Just not worth it!

[famousmockingbird]

We aren't "parade people", but we do like to watch the fireworks. We decided long ago not to fight for a spot, but to watch comfortably for a distance. I love to watch Wishes from the Poly beach. It's not crowded and there's a bar.

 

[Sunny37]

When we watched WISHES, we had two very tall men stand right in front of us and put their 10 year old daughters on their shoulders.

This ALWAYS seems to happen to me! We've started trying to find alternative viewing spots.

 

[dawnhaze]

I'm almost dreading trying to find, and keep, a spot for the MSEP tonight after reading this thread!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I agree on some level, but honestly, WDW is the LAST place I want to get into any issues.

In my daily life I'm not one to roll over & get walked on but I'm not fighting with someone over a spot to view a parade while I'm on vacation trying to make memories with my family. I also don't enjoy becoming loud & obnoxious just to make my point, & if it comes to that then IMO I'm no better than the rude person who started the whole mess to begin with. Better to teach my kids to walk away in these situations.

Heck, I/we walk away when others around us get into it & we aren't even involved. It sours the entire experience of being there when the adults act badly.

I follow your point and as I said I never like problems at WDW. But you can make your point without cussing and being obnoxious. After trying qiuetly and politely, if that doesn't work,simply loud is often enough to make people move. and get the CM's attention.

Thankfully this has only happened 2 or 3 times in many years of wdw vacations.

AKK

AKK

 

[RachaelA]

The only big issue we've ever had was for MSEP in October. We sat in the curb right by Casey's like 90 minutes early. A nice family stood behind us. We took up the entire area that they roped off in that one corner. This one woman kept sending her son into our crowd of people. The kid would repeatedly push and squeeze into the huge crowd of us over and over again and at one point actually sat in someone's stroller! The mom was going absolutely crazy because the CM was telling her to move and that she couldn't stand in the walkway. It was just a huge mess.

Oh and the people that try to sit their children on the curb in front of the trashcans. Oh my! And then flip out on the CMs when they tell them that they can't sit there. If Main Street is packed 2 minutes before a parade and there is a small part of the curb exposed in front a trashcan there is a reason someone hasn't already sat there.

 

[Steve's Girl]

I LOVE the parades at WDW. But sadly, I have given up watching them. It just isn't worth the fight anymore. I am tired of being pushed, shoved and cussed at. I am willing to arrive early to get a good seat. But then having to physically fight for it 15 minutes before the parade starts just isn't worth it.

 

[thornton0511]

that is why the Fastpass Plus pre-reserved parade viewing looks like it is going to prove popular.

Just wondering how the new "reserved" area will keep the same people who seem to cut in at the last minute and not care about what others think or think they are entitled from squeezing their way in? Are there going to be CM's who will stand guard and just not let people break the rules or will they just not get involved?

 

[letsgoreds]

I am admittedly not a parade person, but if you are sitting on the curb, how do people cut in front of you?

 

[marybaby08]

I have the Worst experience with parade at Animal kingdom the week before Christmas in 7 years that I have been to the world. I wait 1 hour 45 minutes in a bench for the parade to start and 30 minutes to start came the cm with the tape to mark the route a mob of people came running for the spot I manage to stand up and have a space for me and my son , a woman ask me if I can let her in the front with his baby, I apologize to her saying I'm sorry but I want to be with my son when the parade start. She start to scream that Karma would find me and some other stuff. I was there 1 hour 45 minutes because I know it was going to be crowded and my son really wanted to see it, if your family really want to see something plan ahead. After the incident 15 minutes to the parade start came this woman asking if she could sit down in front of the person by my side , they tell her go to the back if she want to see it.

 

[angelmichelle]

Where does one watch the MSEP without having to stake out a spot an ~hour in advanced?

 

[GreenCntryGirl]

that is why the Fastpass Plus pre-reserved parade viewing looks like it is going to prove popular.

This is, with what is known so far, the only thing I am looking forward to about FP+. Well, that and fireworks viewing.

 

[RachaelA]

I am admittedly not a parade person, but if you are sitting on the curb, how do people cut in front of you?

People send their kids to the front to push through and basically either sit on people's laps or push little kids out of the way and force them back into the crowd away from the curb.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

I am admittedly not a parade person, but if you are sitting on the curb, how do people cut in front of you?

People will walk up and try to stand right in front of you if you let them get away with it. Seriously!

 

[Micca]

For us, parades are only mildly interesting. Sure the WDW parades are better than others, but who wants to waste valuable ride time sitting around waiting for something to go passed them at 2mph? Interestingly, parades are most appealing to children, but what kid wants to sit around and wait for anything anymore?

If I can show up for a WDW parade a few minutes before it starts and not have to hassle with people crowding in front of me, that's great. Otherwise, there are more exciting things for me in WDW.

 

[ttintagel]

Last time, I didn't even plan on watching any of the parades, and just dumb-lucked into decent views at the last minute while trying to get by. It was one case where planning didn't work out to be an asset.

 

[Peter Fan]

For us, parades are only mildly interesting. Sure the WDW parades are better than others, but who wants to waste valuable ride time sitting around waiting for something to go passed them at 2mph? Interestingly, parades are most appealing to children, but what kid wants to sit around and wait for anything anymore?

If I can show up for a WDW parade a few minutes before it starts and not have to hassle with people crowding in front of me, that's great. Otherwise, there are more exciting things for me in WDW.

It's the best time to get on the rides, when everybody else is watching the parade.

 

[davedmaine]

I LOVE the parades at WDW. But sadly, I have given up watching them. It just isn't worth the fight anymore. I am tired of being pushed, shoved and cussed at. I am willing to arrive early to get a good seat. But then having to physically fight for it 15 minutes before the parade starts just isn't worth it.

Perfectly said..

 

[SanFranciscan]

The only big issue we've ever had was for MSEP in October. We sat in the curb right by Casey's like 90 minutes early. A nice family stood behind us. We took up the entire area that they roped off in that one corner. This one woman kept sending her son into our crowd of people. The kid would repeatedly push and squeeze into the huge crowd of us over and over again and at one point actually sat in someone's stroller! The mom was going absolutely crazy because the CM was telling her to move and that she couldn't stand in the walkway. It was just a huge mess.

I am so saddened by stories like yours. I understand the reluctance of cast members to intervene considering that the type of guests who do these things to other guests are the type who will complain loudly and dishonestly about cast members who tried to act in the interest of fairness. Yet if parades are to remain profitable to theme parks, guests who do things like this to other guests must be dealt with.

Sadly the scene that you just described is one that I have seen over and over. People who have been waiting a long time to enjoy a choice spot for a parade frequently have parents like the one you described show up at the last minute and first expect their children to be allowed up in front of other guests who have been waiting. Friendly adults let a child in front of them but soon find that adults then join the child up front; and the gracious guests often then find themselves stuck behind entire extended families, from which nobody got there early for the spot they now treat as their right.

 

[GovieMom]

People will walk up and try to stand right in front of you if you let them get away with it. Seriously!

If you're sitting on the curb, the only place to stand in front of you would be in the street. Since that's not allowed, I still don't get it. Anyway, our family always watches the MK parade right up against the rope in Frontierland, or for Illuminations right up against the railing around the lake. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and have never had anyone try to squeeze or otherwise cut in.

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

Seems like a lot of people are letting the rude ones get away with things that they shouldn't. I haven't watched MSEP for a number of years but at Illuminations you get the same people trying for last minute front views. Never has anyone, other than a few polite youngsters who I have allowed to squeeze in , taken mine or my familys spot that we have patiently waited for. I get to WDW 1 week ayear at most normally and we follow all the rules and etiquette of the parks. We expect the same from others. I've never sworn at any adult but a VERY FIRM NO has always worked. Maybe I'm just lucky that way. I have seen others have problem with late arrivers and a few quarrels about "saving spots" over the years though. Some are not pretty.
One year we were the Family of the Day at EC and got reserved Illumination viewing spots. They were manned by CM in a roped off area by Germany. Guessing this would be what FP+ will take over.