Paint the Night Parade and Disneyland Forever Fireworks Strategy

[ten6mom]

Went to park last night, was able to snag a bench at 7 pm in front of the train station. Great viewing for the parade. Then we got up and moved towards the center of Main Street for fireworks. We ended up being able see the projections on both sides, fireworks, castle effects and think and Nemo. Great spot

Is that a bench on ground level in front of the train station? Or are there benches higher up on the train platform?

 

[calilou]

Warning - the projections on IASW are not currently working. They did not work Thursday night and they did not work tonight. So the IASW area is really disappointing for firework viewing if you ask me. You can see some flying that happens but you can hardly see much more. At least the music is playing there though, unlike in Fantasyland. Be warned that CMs are not being told whether or not the projections are working so they will send you there anyway not knowing. One of them told me they didn't work because of wind, but I don't buy that at all. There was absolutely no wind tonight.

What we did see of the fireworks from behind the castle looked AMAZING! I'm very sad we didn't get to watch from Main St like we planned but we were given some bad information and instructions so couldn't make our way back there. Oh well, so thankful we are passholders and will be back in a couple months to watch again.

 

[calilou]

Is that a bench on ground level in front of the train station? Or are there benches higher up on the train platform?

There are benches on the train platform but they're reserved for VIP viewing.

 

[ten6mom]

There are benches on the train platform but they're reserved for VIP viewing.

Thank you. I am in the parks a lot but we NEVER watch the Parade, or Fireworks, or any of it so it's basically uncharted territory for us!

 

[lvdis]

There are benches on the train platform but they're reserved for VIP viewing.

Are these the only ones by the train station? hpfan100 said they sat on a bench in front of the train station the other night.

 

[calilou]

Are these the only ones by the train station? hpfan100 said they sat on a bench in front of the train station the other night.

There are (very hard to come by during afternoon/evening hours) benches along the street and in the square.

 

[calilou]

This could have been covered but if you are there multiple nights in the near future most definitely choose a non grad night for your parade/firework viewing. Grads are wanting to see these too and are totally into them. They're everywhere! It was overwhelming. I'm kicking myself for not planning better. We did WOC on our non grad night and should have done the opposite.

 

[gcatt]

Are CMs sweeping Main Street after the Soundsational parade now? Or are those viewers able to keep their spots?

I've seen both scenarios reported on other threads, and am wondering if there is a more consistent strategy now that the 24 Hour Party and Memorial Day weekend are past.

 

[hpfan100]

Is that a bench on ground level in front of the train station? Or are there benches higher up on the train platform?

Ground level...the ones at the top of the steps were reserved for VIP tour guests

 

[hpfan100]

Ground level...the ones at the top of the steps were reserved for VIP tour guests

We got lucky that a family was leaving the area and I swooped in to grab the bench. We shared with a family that got booted from their seat due to ropes being put up. Then another couple came by to talk to my husband about his shirt and we made room for them too. Some people say on the curb in front of the benches and that was fine. There were a ton of people that sat on the ground in front of the emporium and the CM moved the rope so they would be in the blocked zone. The seated people showed up around 7:40 pm. People stood behind us and showed up around 8.

 

[Fastlaney]

Forgive me, I am a newbie to this board currently planning my 3rd trip to Disneyland. What does IASW mean?
My daughter, her 2 yr old and I are in search of a decent place where they can sit that can accommodate me and my electric scooter.

 

[dreamseeker9]

Forgive me, I am a newbie to this board currently planning my 3rd trip to Disneyland. What does IASW mean?
My daughter, her 2 yr old and I are in search of a decent place where they can sit that can accommodate me and my electric scooter.

Hi! IASW = It's a Small World.

 

[disneyfan95]

Is Main Street a good spot for kids to see the projections? I'm trying to imagine if a small child is standing on Main Street surrounded by tall adults what that would be like. I'm thinking they would be looking up so it shouldn't matter. Anyone who has seen the fireworks from Main Street with their kids could you tell me what that was like?

 

[JeriLee]

Please keep these reviews and tips comping!

My 3 girls (all teens) and I will be spending 3 days and 2 nights on Monday, 6/22 & Tuesday, 6/23 and we hope to do WOC one night and Paint the Night / Fireworks the other.

Does anyone have input on which night we should do which event???

Also - I don’t mind camping out while the girls run around if this is the best option for us, so any insight here as to where and when would be appreciated.

 

[figment_jii]

Does anyone have input on which night we should do which event???

I don't think it's really going to matter if you do WoC on Monday and the parade/fireworks on Tuesday or vice-a-versa. My guess is that the shows will be popular regardless of the night, so I would go with whichever schedule works best for your other plans.

Also - I don’t mind camping out while the girls run around if this is the best option for us, so any insight here as to where and when would be appreciated.

Are you going to watch the first or second parade? I think finding a "good" spot for the second parade is generally easier than it is for the first parade. So if you can can watch the second parade, I would do that. Determine where you want to watch the fireworks (I like Main Street, but you might not see the Matterhorn if you're between the buildings) and try to make sure it's also a good spot to watch the parade. Then as soon as the fireworks ends, move to a parade viewing spot. You'll have to wait a little over an hour for the parade, but it's better than hours and hours before the 8:50 pm parade!

 

[Angrose]

Is Main Street a good spot for kids to see the projections? I'm trying to imagine if a small child is standing on Main Street surrounded by tall adults what that would be like. I'm thinking they would be looking up so it shouldn't matter. Anyone who has seen the fireworks from Main Street with their kids could you tell me what that was like?

This is one of my main concerns as well. I don't think Main Street will be good for small kids unless you can hold them up. I will be there in 10 days with DS7, who comes to about chest height on me, and I'm short at 5'2". If he is surrounded by adults, he could probably look up to see some projections on the buildings, but there's no way he will be able to see any fireworks unless he is lifted up. The fireworks are further away and you are pretty much looking straight at the castle and not so much looking up. It's just me and him on this trip and there's no way I could lift him up to watch for any significant period of time. At this point I'm not sure what our plan will be. We've talked about needing to wait for several hours for a good spot for the parade and fireworks and he is not interested in doing that. I suppose we can try our luck watching around IASW or make a F! dining reservation so we would at least have a seated spot for the fireworks.

Does anyone have any comments on watching the fireworks in the reserved dining areas after F!?

Also, I see figment's comment above about it not really making much difference between Monday vs. Tuesday, but what about a Sunday vs. Monday in mid-June? I'm thinking Monday might be less crowded, but it's summer crowds by then so it may not make much of a difference at all!

 

[JeriLee]

Figment_jii – You are always so generous with your time and knowledge – Thank you!

My preference would be the first parade as we are morning Rope Drop people and need a good night’s sleep. However, I could be talked into the second...

Just had a thought - Wouldn’t one have to camp out for the fireworks in any case? Or is this not an issue because of the space that is opened after the first parade passes???

 

[figment_jii]

Also, I see figment's comment above about it not really making much difference between Monday vs. Tuesday, but what about a Sunday vs. Monday in mid-June? I'm thinking Monday might be less crowded, but it's summer crowds by then so it may not make much of a difference at all!

I think Sunday will be busier than Monday in mid-June, just because some folks are still working on Mondays and may not want to go into the parks for the nighttime entertainment. The SoCal AP get Sunday June 14th and 21st before their summer season blockouts go into effect, so I wouldn't be surprised if those Sundays are fairly busy.

Figment_jii – You are always so generous with your time and knowledge – Thank you! My preference would be the first parade as we are morning Rope Drop people and need a good night’s sleep. However, I could be talked into the second...Just had a thought - Wouldn’t one have to camp out for the fireworks in any case? Or is this not an issue because of the space that is opened after the first parade passes???

You're very welcome! My experience (over Memorial Day weekend) is that once the parade passes by, guests flood out onto Main Street (and the parade route in general), but the number of guests that fit onto Main Street to watch the fireworks is higher than the number that can fit into the viewing areas for the parade. So, while it gets busy fast, it's fairly easy for groups to "join" the flow and move onto Main Street to view the fireworks.

I saw one group watch the fireworks from near the curb area of Main Street (about where the kid's clothing shop is located near Arribas Brothers). Then as soon as the fireworks ended, they moved to the curb and sat down. They were going to have to wait about 75 minutes for the parade, but they had a front row spot!

 

[Angrose]

I think Sunday will be busier than Monday in mid-June, just because some folks are still working on Mondays and may not want to go into the parks for the nighttime entertainment. The SoCal AP get Sunday June 14th and 21st before their summer season blockouts go into effect, so I wouldn't be surprised if those Sundays are fairly busy.

Thanks! I had a feeling you would say that so I just booked a F! dining package for Sunday night, that way we'll get to see some of the fireworks while seated there, but I know it won't be as great as seeing them from the hub or Main St. Maybe we'll try for PtN after F!, depending on how tired the boy is at that point

 

[calilou]

Figment_jii – You are always so generous with your time and knowledge – Thank you!

My preference would be the first parade as we are morning Rope Drop people and need a good night’s sleep. However, I could be talked into the second...

Just had a thought - Wouldn’t one have to camp out for the fireworks in any case? Or is this not an issue because of the space that is opened after the first parade passes???

I think Sunday will be busier than Monday in mid-June, just because some folks are still working on Mondays and may not want to go into the parks for the nighttime entertainment. The SoCal AP get Sunday June 14th and 21st before their summer season blockouts go into effect, so I wouldn't be surprised if those Sundays are fairly busy.


You're very welcome! My experience (over Memorial Day weekend) is that once the parade passes by, guests flood out onto Main Street (and the parade route in general), but the number of guests that fit onto Main Street to watch the fireworks is higher than the number that can fit into the viewing areas for the parade. So, while it gets busy fast, it's fairly easy for groups to "join" the flow and move onto Main Street to view the fireworks.

This is what we had planned to do and what was recommended by several CMs. However be very careful where you are during the first parade! Do not leave the MS area! Plan to shop or get food in the nearby vicinity and then start to fill the streets immediately after the Mickey float. Firework viewing opens up to fill all blacktop/street area. We made the mistake of using our FPs on Star Tours before the first parade (after getting a thumbs up from CMs) but then they wouldn't let us get back to MS during/after the parade. It turned out to be a mess. I should have insisted to go through because ropes weren't set up just CMs directing traffic. But I'm a rule follower and was trying to be respectful.