I love a good Disney parade! But where is the best parade viewing spot at the Magic Kingdom? Well this week, I am going to share Five of the Best Parade Viewing Spots at the Magic Kingdom. The Festival of Fantasy Parade is my absolute favorite, followed very closely by the Main Street Electrical Parade. The parades at Magic Kingdom are a “must do” for our family, every trip. We try to do them early in our stay, to be sure we see them. You never know when you are going to be rained on in Florida, or our kids are tired and want to just go back to the resort to swim. We have seen the parades from various vantage points during all our trips to Disney. Main Street USA, Liberty Square, and even from Frontierland. But even in these great spots, there are some very specific places you can get a spot to see the parade and also enjoy some attractions as soon as the parade is over. Last week I shared the Best Fireworks Viewing Spots at Walt Disney World. And this week, I am sharing the Best Parade Viewing Spots at Magic Kingdom!
- Main Street USA, by the Emporium. I love this spot for a lot of reasons. First, it gives you a great backdrop of Cinderella’s Castle for the Festival of Fantasy parade as it comes up Main Street USA. Second, there are so many fun shops and street performers to keep you entertained while you are waiting for the parade to come. When you photograph the parade, you’ll have Main Street USA in the background, as well as the castle. This is also a great point for the Main Street Electrical Parade. This is the beginning of the MSEP route, so if you are planning on leaving the park afterward, you can get out quickly.
- Main Street USA at the Train Station. This is another great spot! While you are waiting, you can easily see the talking Mickey and Tinkerbell. Both of these character spots are just inside the Town Square Theater, just beside the train station. I don’t recommend going up to the landing of the train station, but rather staying down on the sidewalk area. I think the landing area gets very crowded, and you have to get there very early to get a spot. Also, if you are planning to leave the park after the parade, being at the train station gives you a quick exit point.
- The FastPass Viewing Area. I don’t normally recommend a Fastpass for parades. But for Festival of Fantasy, it isn’t a bad idea. First, you can get to your spot at a leisurely pace and you don’t have to stake out a spot. Now, for Main Street Electrical Parade, we don’t mind waiting. By then the sun has gone down, we can get a good spot and have a snack and play cards while we wait for the parade. But we don’t really like waiting in the sun for a long time before Festival of Fantasy starts. So I don’t recommend a Fastpass for the Main Street Electrical Parade, but Festival of Fantasy it’s a good option. Also, after you have used your 3PM Fastpass for Festival of Fantasy, you have the rest of the day to get more Fastpasses.
- Frontierland, across from the Country Bear Jamboree. I know, odd spot, right? However, we do like this spot for a few reasons. First, it is toward the beginning of the Festival of Fantasy route. So after the parade passes us by, we can get on Big Thunder or Splash either with a Fastpass we scheduled or a low standby wait time. Another great advantage is we don’t have to get a spot so early in this area. If we were on Main Street, we’d stake it out about an hour or so before. If we are back here in Frontierland, we can get a spot about 30 minutes before.
- Liberty Square, in front of the Christmas Shop. This is quite possibly my favorite Main Street Electrical Parade viewing spot. First, it’s close to Sleepy Hollow and I love having a Fruit and Nutella Waffle while I wait for the parade! Second, you get a fun view of the parade as it comes up from the hub. I also like it because it’s not as crowded as Main Street USA. It also gives a nice vantage point of Cinderella’s Castle when it’s lit up, making a nice background for photos.
So there you have it. The Five Best Parade Viewing Spots at Magic Kingdom. Which is your favorite?
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D says
Sleepy hollow- treats and seats for viewing nightime spectacles ! Looking forward to the sweet/spicey new waffle chicken sandwich !