ursula
1) In front of Storybook Land
2) Near Triton Gardens
3) Across from the Emporium

Alice in Wonderland
1) Between Storybook Land and Small World
2) Just above Triton Gardens, below the Matterhorn
3) Near the Music Shop

Lion King
1) In front of the entrance to Small World
2) By the Alice restrooms
3) In front of the Market House on Main Street

Castle/Mickey/Minnie/Aurora/Snow White/Cinderella
1) In front of the queue for Small World (though sometimes the IASW lead will open viewing in the queue if the parade leaves from IASW, don't count on this)
2) Next to Alice in Wonderland
3) At the end of Main Street near Coke Corner


Parade Route from Main Street to IASW (6:30 ONLY on days there are two parades):

Peter Pan/Tinkerbell/Main St. Train Station
1) By Coke Corner
2) In front of Alice in Wonderland
3) In front of the queue for Small World (again, you usually can't watch from here; I've never seen them open it for a parade starting at MS)

Beauty and the Beast
1) By the Penny Arcade
2) Near the restrooms below Alice in Wonderland
3) In front of the entrance to Small World

Pinocchio/Gepetto's Float
1) Near the Music Shop
2) North side of Triton Gardens, just below the Matterhorn
3) Between Small World and Storybook Land

Little Mermaid - Ariel
1) Near the Emporium
2) South side of Triton Gardens
3) Just above Storybook Land

Little Mermaid - Ursula
1) Near the Fire House
2) Near the Tomorrowland entrance
3) In front of Storybook Land

Alice in Wonderland
1) Between the City Hall and the Main Street Train Station
2) By the Plaza Inn
3) In front of the Mad Tea Party

Lion King
1) Between the Main Street Train Station and the Opera House
2) South side of the Hub
3) Next to Alice in Wonderland

Castle/Mickey/Minnie/Aurora/Snow White/Cinderella
1) In front of the Mad Hatter on Main Street
2) By Coke Corner
3) By the Alice restrooms and just below the Matterhorn

One final point: this is generally what happens. Probably 95% of the time. However, different factors can cause things to change. When it gets really hot, they will do fewer or even no show stops. If it rains, they may not even have the parade at all. I've seen it where they had all three stops, but they weren't in the usual place. Just wanted to give you a heads up that, as with all things Disney, everything is "subject to change without notice."

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Here is a description of each float which was also originally posted by PanFan (a CM at Disneyland) along with the info. about the float stops. (Thanks Armadillo4 for posting that!) We used this info. on our last trip and it worked out great!



1) Peter Pan driving the train with Mickey floral (also with Tinker Bell, Blue Fairy, Fairy Godmother, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, and now Merlin). For the show stop, Peter gets out of the train and all the characters (except Tinker Bell) do a dance routine.

2) Beauty and the Beast (Belle, Beast, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Cogsworth, and an entourage of plates, forks, knives, and spoons). Show stop is primarily a dance routine.

3) Geppetto acting as puppeteer to two live marionettes with Russian "bungee flippers" (also with Jiminy Cricket, Cleo, Pinocchio, Foulfellow, Gideon, and an entourage of wind-up toys). Show stop involves dance routine, but also raising of the bungee tower for some awesome flipping stunts. This is my favorite show stop.

4) Ariel (live Ariel atop an underwater world with Flounder and Sebastian, led by dancing seaweed and pearls). Show stop involved dance routine by those on the ground. Ariel can't do too much but sing along from atop her perch.

5) Ursula (huge Sea Witch float led by black pearls and Flotsom and Jetsum). Again, the show stop is dancing by those on the ground, though I find it pretty funny watching this huge robotic Ursula singing along to "Welcome to our family time! Welcome to our brotherly time!" while normally she's taunting everyone.

6) Alice in Wonderland (Caterpillar and various Wonderland creatures adorn the float as Alice and the Mad Hatter play with each other. It's led by very tall bouncing flowers, playing cards, the Queen of Hearts, Tweedle Dee [or Dum] in a tea cup, and the White Rabbit on roller blades). During the show stop, Alice and the Mad Hatter come down from the float while the playing cards come up and do gymnastics on the trampoline in the float's center. This is my second favorite show stop.

7) Lion King (Rafiki, Simba, Nala, Pumbaa, Zazu and birds on the float led by Timon and a host of African animals). Show stop includes raising of the tree the birds are attached to so they can perform stunts on their rope. This is my third favorite show stop.

8) The castle (Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Donald, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella all on the float with Goofy and the Seven Dwarfs leading the way). Show stop is primarly a dance routine