Is it worth it to waiting around for 1 hour+ to see parade/fireworks?

[jumparound]

I'm wondering if it's really worth it to wait around for so long to see parades/shows/fireworks. Every time I do there are rude people that shove their way in front of me, put their kids on their shoulders, etc. I'm short (5' 1/2") and have a 6 year old so once someone steps in front of us it's pretty hard to see, and I spend the entire time POed. So what are your opinions on this?

 

[letitsnow]

I used to stake out spots hours before fireworks and no i don't think its worth it. Now we just run to find a spot last minute.

For parades, F! and World of Color yes it is definitely worth it as long as you get a front row spot!

btw..i'm like 2 inches shorter than you...

 

[nannyz]

We put the little ones in front and Papa stands behind them. Papa is 6'5", 250 lbs. No one dares to push in front of him!!

 

[Maleficent53]

When we had kids along we would get to our spot early and camp out. You do have to be firm with people who arrive late and think it's okay to push in front of you. Not rude, but firm. We usually had 3-4 adults and 3-4 kids so we could position the kids in front with a ring of adults behind and close ranks....

Now we prefer to go on rides during parades and will watch the fireworks from whereever we happen to be in the park.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

haha the only parade we ever really enjoyed was the one we got to view from the 'premium view' area when we won the dream suite. Every other time was painful. LOL

I'd say run up and find a spot too. Staking out just doesn't work for me :\

 

[2boysmom1998]

I don't care for the parades. It's a really good time to ride the rides during the parade and I just don't like them. I do love the fireworks though, one of my favorite parts! I will put up with the big crowd of nasty people to watch them.

 

[mrswh]

I say no, not worth it at all. You can get a perfectly good view of fireworks from anywhere on Main Street, so there is no point (IMO) of showing up any more than 5 minutes early. We actually prefer to watch from the end of Main Street so we can escape quickly when they are over instead of becoming part of the pushing and shoving herd. I have not done it at DL but at MK we liked to watch from the back of FL occasionally for a different view. (Works well if you plan to stay in the park after fireworks are over.) I think I must be in the minority, though, because I see people camped out 2 hrs. in advance all the time.

We will try to stake out a spot about 30 minutes in advance of the Pixar Pals parade (not a big fan of the Mickey's Soundastic or whatever it's called nowadays at DL - we will watch but will just walk up when it starts and take whatever spot we can get). It works well if it's time for a little rest and a snack or dinner (we like to get sandwiches to go from La Brea), and when the kids are done eating if they are antsy they can hop around in the parade route for a few minutes.

I will *NOT* wait a long time for WOC ever again. I think you can get a perfectly fine view without waiting for hours on end, and the difference in view you get from waiting for hours does not justify the time wasted. And if you are short (I am 5'3"), I'm not convinced there is anywhere to go or any amount of time to wait that will guarantee you a great view.

If the electrical parade ever comes back to DCA (not DL), I would probably invest up to 45 minutes waiting so I could get a good spot.

I think a good rule of thumb is to wait no longer than you would for a ride you like equally well.

 

[Mugglemama]

Last Friday, for the first time ever, we staked out a spot early for fireworks. 90 minutes early, to be exact.

I have mixed feelings about waiting that long. It turned out, we had a great viewing spot (on the curb of the hub across from the entrance to Tomorrowland), and the fireworks were REALLY fun to watch from there, once the show began.

We had three family groups surrounding us while we waited, all with very young children. Fortunately, they were not children who behaved terribly (although I admit I had to dole out some extra lollipops and friendly attention to the little girls sitting next to me because they were getting pretty rowdy and their responsible adult was not making any effort to keep them from repeatedly swinging their arms into my son's head ).

Honestly though, the worst part of the experience for me was when hoards of people started scrambling into place last minute, bumping into, shoving, and pushing into the space of people who had been waiting a very long time.

I'm glad we saw the fireworks from that spot one time (it was my DD's boyfriend's very first visit to Disneyland and I went through the trouble of getting a great viewing spot because I wanted him to get to see them really well - and I definitely feel that our viewing experience seriously added to the "magic" for him) ....but I wouldn't do it again.

As for parades...I guess it depends on the parade as to whether or not staking out a spot early is worth it. I personally don't like the current parade *at all*, so I would never go through any extra trouble to view it, myself. However, I feel like the Christmas parade, and parades as good as say, the Lion King one they had years ago, are worth the extra effort to get a curbside veiwing spot.

If you just want to get to see some of the current parade...I accidentally found that the seating around the planters right outside the It's a Small World shop that you exit through when you get off the ride are good places to stand and see the parade fairly well.

 

[hootey]

Shove their way in front of you? That is Assault, shove back! Stand your ground, I do. When we watch one of the parades or any of the outdoor activities, I will usually let someone in if the ask nicely. If the try to cut in, shove in, or try the Cuse-Me routine, I give them a firm NO. We always make a point to arrive early to get a good viewing area, if someone is ssso ssstupid ttthey can't do the same and then think because they are ssso ssstupid, I will let them if they are rude, I do not want them near me. The stupid might be contageous. It is called Stand Your Ground, some states have laws for it...

 

[HydroGuy]

We have never waited an hour for a parade so not sure where you are getting that. Usually 30 minutes is fine and often far shorter.

If you want to get benches to sit on then 60 minutes might be a good idea. A good place to do this at DLR is along the path from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland between the Matterhorn and the castle. People are required to sit in this area so if you score one of the benches you have a great and comfortable view of the parade.

For fireworks the longest we have waited was about an hour - and that was when we had young kids and it was the 50th anniversary summer with the new fireworks show. We found a spot in the hub on a curb with no trees blocking the castle. Now we usually wait 20-30 minutes.

It is frustrating when folks try to push in at the last minute. You do need to stand your ground if you want to hold your spot.

Is it all worth it? Depends on the show. For the newish SoundSational parade then yes. For Remember Dreams Come True? Yes for 30 minutes. No if an hour unless you have never seen them then yes it is worth it once.

 

[PigletSeeker]

We don't wait for parades or Fireworks. For World of Color, we show up about 5 min before they tell you to. I've got little kids and they've always been able to see fine. Our favorite parade spot is by IASW...it's never crowded there. We've seen the fireworks from various spots and our favorite is from Tomorrowland, near the Autopia exit. There's a low wall by the Innovations building that we sit on and there are hardly any people at all around. Then, as soon as they're over we walk over to the Tomorrowland station and hop on the train to go to the park exit, bypassing the Main Street crowds. We did watch from the hub once. It is a neat perspective, but it was sooo crowded and my kids couldn't see.

 

[lroger01]

.. We've seen the fireworks from various spots and our favorite is from Tomorrowland, near the Autopia exit. There's a low wall by the Innovations building that we sit on and there are hardly any people at all around.

About a month from now my family will be seeing the fireworks at DL for the first time. Is this spot good enough for a first viewing? Can you see Tink and Dumbo from here? My parents are coming with us and so finding a place to sit that isn't on on the ground or curb while waiting and an easy exit, sounds wonderful. But, only if we can see the "show" and hear the music enough to enjoy it. If it's just fireworks bursting in the sky then braving the hords at the hub might be necessary.

 

[jumparound]

Thanks for the replies. It seems like the general consensus is it's not worth it to wait. Overall I get stressed out by large crowds (yet I come to DLR almost every summer lol) and I don't want to start anything when people are being rude b/c after all we're at the happiest place on earth. So I think for me personally it's not worth the wait.

 

[PigletSeeker]

About a month from now my family will be seeing the fireworks at DL for the first time. Is this spot good enough for a first viewing? Can you see Tink and Dumbo from here? My parents are coming with us and so finding a place to sit that isn't on on the ground or curb while waiting and an easy exit, sounds wonderful. But, only if we can see the "show" and hear the music enough to enjoy it. If it's just fireworks bursting in the sky then braving the hords at the hub might be necessary.

You can hear the music here, but can't see Dumbo. Can't remember if you can see Tink, not great if at all. We've also watched from Fantasyland behind the castle. You get a GREAT view of Tink here..I mean she's really low and close, but you can't really hear the music, if I recall correctly. There are trade offs to each spot. When we were in the Hub, there was a tree that blocked our view of Tink...so no guarantees there either. But, even if you miss some of the effects, the fireworks themselves are pretty spectacular.

 

[disneychrista]

I do not stake my spot more than 30mins for fireworks & parades.

This last trip we walked up to get a spot for fireworks 10 mins before and we glad we did because they were cancelled. Would have hated to have wasted 30+ mins for nothing.

 

[milan15]

If you haven't liked waiting in the past just to have people cut in front of you, why would that suddenly change?

Don't bother waiting for parades or fireworks. Its simply not worth it. The best place I've found to watch fireworks (least stressful and still can see) is while shopping in DTD.

I can understand waiting a little for something like WOC. However, I'd purchase the dinner package to alleviate a lot of the stress there. Yeah, the prices are steep, but if you go in realizing that you are pretty much buying a nicer seat while also getting some dinner, it's not anywhere near as bad. I'm a tall guy (6'2") but my wife is rather short (5'2") so finding the right spot is always a battle. But we pull it off.

Lastly, just relax and be polite.

 

[mvf-m11c]

I do stake out spots for the fireworks, WoC, F!, & parades. I do that for getting a good spot to videotape and take pictures of the shows. I know that it isn't worth waiting that long just for a show and I could use that time to do things around the park. But I like to do those kind of things when I am at the park and get the best spot to see the show.

There is no question that it is frustrating that last second people try to get in the area at the last second. You just stand firm and if any people that try to force there way in your spot just tell them that this area is for my group.

 

[NovemberMom]

We don't wait for fireworks... We just cut in front of people a few minutes before the firework show starts....
Just kidding
We actually watch the fireworks in front of the Main Street train station and as soon as the show is over we head out and avoid crowds. We have waited for parades a few times by IASW but only 10-15 minutes. My kids start getting ansy after 15 minutes then they decide they have to go potty, need a drink of water, etc.

 

[fctiger]

Yeah most people said it, its not really worth it UNLESS you want the best spot in the place and you are patient.

I think the ONLY parade I waited an hour for was Soundsational, but it was only the second weekend it started playing so me and a friend scouted it early on MS since that was our main priority along with TLM and Star Tours which also opened that weekend! Now I wait maybe 15 mins before, but I know EXACTLY where to watch it to get a great view and never have to wait long for it. Same for fireworks, nearly anywhere along MS you are going to get a great show and you can show up 20 mins before it starts. Now if you want a 'premium' view then I guess you will have to get there an hour or even two early but I'm happy doing the 'cheap seats' and yeah you still get 95% of the show the others stood in line for hours while you spent 10-20 mins to get and probably did a lot more in that time as well. Fantasmic, yeah just do the second show! I never understand why people wait 4-5 hours for the 'good seats' when they only need to spend an hour or less for the second show. And you can easily get a decent view for the second show if you show up just 20-30 mins before.

So its all relative, but there is nothing I stand more than 30 mins for anymore. WOC is still a bigger time spender, but I give that an hour tops and I dont even bother with the viewing area much anymore. I just stand in the standby line 10 mins before it starts and love that just as much to be honest!

 

[DisneytheKid]

Honestly, for DW and I, its prime ride time. I'm sure once we have kids that will change but for now we gladly trade the parade and show for shorter ride times.