Whats your secrets to getting to the best seats on rides/shows?

[cbhelms]

There have been threads on "best secrets," "Best resaurants," etc... But I can't seem to find a thread on everyone's secrets to getting to into the best seats of rides or shows. So I had to ask the question.


Thanks
CB

 

[iwannabeminnie]

For dinner shows such as Hoop de Doo or Spirit of Aloha, the earlier you make your reservation the better the seat. So call at least a year in advance! We always sit front and center. For some rides, such as the monorail, the secret is as easy as asking. Just ask the CM at the station if you can sit up front. Most people don't know this is an option. We have never been turned down. Of course we always travel during the off season when it isn't crowded, too.

 

[captJack88]

One word, planning. We bought the unofficial guide before our last trip, and I read these boards, and we came up with game plans for each park. For example, when we went to the MK, we planned to run back to Buzz, while everyone else was running to The mountains, we walked right on, then we hit the teacups, and walked right on everything we wanted to see down fantasy-land, except philharmagic, we FPd that later, then got FP for SplM and went on HM, we had a great time and got to see everything we wanted to and somethings twice!. With good planning and good use of FP, you can see just about everything you want to at WDW. Come up with a plan to fit your family or group, and try to stick to it, but give yourself some flexibility also. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Pig Pen]

For theater shows & 3D movies, don't rush the entrance door. The CMs make people move to the end of the rows and fill in all the seats before sitting down. We always hold back and enter the theater after the "mad rush" thereby getting a seat more towards the center of the theater.

There are always those selfish few who plop down in the center seats no matter what.

 

[Pig Pen]

For theater shows & 3D movies, don't rush the entrance door. The CMs make people move to the end of the rows and fill in all the seats before sitting down. We always hold back and enter the theater after the "mad rush" thereby getting a seat more towards the center of the theater.

There are always those selfish few who plop down in the center seats no matter what.

For rides, just let the CM know that you want to sit up front (or where ever). Most times they will hold you back to allow you to get your desired seat.

 

[#1DopeyFan]

Originally posted by Pig Pen
For theater shows & 3D movies, don't rush the entrance door. The CMs make people move to the end of the rows and fill in all the seats before sitting down. We always hold back and enter the theater after the "mad rush" thereby getting a seat more towards the center of the theater.

There are always those selfish few who plop down in the center seats no matter what.

For rides, just let the CM know that you want to sit up front (or where ever). Most times they will hold you back to allow you to get your desired seat.

You are so right, that is the way to do it!!!




When we go to Festival of the Lion King in AK, }after getting in line early of course,} we always go to the seating on the immediate right, move all the way to the end, and sit on the bottom row of the elevated seating. {not in the handicappd seating on the floor} Not only does Dd ALWAYS get asked to join in the show, which she absolutely LOVES doing...we're first out the doors when they let you leave the show.

 

[WDWPartyof5]

We read the Unofficial Guide the first big family trip we took and we walked pretty much on everything reading their tips. We went the week of Thanksgiving, and our longest wait was 15minutes.

One thing we did do was get up early and be at the park before park opening. They almost always let people in earlier than the official time at MK and MGM. The bigger kids and adults always would go to the roller coasters or thrill rides, but we walked straight to Fantasyland started with dumbo and did Fantasy Land clockwise. We often did Dumbo two or three times, and our other family member met up with us by the time we hit the next attraction. We also utilized short cuts at the parks. We didnt always walk the same paths and we knew the park layouts pretty well. (we even had maps tied to our strollers) That first time we were pretty obsessive, but our next trip we were more easy going and we still were able to get a lot in!

Now we are really laid back, use FP, and enjoy the little things about Disney.

 

[cbhelms]

Ok, I guess my question is not understood by some. I read the "Guides" and they all had suggestions on getting to the best seats, but what I am trying to find out is what is YOUR best place to see a show/parade, or best seat to enjoy a ride, why, and how you get such seats. This is wether you are the first person on the ride or you have been waiting 30 min to get on the ride or see a show. (eg. My favorite place to watch Illuminations is from Rose and Crown because you can get a table with out having to worry about someone standing in front of you or having to "save" a seat if you have to hit the restroom. Or my favorite seat to get on Rock-N-Roll is in the very front because I'm a big guy and there is more leg room and all I had to do was ask a CM and they sent me up there.)


cb

 

[buzz2400]

To get the best seats on a ride, i.e. front for rock n roller coaster or front seat on test track, just ask the cm. the only time we had a problem was once at space mountain. he must have been a new cm because he said no. of course that ruined by son's day but never had any other problem.

 

[PeterPan20]

My favorite spot on Splash Mountain is the front of the log. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of getting soaked, but you can see better from the front. When we get to the big drop, I always duck at the bottom and it usually soaks the person behind me! I did this several times when my friends and I went last spring break and they couldn't figure out why they always got drenched when they sat behind me!!

shhhhh....don't tell!!!

 

[erinch]

we wait to ride Spl Mn and BTMR till close to closing, in particular if parades and the like are going on. in the last half hour it's often walk-on, and we get to pick where we want to sit

 

[WDWPartyof5]

Ok, lets see. For Splash Mtn sometimes they may have two seat available in the boat with another family. If you divide as two and not do the ride as a whole group you can get on the ride quickly as pairs. The CM will say is "There a couple, I need a pair to go in the boat" My husband and were able to do this several times on Splash Mtn and once on Big Thunder.
For shows, we always let a crowd start and then we follow in after about half are there. This way we get seated in the center.
Another thing we do is wait till parades are showing, walk onto most everything, especially at night.
For parades, we just get their early. We like to watch the Day time parade at MK near Splash Mtn. We normally just take our afternoon break there. The night parade we watch in frontier land. There are some wooden platforms near the shooting gallery that we sit on and that the little ones can stand on.

 

[erinch]

another tip at AK is to watch the afternoon parade right where the path branches to go to FTLK. Then as soon as the last bit of the parade passes to make a beeline for FTLK. This puts you right at the front of the FTLK crowd

 

[Nala56]

For rnrc ( especially if you've been on it before ) during the preshow, go as far as you can to the side with the door ( we always go next to it but i forget which way it opens ) and you'll get out in line as soon as it opens and it's quicker. You can't see the preshow as well but you don't have as long as a wait. It doesnt make a big difference but it works!!

 

[WDWguru]

Originally posted by Pig Pen
There are always those selfish few who plop down in the center seats no matter what.

And everyone knows this is disTINCTLY UNpatriotic!