Navigating down Main Street at Parade Time

[Leofoenget]

Whats the best way to navigate down Main Street during parade set up time? I wanted to sneak in about 6:30-6:45 to hit Nemo on my first day, a Wednesday, to get Nemo out of the way first thing. Didnt' think much about it until I saw on the calendar that the Parade for that day will be at 7pm. Should I skip Main Street altogether and just head for DTD and Monorail in to avoid it altogether or is it pretty easy to navigate around until the parade actually starts? Plus I assume it will start at Small World but I'm not sure. Ridemax says I need to be in line for Nemo no later than 7:50 which seems late to me I wanted to hit the park no later than 6:45.

[3rdshiftCM]

Use the stores on the east side of the street, it puts you out right next to the corndog cart.

Always seems to work for us.

[Moving Sidewalk]

Crowds have been dying down, so getting around on Main Street before the parade should be fairly easy. On Wednesday, the parade will start at It's a Small World and head down to Town Square. Don't forget that there are also two pre-parades. Here are the step-off times from Small World Gate:
6:40 Ratatouille Pre-parade
6:50 Grand Marshall Pre-parade
7:00 Parade of Dreams
I recommend using the right tunnel for entering Disneyland, so you can stay on the East side of Main Street as recommended. Head past the Opera House, use the crossover to Disney Showcase, then just travel up the sidewalk. There isn't really any point in trying to cut through Disney Showcase, since the Main Street Cinema blocks the first few stores from connecting with the rest. I doubt there will be much traffic, but if there is, you can then pop into the Disneyana store, through Market House to the middle of Main Street. Then go into Disney Clothiers to the back, through China Closet, and it will leave you at the top of Main Street, near the Corn Dog Wagon.

[Dan - Tasmic!]

I say either catch the monorail or the train at Main Street and get off at the Tomorrowland.

[Tracy98]

I use the store route pretty much all the time. Much faster and if it is a hot day, they have ac!

[k_peek_2000]

Become a parade performer!

[dchun2007]

If the parade is at 7:00 pm, I'm guessing there's going to be a parade earlier in the afternoon. The 7:00 parade would then be stepping off from Main Street and NOT small world.

[almandot]

It's really not that bad. Yes it can get crowded but even if it feels like you're swamped with people around you, it's going to take anywhere from 2-5 minutes more than it would have worst case scenario. It's never as bad as say trying to leave the hub after fireworks in May of 2005.

[mrfantasmic]

Just keep moving all the way through the walkway, please... stay to your right hand side.

[Dan - Tasmic!]

Stay to the right hand side please, stay to right had side!! One way traffic, folks!!! It's like a big giant freeway, you wouldn't drive on the wrong side of the freeway now, would you?!?!?

[Kath2188]

I say either catch the monorail or the train at Main Street and get off at the Tomorrowland.

I am still laughing at how logical it is to use the Monorail, as it eliminates main street entirely and drops you off right at Nemo!!!
Sometimes one just has to step outside of the box!

[WannaCub]

Wait, there's only one parade starting this week. It's off-season! Yay, 8pm closing time!