Visit the Disney Park that the parade will be shown in.
Pick up a brochure (that contains the park map of your language) upon entry. Disney Parks park maps aren't just written in English and Spanish. They also have a variety of other languages to choose from, but you'll have to scout out additional languages that the brochure is written in, to find out the information you'll need later.
Look for the parade route on the park map. The parade route will be marked on the map by some type of dotted or broken line. Parade routes differ between the different parks. Whether it's the Magic Kingdom in Florida to Disneyland in California to California Adventure across the walkway, or if any of these compared to Disney's Disney-Studios/MGM or Disney's Animal Kingdom they all contain different routes, and you should be aware of these routes.
Look at the Times Guide brochure for the parade times. Most Disney parks parades are given twice a day. It will likely list the two parade times when the parades will be given. Generally, if the parade marchers march one way, they'll tend to march the other way come later in the day to return to "home-base".
Stake out some of the viewing locations for the one parade. Look for benches that seem to be crowded with people, and even where people tend to "sit" at least 30 minutes before.
Look for key signs that a parade might be taking place within the right area. Not only will you tend to see people sitting on benches, but in some places there may be places where people tend to sit (near the edge of the sidewalk). Look for those tape markings can give you signs that a parade will soon be marching along the area where you are presently walking. Disney park Cast Members don't want anyone to sit on the edge of a sidewalk near the parade and will usher you back from it. They will mark it with a special "special event ongoing tape")) to mark the parade route. Another key aspect to look for is the possibility of seeing street-car like rails tucked into the streets. These are regularly used for each of the floats that most of the Disney parades carry.
Look for spaces to the left and right of the park benches, if the benches themselves are filled up seconds after the last parade moves forward from the point of the pole-bearer ("The End" bar and sign) forward.
Try to always arrive at these benches at least two hours before the second parade comes through, and don't ever leave the space unmanned unless another credible person in your party can honestly save you your seat.
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