What About Parades?

Walt loved parades. That's why there is a parade in every park, except Epcot currently. It all goes back to the small boyhood town of Marceline, Missouri that Walt grew up in as a kid. Main Street USA is based on that small town and the parade is yet another added detail. The parades change from time to time in each park to keep up interest. Unless the situation is pretty bad, those parades are performed every day all year.

Yet, with as many times as I've been to Disney World, I have yet to see all the parades, the whole of the parades or seen them very often at all.

For one thing, seeing the parade means fighting for a good spot and then waiting. And waiting some more. Because you have to get there early for one of the prime viewing positions, otherwise you aren't going to see much of the parade at all. Usually, I end up catching the tail end once the parade has started to clear or is in a spot that wasn't considered ideal because there were no curbs to sit at or it turned there. Once I saw the Magic Kingdom Parade through the windows of the Main Street Confectionary and once I didn't see it at all, but my daughter saw at least the top half of it from my husband's shoulders.

There are things I'd much rather take advantage of at Parade Time. Since everyone is crowding the parade route, they certainly aren't crowding the rides and this is the best time to jump onto usually crowded favorites. In addition, many people end the day with the parade, so the park starts to empty out and I would rather be in prime position to take advantage of that, not to mention being away from the surge of people exiting.

Parades are usually at 3 in all parks. This is when my daughter awakes from a nap in her stroller and is ready to go again. Every other little tyke is waiting behind a rope barricade at this time to see Mickey in the parade, so Fantasyland is free and clear!

This is the real reason I like the parades at Disney World. Others may have different views, but I'm rather an opportunistic Guest, it takes the stress out of things. However, I have a tip to impart before I go. Remember how I said that the parades are at 3 o'clock? Yet, the most common question a Castmember gets is "When is the 3 o'clock parade?" Just don't. Not even to be funny, because after decades, it isn't funny. It's at 3, okay?