[LABride]

Where is your favorite place to watch all the different park's parades? We'll only have one shot at each of them and I want to make sure my kids (and, of course, me!) have a good view.
Thanks!

[GrumpyDad]

The new one at the Magic Kingdom is awesome from the platform of the train station! Only thing is you have to get there early and stake out a spot.

For EPCOT's Illuminations our favorite spot is at the cantina across from the Mexico pyramid. If you get a spot by the fence you can sit and sip marguarita's while watching the show!

-harry

[mickaholic4077]

Ditto Harry's suggestions. As to AK parade,if you are willing to invest the time,this is what I do:About 90 minutes to 2 hours till the parade,I take one of the benches that are located outside of Island Mercantile and put it up to what i know will be the spot where they will put down masking tape,and I sit there. I'm usually with my mother when I see the parade,so we'll switch off sitting there while the other goes off and does things. I also make sure I have my book with me and read until the parade begins. I'm an Ap'er who lives 90 miles from WDW,so I can invest the time to do this.

[LABride]

Originally Posted by GrumpyDad

The new one at the Magic Kingdom is awesome from the platform of the train station! Only thing is you have to get there early and stake out a spot.

Harry, how early is early? I have 8-yr-old twins that might be able to make it for awhile if I prepare them for the wait.

As for AK, micka, as much as I would love to have a real front row seat to a parade, I feel fairly sure that my kids wouldn't last! That's the beauty of APs, huh?

LABride

[skwak]

Originally Posted by LABride

Harry, how early is early? I have 8-yr-old twins that might be able to make it for awhile if I prepare them for the wait.

As for AK, micka, as much as I would love to have a real front row seat to a parade, I feel fairly sure that my kids wouldn't last! That's the beauty of APs, huh?

LABride

I have an alternative plan for the AK that I think is really great. About 1 to 1 1/2 hours before the parade, go to Rafiki's Animal Planet and enjoy. Time your return so that you arrive back in Harambe about 20 minutes since the start of the parade. The parade will have passed but it will return to pass again. Go to the corner by the drums in Harambe that kids play and the parade will pass right by you. The best is that you will be nearly all alone. It is like your own personal parade!

[LABride]

Thanks, skwak, that sounds like a great and very doable plan for us!

[GrumpyDad]

Originally Posted by LABride

Harry, how early is early? I have 8-yr-old twins that might be able to make it for awhile if I prepare them for the wait.

LABride

I got there about an hour early to take some pictures, DW and DD joined me about 20 minutes later and we just hung out till the start of the show.

-harry

[CathysCAT]

I asked a few times about this but haven't seen a definitive post. Has anyone in the past booked through AAA where you get "preferred viewing location" for this parade, Wishes, and Illuminations and only have to show up there 20 minutes before? Just wondering where these "locations" are and if they're any better than all the other great locations I've seen here on DC. I know for certain that my 5 yr old won't sit still long enough to claim an early spot.

[hiner]

For MK we sat right at the corner in Liberty Square, across from the handicap reserved spots. It was a great spot to see the floats from the sides and front. The sun can get a little hot though. We have great photos!

MGM we came out of Sounds Dangerous and plopped right down, across the street, and the parade started 10 minutes later. Also, there is a fence or something like that behind you so there is no one to push in front of you. Great spot too.

[CathysCAT]

Thank for the tip, Hiner. How this location for Mickey's Jammin Jungle at AK- Africa, across from TamuTamu refreshments, next to Discovery River? That's where I found out our "preferred viewing" location is thru the AAA package I booked. Will we be able to see the whole parade and then get to a 4:45 PS at the Rainforest Cafe right outside AK entrance? Also, at Epcot, we have special reserved location viewing for Illuminations at the Morocco Boat Landing. Is that a good spot? Is there a boat from there that you can take across the water toward the entrance? Somewhere I read that is not a good location because of islands in the water that are in the way. Thoughts anyone?

[Lenny4eyes]

At MK, (though I myself have never done so) why not try watching from the window of one of the shops on Main Street, Emporium, Confectionary, Ice Cream Parlor?

Actually, one time I watched a Christmas parade there from the Plaza restaurant, and sometimes the little area near it and next to the moat around the hub with the umbrellas and tables does fine, too.

As for the other parks, I'm not that big of a fan of the parades there.

Actually, I don't like parades that much. Why watch a long, non-memory cementing parade while you can instead take advantage of the short ride lines!

[MissDisney]

Here are my top-secret parade spots. Don't tell ANYONE! At MK, I sit my kids on the bannister going up to the Main Street Train Station (great view, easy out after Wishes!). At EC, we always watch from a bench on the lagoon side of the sidewalk in front of Morocco (it's a shady spot). At MGM, we always find a good spot at the Indiana Jones souvenir booth after the parade passes, you have a short line at Star Tours!). And we have never been to a parade at AK...

[CathysCAT]

Thanks, MissDisney...I won't tell! And maybe you're right Lenny4eyes, probably 1 parade will be enough.

[jenbarnwell]

At MK we stood in front of the barber shop for both parades. This is where everyone comes out at the night parade so it was neat. We got good pictures from both. But for the day parade it is at the end and on a hot day at the end some of the characters were tired from walking and entertaining for 45 minutes I would be.
At MGM, about an hour early we sat on the bench by like the hall of presidents or something outside. It was really neat because no one was allowed in front of us and no one was allowed to sit across the way so when the characters walked by, almost every single came over to my daughter and hugged her or shook her hand or something. She also screamed their names too.

[RowdyRAider]

Try to always stand on a corner to give you the best chance to see both sides of the float. One side when they're driving up, and the other when driving past you. There are some funny things and cool things on both sides of the float, so enjoy the best of both. In MK, the best spot in my opinion is in front of the Confectionary Shop on Main Street's Town Square.