Not a fan of the parades or shows

[Indiana Joe]

Now don't take this personally because I know a lot of people love the shows and parades, but I never have really enjoyed them.

Even as a kid, I allways saw the parade times as a chance to ride the rides with shorter lines while everyone was at the parade.

The only show I like is the fireworks, but anything with floats I just walk by (or push through people) on my way to the rides. In fact I've walked past fantasmic many times but have never stopped to watch it!!

For me it's all about the rides, I don't know how else to explain it.

Does anyone here feel the same, or am I on my own on this one?

[Sosai X]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

That's part of the Magic of Disneyland. There is something that everyone can enjoy. Tho, I must admit, the Parade of Dreams last week seemed a bit ragged at the edges. It's forgotten how to fly. Time for something new.

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I;m not a parade or show person either. I watched the fireworks once and it was enough. I ended up seeing them 2 more times, but only because I was with people who had not seen them before. I have nevwer seen all of fantasmic, but from what I did see I'm not missing much.

I ahve not seen the parade of dreams or whatever they did for the 50th.

The only pararde I will watch on occasion is the electric parade.

[Olympicnut]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I'm with ya on this. The only parade I remotely like is the Electrical Parade. It's hard enough to get me into the Tiki Room (I know I know).

[Indiana Joe]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

Thanks, glad to know i'm not alone. But this is why i like disneyland, something for everyone.

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I'm with ya on this. The only parade I remotely like is the Electrical Parade. It's hard enough to get me into the Tiki Room (I know I know).

I have never seen the tiki room show. I tried once, but when the audience all started to sing like the birdies do.....well....I was out that exit door in a heartbeat...that was to cult like for my liking....LOL

[nemopoppins]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I used to feel exactly that way!!! Even down to the fireworks thing--we always watch the fireworks every night they show. That went on for about 15 years.

Then, it wasn't until about two or three years ago when my youngest child was about 4 and really wanted to see the parade. It was Parade of the Stars at the time. We all enjoyed it. That night, after the fireworks, we moved on over to the Rivers and caught Fantasmic for the first time. Soon after, we watched the Electrical Parade. We saw Aladdin and were so impressed so we went to Snow White the next day. Well, they can't all be winners. It was a good thing we saw Aladdin first. We saw and loved Billy Hill.

For two of the last three years we have annual passes so even though the bias against shows and parades lingers a little, we have had the time to do both quite a bit and we've enjoyed it all! I mean we've even watched (and joined) Block Party Bash twice and I prefer to spend almost all of my time at Disneyland.

So... check the shows and parades out! That's one thing that's so great about Disneyland--it's all great! Combining attractions AND shows just enhances the experience!

Okay, sorry to go on so long, but you asked.

[Indiana Joe]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

We saw Aladdin and were so impressed so we went to Snow White the next day. Well, they can't all be winners. It was a good thing we saw Aladdin first.

To be honest, I have heard a lot of good reviews for the aladdin show. MAYBE I'll check it out someday, maybe.

[lazyboy97O]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I used to be all about the rides. However, I've realized that there really is so many more attractions than just the rides. Even with the rather limited time I get at the parks I find myself enjoying everything more by not running from ride to ride. I still have a hard time waiting for parades as I just don't like sitting on a curb for an hour, I can do that at home. I do feel you're really missing out not watching Fantasmic!.

[sunnygirl]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I'm not into parades or shows. Somehow I've managed to see them all in their entirety sooner or later, but they are not my thing either.

[MickeyMania]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

To be fair, the parades aren't as good as they used to be. Party Gras, Lion King, even Mulan was better than what they put out now.

[Aladdin]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

ALL of Disneyland IS a show.

Pirates and Haunted Mansion ARE shows, you just happen be
sitting in a vehicle that moves you from one act to the next.
Parades are similar only it moves instead of you.

I like to enjoy a show/attraction for at least a certain length
of time, otherwise the wait doesn't make it seem worthwhile.

[PragmaticIdealist]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

To be fair, the parades aren't as good as they used to be. Party Gras, Lion King, even Mulan was better than what they put out now.

You're absolutely right.

Many events currently offered at Disneyland are worthwhile, but those before 1994 were consistently outstanding.

[mrfantasmic]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I'd say Parade of Dreams is as good as Mulan.

[Loomis]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

Traditionally, I'm not a parade/show person. If I were to go there repeatedly, these would be the first things I missed on a second visit.

However, before I went to Disneyland, I wouldn't have said I was a thrill ride person either. Something about the vibe of DL that just makes you want to watch and ride a bunch of things you may not otherwise consider doing out in the "real world".

Disneyland tends to turn you around on these things.

[3rdshiftCM]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I'd say Parade of Dreams is as good as Mulan.

I loved the Mulan parade! Those acrobats were freakin awesome.

[sorceress1986]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I tend to like the parades, I was off them for a while until the Parade of Dreams. But I am totally not a show person.

My mother keeps saying, "We should see this or that." I just want to ride the rides and see the fireworks...I saw Snow White when we met up with a friends, then I had to see it with my uncle, and my goddaughter. I was so tired and of it...

And I don't like to stop to watch the streetmosphere stuff, especially in the thick of NOS, it's just too crowded, and I sort of get clausterphobic. I don't care if we're doin' nothing on a quiet day, but most days there's no time for it...RIDES RIDES RIDES!!

[WashingtonIrving]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I've gotta throw in as a Closeted Paradephobe as well. Not that I begrudge those who enjoy the parades -- in fact, I LIKE when the parades are brewing because all the lines drop -- but it's not my cuppa joe.

It's almost a given that to see anything decently, you've got to scope your spot out well in advance of the parade time, which to me cuts into valuable ride time. I don't want to sit on Main Street trying to hold a curb spot for 45 minutes waiting for the parade when I could be . . . well, er, standing in line for a ride somewhere else (hmm...that sounded better in my head than it looked on paper...)

Anyway, it just depends on what you want out of your day. Some people love the parades. My daughter (10 now, but 5 the first time we went to any Disney park) NEVER wanted to stop long enough to watch the parade when she could be riding something. And now that she's 10, she quickly realized that firework time was the ideal time to hop in line for multiple Space Mountain rides, when everyone else's neck was craned skyward.

I think the last parade I watched was the Remember the Magic one in the late 1990s at WDW. And it wasn't by choice, really -- I somehow wound up by the flagpole on Main Street at an inopportune time and couldn't fight my way back up against the crowd. The parade wasn't bad, actually, though the hip-hop stuff sorta cracked me up.

[frecky]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I dont like the parades now, nearly as much as I did when I was younger. But my kids love them so I watch.

[chadb14]

Re: Not a fan of the parades or shows

I'm like so many others here - I don't really like the parades and shows, but I always try to check each 1 out in it's entirety 1 time just so I can say that I have seen it and if someone asks what it was like I can give them my honest opinion.