Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Tip Tuesday: Pre-Parade Fun

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!
(Sadly, yet another on a Wednesday... why does everything else happen on Tuesday nights?)

One of the main attractions for which hundreds (sometimes thousands) of guests each day line Main Street, Liberty Square and Frontierland to watch is the afternoon parade. I've mentioned before that guests wanting to watch the parade should pick out a spot at least 30 minutes in advance (45 minutes during peak times of year).

So you've got your family's spot all picked out and now it's time to... wait.

And wait. And wait.

I think we all know that kids and waiting are a tough combination - that's one of the reasons Disney gives so much attention to making attraction queues as interesting as possible so that guests, especially younger ones, don't get bored why waiting in line.

Waiting for a parade to start is no different, and Disney's approach to combating that wait is no different either.

As the time for the parade nears, cast members will start putting down tape or rope to identify where guests can and can't sit or stand to watch the parade. This is to make sure there's plenty of clear space for the parade to go through. Once that clear space is ready, there's plenty of room for a bit of fun!

That's when cast members will bring out chalk, hula hoops, etc. and will let kids literally play in the street by drawing on the pavement, doing hula hoops, singing, dancing, etc. The time for kids to cut loose while waiting for the parade to start is another fantastic way kids can also have a chance to meet and interact with cast members, who make the wait so much more fun.

Above you will see my daughter having a blast with a hula hoop (and burning off a little energy) while we waited for the afternoon parade to begin. The cast member was very nice and seemed to have fun playing along.

A few minutes before the parade is due to come through, cast members kindly get kids back to their proper places, and clear the street. The next thing you know, here comes the parade!

So next time you're thinking about waiting for the afternoon parade, try to have a little fun in the street with your kids -- remember they won't be kids forever.

2 comments:

Heidi said...

My kids have enjoyed doing the hula hoops while waiting for the parades as well. Disney makes everything fun, even waiting!

Twentynine Palms Hotels said...

My kids enjoyed the parade and they kept talking about it at home. It's a good family bonding.

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