Navigating the parade route

Hi everyone! We have a 2:15p BOG ADR and want to leave right after we eat. I was thinking the easiest way out would be to hop on the RR in Fantasyland and get off at the Main Gate. Ideally, we could get out before the parade ends and a mass exodus begins. Does anyone know when the 2p parade ends in Town Square? Also, any idea what kind of obstacles we may run into at the Main Gate station while making our way out the gate? Is there another option you’d recommend? It’s expected to be a CL=6

My daughter and I watched the parade from the train station during our last trip. I don’t believe it made it to that area until 20-25 minutes after it began. According to Touring Plans, the parade runs 30 minutes, so it should be out of that area by 3:00pm I would think. If you want to avoid the crowds through main street, then the Fantasyland railroad is the way to go.

Don’t they stop the train while the parade is happening?

2 Likes

Generally not.

The entrance (or sometimes exit depending on which way the parade is going) for the parade in Frontierland crosses the train tracks pretty quickly once “behind the scenes” so they do indeed stop the trains from running during the parade. The delay would only be needed until all the floats have crossed the tracks obviously so the train could run once the entire parade is on the parade route.

The Touring Plans description of the train has the following: “Finally, note that the railroad shuts down immediately before and during parades. Check your park guide map or Times Guide for parade times. Needless to say, this is not the time to queue up for the train.Walt Disney World Railroad - Main Street, U.S.A. | Magic Kingdom

2 Likes

They did this summer in July when we were there. We were also trying to beat the parade crowd out. We were able to weave our way around it.

1 Like

What route did you take? What time did the crowds start hitting the gate?

We walked through Tomorrowland and used to Tomorrowland bridge to get to the hub. We took the first right passed the bridge toward The Plaza restaurant behind the garden. We walked down to the Plaza Restaurant and then in front of the ice cream parlor. We then walked down the sidewalk on Main Street staying on that side of the street against the buildings because most everyone was on the curb watching the parade. The parade had just gotten to the hub and the very front was about to hit Main Street when we crossed the bridge. We were able to out walk the parade by the time we got the front of Main Street. We just followed the sidewalk around to the exit. It really wasn’t that bad. It was a CL5 day.

One additional option is to try and stay off the Main St sidewalk and go through the Stores down Main St. They interconnect and lead all the way to the hub.