MSEP Crowds this week

[Davin_Felth]

We're planning on watching the first MSEP on Thursday night. Given that this is the last week of the parade, how early do you think I'll need to save spots for my family?

We normallly like to watch parades from the concrete benches a little south of the bathrooms next to fantasyland side of Matterhorn. But, I'm considering going for spots on the south side of Main Street, since we'll be heading back to our rooms as soon as the parade is over.

 

[Butterfly123]

I don't know if this will help you for this upcoming week, but we saw the parade twice this past week. We watched it once for the first showing and we were able to get great spots on Main Street right behind the people sitting on the curb. We arrived a half an hour before the parade started. We were able to sit from 8:30 until 9:00. Then they made us stand until the parade got to Main St.... about 15 minutes for the parade to get there. The next time we watched the second showing of the parade, and we arrived on Main St. right before it started and were able to get a great spot standing right behind the people sitting at the curb.
It seems as if you don't mind standing for the parade there are a spots to be had without a long wait. But I know the people sitting on the curb in front of us said they had been there since 6:15 in order to get a curb spot. That was for the early parade. That's a long wait.

 

[Rabb it]

It's bound to be pretty crazy since it's the final week before it goes back to WDW. That being said they don't allow you to reserve spots too early, I'm not sure the actual time prior to show they allow you to get a spot on the curb or what have you, I'm think it's around an hour and a half before hand.

They cracked down on it earlier this year because people were camping out for like hours and hour before hand sitting on Main Street.

 

[Winnowill]

It's bound to be pretty crazy since it's the final week before it goes back to WDW.

Has anything been said about its going back to WDW? I hadn't heard anything about that.

 

[Davin_Felth]

I thought they said during D23 that they were putting the parade into storage.

 

[figment_jii]

I don't know what this week will be like, but the route (at least Main Street) was pretty full looking on Sat and Sun. There some third or fourth row spots - no large group area) - around 8:15 pm last night on Main Street, but they were filling up fast. My guess is that the crowds will continue to build this week, with the weekend being crazed along the parade route.

Personally, I would probably aim to be at the spot you want as soon as fireworks end if you want a curb/front row this week.