Best Viewing for Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams?

[momzilla59]

Regarding the Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams for the 50th....

Where is going to be the Best place to watch the big parade? (or best places)
We want to be sure we see all the action

How soon (in hours, not days) do you plan to stake out your spot?

and finally -

How do you spend your time Waiting for the show to begin? Sitting on the curb on Main Street is hard on the heinie.

 

[Mom2my2daughters]

From reading my trusty 2005 Disneyland Guide it says the parade winds it's way down Main Street twice a day. The parade is about 20 minutes. It says the best place to see the parades are on the platform of the Railroad's Main Street depot, Town Square near the flagpole and the curb on either side of Main Street. You can also stand on either side of the promenade area in front of It's a Small World, or anywhere all the way down to Main Street (busiest area).

Plan to get there about an hour beforehand.

In the past we've always sat in front of the Mad Hatter's store in Main Street. There's a bathroom nearby, and room for the kiddo's to hang out on the sidewalk. It's worked for us!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Also just before the Alice in Wonderland Ride and across from the que to the Mattherhorn (as you enter Fantasyland from the hub before you enter the castle) is a long stone bench type thing. It is almost always shady over there and the bench is so nice for a tired back. There is also a restroom nearby right between the bench and the Alice ride. We take turns between this location and Main Street. In the afternoon the side of Main Street where the Emporium, the Bakery and Coke Corner are is the shady side. It also fills up first with parade watchers. A good strategy for us when waiting for a parade is to get some fastpasses that we either hang onto or that come up around an hour before the parade. Then DH and I take turns taking one kid on a ride while the other one stays and holds the parade spot. That way we get our spot saved without feeling like we are using up ride time. If we don't want to ride we take turns taking the kids to get a snack or shop in one of the many stores.n We always get our spot around an hour to an hour and half before the parade if we want to sit and be in the shade.

 

[sters]

I got this from another board and I forget their source:

"The parade runs twice a day, and the estimated running time is over 40 minutes. The show stops in front of “it's a small world,” around the Central Plaza hub near Sleeping Beauty Castle, and on Main Street near Town Plaza"

 

[dletz]

This parade is a go, stop, perform, go stop, perform type of parade from what I understand (though I could be wrong). Therefore I don't think it will be easy to pick out a location before the parade actually starts. I would also assume that the direction it is going will also play some in where people would want to sit.