Paint the Night Question

[LisaT91403]

We are DLR veterans, but are not parade people. Having said that, DS(7) has expressed an interest in Paint the Night...and now I need to learn how to plan for a parade.

We are looking at going to the 8:50pm performance on Wednesday, June 10th (yes, I know it's a Grad Night...but we can't change the date).

- How early do we need to stake out a spot?
- Do all 3 of us need to stay in the spot for the entire waiting period?
- Is there a "best" spot to view from?

We were hoping to maybe do Carnation Cafe beforehand, but will have to see if that fits in with the waiting schedule.

Thanks!

 

[707MickeyGirl]

We were there last week and people were saving spots all along the parade route as early as 3pm. It was CRAZY. They sat there through Soundsational then waited for the 8:50 Paint the Night, then the fireworks. We had dinner reservations and managed to get a decent spot at about the 4pm position on the hub at 6:15. I waited there and chatted with the people around me while my BF did a little touring on his own. I have never waited that long for anything, but I wanted to see the new parade and fireworks as early as possible during our trip in case they got cancelled for wind or weather later in the week.

I wouldn't say there's a best spot to view the parade from. As long as your DS7 can see clearly, anywhere along the route will be perfect. When I take my DGD7 in December, she and I will go to the area outside IaSW because a lot of that is sitting-only and I won't have to worry about people in front of us.

And definitely take turns holding the spot since there are 3 of you! I didn't do that because my BF hasn't been to DLR since he was a child, but it would have been nicer if I could have gotten up and walked around a bit.

Also, have a blanket or something you can put down to mark out your territory.

 

[Angrose]

I don't have an answer for you, but I am watching this thread to see if anyone has any good suggestions. I also have a DS7 who LOVES parades and really wants to see PtN. We will be in the parks June 14th and 15th. I was there for the 24hr party and it was crazy with people staking out curbside spots in the MORNING. I got lucky and was able to squeeze into a spot at the last minute, but I was solo so it wasn't too bad.

There's also fireworks to consider. DS loves those too, but he won't be able to see while standing in the middle of Main St. Ugh, what to do??!!

I hope you are able to get a great spot for your family! Please report back and let us know how it goes.

 

[FryingPansWhoKnew]

We went last Thursday after my daughter got off school. Took us two hours to get there, showed up around 6:15 PM. As people mentioned there were lots of people already staking out spots. We went over by IASW and were able to get one for all 5 of us curbside next to the VIP reservation area. My wife and daughter staked out the spot with sweatshirts while my two young kids and I went on IASW, Mad Tea Party, and Autopia. Traffic diversions start to get crazy near showtime, so I would recommend your entire party make it back to your spot no later than 30 minutes prior to showtime.

 

[LisaT91403]

Wow, that's a lot of waiting time!

Before they went to FP's for Fantasmic!, I would put down our blanket to reserve our spot. It was a big enough for the 3 of us to sit on, but only one of us stayed on it while the other 2 went on rides.

Does this strategy work for the parade too? Or will people get angry with me for sitting by myself on a blanket? It's a "normal" sized blanket...but big enough for 2 adults and a child.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Watching with interest for our July trip. Do they let people sit on the curb during the parade so that another row of people behind them can see? Or do they make everyone stand?

 

[Disney Kidd]

Don't know if this is the best suggestion, but I didn't want to wait 2+ hours for the parade. I watched it from inside the emporium, then by walking back and forth on the walking paths. No waiting involved, and I could see most of the parade.

 

[jeaneg]

One person can definitely hold the spot with a blanket. I liked being by Small World. The first row sat, and everyone else had to stand 30 minutes before the parade. I think everyone across the street from where I was sitting was allowed to sit the entire time.

 

[FryingPansWhoKnew]

Or do they make everyone stand?

We sat on the curb the entire parade.

 

[GatorChris]

I guess this is the advantage of having an AP. I'll be there in a few days for a 2 day trip, but we may just do nothing but rides and save the parade for our big week long trip in November. I do really want to see it now, but knowing we'll be back helps me get past that. Plus, I think the kids would rather do rides anyway. As long as we see fireworks...

 

[figment_jii]

How early do we need to stake out a spot?

It depends on how "prime" a viewing spot you want. I was there over Memorial Day weekend (so the parade was still very new), but I did see people along the parade route (all four days, Fri to Mon) from mid-morning. By June 10, hopefully some of the craziness will have died down and you can get there a bit closer to the parade time and still secure a good spot. I would guess that you're looking at a 2 to 3 hour wait if you want a front-row spot even at that point (that was how things were for the Christmas parade last November).

- Do all 3 of us need to stay in the spot for the entire waiting period?

No...but do expect to be asked a lot if the space is taken or to have other guests subtly encroach on any unused space even with a blanket down. Unfortunately, that's just the nature of large crowds and small spaces.

- Is there a "best" spot to view from?

Luckily, parades can be viewed from anywhere along the parade route with a great view! The only thing I make sure to check is whether you're on the inside or the outside of the bend in the parade route. That way, you can see the parade approaching, rather than having to wait for it to appear. The first parade comes from IaSW and goes to Main Street, so when you pick a spot, make sure you can see a good distance up the parade route.

Watching with interest for our July trip. Do they let people sit on the curb during the parade so that another row of people behind them can see? Or do they make everyone stand?

Whenever I've been on the parade route on MS, they make the first row of guests remain seated during the show and then ask everyone else to stand.

 

[RKKUNK]

When we were at the 24-hour event people were staking out spots 12 hours in advance of the parade and fireworks! We didn't do that but we did talk to a CM about finding a place for the parade. She told us that you could not put down blankets to save spaces and that your entire party needed to be there the entire time you were waiting (and that day,no sleeping). We chose to abide by those rules and went on to ride some rides. A little more than two hours before the parade we found a place by a trash can over by IASW and stood there. We were told we couldn't stand there. We went in search of another spot. Wandered and wandered and of course everything was packed. We went BACK to IASW and lo and behold, someone was in that exact same spot by the trash can. Now this was only about 30 mins. before the parade. So, we talked to another CM about our frustration at trying to follow the "rules" that no one else was following and she was nice enough to find us a great place to watch the parade. Now I'm not putting down anyone here, just wish they would enforce "rules" that they supposedly have!

 

[figment_jii]

I think the rules were very different for the 8:50 pm parade on the 24-hour day because it was the first time the parade had been shown to the public. I saw folks sitting on the parade from 6:00 am! Yikes! By the time folks were waiting for the 1:00 am parade, there were plenty of people sound asleep on the parade route. I left my family several times and came back and none of the CMs in area every said anything (I even came back and found my family happily chatting with a CM about everyone's favorite rides, movies, etc.). I do think there is inconsistency between the CMs (which is very frustrating for both the CMs and the guests), but I don't think they say "you can't leave" on a "normal" day.

 

[LisaT91403]

I appreciate all of the feedback and advice! Honestly, waiting 2-3 hours for a parade doesn't work for me. Maybe we will just skip it on this trip, and try to see it in the Fall or Winter (but not during the holidays). Hopefully, crowds will have died down a bit by then. Thanks, everyone.