Here to report on our experience with the Magic Happens dining package. We did it Friday 2/28, the parade's first day (although there was an unscheduled soft opening the day before).
1.
Dining Our reservation at Plaza Inn was for 1pm. Our 10 year-old cousin absolutely needed to take a break at noon, so we went back to the Tropicana and missed our reservation. While she and my sister stayed at the motel, I went back to DL around 2pm to get our lanyards for the parade and pay for the package although we'd been unable to eat. The CMs at The Plaza were sympathetic and accommodating. First they offered to box up food to take back to the hotel; when I explained that probably wouldn't work, they wrote down my name and said we could come back before 11pm that day and dine off the regular menu. I wasn't expecting that and appreciated the gesture!
2.
Arriving at the reserved viewing area The ticket said to arrive between 5:30 and 6pm (for the 6pm parade) at the reserved viewing area, which was across from the Main Street train station. (I was expecting and would have preferred a Main Street location but wasn't too disappointed.) We arrived around 5:05 and walked around the area for a few minutes trying to determine where to wait. We eventually saw a few people with lanyards directly across from the train station and joined them. I noticed about ten people (at most) with lanyards at that point.
3.
Waiting at the reserved area before being let in My sister stood next to the few people waiting and I took my cousin to buy a churro from a stand a few feet away. She ate the churro sitting on a nearby bench in view of my sister who was officially waiting. I went up to my sister and offered to take her place to let her sit on the bench or get food. She took me up on that and I started chatting with the women who had been there before we arrived. At this point (perhaps 5:15 or 5:20?) there was a significant number of people waiting. Notably, two distinct groups had formed - one at each end of the rope blocking off the reserved section. The women expressed concern at which side of the rope would eventually be opened, since they had been waiting much longer than the folks at the other end. They predicted those in the first 'row' (which would of course be taken by those let in first) would be able to sit on the curb for the parade, while the rest would stand. Personally I just wanted to be able to sit UNTIL the parade, but I knew my younger cousin's feet were pretty exhausted and decided to try to get a first row spot. My sister and cousin joined me then.
4.
Rope drop There were two CMs on the other side of the rope who were chatting with the women next to us for a bit; they were aware who had been there first. (I think most people on our side had arrived earliest.) At one point one of the CMs commented that our side of the rope looked 'easier to open' (I think she just meant that she would open or try to open our side first). At 5:30 a CM who had not been in the area as long as others went to the opposite end of the rope and let in guests with wheelchairs/ECVs and 'red tag strollers' (and their parties). This process made me feel a little awkward, as she needed to shout to be heard and then needed to ask the crowd to make a path for the parties being called. There was a little stressful shuffling around to make the path without totally losing our 'place' in the un-line. Then the CM said (well, shouted, out of necessity) the rest of us could come in, one at a time, one party at a time.
The whole process was a bit chaotic and made me inwardly cringe; I couldn't help but be aware that the women next to us had been first to the area, that one of them had a minor medical issue that made it more desirable to sit rather than stand...and that we also had been there earlier than the people on the side now being opened. I don't like to push my way in a crowd (I mean, who does?) but I realized I would need to be assertive, at least. So after more shouting from the CM with reminders to not push and to let through the parties of each person whose ticket was currently being scanned, I asserted myself, got my ticket scanned, and then called for/made sure my sister and cousin got past a couple people who had inserted themselves between us. We were some of the first people in (although I'd been a little more aggressive than I was comfortable with) and got a spot on the curb. I don't think there were too many left. However, the 'row' of people behind us sat as well, and as far as I could tell, there were no bad viewing spots in the area. One group situated behind us asked my sister if their toddler could sit on the curb next to her (they sat directly behind their child) and she of course said yes and had fun chatting with the little girl.
Not knowing exactly what was going to happen while we were waiting or how they'd organize us once in the viewing area was awkward and, at the very end, slightly chaotic. It seems like the CMs could communicate more with the people waiting at the rope before 5:30, thereby facilitating a more orderly and friendly environment!
5.
The parade was AMAZING and all three of us LOVED IT. The music! The costumes! The choreography! The floats!
6.
Would I recommend the dining package? Based on our experience, I wouldn't recommend it. However,
theoretically, you could walk into the reserved area at 5:55 and get a great view...which is worth considering.
7.
Was the dining package worth it for us? Strangely enough, I don't regret purchasing the dining package even though we didn't get to eat and I'm almost sure we could have gotten a great spot without the package at 5:05pm. We had only 2.5 days at
Disneyland (basically first timers and probably won't be able to return for years and years) and I decided the parade was a priority for us. And it didn't disappoint!
