WOC - Worth it for short people?

[modmama]

I just spent some time going through the exhaustive WOC thread, and I'm even more confused than before I did so. I'm so grateful for all the info. BUT I'm feeling overwhelmed with the colors and dining options and the FPs etc. etc. etc., especially because I'm short and my kids are tiny. Part of me is wondering if we should even bother trying, if I'm going to have to spend an hour or two of precious park time just staking out a spot where we may or may not be able to see anyway.

I think I'm frustrated because during last year's visit we basically couldn't see the regular parade for all the giant adults standing along every rope.

Can anyone share pleasant stories, where they got a spot an hour before and their kids actually saw something, even though they didn't have one of the best colors or the best spots?

 

[jemimabean]

I'm five feet tall, so I'll be following this thread with interest.

 

[mrswh]

I know there are some that will disagree, but I think that WOC is best done with very little preparation and wait time. I'm 5'3" and frankly, no, I have not been able to have a GREAT view of the entire show. That said, who cares? You get all the music, and most of everything else, and it's still a good show.

If you have more than one opportunity to see it, I'd say get a FP (in the easiest manner possible) for the first night you are there. Show up 15 minutes before show time (I am assuming that you are not going to the late show, but if you are, that is a whole different animal). See what kind of spot you can get. If it's downright awful, bag it. When we were there in August we showed up 15 minutes before the show started. We had blue FPs and went to the rail just below the disabled seating rail. The rail was full of people but only one deep. The adults who were standing on the rail allowed our kids to stand in front of them during the show. I stood behind and looked between people. The view was fine. I could not see 100%, no, but it was still just as good a show as when I waited 2+ hours in 2010. I will tell you - even if your kids can get right on that rail, they still won't be able to see the entire show, but they will be able to see a fair amount of it. From that spot, I think it is actually better to stand in the back of the area (assuming there aren't a bunch of tall people packed in) and hold your kids.

We had to leave early from one show and as I walked out I was amazed at how well one can see/hear even from outside the viewing area. Again, it won't be a "perfect" view, but I found it to be good enough.

So try it out one night - see if you can easily get a FP, show up just before the show starts, see what you can see. If you feel like you can't get a good enough view but you really want to see it with the perfect view and are willing to wait, then refer back to the superthread to see what your best option is and make a plan for it the next night.

Good luck!

 

[MattsPrincess]

At a whopping 5 foot nothing, I was able to see more than I thought I would. We didn't have the best spot, but also not the worst. There were three or four rows of people in front of us, and I had to do the "short girl shift" a lot. (moving around to find the gap in the people in front of you after they move). But, i saw enough to feel like I saw the show.

 

[HydroGuy]

I just spent some time going through the exhaustive WOC thread, and I'm even more confused than before I did so. I'm so grateful for all the info. BUT I'm feeling overwhelmed with the colors and dining options and the FPs etc. etc. etc., especially because I'm short and my kids are tiny. Part of me is wondering if we should even bother trying, if I'm going to have to spend an hour or two of precious park time just staking out a spot where we may or may not be able to see anyway.

I think I'm frustrated because during last year's visit we basically couldn't see the regular parade for all the giant adults standing along every rope.

Can anyone share pleasant stories, where they got a spot an hour before and their kids actually saw something, even though they didn't have one of the best colors or the best spots?

I can't share the stories you are asking about because I do not have any recent ones, but as the author of the WOC Superthread )) I can say that if you want to have a good view for many things at DLR and you have kids or are of smaller stature, it helps to do research. For example, when we saw Remember Dreams Come True fireworks in 2005 my two youngest were 9 and 10. I intentionally scouted a spot in the hub where they could stand on a curb and have that extra 4-6 inches. In fact I did that in the middle of the day when no one was around so I could check the sight lines of the castle and Matterhorn. Then I returned there with kids 60 minutes early to get that spot.

Regarding WOC, unless you are 6' 6" tall, if you want to make sure you have an unobstructed view you need to invest the time to get to one of the better spots - or go for a spot like the fire hydrant spot - from which shorter folks can see WOC. If you do not feel like you have the time to do that, then it would be better if you skipped the show altogether.

For parades you often need to show up 30+ minutes early if you want a good spot. Same thing for fireworks. Same thing for Fantasmic.

Hope that helps!

 

[mrswh]

Regarding WOC, unless you are 6' 6" tall, if you want to make sure you have an unobstructed view you need to invest the time to get to one of the better spots - or go for a spot like the fire hydrant spot - from which shorter folks can see WOC. If you do not feel like you have the time to do that, then it would be better if you skipped the show altogether.

Hope that helps!

I think HG's presence on this board is invaluable - but I have to disagree with him on this one. A few may feel that shows are only worth seeing if you have the *best* view possible, but I think that is probably the minority. I have seen plenty of shows and parades where I did not have a perfect view, or sometimes even a great view, but still thought they were well worth watching and enjoyed them immensely. As is the case with most shows at DLR, if you want to have the best, perfect, spectacular view, yes - you will potentially have to set aside an hour or more of your time to hold that spot. If you are not willing to do that, can you still see some or all of the show and still enjoy it and be happy you saw it? Absolutely!

Just my .02.

 

[scion5220]

I think HG's presence on this board is invaluable - but I have to disagree with him on this one. A few may feel that shows are only worth seeing if you have the *best* view possible, but I think that is probably the minority. I have seen plenty of shows and parades where I did not have a perfect view, or sometimes even a great view, but still thought they were well worth watching and enjoyed them immensely. As is the case with most shows at DLR, if you want to have the best, perfect, spectacular view, yes - you will potentially have to set aside an hour or more of your time to hold that spot. If you are not willing to do that, can you still see some or all of the show and still enjoy it and be happy you saw it? Absolutely!

Just my .02.

Agreed.

And one more thing...please anyone who is reading this...don't put your kids on your shoulders right as whatever show/presentation/etc. is starting. All of us behind you have spent the last however long we've been standing there making sure we are where we can see. Hold them on your hip so they are no taller than you are!

 

[ArchOwl]

I don't know, I think that one of the reasons for the wide disparity of opinion on these boards about WOC has to do with the viewing area. It is entirely possible to wait for an hour or more to see this show and not get a decent view. I think that is a mistake on Disney's part and hope it is one they correct in the future.

I just really hate to tell someone to just show up 15 minutes before a show and hope they get a good spot, or hope that someone is nice enough to allow their kids to the rail to see. Because the fact is that the better spot you have, the better this show is. There are different kinds of "better" spots, close to the rail or from the back, that have a different view of the show. So it is hard to tell someone how long they should wait for a shot at one of these better spots. How much is it worth it to that individual person to see a better version of the show? It is hard to know.

What I can tell you is that neither I nor anyone in my family or my friends that I have taken to see WOC have ever felt that it wasn't worth it to carve out the time to see this show.

 

[mrswh]

I don't know, I think that one of the reasons for the wide disparity of opinion on these boards about WOC has to do with the viewing area. It is entirely possible to wait for an hour or more to see this show and not get a decent view. I think that is a mistake on Disney's part and hope it is one they correct in the future.

I just really hate to tell someone to just show up 15 minutes before a show and hope they get a good spot, or hope that someone is nice enough to allow their kids to the rail to see. Because the fact is that the better spot you have, the better this show is. There are different kinds of "better" spots, close to the rail or from the back, that have a different view of the show. So it is hard to tell someone how long they should wait for a shot at one of these better spots. How much is it worth it to that individual person to see a better version of the show? It is hard to know.

What I can tell you is that neither I nor anyone in my family or my friends that I have taken to see WOC have ever felt that it wasn't worth it to carve out the time to see this show.

ITA about the viewing area. Not sure what the thought was behind it, other than just doing the best with what they had in the existing area. I would not tell the average person to show up 15 minutes in advance and pray for a good view; what I suggested is for someone who isn't sure they want to spend a long while waiting and has more than one opportunity to see the show - then they can do it the "no hassle" way the first time around, and if they are satisfied, great. If not, they can decide whether it's worth it to map out a serious plan and carve the time out of their night later in their stay to hold down that perfect spot. Just trying to be efficient.

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

<--- Another shortie here. I've seen WoC twice and both times our viewing area was decent. We got turned around trying to find our FP waiting spot the first time (still waited about 15 minutes before they let us into the viewing area anyway) and ended up toward the back, which ended up being *perfect*.

We stood on the steps right near the back of the viewing area (think it was yellow, but can't remember) and had a great view. The second time we saw WoC we had preffered dining FP and used what we had learned previously and got there about 5 minutes before the show. We got the same steps (but in blue viewing area) and myself and my youngest DD10 were able to see with minimal "short person shuffle".

Personally, we don't care too much for WoC as a show. We did like it better with the Tron bit at the end, but otherwise it's pretty, but not something we need to see again. Maybe in a year or so if they switch things up again (thank goodness they cut some of the "dead parent segment" as that was just depressing - I understand and love tugging the heart strings, but that was awkward). Fantasmic has the action/adventure/etc whereas WoC seems like it's still missing something to us.

Hope you find a good spot and enjoy it!

 

[PinkBudgie]

5'3" and I've seen it twice. First, with preferred dining. We were able to get a railing spot in the PD section and had a great view. This was the first summer it was out and now they organize the waiting area differently.

This past July we used the fire hydrant trick I learned here and we had a great view with minimum wait. We knew we wanted blue passes but didn't want to rush over first thing in the morning. So we planned on the second show and picked up blue passes around noon for the 10:15 show. We joined the "Blue" section waiting area at 9:30pm. When they let us in to the show area, we headed straight for the yellow fire hydrant in the back near the VIP section. The rail and flower bed was in front of us and we had a great view while everyone else rushed past us to get down closer.

I just don't understand how people can not think that show is absolutely amazing. But that's ok, it's already too crowded anyway. I think I even liked seeing it from the back better because you can see the whole thing and take it all in.

Our family is the royal family of short waits! We show up to fireworks 15 min before show time at IASW. We walked up to F! using the light tower trick also 15 min before the show. The longest we waited was 30 min for the Soundsational Parade up by IASW. No one in my family wants to stake out a spot for 1-3 hours. But we all realize if we don't see it or don't get a good spot, that's ok. We take our chances.

 

[OBDisney]

We went the end of March last year and it was pretty busy at the parks, we had a blue fast pass and showed up about 45-50mins. early, and everyone had been let in already, but there were spots at the very end of the Bridge and a cast member said it was a good view, and he was right, we sat down until just before the show then stood up and watched and short me and our 3 and 6 year olds all had great views, we actually thought a tree might obstruct the view and were assured it wouldn't and it didn't.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

Thanks, OP, PinkBudgie, and mrswh. I think you've clarified my points I've written in other threads about the confusion and anxiety I have in contemplating WOC more than any other entertainment at DLR. Basically, it's that you can spend a lot of time that could have been spent on rides or other fun waiting in line for what sounds like something near a bum rush to try and get a good spot, possibly ending up without anything at all like what you wanted. Compare to the parade where you can pick out the spot you want and park there ahead of time.
So I've been coming to the same ideas PB and mrswh came to, which is that sometimes, especially with small people who can really have a viewing problem and/or young people who really do not have the later shows as an option (and might think waiting 60 minutes is also not viable for young attention spans), you can more play iot by ear, not investing too much precious time in the waiting period and just enjoying what you catch without too much investment (or potential disappointment).

Thanks,
AJ

 

[HydroGuy]

Regarding WOC, unless you are 6' 6" tall, if you want to make sure you have an unobstructed view you need to invest the time to get to one of the better spots - or go for a spot like the fire hydrant spot - from which shorter folks can see WOC. If you do not feel like you have the time to do that, then it would be better if you skipped the show altogether.

For parades you often need to show up 30+ minutes early if you want a good spot. Same thing for fireworks. Same thing for Fantasmic.

Hope that helps!

I think HG's presence on this board is invaluable - but I have to disagree with him on this one. A few may feel that shows are only worth seeing if you have the *best* view possible, but I think that is probably the minority. I have seen plenty of shows and parades where I did not have a perfect view, or sometimes even a great view, but still thought they were well worth watching and enjoyed them immensely. As is the case with most shows at DLR, if you want to have the best, perfect, spectacular view, yes - you will potentially have to set aside an hour or more of your time to hold that spot. If you are not willing to do that, can you still see some or all of the show and still enjoy it and be happy you saw it? Absolutely!

Just my .02.

Hey I am fine with differing opinions!

And I am not sure we really disagree. I was saying "make sure". I was trying to give certainty and not odds. The advice about skipping WOC was not general advice I would give to everyone. It was specific to the OP who had already expressed reservations about waiting very long for any show and had a frustrating experience at a parade.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks, OP, PinkBudgie, and mrswh. I think you've clarified my points I've written in other threads about the confusion and anxiety I have in contemplating WOC more than any other entertainment at DLR. Basically, it's that you can spend a lot of time that could have been spent on rides or other fun waiting in line for what sounds like something near a bum rush to try and get a good spot, possibly ending up without anything at all like what you wanted. Compare to the parade where you can pick out the spot you want and park there ahead of time.
So I've been coming to the same ideas PB and mrswh came to, which is that sometimes, especially with small people who can really have a viewing problem and/or young people who really do not have the later shows as an option (and might think waiting 60 minutes is also not viable for young attention spans), you can more play iot by ear, not investing too much precious time in the waiting period and just enjoying what you catch without too much investment (or potential disappointment).

Thanks,
AJ

I have no problem with people who play it by ear and show up late and take their chances. As long as they stand at the back.

I do get frustrated by folks who show up at the last minute and then try to move in front of you or push their kids in front of you and your own kids. After you have invested significant time to get that spot.

Not saying this is you. But it is some people.