How early should I snag a spot for parade/fireworks.

[catycatcat4]

Hello, I will be in Disneyland the last week of July. Our first day is on a Tuesday (hotel check in at 4:00) Want to be in the park around 6:30 to get first visit pins, watch Paint The Night and Then Disneyland Forever. What time should I grab my spot for Paint the Night? Would 7:00 be to early? Then for fireworks will I have to rush to a spot if i'm already on main-street for Disneyland forever? It seems like the hubb would be a bad area to watch the fireworks due to the projections on main street? or is it still a good place to watch?

 

[jina]

There is a very active thread about the fireworks strategy which is constantly updated - check there. I think 7pm is ok if you are looking over by it's a small world- if Main Street I've heard much earlier than that is advised. We're gonna try for tonight - I'll post on that other thread if we are successful.(and if DD agrees to a nap today- we will only try if she naps).

 

[Mysteryincorp]

We went last week. We got pretty much the last seat on Main Street at about 6:45pm. In July,the SoCal passes are blocked so I'm not sure how that will affect viewing the parade and fireworks.
The firework show was amazing, do not miss it!

 

[purple figment]

For the first parade the curb on Main Street fills early, but there will be spaces behind the front row. Small World doesn't fill as quickly. If you are on Main Street for the fireworks, it is easier to find a curb spot for the second parade.

If you watch the first parade from Main Street everyone will step into the street after the last float passes so you'll be able to see the fireworks from there. If you can see the fireworks on more than one night, it is worth seeing them from different locations because there is no one spot where you can see all the projections and effects.

This is the ongoing thread about the PtN and the fireworks:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/pa...isneyland-forever-fireworks-strategy.3412136/

 

[Tyggress]

I was just there this past Friday night. We snagged a curbside seat on Main Street for the first parade at about 6:30 pm. It started to fill up pretty quickly after that. However, if you're going on a weeknight, you might have even better luck...we were there on a Friday and it was do-able.

As an above poster said, if you are already on Main Street for the first parade, you literally step right into the street after the last parade float to watch the fireworks. The Hub would actually still be a good place to view them, as the projections are also put on the castle, not just the Main Street buildings.

Have fun!

 

[valerie160]

We'll be there at the end of August (Friday Aug 21) - are the crowds for the parade and fireworks still expected to be crazy then? It will be our first time in DL (and Cali!) so I'm not sure if schools are back in by then or whatever else affects crowd levels. We have a son with special needs so sitting on a curb 2.5 hours before a parade would be almost impossible for us but I'd love to watch from Mainstreet!

 

[GrottoGirl]

The fireworks are always the highlight of my nights at Disney. I always insist on arriving to your spot two hours prior. We've always managed to snag a spot directly in front of the castle, right behind the rope. I love it because it's a seated area and after walking around in circles all day, it's nice to sit around for a bit with some food while we wait. Even during Christmas we were able to find ourselves in front of the castle. Any parades, I usually show up about an hour prior.

 

[TechGuy]

We have a son with special needs so sitting on a curb 2.5 hours before a parade would be almost impossible for us but I'd love to watch from Mainstreet!

Check with a CM near Main Street. I believe they have areas set aside for DAS and wheelchairs.

 

[bfost87]

Does anyone know how the crowd has been for the 2nd PTN?

 

[22Tink]

Does anyone know how the crowd has been for the 2nd PTN?

We just got back. We watched the second PTN parade and got great curb seats about an hour before it started. I think it's easier to get good seats for the second parade because lots of people left after the fireworks. Don't get me wrong, though, the seating where we were on Main Street was still full!! For the first parade people were camping out 3-1/2 hours before!!

 

[TechGuy]

We did the late parade, twice. Both times we found places to stand about 20-30 minutes before the parades started. One time we were too close to the entrance across from the Mad hatter, the second time we stood near the Magic Shop for better view. We were 2 adults, no kids. We stood both times, once against the rope in the street, once in the "second" row near the curb.