Tips on best or secret spots for seeing parade and fireworks?

[HETRICKL]

Can anyone suggest the best spots to get for watching parade and fireworks? Maybe there are some not so known spots? Also, how long to line up prior to start? Thanks!

 

[skiingfast]

Parade. Most people go to the hub and mainstreet. These spots can fill 15, 30, or 45 minutes early depending on the crowds. The Hub is a great spot I find Mainstreet to be cramped between the buidlings. I prefer watching from the Townsquare and near Small World where it fill up much slower.

Fireworks. People will wait 2 hours for the best spots, many spots are available 30-45 minutes before the show. Anywhere in the hub and the hub end of Main Street is best as long as you can see the Castle and Matterhorn clearly. Lot of obstructions exist like trees and light/speaker towers. You can watch the fireworks from other places, but you sacrifice the show.

 

[mvf-m11c]

For the parade, there are a lot of good spots to watch the parade as long as it is on the parade route, you will have a great spot to see the parade no matter what. The busiest spots to see the parade is around MS. It always get a lot of people waiting for the parade. The spots with a short wait time is around Fantasyland. People waiting for the parade wait as long as a couple of hours, you can even get a front row curb side sitting spot with about 30 minutes or less until the parade starts.

For the fireworks, the best spot to see the fireworks is in front of SB castle. People will wait as long as 3+ hours to see the fireworks in front of SB castle. Sometimes people can get a front row spot in front of SB castle about 30 minutes before the fireworks. From the Hub and down the street of MS is always a good spot to see the fireworks. You also want to see the special effects on SB castle and see Tinker Bell, Dumbo, or Zero fly during the fireworks (it only depends on what fireworks DL is running those nights which could be RDCT, Magical, Halloween Screams or Believe...In Holiday Magic).

 

[Eeee-va]

I don't know when your trip is, but if you need/want to avoid crowds for fireworks, there is good (not optimal, but good) viewing at It's a Small World. Remember...Dreams Come True is really designed to be seen from the hub and I think you miss a lot if you're not within sight of the castle on Main Street. But there are projections on It's a Small World, too. I'd still see it from the hub if you can, but if you absolutely don't have the time/patience, you should be able to see the fireworks from back there with very little wait.

Have a great trip!