parades and shows

[jkh1978]

Where do I want to stand/sit for the parades and shows?

 

[avalon451]

Somebody posted a list awhile back (quite a while!) about stopping points along the DL parade of dreams route. I'd love to see that list again, too. They listed the stopping points, and what floats performed there.

I've heard that a good place to view POD is by the Kings and Queens bathroom in FL, across from Matterhorn... ?

 

[northshoremama]

ooh....that's a good question. hopefully someone answers! i definitely want to see the POD and Pixar's, too. would have loved to the DEP, but i guess i'm going during its "dark" season.

 

[Disney Dreams]

avalon451 is correct about that being one stopping place. Another good one for a stopping place is right in front of the walkway to Tomorrowland where it meets Main Street. Another spot that I like (although it is NOT a stopping place) is at the front of the Hub, right where the parade comes straight down Main Street.

 

[jkh1978]

and how early do I need to get there?

for both parks...

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Here it is It was written by one of the CM's who works in that area. I posted this back in May, so.....great memory avalon 451 After originally reading this, we tried the area outside of the "Alice" bathrooms (as mentioned above) and it was great! There are people on one side of the street only, so there is a lot of character interaction if you're sitting there. Have fun!



Here's a general description of each float so you get an idea for the flow.

1) Peter Pan driving the train with Mickey floral (also with Tinker Bell, Blue Fairy, Fairy Godmother, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, and now Merlin). For the show stop, Peter gets out of the train and all the characters (except Tinker Bell) do a dance routine.

2) Beauty and the Beast (Belle, Beast, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Cogsworth, and an entourage of plates, forks, knives, and spoons). Show stop is primarily a dance routine.

3) Geppetto acting as puppeteer to two live marionettes with Russian "bungee flippers" (also with Jiminy Cricket, Cleo, Pinocchio, Foulfellow, Gideon, and an entourage of wind-up toys). Show stop involves dance routine, but also raising of the bungee tower for some awesome flipping stunts. This is my favorite show stop.

4) Ariel (live Ariel atop an underwater world with Flounder and Sebastian, led by dancing seaweed and pearls). Show stop involved dance routine by those on the ground. Ariel can't do too much but sing along from atop her perch.

5) Ursula (huge Sea Witch float led by black pearls and Flotsom and Jetsum). Again, the show stop is dancing by those on the ground, though I find it pretty funny watching this huge robotic Ursula singing along to "Welcome to our family time! Welcome to our brotherly time!" while normally she's taunting everyone.

6) Alice in Wonderland (Caterpillar and various Wonderland creatures adorn the float as Alice and the Mad Hatter play with each other. It's led by very tall bouncing flowers, playing cards, the Queen of Hearts, Tweedle Dee [or Dum] in a tea cup, and the White Rabbit on roller blades). During the show stop, Alice and the Mad Hatter come down from the float while the playing cards come up and do gymnastics on the trampoline in the float's center. This is my second favorite show stop.

7) Lion King (Rafiki, Simba, Nala, Pumbaa, Zazu and birds on the float led by Timon and a host of African animals). Show stop includes raising of the tree the birds are attached to so they can perform stunts on their rope. This is my third favorite show stop.

8) The castle (Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Donald, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella all on the float with Goofy and the Seven Dwarfs leading the way). Show stop is primarly a dance routine.

Okay, so I lied a little--Peter Pan getting out of his train to do his dance is my favorite show stop, but I'm terribly biased! Other than that little obsession, the three I listed are my favorites. Since this post ended up being so long, I'll do another one for where they all stop.
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This is to the best of my knowledge, which is much stronger in the Fantasyland area. I have seen the parade a couple of times from Main Street, but my exact knowledge for that area is limited. Perhaps someone else can clear up some of my "probablies."

Parade Route from IASW to Main Street (first parade of the day--3:30 on days with two parades, 7:00 on days with one):

Peter Pan
1) Just below the Matterhorn before Triton Gardens
2) Not exactly sure, but somewhere along Main Street.
3) Just before the parade exit in front of the Mad Hatter shop

Beauty and the Beast
1) Near the bathrooms below Alice in Wonderland across from the Matterhorn
2) Again, not exactly sure, but just after the Peter one around Main Street.
3) In front of the Main Street Train Station

Pinocchio
1) Between the Mad Tea Party and Alice in Wonderland.
2) Not exactly sure, but probably around Coke Corner or the south side of the Hub
3) Around City Hall

Ariel
1) In front of the Mad Tea Party
2) Near the Hub
3) Around the Fire House

Ursula
1) In front of Storybook Land
2) Around the Hub
3) Across from the Emporium

Alice in Wonderland
1) Between Storybook Land and Small World
2) Between the Hub and Triton Gardens
3) Just past Ursula on Main Street, near the Magic Shop

Lion King
1) In front of the entrance to Small World
2) Near Triton Gardens
3) In front of the Market House on Main Street

Castle
1) In front of the queue for Small World (usually you can't watch from there, though)
2) Near the restrooms below Alice in Wonderland
3) At the end of Main Street near Coke Corner


Parade Route from Main Street to IASW (7:00 ONLY on days there are two parades):

Peter Pan
1) Not exactly sure, but probably near Coke Corner
2) In front of Alice in Wonderland
3) In front of the queue for Small World (again, you usually can't watch from here)

Beauty and the Beast
1)Not exactly sure, but probably near the Market House on Main Street
2) Near the restrooms below Alice in Wonderland and Triton Gardens
3) In front of the entrance to Small World

Pinocchio
1) Not sure, but probably near the Magic Shop
2) Again, not quite sure, but most likely just past the Hub
3) Between Small World and Storybook Land

Ariel
1) Probably near the Emporium
2) Probably right around the Hub
3) Just above Storybook Land

Ursula
1) Probably near the Fire House
2) Probably just below the Hub
3) In front of Storybook Land

Alice in Wonderland
1) In front of the Main Street Train Station
2) Probably right around Coke Corner
3) In front of the Mad Tea Party

Lion King
1) In front of the Opera House
2) Probably around the Market House
3) Near the restrooms below Alice in Wonderland

Castle
1) In front of the Mad Hatter on Main Street
2) Probably near the Magic Shop
3) In front of Triton Gardens


Like I said, this is all to the best of my knowledge, which is sketchy at best in regards to Main Street. I do know that if you're watching from the Train Station (up above everything), you can see a lot of the show stops at once. My favorite place to watch is from the spot between Alice in Wonderland and the Tea Cups because you can show up 15 minutes before the parade starts and still get a front row seat because that's when they set up the rope turning it from a walkway into a viewing area. There's not a lot of viewing there, so you need to be there when the rope is set up, but there's a lot of character interaction because there's no viewing from the Matterhorn queue across the street so all the focus is on you. And the bungee guys stop right in front of you for the first parade, and Peter for the second! I've seen this parade dozens of times and I still tend to watch it when I come as a guest. I have to show everyone I bring to the park because it truly is a phenomenal parade, so even if you do end up watching it 4 times, it won't be time wasted.