By accident we stood in this same spot last week and it was a pretty fab spot! We just happened to be standing in that general area waiting for my husband to get back with our coffee and right when he got back the snow started so we stood out in the street a bit. Perfect spot for the snow/castle lighting/fireworks. Most of the crowd seemed to be concentrated in the center of main street.
Dreams is right, you can spot the snow machines, just look at your map where the snowflakes are to give you an idea of where to start looking up for the machines.
I may be wrong, but I don't think it's snoap anymore. I think it might actually be SNOW. Most of it seamed to melt before it hit the ground and from the couple "flakes" my husband and I were able to catch in our hand, (and my daughter with her tongue) it seamed like a definite upgrade from previous years.
Oh and no snoap spots on our clothes like two years ago.