Just not worth it!

[DLB]

On our last trip we didn't sit and watch the parades at all. We were off riding the rides and enjoying low wait times. At AK we stopped for a bit to watch the parade until rude people stepped in front of us to watch. We just moved on to the next attraction rather than get angry and up my stress level.

 

[Kae]

We have certin places that we watch the Parades & Fireworks from, we call them the bad places because nobody waits early for these spots. I am sure there are way better spots but we are ok with them.

Kae

 

[KeroKero]

On our last trip we skipped the parades altogether. It really is a hassle trying to get a good spot to watch from without having to wait for it to start from an hour to an hour and a half out. Not worth the time, when we could be going around the park having fun during that time.

If you haven't seen any of the parades yet - then yes definitely do what you can to secure a good location. But the parades don't change often enough to have me want to see them over and over and over again.

 

[Bambi5826]

The first time I ever went, I think we got lucky with spots for parades and fireworks. The second time I went, I only wanted to see the night parade and Wishes, so I staked out a place on the train station balcony, which I was told was a coveted place. Got there 2 hours before. 10 mins before, it was overly crowded, and I got smashed against the railing. The lights back in that area were kept on for people entering and exiting the park, so it ruined the overall effect.

This trip, we will have DD2, who will very much enjoy the parades and fireworks, so, I guess I will have to deal.

 

[TDC Nala]

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.

Or, they just stand in front of you. The cast member comes along, tells them to move back off the street, and they move back and push you backward. They're now in the curb spot that you had before they showed up.

Last time I watched the Christmas parade I did it from the balcony of the train station, getting there early and putting chairs by the railing (it was daytime, so no lighting issues). There, no one can stand in front of you. And you are sitting on a chair, so people can see over you and can't push you. There were issues with a family trying to shove their kids in front of us although they too were beside the railing and had an unobstructed view (apparently they wanted more room), and a woman who kept sticking a camera in my friend's face so she could hold it out to take a photo. Using the zoom lens wasn't something she wanted to do apparently. at least she didn't have an Ipad.

 

[HayGan]

I'm soooo glad that we aren't parade or show people. We have never purposely waited for either. On occasion we will catch one by accident but we would rather be riding!!!

 

[Steve's Girl]

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.

People have literally pushed their kids on top of me and then demanded that I move for their little darlings. Not cool. I want to sit next to my kids on the curb and watch the parade. I want to see my kids face light up when the characters come by and give them a high five. I am willing to patiently wait with my kids for that experience and don't appreciate it when others feel they are more deserving of my seat than I am. And according to them I am a "blankety blank blank" for not moving for them. Getting cussed out in front of your kids is just not worth it.

 

[shalom]

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?

The one Trip Report I've read where someone had the parade Fastpass plus (or whatever it's called), it was a complete disaster -- people who thought they had great seats were outraged when the FPers came in, and spent the entire parade complaining about it and shouting at the FPers. Ruined the parade for the OP and would have done the same for me, so I'm not sure how much that's going to help.

We stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and have never had anyone try to squeeze or otherwise cut in.

People who're going to squeeze in at the last minute and not recognize their own rudeness are bullies, and bullies pick their targets carefully. They aren't going to challenge the groups standing shoulder-to-shoulder, who are ready to deal with them; they're going to target people who're more vulnerable. If there's likely to be resistance, they usually go looking for easier prey. It's only when their tactics have failed them a couple of times that night and time is getting tight that they're likely to take on a group that might confront them head on, which likely doesn't happen very often.

 

[nansmama]

We love the parades and fireworks but we don't wait forever for them. We know some good spots that don't usually fill unless it's super crowded, so we look for those a little beforehand. Or we wait until the parade starts and then walk up and down a little and see if we can find a clear view from behind other people. If we can't, we move on. Nothing is worth waiting 2 hours for, IMO.

 

[tsme]

We always sit for about an hour before a parade is suppose to start to get a good place. We haven't had too many bad moments, just lots of pushing before hand. But I do have a kind of funny/weird story.
The last time we were waiting for a parade to start there was a family of the mom, grandmother, dad, & baby next to us. The baby was fussy. I saw out of the corner of my eye the mom drop the baby's cookies on the ground & pick them up & feed them to the baby. I had small individual bags of animal type cookies so I offered one to her, not only did she say no, but she looked at me like I had three heads. So I guess in her mind it's okay to feed her baby dirty cookies off the cement but it's not okay for a stranger to offered her an unopened bag of cookies.

 

[PrincessTarra]

I typically only try to watch the parade if there is a second parade that night, because the second parade is always much easier to attend, there is never an issue in finding a front row spot for the later parade.

When I went with a largre group of family though we had staked out a curb side spot in the Hub. We marked it as ours using two ECV's and a stroller. People still tried to sit in front of us/literally stand on top of us by standing in front of the ecvs.

 

[starjazz]

We love the parades and fireworks but we don't wait forever for them. We know some good spots that don't usually fill unless it's super crowded, so we look for those a little beforehand. Or we wait until the parade starts and then walk up and down a little and see if we can find a clear view from behind other people. If we can't, we move on. Nothing is worth waiting 2 hours for, IMO.

Where are the sneaky good spots? We're going 1st week in Feb so crowds should be light, and I'd love my DDs 4 and 2 to have a nice spot to watch without an hour wait!

 

[alecshawn]

Is it this way all the time?
We are going the last week in Febuary, DD loves parades & was looking forward to seeing the Electric Parade & the others, not into Wishes, she does not like Fireworks.
Hearing this makes me wonder if we should even try.
I had already read in a touring guide that the best place was Frontierland, so that was not a surprise.
We have enough DRAMA at home, We do not need it on vacation too!!

No the sky isnt falling considering parades 99% of folks NEVER have an issue...the other 1% use the internet and tell folks. You'll be fine.

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

Is it this way all the time?
We are going the last week in Febuary, DD loves parades & was looking forward to seeing the Electric Parade & the others, not into Wishes, she does not like Fireworks.
Hearing this makes me wonder if we should even try.
I had already read in a touring guide that the best place was Frontierland, so that was not a surprise.
We have enough DRAMA at home, We do not need it on vacation too!!

Absolutely NOT this way all the time. Do not let a few sour incidents prevent you from enjoying the parade especially with DD !

 

[goofy4tink]

No the sky isnt falling considering parades 99% of folks NEVER have an issue...the other 1% use the internet and tell folks. You'll be fine.

While I do agree that most of the time it won't be an issue, I will take exception to the whole '1% use the internet and tell folks' comment. I've been going to WDW at least once a year, and more often twice a year, since '99. On my first visit there, when dd was 5, we had the only great parade experience we ever had. We were at the beginning of the MSEP....standing a row back from the curb, right outside the 'fire station' area. A nice older couple asked me if my dd would like to sit on the curb with them. She had the best time...well, until the ladybugs came at her from the parade!! My mother and I just stood there and watched her have a great time.
Other than that?? Mostly not so great experiences. I've had people shove past us. I've had people grab something from my dd's hand, just as a CM in the parade handed it to her, and then run away, laughing. I've stood in place for 40 mins, only to have a family come up about 20 mins prior to the parade and then complain to a CM that they can't see over my head!! They had a stroller and kept shoving it against my leg. I chose the spot I chose because it was at a corner so I really wouldn't badly impact anyone. But a CM finally asked my dd and to sit down to allow the woman behind me to see, as well as her child in the stroller...the child that never woke up!!! Meanwhile, my dd (5'10'') and I (5'8'') had to sit, hunched in a 3' square area. My knees hurt so badly that we had to leave the park after the parade...which is why I don't sit down to begin with. Or the lady that decided she and her child had more of a right to our spot because her child was younger than mine.
Or the parent who moaned and groaned that her child (about 7) wasn't going to be able to see...and the parades are for kids anyway, so why were there adults up front to begin with?? All this 10 mins before the parade started. A nice family, up front offered to have her child stand with them....she accepted then started pushing forward, saying that she couldn't see her child anymore and she needed to be with him, so move over for her.

Those are just a few examples...I have many more. So, no, I no longer go to parades. There are just too many entitled people out there. Those that don't see the need to get to a spot early...after all, they can always bully someone into letting them in.

So, sure. Most people are nice and well mannered. But, it only takes a few bad apples to ruin it for everyone.

 

[RachaelA]

People have literally pushed their kids on top of me and then demanded that I move for their little darlings. Not cool. I want to sit next to my kids on the curb and watch the parade. I want to see my kids face light up when the characters come by and give them a high five. I am willing to patiently wait with my kids for that experience and don't appreciate it when others feel they are more deserving of my seat than I am. And according to them I am a "blankety blank blank" for not moving for them. Getting cussed out in front of your kids is just not worth it.

We've had the same experience. Someone tried to say that DH and I should stand back from the curb when we were there in October so their kids could sit there. Um... yeah I'll just leave my 11 1/2 month old on the curb by herself so you can show up 5 minutes before it starts and try to shove your children in front of me.

But in the end, we will wait however long we need to because the parades are DD's absolute favorite thing ever. She squeals and claps the ENTIRE time. She dances and "sings." Plus almost every character that walks by stops and pats her head or touches her cheek and she gets even more excited. Watching her during the parades is totally worth all the hassle and the time spent waiting.

 

[SanFranciscan]

While I do agree that most of the time it won't be an issue, I will take exception to the whole '1% use the internet and tell folks' comment. I've been going to WDW at least once a year, and more often twice a year, since '99. On my first visit there, when dd was 5, we had the only great parade experience we ever had. We were at the beginning of the MSEP....standing a row back from the curb, right outside the 'fire station' area. A nice older couple asked me if my dd would like to sit on the curb with them. She had the best time...well, until the ladybugs came at her from the parade!! My mother and I just stood there and watched her have a great time.
Other than that?? Mostly not so great experiences. I've had people shove past us. I've had people grab something from my dd's hand, just as a CM in the parade handed it to her, and then run away, laughing. I've stood in place for 40 mins, only to have a family come up about 20 mins prior to the parade and then complain to a CM that they can't see over my head!! They had a stroller and kept shoving it against my leg. I chose the spot I chose because it was at a corner so I really wouldn't badly impact anyone. But a CM finally asked my dd and to sit down to allow the woman behind me to see, as well as her child in the stroller...the child that never woke up!!! Meanwhile, my dd (5'10'') and I (5'8'') had to sit, hunched in a 3' square area. My knees hurt so badly that we had to leave the park after the parade...which is why I don't sit down to begin with. Or the lady that decided she and her child had more of a right to our spot because her child was younger than mine.
Or the parent who moaned and groaned that her child (about 7) wasn't going to be able to see...and the parades are for kids anyway, so why were there adults up front to begin with?? All this 10 mins before the parade started. A nice family, up front offered to have her child stand with them....she accepted then started pushing forward, saying that she couldn't see her child anymore and she needed to be with him, so move over for her.

Those are just a few examples...I have many more. So, no, I no longer go to parades. There are just too many entitled people out there. Those that don't see the need to get to a spot early...after all, they can always bully someone into letting them in.

So, sure. Most people are nice and well mannered. But, it only takes a few bad apples to ruin it for everyone.

I am so very sorry that this happened to you. Witnesses like myself see things like this and feel like we are on an episode of "What Would You Do?" and wonder where the hidden camera is.

I remember one such parade at which adults were insisting upon joining a child who had been allowed up front. The mother was fuming about the preferential treatment that she thought that she ought to be getting as a parent until the groom in a couple with bridal Mickey ears had had enough. This resulted in a confrontation during which the mother said that Walt Disney World was for children and the groom said how much he had paid for his and his wife's adult tickets and asked how much she had paid for her child's ticket to entitle herself to have, in the groom's words, "the Red Sea parted especially for her".

 

[bytheblood]

We feel the same.... mostly because you wait for 45 minutes in your spot and then some pushy person comes and stands all over you and shoves their kid in front of you!

 

[kris4360]

I don't mind if a child stands in front of me. I can easily see over them.

 

[bytheblood]

I don't mind if a child stands in front of me. I can easily see over them.

I totally agree. But there is a difference between asking if the kid can get in front of you and somebody forcing their child in front of you.

I personally wouldn't do that for the sake of not knowing what kind of person he/she is.