Have a heart!

[SMD]

The cast member told me that the "rule" is going to be that people sitting and saving spots can account for 3 spots (saving for two), and towels or other items left unattended for an hour (I think it should be less -- 15 mins to half an hour, and not an hour before the parade) will be taken to Lost and Found. I am considering going to City Hall and leaving a comment that I support this effort, and I hope that they enforce it. There were a lot of cast members manning the route on Tuesday.

You should let them know. Sort of OT, but I've decided that if the line is short I'll leave positive feedback about CMs. You'll be shocked by the people making scenes inside GS these days. It's like a free show to go along with your feedback.

 

[Gisele]

You should let them know. Sort of OT, but I've decided that if the line is short I'll leave positive feedback about CMs. You'll be shocked by the people making scenes inside GS these days. It's like a free show to go along with your feedback.

Hm....interesting. Might take some pop corn and set a spell at City Hall. Lol

 

[joannamet]

You can't always plan ahead. Last summer our group tried to see Fantasmic but it was standing room only before we could even close. I've never seen so many people in my life. The rest of the group went back to the resort while I took DD to MK to catch Wishes. We got there just as the Parade was coming and couldn't even make it down the street. We had no place to go so I had to squeeze her in at the curb with total strangers and then squeeze myself into a space beside a doorway behind her. We got some nasty dirty looks but it worked out.

 

[SMD]

I think people also place too much emphasis on their view. Even if you camp out on the street for hours you are not going to catch every detail of the parade. Now, I understand that if the view was important to you and you did commit hours to it then no one should come stand in front of you at the last minute. But if you want to see the parade and know that people are willing to wait for their view then you also need to accept that you will have a more limited view the longer you wait to find your spot. Even when I've had to look between people's shoulders I still get a pretty good view. Even for kids, there's enough happening above ground level that with the music and a partially obstructed view they can still enjoy the parade.

 

[Vintage Mouseketeer]

DD (5) and I planned ahead. I explained to her that if we wanted to watch the parade and fireworks we would have to look for a spot 2 hours in advance...which she agreed to (Mind you this was on Sunday) We found a front row spot in the IASW mall. At one point she did need a potty break and since it was it just her and I asked the people around us if they could watch our space and everyone was more than happy to help. Everyone was cheerful and friendly, but protective of our area as a group. We planned ahead why should we be inconvenienced for those who did not...

 

[BrianL]

Certainly those who get there first should get the best seats, but as the OP indicated, they wanted to come in behind others, and that should be expected as long as there is room in the designated area. Now, the amount of space one can "squeeze" into is relative, but people should expect the viewing area to be reasonably tightly packed. I am tall, and am willing to stand in the back for most things. People on the curb should remain seated as well. In fact, if everyone sat, the views would be much better for everybody.

 

[wildflower329]

I wonder if some of this crazy excessive waiting for shows boils down to the fact that so many people are locals. They don't mind hanging out with friends or family for hours staking out a spot because, hey, there is always next weekend to go on the rides. For those of us who are on vacation, it may be frustrating that you have to lose so much of your precious park time because people camp out so early. I wish there was some sort of balance... no clogging up curbs and walkways until 1-2 hours before the show, or something. Then, people could still stake out better spots, but not so ridiculously early. I don't mind making my 4 and 6 year old wait 1-1.5 hours for a show or parade, but the times I am seeing right now are CRAZY! I really hope it slows down by our late August trip.

 

[VandVsmama]

I wonder if some of this crazy excessive waiting for shows boils down to the fact that so many people are locals. They don't mind hanging out with friends or family for hours staking out a spot because, hey, there is always next weekend to go on the rides. For those of us who are on vacation, it may be frustrating that you have to lose so much of your precious park time because people camp out so early. I wish there was some sort of balance... no clogging up curbs and walkways until 1-2 hours before the show, or something. Then, people could still stake out better spots, but not so ridiculously early. I don't mind making my 4 and 6 year old wait 1-1.5 hours for a show or parade, but the times I am seeing right now are CRAZY! I really hope it slows down by our late August trip.

I suspect you are correct with this. A friend of mine who lives in Orange County told me just a couple of days ago that he & his crew are going to DL this next week in the evening just for the purpose of seeing the new parade & fireworks. I think it's similar to what happens when an attraction is down for maintenance for quite awhile and then comes back online...like when BTMRR was under refurb for over a year...when they brought it back up, lines were 2+ hours long.

Or when the Finding Nemo submarine voyage first debuted (i.e., they'd transitioned it from just the regular submarines to Finding Nemo submarines). I read stories of the wait time being 4 hours.

And local AP holders would go to DL just to go on Finding Nemo. And they waited 4 hours to go on it. Then they went home.

This will probably work out great for people who are going to DL after mid-June when the southern CA AP blackout dates begin. I suspect that the whole "let's camp out on Main Street for 3-4 hours like crazy people for a 20 minute parade" thing will end.

 

[arichau]

I suspect you are correct with this. A friend of mine who lives in Orange County told me just a couple of days ago that he & his crew are going to DL this next week in the evening just for the purpose of seeing the new parade & fireworks. I think it's similar to what happens when an attraction is down for maintenance for quite awhile and then comes back online...like when BTMRR was under refurb for over a year...when they brought it back up, lines were 2+ hours long.

Or when the Finding Nemo submarine voyage first debuted (i.e., they'd transitioned it from just the regular submarines to Finding Nemo submarines). I read stories of the wait time being 4 hours.

And local AP holders would go to DL just to go on Finding Nemo. And they waited 4 hours to go on it. Then they went home.

This will probably work out great for people who are going to DL after mid-June when the southern CA AP blackout dates begin. I suspect that the whole "let's camp out on Main Street for 3-4 hours like crazy people for a 20 minute parade" thing will end.

I bet you are right. I wish they prevented the multi-hour camping out thing because people can get so upset when others are even looking for spots closer to the start of the parade (which is just weird IMO). I get that you don't want someone to walk in front of you or block you but it all just seems so extreme at times. I feel similarly about getting to the parks super early - I think it's easy to then feel pressure "I got here so early I need the perfect view to make it worth it - I got here so early I should be first in line and if I'm 5th I'm going to be so mad" That's obviously not everyone but when I first came to these boards it sounded like it you weren't at the parks 45 minutes before opening you might as well stay home LOL - which I find far from the truth. This parade thread is making me feel similarly.

I have always had a great time with the people around me for the Soundsational Parade where we would go 30-45 minutes early. Maybe I'm just lucky but I usually chat with people around me, ask them if they are saving seats, would they mind helping out when I take my kid to the bathroom, etc. and it just all works out. Obviously all the new shows change things but I'd love to here from more people that tried to see the parades one hour - 30 minutes before the shows started. Did you find a view that was decent or was it literally filled up to the point you couldn't see anything? I'm glad that for my trip at least one of the SoCal passes is blocked - I feel like that has to help at least a little. I don't need a perfect view and I feel like a lot of people waiting multi-hours are looking for that perfect view. I'm more looking to catch 80 percent of it if the only way to see 100 percent is to devote 5 hours of waiting.

 

[Butterfly123]

Now if we could find a way to get the people in the front row to hold their balloons so they aren't flying in peoples faces and obstructing views, that would be great!

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I can see this from both sides. It's frustrating not to get a spot when you show up 30 minutes before the parade but it's also frustrating to have waited a couple of hours in order to have a front seat for their kids only to have a huge group push in front of you at the last minute. I think it has to depend on the situation and that everyone should be using common courtesy.

 

[Gisele]

Now if we could find a way to get the people in the front row to hold their balloons so they aren't flying in peoples faces and obstructing views, that would be great!

Simple solution; sharp pin.

 

[Angrose]

That's obviously not everyone but when I first came to these boards it sounded like it you weren't at the parks 45 minutes before opening you might as well stay home LOL - which I find far from the truth. This parade thread is making me feel similarly.

I know what you mean. I often find when we get to the parks 10-15 minutes after opening we walk right in and avoid the lines at the turnstiles. I wish I would have done that for the 24-hr day instead of getting in line at 4:30am! I do think DS and I will end up finding a spot for PtN, but we will just have to be patient and maybe sit somewhere we normally wouldn't consider, like back near IASW which sounds like it's not as crazy as Main St.

Obviously all the new shows change things but I'd love to here from more people that tried to see the parades one hour - 30 minutes before the shows started. Did you find a view that was decent or was it literally filled up to the point you couldn't see anything?

On the 24-hr day I did find a good view on Main St. just 15minutes before the parade started. After seeing all the crowds waiting all day I figured I would wait to see the 1am parade, but I did want to see the fireworks from Main St., so I just hung out in some shops and it just so happened that when I walked out of the China Closet shop and tried to peek to see what was going on, a CM lifted the rope for me and nudged me in behind some people. I had a perfect view because I was standing sort of behind/next to a scooter. I'm short too, 5'2" so I appreciated the view. The lady in the scooter wasn't very happy with me though because she had obviously been there for most of the day, but what can I say? I didn't nudge anyone and there was enough space for little 'ol me, so I took it!

 

[pindecisive]

After reading all of this, I am glad that we do not do parades, WOC, or Fantasmic. And we watch the fireworks from the end of Main Street near the exit. Fighting the crowds and attitudes is just not worth it.

I totally agree. I haven't watched fireworks at Disney since my first trip - the drama isn't worth it to me.

 

[fantasmicfantastic]

Obviously all the new shows change things but I'd love to here from more people that tried to see the parades one hour - 30 minutes before the shows started. Did you find a view that was decent or was it literally filled up to the point you couldn't see anything?

On Friday (24 Hr Day) my wife and I asked one group who told us no because they wanted to wait until closer to the parade start time to see if there was enough room after one other friend showed up. We left them and found a spot on Main Street just past the Market House about an hour before the 8:50 pm PtN. We asked a nice couple if we could squeeze in behind them. They agreed and we had a pleasant conversation for the remaining wait time. CMs did pull up the rope even after we were in and squeezed a group behind us probably 15 mins. before show time.

 

[modegard]

Am I reading that last bolded part correctly? You stand up at the curb to get better pictures, knowingly blocking the view of those behind you, just so you can get better pictures?

Yes. I haul a huge camera and tripod on vacation and love photos. I have many of my photos enlarged on canvas and wood hung on my walls. Photos are my very favorite thing to bring home from Disney.

 

[disney144]

IMHO, Disney should not promote this by setting up the ropes so early. In fact, I think they should shoo people away until about an hour before parade time. It made the sidewalks crowded, made everyone stressed and just didn't make sense in any way! Why do we always feel the need to be FIRST in line, FIRST at a show, FIRST to buy something? It seems like the more it happens, the longer the wait becomes and people are expected to wait for everything.

I completely agree! The parade was great, but I'm certainly not looking forward to a year of struggling to get down Main Street.

 

[Mousequake]

Yes. I haul a huge camera and tripod on vacation and love photos. I have many of my photos enlarged on canvas and wood hung on my walls. Photos are my very favorite thing to bring home from Disney.

And that absolves you from the rudeness of blocking the view of those behind you? This is no different from a parent putting a child on their shoulders when the parade starts.

 

[SMD]

Ok, here's my parade experience. I started staking out a spot for 3 people at 5:30 for the 8:50 parade. I had a towel that I sat on and spread out. Several times people came over and lifted up one end of the towel, sat down and then asked if the spot was saved. I ended up putting my backpack on it to weight it down on the other end. Now understand that no matter how long you hold your spot you will be sitting shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip with other people. CMs will squeeze the people in there right up until the parade starts. There are also some spots where they will ask you to move 30 minutes before to put up crowd control ropes and those people may be relocated next to you. In these areas CMs came by for hours and didn't give any warning that this would happen. Once parade control got there, they moved people. There was a guest who kept telling us to move because we were in a roped off area. I figured she just wanted our spots because when they did put up the ropes we were ok. So if anyone other than a CM in a red vest tries to make you move without relocating you, stand your ground. There were some spots where the announcements that people would be moved or no feet would be allowed over the curb wouldn't be allowed until less than an hour before the show. Imagine waiting for hours only to be told to scoot back when there's already people behind you. Also, all food lines for CS were insane starting around 7pm. We planned to take turns getting food but even Royal St, Stagedoor and Golden Horsehoe had 30 minute waits. I'd plan on putting a sandwich in a locker if you're going to wait for this. And yes, CMs were picking up unattended items. I'd see a line of CMs carrying blankets and sweatshirts coming down Main St and heading off stage with them. I met a group of 4 girls that were taking turns in 2s saving spots. We decided that once the crush started it was easier to save front and back spots than 3-4 across. So like 30 minutes before the show this girl comes over and just steps right over me and sits down between me and where my friend was standing behind me. I said, excuse me, we're saving that space for him to sit. She says, it's ok, she'll squish. But proceeds to spread her legs out right into me. Then 10 minutes later her 2 friends show up and also just step on all the front row people and sit down. One was quite large (and I'm fat myself, but I showed up early and saved enough space for myself) and she was sitting sideways in a dress with her legs wide open and extended. It was not a family friendly view and really squished us. Then another 10 minutes pass and the 2 newcomers call over 2 more friends who start shoving us aside without saying excuse me, so I finally said that we'd waited for 3 hours and when their friend came she didn't tell us she was bringing 4 people and now my friend can't sit. They told us that they weren't in our space. So the girl next to me and I were shoved into the no feet over the curb area with barely and curb to sit on and had to lift our feet a few times for vehicles. One friend had a stranger sitting on his feet and leaning back against his legs as he had his knees to his chest and the other has to stand with people sitting against his feet and legs. The whole route that we could see was like this, with adults sitting on laps and shoved against every trash can, light post or bench leg. Afterwards they clear certain seated areas for fireworks, so I'd recommend picking up blankets and towels before the parade starts. We were standing in the street waiting for fireworks discussing with other people from our area that while it was a good parade we won't be coming back at night for the summer if it's like this every night.

 

[modegard]

And that absolves you from the rudeness of blocking the view of those behind you? This is no different from a parent putting a child on their shoulders when the parade starts.

I am not quite sure why you think those behind the people on the curb have more of a right to a good view than the ones that came early to get a prime spot. If you want to stand, stand. If you choose to sit, sit. It is hardly rude to stand up to take a few photos. When I use a tripod, anyone behind me can clearly see there will be an obstructed view, I can't really take photos when I am sitting below my camera.

IMHO I find it quite different than putting a child on my shoulders, or my husbands (which we have never done by the way). I am 5'4" and a size 4, most anyone can see over me or around me when I am standing.