Best viewing spot for parades and fireworks

[rpmdpm]

I've searched through a couple of threads but cant find my answer. I am going to Disneyland on Wednesday 9/9. PTN is at 8pm with the fireworks after at 8:35. Where is the best spot to go to watch both without moving? I'm hoping to go early (maybe 45 minutes before) and save a spot for my group of 4 adults and 3 little ones. Where should I attempt to go? Thanks in advance.
Also, could you see fireworks and parade from the plaza inn?

 

[figment_jii]

It's hard to say at this point what the crowds will be like for fireworks and PtN, once PtN drops down to a single showing and the summer scheduling ends. Right now, while the parks are still busy with summer crowds, it's fairly unlikely you could find a prime viewing spot for 7 people only 45 minutes before the show starts. You can see both shows from the same spot if you view them from It's a Small World Mall or somewhere along Main Street.

In terms of the Plaza Inn, you can see some of the higher fireworks and have an obstructed view of the parade. I would not try to see the parade or fireworks from the Plaza Inn, unless you don't mind missing parts of the shows.

 

[pixleyyy]

I'm right there with you rpmdpm. We are going 9/13-16 and I have no idea what the (hopefully) lower crowds will do to availability of seating areas.

 

[Geemo]

I've searched through a couple of threads but cant find my answer. I am going to Disneyland on Wednesday 9/9. PTN is at 8pm with the fireworks after at 8:35. Where is the best spot to go to watch both without moving? I'm hoping to go early (maybe 45 minutes before) and save a spot for my group of 4 adults and 3 little ones. Where should I attempt to go? Thanks in advance.
Also, could you see fireworks and parade from the plaza inn?

If you can find one, you might have a challenge saving spots for 7 people.
People use to spread blankets/tarps out to save space.
I read CM's were patrolling, blankets are no longer allowed to save space.
CM's were indicating NO holding spots, all those in the group need to be there and stay there.

Geemo

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

We just got back from DL a couple days ago. We really liked watching the parade and the fireworks from the it's a small world area. We also watched the fireworks twice from the Main Street area but it was so crowded and we had a lot of people with kids on shoulders, balloons but we didn't have that from the small world area. We also really enjoyed the fireworks from the Rivers of America, but that was with our Blue Bayou Fantasmic dining package.

 

[Geemo]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/pa...eworks-strategy.3412136/page-16#post-54136810
This is the thread I was reading about NO blankets, backpacks or anything for saving space.
Go to page 16 post #301.

If you take time to read through the thread, it has info on peoples opinion of what works and what doesn't work.

Geemo

 

[Chris Kenney]

We just got back from DL and we saw PTN and Fireworks from It's A Small World on July 28th. We were able to find a spot about 1.5 hours beforehand. Although it was pretty full already. We had 3 out of our group of 7 save the spot for about 25 minutes while the others went to grab supper and bring it back. After they got back we all stayed at that spot. We just ate in our spot and enjoyed people watching until the shows started. I didn't notice any Cast Members coming by and telling other people to not save spots or pick up their blankets. Not saying it doesn't happen but we didn't see that while we were there.

I also enjoyed viewing the shows at this location. Main Street would of been amazing but the crowds were very manageable at It's A Small World and the fireworks are right next to you. We watched PTN about halfway down the path to Fantasyland and then after the parade moved towards It's A Small World. If you pick your spot right in the street you can see both the Matterhorn effects along with It's A Small World projections throughout the show.

 

[RKKUNK]

On the saving spots subject; during the 24 hour day we asked a CM about getting a spot to watch the PtN and the fireworks. She told us all of these rules about how you couldn't save spots without everyone in your party being there, how you couldn't use blankets and so on to save spots, and how you couldn't stay there and sleep (it was a 24 hr. event), etc. We saw people breaking all of the rules and nothing was being done about it. I guess I just don't understand why they have these rules when they don't enforce them.

 

[jrsharp21]

We went to DL two weeks ago. There was 17 people in our party, so we didn't all stay together for the parade and fireworks. A big part of the group decided to go stake out a spot on Main St for PTN and fireworks. They staked their claim at 5:30pm and hung out there for both. 5 of us decided to go get some food at Stage Door Cafe and we ended up with a front row table in the sitting area. So we hung out and watched Fantasmic. Then we stayed put and watched the fireworks from that spot. I thought being able to see the projections on the water screen was cool. You could actually see what it was instead of having to deal with a making out the projection on a building. After that was done, we decided to catch the 11pm PTN. Walked over to the Small World area and there was no one there. Three people in the group decided to just sit around and two of us went and got on 3 Fantasyland rides. Came back at 10:45 and there was still hardly anybody in the area. It was great. Plenty of space for everyone and got a great view. Definitely would go with that 11pm showing in the Small World area again if we had to do PTN again.

 

[Chris Kenney]

RKKUNK: Agreed, but unless you ask how would you be able to know all the rules? I guess we didn't have a problem since we were sitting with our entire group for about an hour before the parade. I would bet it is more enforced if a CM walks by and notices a huge blanket with only one person on it. There are a lot of sites/forum posting tips and tricks to do exactly that. Most everyone on the day we were there had the spots mostly filled long before the parade started.

jrsharp21: We went to the earlier one (young kids). If I thought we could of made it to the late PTN we would of.