Tip Tuesday: Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade Spots

 

It's time (finally) for another Tip Tuesday!!

Now that the holiday season is upon us, it's time to focus on the holidays at Walt Disney World, personally my favorite time of year to visit Walt Disney World.  This week, let's head over to Animal Kingdom to enjoy Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade.

If you've seen Mickey's Jungle Jammin' Parade, this holiday overlay version will look quite familiar.  Many of the same pieces are used in this holiday version of the parade.  The Imagineers have added a few new surprises including the Minnie Mouse float which sprays out the scent of hot chocolate.  Also see if you can spot Donald Duck's name on both the nice and naughty lists. 

 

One thing to bear in mind is that the sun will be lower in the western sky during December.  So unless you want to spend your time shading your eyes, you'll want to find a spot that will be up-sun (West) of the parade route.  On the map above, I noted a few key locations that I think are good spots.  Thes also are good locations for photography where the lighting should be better.  These are some prime spots, so you'll want to find your location at least 30 minutes before the parade starts (check your daily times guide for parade start times).  This is especially true for the two locations on the inside of Discovery Island near "It's Tough to Be a Bug."  Once you're in place, you're committed because you really can't get out. 

While Animal Kingdom might not be the first park that comes to mind when you think of the holidays at Walt Disney World, it still is a great park to visit for some holiday merriment. 

My Take: Nighttime parades at the Magic Kingdom

Sometimes a thought occurs and I just have to take a moment to share it.  Actually, I've been having this thought for some time.  While it may seem sacrilegious to some, I just have to say it. 

I miss Spectromagic.

There.  Pandora's box is now open.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the Main Street Electrical Parade, but I've now seen this parade, time and time again for the past two years. 

And I was one of the ones saying, two years ago, that I was tired of seeing Spectromagic time and time again, wishing for the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade.

The problem, I think, is the lack of variety.  With the exception of special events, the nighttime offerings at the Magic Kingdom are the same, night after night after night.  Same story at Epcot, but I'll keep the focus on the Magic Kingdom for this post.

While we don't know this officially, the general consensus is that Disney is hesitant to change things up because guests are coming to Walt Disney World expecting to see certain things.  The vast majority of guests are first- or few-time visitors.  This is why Disney doesn't want to do holiday overlays at Walt Disney World.

OK, fine.  I guess I can see the logic in some of that.  At the same time, what draws a guest to come back to the Magic Kingdom for a second or third night?  Not everyone wants to see Wishes or the Main Street Electrical Parade again and again and again.  Sure, we Disney geeks could do so every night for the rest of our lives, but even we have to admit we're not like the normal guest.

The British poet William Cowper said "variety is the spice of life."  I have to agree.

So what's my point?  I want both.

Bring back Spectromagic AND keep the Main Street Electrical Parade.  Why can't we have two nighttime parades running?  They could be set on a rotating schedule -- Spectromagic on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the MSEP on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

I'm sure there are some technical issues that might have to be worked out, but I'm sure Disney could figure it out and it would give guests all that more reason to return to the Magic Kingdom for a second (or third) night.  Also, having additional options would give more reason for annual passholders (like me) to visit the parks more often and spend money on food, merchandise, etc.

What do you think?  Which Magic Kingdom nighttime parade do you want to see?  Or maybe both?

Take our poll and post a comment!

Tip Tuesday: A great view for parades

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

This week, I wanted to delve a little more into something I talked about during a recent PhotoFriday post. 

Photo Friday: Mickey and Main Street

Welcome to another Photo Friday!
(and it's actually on a Friday! How about that!)

This week's photo comes from the Magic Kingdom (like you couldn't tell) during the afternoon parade. This photo is taken from the Main Street Train Station balcony centered nearly perfectly down Main Street. What I like most about this shot is how the flagpole bisects Cinderella Castle with Mickey Mouse in the foreground.

As we celebrate 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World tomorrow, I thought this would be a most appropriate shot.

Happy birthday Walt Disney World!

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.