Do you love a parade? Do your children love Disney parades? This week we asked our Parenting Panel: Do you stop to watch the Disney parades? What is your parade strategy?
Chris, also known as GusMan, is always planning his next family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort and loves to help others plan their trips, as well sharing his experiences. Chris writes:
Disney parades hold something of a special place in my heart, to be honest. I think it stems from the first parade I saw during my first trip to Disney with my family. It was the Share a Dream Come True parade and it was a major event for us. We took time to get some great seats so not only could we enjoy the parade, but so I could take some great video of it, as well. My daughter, 8 years old at the time, was totally enthralled with the different characters in the different bubbles passing by.
However, what really changed things for my family and I was when my daughter was led by the hand by a cast member out into the parade. She got a brief moment to wave to each one of the Princesses that were coming by. She came back to the curb and exclaimed “They waved at me! Did you see that?”
It was a memory that she will carry forever, but it will probably be a turning point to me since I knew then and there that this is where I would spend many of my vacations with my family.
Over the years, the parades have changed in both theme and style. My family and I always try to get to see them at least once during their run. After all, you never know what might change from year to year, as it may be very different during the next visit. Sure, parades can consume a lot of time, but I think that it can be a real multipurpose time for everyone. Here are some thoughts for how you can best enjoy a Disney parade:
- Know the parade route. This can be found in a guide map. This will help you plan. Not only will it help if you want to get a good spot to watch the parade, but it will also help you avoid the parade route if you want to skip it.
- If you like to take pictures, take location and time of day into consideration. This is so you can have the sun at your back for the best lighting of the parade floats and participants.
- Use the time waiting for the parade for some extended snack time. It is a good idea to stake out a good spot at least 45 minutes or more before the parade comes by your viewing spot. Grab some refreshments to enjoy and share. Plan your next stop for after the parade goes by.
- Make sure everyone uses the restroom before you find your spot! Nothing causes more issues than a last-minute potty break before the parade goes by. Keep in mind, before the parade, the crowds tend to get really intense and it may be difficult to get back to your spot.
- For the parades that allow interaction with the audience, consider joining in the fun. Sure, this may mean putting down the camera for a little bit, but the memories made with the whole family can never reside on a memory card.
Admittedly, parades are not everyone's cup of tea. I know my son would rather skip them, but he has allowed his mom and me to indulge in a parade once in a while. Regardless, between the floats, the characters, and the music associated with the parades, they seem to always put a smile on my face.
Jen, also known as *Nala*, is an engineer, a Disney fan, and a MouseAdventure fanatic. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two future MouseAdventurers, ages 2 and 4. Jen writes:
My kids love Disney parades and have since they were babies. My stroller-hating son, on his first Disneyland trip at 5 months old, happily sat in the stroller for the entire 20 minutes of the parade, absolutely fascinated with every character that went by. Today, the kids smile, wave, dance along to the music, and point out their favorite characters to each other. It’s somewhat magical watching my 2-year-old daughter as she’s completely convinced that Ariel is waving just for her.
The only real downside to the Disney parades is dealing with the waiting and the crowds. With small kids, that can be a challenge. We don’t have one set parade strategy, but there are a few things that have been successful.
- Avoid Main Street U.S.A. At Disneyland, I’ve noticed we’re a lot more likely to find a good spot closer to parade time if we stay away from Main Street and Sleeping Beauty Castle. We often have luck at the other end of the parade route by “it’s a small world.” I also like the long stone benches across from the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
- Save a Spot. We’re careful with this one. I don’t know many people who are fans of those guests who like to save spots for a group of 12 with blankets laid out down Main Street and only one person waiting. If we do save a spot, I’ll usually sit on a bench and save just enough room for the older child to sit next to me, and I’ll hold the youngest on my lap while my husband stands behind the bench.
- Go Last Minute. You may not get the absolute perfect spot, but you can usually find something close to parade time especially if you’re willing to sit or stand behind your kids and not have your entire party at the front. Walk down the route and grab the first place that fits your family.
- Know Which Way the Parade Is Moving. Remember that if the parade starts at 4 p.m., it could take 15-20 minutes for the first float to make it to the other end of the parade route. In my experience, the average 3-year-old child will ask “When is the parade going to start?” approximately 67 times per minute, so if you’re going to sit far away from the start of the parade route, you might want to arrive a little later. Cast members can tell you which direction the parade will be heading.
- Pay Attention to Others. It should be common sense, but just this weekend I watched two young women pushing and dancing right in front of the parade view of several small children. On the other side, we don’t just assume that our kids can push in front of people because they are smaller, and, on the rare occasion we hold a child on our shoulders, we make sure we’re behind the crowd when we do so. Parades often turn out to be a good opportunity for the kids to practice good manners, even if just to say “thank you” to someone who slides over to make room for them to sit.
MousePlanet columnist Chris Barry, his wife, Diane, Samantha (15), and twins Casey and Alex (12), live on Long Island and are all major Disney and Walt Disney World fans. Chris writes:
Here in the “real world,” I’m not too big on parades. I’ve had to watch many of them because of my daughter’s involvement with her school marching band. Once that moment is over and I’ve seen her march by, I’m kind of done. The Walt Disney World Resort, as we all know, is far from the “real world.” There’s nothing like a Disney parade. All of them are special and they are all worth watching.
The one big draw for my kids has always been the characters. On any given day in the parks, my kids would literally count the characters that they saw. It was a big deal to them. Even if they didn’t stop and wait in line to meet them, just seeing them was a big deal. They would keep track and go out of their way to spot them. There’s no better chance to lay your eyes on a multitude of Disney characters than by watching the parades go by. They could knock out a whole day of character spotting in just one parade!
The question is: Did we ever seek out the parades or did we just happen to end up watching them? Truthfully, more often than not, it was the latter. We travel to Walt Disney World predominantly in August and lately in September. In case you haven’t heard—it’s hot. This typically puts us back at the resort in our pool cooling off when the afternoon parades are kicking off. If our plans are altered and we are at, say, Magic Kingdom around 3 p.m., we’ll stop and catch the parade, but that rarely happens.
The same goes at the other parks. The only times we caught those parades were when we got a later start and found ourselves still there in the afternoon. Even then, we didn’t plan a parade stop. I would happen to look down at my watch and say, “Hey guys, the parade’s starting in 15 minutes, want to catch it?” If we were meandering around anyway, then the answer was yes.
Conversely, if we had a destination in mind, or an attraction that we were heading for, then the answer was typically no. The nighttime parades at Magic Kingdom are a big favorite of mine, but the same methods pertain. If we’re doing something else, we’ll keep going. If we’re in the mood to stop and watch, we’ll stop and watch. Besides, those of us in the know are aware that when the majority of guests are watching parades and fireworks, the attraction lines are usually smaller.
Location is also a big deciding factor. We have never set ourselves up on Main Street for instance 30 minutes ahead of time to watch the parade as many people do, or in the massive crowds in the hub area. It used to happen early on, but as we got more Disney experience, we soon learned our lesson. We’d much rather watch from a more sane location. Liberty Square and Frontierland immediately come to mind. As a matter of fact, my favorite parade moments seem to always be in Liberty Square. On more than one occasion, I can remember us pulling up to the ropes and getting a perfect spot along the parade route close to show time with no problem whatsoever. The same experience can’t be had on Main Street or in the hub.
This goes for the special holiday parades as well. Each time, we’ve caught the Christmas parade or the Halloween parade; it’s been back in Liberty Square or in Frontierland.
My favorite parade tip is one that you have to kind of stumble upon, but if you do make sure you take advantage of it. On occasion, we’ve noticed that the Magic Kingdom has a second Electrical Parade scheduled after Wishes ends, typically in the summer months. For instance, we’ve seen the park closing time at 10 p.m. The first Main Street Electrical Parade will start at 8 p.m. Wishes will then start at 9 p.m. Then there will be a second parade at 10 p.m., even though the park is technically closed at 10 p.m. That’s the best one to catch. Hordes of people leave after Wishes. You can pull up to a great spot in front of Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square and watch the parade go by with very few people around you. Then slowly walk out of the park and find the buses, monorails and boats relatively quiet. It’s a perfect way to end a day.
It's your turn—keep the discussion flowing!
Visit the Parenting in the Parks forum on our MousePad discussion board, and share your opinions about this topic or many others, or send your suggestions via e-mail. Reader-submitted tips might be used in a future article, and you might be selected to participate in an upcoming panel discussion!
