Getting out of MK after Spectro??

[JJsmama]

We were thinking of watching Spectro from Liberty Square and then heading to the Frontierland Railroad to take the train to Main Street to leave the park. I thought this would be a better way to get the kids through the crowds. BUT does the train run after Spectro and before / during the fireworks or is it still closed?

Any help? I'll have 4 very sleepy boys and I'm trying to figure how to get them out without losing one in the parade crowds. We will have had dinner at LLT before Spectro so getting a spot on Main ST and leaving from there is probably not realistic.

 

[i12go2wdw]

We only had to fight that crowd one time to know that it is just not worth it. We did it with 5 kids and a double stroller and it was one of the scariest, nerveracking things I have ever done. Now we stop at Casey's and get a dog or an icecream and just sit and watch the crowd go by. I don't think fighting the crowd saves you more than a few minutes over waiting. Get the boys a little pick me up snack and then head out.

JMO Christine

 

[weluv M&M]

Where does Spectro Magic start and end? It seems that if you are not staying for wishes that if you had a spot at the beginning of the parade route, after the parade went by you would be able to head for the exit with less of the crowd that will be headed to the castle for Wishes.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

You can go into the shops for a bit to wait for the crowds to thin if you like. You can also kinda cut through the shops, despite the fact that they are busy, and make your way most of the way down Main Street. (less crowded) I don't think the crowds are THAT scary (more frustrating than scary), and they are mainly concentrated on MS. Everyone is going the same direction, and they are all tired, so they tend to move slowly. That, to me is the most frustrating part of the crowds, especially after a day of dealing withthe crowds. If you are staying on property, your situation will be less bad if you wait for the crowds to thin, but if you are driving, departing the parking lot may take a little longer to get out of the lot(having said that, Disney is an expert on moving people quickly). Also, it helps to have really little ones in a stroller. We have everyone hold hands. Some people color code their families (all wear bright yellow shirts for example. Even if you don't color code - wearing distinct clothes helps). Personally though, we find life is easier at the parks if we avoid some of the mass exodus times. When you are tired, is it more stressful to kill a few minutes on a ride to avoid the peak crowds, or is it more stressful waiting with 1000 other people to board the monorail/tram/bus? From Liberty Square, you could hit the HM easlily enough. Depending on the time of your dinner, you might be able to see the parade from your table.

 

[DisFlan]

jjsmomma - you can cut through the stores on the "Emporium" side of main street. They're all connected and come out at the circle in front of the RR station. We've done this many times to miss the worst of the crowds.

The downside is trying to pass up the stuff in the stores!

DisFlan

 

[JJsmama]

Thanks for your help. Honestly though, it makes me want to skip the parade all together. We'll be eating at LLT at 6:45 PS, so I don't think there is a chance of getting to the beginning of Main St. before the parade starts. If we did get there, sounds like there wouldn't be a place to stand...

 

[JJsmama]

jjsmomma - you can cut through the stores on the "Emporium" side of main street. They're all connected and come out at the circle in front of the RR station. We've done this many times to miss the worst of the crowds.

The downside is trying to pass up the stuff in the stores!

DisFlan

Thanks for the tip! Which side is the Emporium? The side with the hat shop and Main St. Bakery? Or the side with Casey's and Main ST. Vehicles?

By the way, is there not another exit? What would happen in an emergency?

 

[my3princesses]

Spectro starts at the front of MK, goes down main street and to the left of the castle towards frontierland, etc. Wishes is after it. Generally a lot of people stay for the two if they are shortly after eachother.

We caught the end of spectro at the gates then followed it down the street, went to ride dumbo and hung out around there until the fireworks. We watched the fireworks from there and thought we would be smart to jump on the train near toontown to bypass the bottleneck of main street to leave. Unfortunately the wind was blowing and we had to wait 1/2 hour for all clear for the train to move once they knew the area was safe from falling debris from the fireworks and for fear of fire (it was spitting rain so this sounded a little silly but they have our safety in mind). Needless to say we did avoid the crowds leaving because we were far behind them. The next night while we were swimming at the Grand Fl just minutes after the fireworks were over we heard the train horn blow for all clear (the weather was better so I am assuming the risks were not there that evening. Sometimes even the best plans fall flat!

Anyway I think you could still catch the train out of frontierland after Spectro because it should still be running while that is on (I would think). This is much easier that the crowds if any down main street.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Emporium i(clothes stores) is the side with Casey's, but the food stores on the other side are also connected. Probably you should wait and see for yourself how you feel. I really wouldn't worry about it too much before I went. If you feel really tired that day, you can skip the parade, if you feel up to it, then stay. Incidentally, the Wishes fireworks are really cool. It is my favorite fireworks show so far. If it is scheduled right after the parade, then the crowds leaving between the two most likely won't be that bad.

 

[beattyfamily]

Thanks for your help. Honestly though, it makes me want to skip the parade all together. We'll be eating at LLT at 6:45 PS, so I don't think there is a chance of getting to the beginning of Main St. before the parade starts. If we did get there, sounds like there wouldn't be a place to stand...

We did it twice last year, both on Main Street, and we just knew it would be crowded so what we did was we waited it out with our kids asleep in the stroller. We moved to the side and watched the crowds go by and after about 5 minutes, it was very much cleared and and walkable. I highly recommend waiting it out and not missing this great parade. It is doable without too much stress.

 

[beccasmom]

We have found the best way is to sit near the entrance/exit for the parade. Once it is done, we just scoot right out. This is admittedly easier to do with just adults or with older kids. Fighting the foot traffic after the parade is hazardous - if only to your feet! We've sat on the curb, on top of the train station and lately have found that one of the benches near City Hall is great too. We are not on top of the action, but can usually see just fine. Your idea is not bad if you are willing to to sit out the crowds and then exit the park. Leaving immediately after the parade will be tough going. When you are in Frontierland, waiting it out is the way to go to keep your sanity intact.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Spectro is such a great parade. Wishes is an awesome fireworks show. They really are both "must-sees". If you are coming from the LIbert Square area, after Spectro consider crossing back toward the hub over the bridge near the Sleepy Hollow snack bar. If you are NOT staying for Wishes, you should be able to make you way back up Main Street w/o too much trouble since most folks will be staying for Wishes. If it does happen to be uber-crowded take the advice of cutting through stores. It works!

Leaving MK after parade and/or fireworks is really the only time our family encounters crowd problems at WDW. We have taken the bus back to Value and Moderate resorts many times and it is always a frustrating wait. being as our kids will be a bit older next time we go, we will probbaly just linger in the park until the crowd has subsided

 

[thotfulspot]

Last August, we watched Spectromagic from the sidewalk right in front of the barber shop. It was totally open and we found our spots 10 minutes before the parade started. This put us right where the parade begins, and seconds away from the entrance.

Of course, I'd need an awfully good reason not to stay for Wishes -- it's the most beautiful, spectacular, and moving fireworks show I've ever seen!

 

[hezzie]

To avoid the crowds, we simply find a place out of the way and watch as the crowds make their way through. After about 5 -8 min we start down Main Street and make our way through the stores stopping to look at whatever we want..no rush and then by the time we reach the busses, the crowds are gone and we get the next bus. It is much more relaxed and fun to stroll out slowly. We have 2 kids and it seems to work for them as well! Good luck!

 

[grumpydawg]

If they are running 2 parades, try staying for the 2nd one. The parade route didnt get crowded in Liberty Square Friday night until it started. After it was over, we sat for 10 minutes, then headed on out. The crowd wasnt too bad.

 

[DisFlan]

Thanks for the tip! Which side is the Emporium? The side with the hat shop and Main St. Bakery? Or the side with Casey's and Main ST. Vehicles?

By the way, is there not another exit? What would happen in an emergency?

The Emporium is on your left when you face the castle.

There are emergency exits between the buildings on Main street. If needed, people are walked out behind the store fronts.

As others have said, I wouldn't worry about trying to buck or beat the crowds. Spectro and Wishes are definitely worth the effort, and the crowd clears pretty quickly.

Have you thought about watching the parade from Adventure Land? It starts in and winds through part of Frontier Land. We've watched from there as well as closer to the front. The best place I EVER watched from was on top of the Swiss Family Robinson tree. The view of parades and fireworks from up there is awesome. I don't know if you can still do that, though.

DisFlan