I case you haven’t seen it, there is a whole discussion on the etiquette of line-cutting and parade waiting: Line Cutting.
After reading that discussion, I’d like to ask for your advice on how to best get a good spot for Wishes while simultaneously keeping three little ones (3, 5, and 7) from going stir-crazy. (Bear in mind that we’re going to be there in October and had originally planned to be in place in time for MSEP, but with its cancellation, we will be there well before Wishes with not much to do.)
Thinking about what I read, I guess my plan might be to find a decent spot, keep two adults there and let the third adult take the kids down Main Street to go pee, get a snack, shop, explore, or whatever for 20-30 minutes, then come back to at least assure folks around us that we do need the space before sending the kids back with a different adult for more diversions. Obviously, we all need to be in place well before the fireworks, 30 minutes bare minimum, hopefully 45 minutes, but much more than that and we could be facing melt-downs that noone will enjoy, especially those around us.
Tell me what you think. Is this acceptable or am I being too discourteous?
I would suggest watching wishes from The Polynesian . Can get great spots on the beach with less chance of someone stepping in front of your staked out view.
Yes. Just take the monorail to Poly. Get a bite to eat at Capt. Nooks and enjoy show. They pipe in music and not as loud as being in park. You could also go to contemporary viewing area which is walkable but you have to get spot early for good viewing.
Your title suggests parade seating but your post asks about Wishes seating. I’ll answer both.
Parade viewing does not require anywhere near 30-45 minutes of stake-out time. Stroll on up to the area in front of Liberty Tree Tavern or Frontierland Mercantile about 15 minutes before and you’ll get a great spot. I have found that adults tend to work hard to make sure kids are right up on the rope so they can see well.
For great viewing of Wishes, head over toward the Hub after the parade ends. Our favorite spot for Wishes viewing without a hassle is in front of the Baby Care center, which is located between Casey’s and Crystal Palace. There is a little “island” of trees with a fence around them that we enjoy to lean up against. We have never had to elbow anyone to get that spot, heading to it after viewing the parade in Frontierland.
That said, I do think your plan is perfectly reasonable. A third adult and a couple of kids don’t take up a ton more room. The two adults remaining in place will just need to save the space accordingly.
It comes down to the question: “Do you want to see “Wishes”, or do you want to see fireworks?” .The only place you can see Wishes, the way it was designed to be seen, is from MS. It’s also where you need to be for Celebrate the Magic. You can “see” the show, (from a good angle) from the Poly, but it’s so far away it’s like watching on an iPhone. For those of us who have seen it many times, it’s a nice option to avoid the crowds, but if you’ve not seen it before, it’s less than “immersive”.
If “fireworks” are good enough for you, you can see them from just about anywhere in the park, as long as your view isn’t blocked by a tree.
Unfortunately, most people that I’ve encountered have not read the etiquette page. I’ve basically stopped trying to watch Wishes on MS because I just can’t deal with the crowds and the general rudeness of people.
Some people will start staking out spots 2 hours prior. If it’s a high CL, you probably want to start looking around 60 min prior.
I agree it depends on if you want to see all the projections on the castle or just the fireworks and the music with it. We staked out a spot by the castle an hour before wishes when we went last week. I have a 2 and 7 year old and brought things to occupy them but they were still restless and we were scrunched together with a huge amount of people plus you have the people who are trying to get through to leave. It was a madhouse. The last night we were there we were in fantasyland by the carousel and it was like being surrounded by the fireworks. It wasn’t crowded at all and my boys loved seeing them without their view being blocked. I hope that helps. Have a great vacation.