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mousemom
02-21-2007, 06:31 PM
Does anyone know where the stops are for the princess/Mickey & Minnie float as it comes down from IASW? I'm hoping to take home a good parade video for my youngest (and myself) to enjoy over and over again. I think the float stops once right before exiting the parade route but would like check out other options. I also heard it stops in the vicinity of Coke Corner but where is that? Help!!:p

DisneyLynn
02-22-2007, 01:07 AM
I'd love to know where it stops too!

PanFan
02-22-2007, 07:04 AM
For the parades when it leaves from IASW, the final princess/Mickey and Minnie float stops in front of the queue for IASW (but you can't watch from the queue so that's not going to be a good videotaping spot). The second show stop is right in front of Alice in Wonderland, so you could get a good shot from the bathrooms there). The third and final show stop is, like you said, at Coke Corner which is just past the hub at the start of Main Street. That particular float does not stop as it is leaving the parade route because it is the last float in the parade--they only do show stops when the whole parade is out.

That being said, I don't think this is the most interesting float to watch during a show stop. The characters pretty much just keep walking around the float and waving as they do when it goes by. My favorite floats to watch during the stop (in order) are the Gepetto one (there are Russian dancing dolls on bungee cords doing flips--during show stop the tower they're hanging from extends up and their tricks are more dramatic), the Alice in Wonderland one (playing cards that normally walk near the float get onto the trampoline in the float's center and do some incredible gymnastics), and the Lion King float (they have performers dressed as birds that, instead of standing there waving as they do when it's in motion, "fly" and do tricks on a rope from a "tree" that grows taller at the show stop). Most of the other floats just involve extended dance scenes.

Let me know if you want to know where any of the others stop. I hope this was helpful!

mask41
02-22-2007, 07:31 AM
I would love to know where your favorites stop! They sound like a lot of fun to watch!!
Thanks,
Amy

mousemom
02-22-2007, 10:13 AM
Thanks PanFan! It sounds like you really know this parade! I may have to rethink which float I want to focus on or maybe I need to tape this show 4 times???:eek:

PanFan
02-22-2007, 09:11 PM
Okay, I'm back. Took DH to a job fair in Orange and had to spend the rest of the day in the park, so we just got home. I work at IASW and sometimes on Parade guest control in Fantasyland, so I've seen this thing quite a few times! First off, here's a general description of each float so you get an idea for the flow (though I may forget a character or two!):

1) Peter Pan driving the train with Mickey floral (also with Tinker Bell, Blue Fairy, Fairy Godmother, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, and now Merlin). For the show stop, Peter gets out of the train and all the characters (except Tinker Bell) do a dance routine.

2) Beauty and the Beast (Belle, Beast, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Cogsworth, and an entourage of plates, forks, knives, and spoons). Show stop is primarily a dance routine.

3) Geppetto acting as puppeteer to two live marionettes with Russian "bungee flippers" (also with Jiminy Cricket, Cleo, Pinocchio, Foulfellow, Gideon, and an entourage of wind-up toys). Show stop involves dance routine, but also raising of the bungee tower for some awesome flipping stunts. This is my favorite show stop.

4) Ariel (live Ariel atop an underwater world with Flounder and Sebastian, led by dancing seaweed and pearls). Show stop involved dance routine by those on the ground. Ariel can't do too much but sing along from atop her perch.

5) Ursula (huge Sea Witch float led by black pearls and Flotsom and Jetsum). Again, the show stop is dancing by those on the ground, though I find it pretty funny watching this huge robotic Ursula singing along to "Welcome to our family time! Welcome to our brotherly time!" while normally she's taunting everyone.

6) Alice in Wonderland (Caterpillar and various Wonderland creatures adorn the float as Alice and the Mad Hatter play with each other. It's led by very tall bouncing flowers, playing cards, the Queen of Hearts, Tweedle Dee [or Dum] in a tea cup, and the White Rabbit on roller blades). During the show stop, Alice and the Mad Hatter come down from the float while the playing cards come up and do gymnastics on the trampoline in the float's center. This is my second favorite show stop.

7) Lion King (Rafiki, Simba, Nala, Pumbaa, Zazu and birds on the float led by Timon and a host of African animals). Show stop includes raising of the tree the birds are attached to so they can perform stunts on their rope. This is my third favorite show stop.

8) The castle (Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Donald, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella all on the float with Goofy and the Seven Dwarfs leading the way). Show stop is primarly a dance routine.

Okay, so I lied a little--Peter Pan getting out of his train to do his dance is my favorite show stop, but I'm terribly biased! Other than that little obsession, the three I listed are my favorites. Since this post ended up being so long, I'll do another one for where they all stop.

PanFan
02-22-2007, 09:52 PM
This is to the best of my knowledge, which is much stronger in the Fantasyland area. I have seen the parade a couple of times from Main Street, but my exact knowledge for that area is limited. Perhaps someone else can clear up some of my "probablies."

Parade Route from IASW to Main Street (first parade of the day--3:30 on days with two parades, 7:00 on days with one):

Peter Pan
1) Just below the Matterhorn before Triton Gardens
2) Not exactly sure, but somewhere along Main Street.
3) Just before the parade exit in front of the Mad Hatter shop

Beauty and the Beast
1) Near the bathrooms below Alice in Wonderland across from the Matterhorn
2) Again, not exactly sure, but just after the Peter one around Main Street.
3) In front of the Main Street Train Station

Pinocchio
1) Between the Mad Tea Party and Alice in Wonderland.
2) Not exactly sure, but probably around Coke Corner or the south side of the Hub
3) Around City Hall

Ariel
1) In front of the Mad Tea Party
2) Near the Hub
3) Around the Fire House

Ursula
1) In front of Storybook Land
2) Around the Hub
3) Across from the Emporium

Alice in Wonderland
1) Between Storybook Land and Small World
2) Between the Hub and Triton Gardens
3) Just past Ursula on Main Street, near the Magic Shop

Lion King
1) In front of the entrance to Small World
2) Near Triton Gardens
3) In front of the Market House on Main Street

Castle
1) In front of the queue for Small World (usually you can't watch from there, though)
2) Near the restrooms below Alice in Wonderland
3) At the end of Main Street near Coke Corner


Parade Route from Main Street to IASW (7:00 ONLY on days there are two parades):

Peter Pan
1) Not exactly sure, but probably near Coke Corner
2) In front of Alice in Wonderland
3) In front of the queue for Small World (again, you usually can't watch from here)

Beauty and the Beast
1)Not exactly sure, but probably near the Market House on Main Street
2) Near the restrooms below Alice in Wonderland and Triton Gardens
3) In front of the entrance to Small World

Pinocchio
1) Not sure, but probably near the Magic Shop
2) Again, not quite sure, but most likely just past the Hub
3) Between Small World and Storybook Land

Ariel
1) Probably near the Emporium
2) Probably right around the Hub
3) Just above Storybook Land

Ursula
1) Probably near the Fire House
2) Probably just below the Hub
3) In front of Storybook Land

Alice in Wonderland
1) In front of the Main Street Train Station
2) Probably right around Coke Corner
3) In front of the Mad Tea Party

Lion King
1) In front of the Opera House
2) Probably around the Market House
3) Near the restrooms below Alice in Wonderland

Castle
1) In front of the Mad Hatter on Main Street
2) Probably near the Magic Shop
3) In front of Triton Gardens


Like I said, this is all to the best of my knowledge, which is sketchy at best in regards to Main Street. I do know that if you're watching from the Train Station (up above everything), you can see a lot of the show stops at once. My favorite place to watch is from the spot between Alice in Wonderland and the Tea Cups because you can show up 15 minutes before the parade starts and still get a front row seat because that's when they set up the rope turning it from a walkway into a viewing area. There's not a lot of viewing there, so you need to be there when the rope is set up, but there's a lot of character interaction because there's no viewing from the Matterhorn queue across the street so all the focus is on you. And the bungee guys stop right in front of you for the first parade, and Peter for the second! I've seen this parade dozens of times and I still tend to watch it when I come as a guest. I have to show everyone I bring to the park because it truly is a phenomenal parade, so even if you do end up watching it 4 times, it won't be time wasted.

Okay, hopefully this wasn't information overload. Please help me fill in some of the "probably" gaps if you are able!

someimagination
02-23-2007, 01:01 AM
Oh that Peter Pan.. I'm quite biased also :D
I believe for the first parade, the Peter Pan float stops near Coke Corner... I remember seeing the Ariel float stop just in front of the entrance to Tomorrowland (right across from the Hub of course :) )

P.S. PanFan, there's not going to be a need for me to make a posting since I'm currently reversing certain decisions I've made *cough* and will hopefully be around for many more rope 6's to come!! :eek: :~D

spectromen
02-23-2007, 07:20 AM
8) The castle (Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Donald, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella all on the float with Goofy and the Seven Dwarfs leading the way). Show stop is primarly a dance routine.
.

Speaking of this unit - weren't the princes originally with the princesses? It's been looking empty to me since it came back after Christmas.

PanFan
02-23-2007, 10:24 AM
Speaking of this unit - weren't the princes originally with the princesses? It's been looking empty to me since it came back after Christmas.
Yes, I was just thinking that when I looked over my pictures from May 4, 2005 when it debuted and there were the princes with their princesses. They were in the Christmas parade, but alas, currently there is no male royalty in the final float.

PanFan
02-23-2007, 10:29 AM
P.S. PanFan, there's not going to be a need for me to make a posting since I'm currently reversing certain decisions I've made *cough* and will hopefully be around for many more rope 6's to come!! :eek: :~D

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

mommy-san
02-23-2007, 04:32 PM
Okay, what are rope 6's?

disneyfan4ever54
02-23-2007, 08:37 PM
Thank you PanFan for all that info. on the parade stops! It was exactly what I needed for our next trip. I have been looking for this information. :-) My DS was very excited to see it as we were just talking about where the stops are so that he can complete his photo collection of all the floats as they stop.

PanFan
02-24-2007, 10:06 AM
Glad I was able to help out before someone beat me to it!

Rope 6 is the small parade viewing area between Alice and the Tea Cups.

mousemom
02-24-2007, 07:58 PM
Speaking of this unit - weren't the princes originally with the princesses? It's been looking empty to me since it came back after Christmas.
For what it's worth, a CM told me that they are running low on princes lately. It is hard to find men with the right face shape and look that they require.

someimagination
02-25-2007, 12:03 AM
I've heard that the male royalty may be coming back for the peak season [possibly spring break me thinks?]. I'm not a big fan of the current situation.. the show stops for the last float seem quite dull and empty without the extra bodies, the Princesses look quite lonely with such a big space for themselves.


PanFan, I'm glad you enjoyed my cryptic message... I should really reconsider asking a large group of people a question, either that or i should line my coat with goodies like that sundial seller in Aladdin... THINK of the possibilities! :eek:

PanFan
02-25-2007, 09:07 AM
^
You're too cute! If you are able to do it, why not? As long as you don't limit your ability to use it for yourself. Sure would be fun, though...

mousemom
03-05-2007, 08:30 PM
PanFan...Thanks so much for the detailed list of stops! I got some great footage of the parade...only watched it 3 times but that was a lot for all that we did. Your suggestions on which stops would be most interesting was very helpful...when we got home my boys were really excited to see the footage of the Pinochio float and the Lion King one with all that goes on during the stops. I'll have to go back and catch the Alice float stop another time.
On the 26th we watched the parade by the bathrooms just down from the caterpillars. Just before the rhino got to us with the Lion King float, he was pulled out of the parade and exited through some big doors. Does anyone know what happened to our rhino that night? He was back the next day thankgoodness!

PanFan
03-05-2007, 10:55 PM
So glad I was able to help you out!

About characters exiting during the parade, I've seen it happen a number of times (Queen of Hearts, Fairy Godmother, bouncing flowers to name a few) though I'm not entirely sure why. I used to think it was because the actor(s) got sick, but I've seen it happen so often that I'm beginning to think it's something more mundane like costuming issues. I'd like to find out! BTW, I've seen the rhino exit at the same spot, only during the Lion King parade back in the 90's!

mousemom
03-06-2007, 08:57 PM
So glad I was able to help you out!

BTW, I've seen the rhino exit at the same spot, only during the Lion King parade back in the 90's!

Was it the same rhino back then? That would be surprising but now I'm curious. I guess you've seen a few parades!

PanFan
03-06-2007, 09:12 PM
I don't know if it was exactly the same one, but it was similar.