Parade strategy: "beat the crowd"

[T--]

Hello all,
Will this work? Watch the parade (Spectromagic) in Frontierland and catch the Railroad back to the main gate before it makes its way down mainstreet and the crowd floodgates open?

We have small kids and we want to get potentially grumpy grumps on the monorail and in their beds as fast as possible.

[SpaceMtn101]

It depends when it closes. There is no set time for closing. You would have to ask a train cm when you get there on that day.

[SpaceMtn101]

Also Spectro starts on mainstreeet and ends in frontierland. Its backwards from the day parade.

[T--]

Thanks 101. That starting point difference is a good safety tip. You saved us some consternation with that one.

[joanna71985]

Also, usually at the time of Spectro the train has stopped running for the night.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Also Spectro starts on mainstreeet and ends in frontierland. Its backwards from the day parade.

Not necessarily, when we were there in October it ran from Frontierland to Mainstreet. It seems to depend on which way it last ran, but perhaps a CM can give better info on that. At any rate, That's they way it ran the night we were there.

[joanna71985]

That may have been a one-time thing. DDCT goes Frontierland to Main Street, and Spectro goes Main Street to Frontierland. I believe Spectro is the only parade to do that, as the special event parades also do Frontierland to Main Street as well.

[SpaceMtn101]

Yeah i have worked MANY spectros. That is my favorite parade to work. It always starts on mainstreet because of the sensors for the music and lighting. It is all timed and goes off the same each day.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I don't think that's the reason it starts on that side because I am pretty sure that all of the music and light controls are actually on the floats themselves. They don't even turn them on until literally about 30 seconds before they open the gates to start because of the battery life.

Either way, for the OP, I would be on the side of Main Street with the Confectionary - it's connected to the exit unlike the side with the Emporium - which does not (the parade crosses the road so they can't leave).

Ah, I love watching them run for both DDCT and Spectro to try and exit - only to have to watch it again (or get stuck by the Spectro Men). :rotfl:

[Main Street Jim]

Will this work? Watch the parade (Spectromagic) in Frontierland and catch the Railroad back to the main gate before it makes its way down mainstreet and the crowd floodgates open?Nope. The last train leaves Main Street Station one hour before fireworks, which is usually at the start time of Spectro.


I would be on the side of Main Street with the Confectionary - it's connected to the exit unlike the side with the Emporium - which does not (the parade crosses the road so they can't leave).Not true with Spectro. Entertainment gives us five openings between floats to get guests out of the park during Spectro, so that guests can get out of the park regardless of what side of the street they're on. Day parade is only about 12 minutes long, whereas Spectro is 27 minutes long. We don't want to "lock in" guests for nearly half an hour ;)


Not necessarily, when we were there in October it ran from Frontierland to Mainstreet.I have NEVER seen a Spectro run from Frontierland to Main Street, and if it did in October, I would have known about it...However, I do know that *years ago*, in the early 1990s, it did run the opposite way if there was a second parade, much like the Halloween and Christmas parades used to.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Not true with Spectro. Entertainment gives us five openings between floats to get guests out of the park during Spectro, so that guests can get out of the park regardless of what side of the street they're on. Day parade is only about 12 minutes long, whereas Spectro is 27 minutes long. We don't want to "lock in" guests for nearly half an hour ;)

Aww, why not? Cause then most of the time they'll go back inside the Emporium and spend money to help us make our budgets!

Interesting Side Note:
And for those who might be interested - Emporium broke our single day sales record with $436,308, and our weekly record of $2.3M!

[Polynesian Dweller]

I have NEVER seen a Spectro run from Frontierland to Main Street, and if it did in October, I would have known about it...However, I do know that *years ago*, in the early 1990s, it did run the opposite way if there was a second parade, much like the Halloween and Christmas parades used to.
Yep, I was there in those years as well and that is why it caught me off guard in October. We thouhgt there must have been some decision to return to that reversing thing of years back.

[animalkingdomguy]

Understanding you have young children and want to get them to bed, but I have an alternative suggestion. Most folks bolt for the exit like cattle being driven to market. I have tried relaxing on a bench watching the castle and enjoying the park as it empties. The only other time I have been in the park with so few guests was during a CRT early morning breakfast. We walked down mainstreet by ourselves. If the kids can cope with the lateness, take time to enjoy the park.The buses and monorail continue to run and you will get back to your resort. Just check on the transportation times before you try this.:mickey: