Hi Sarah!
Thanks for visiting the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Folks trying to secure the best seats for parades at the
Disneyland Park generally start making their way to the parade route anywhere between an hour to an hour-and-a-half prior to the parade start time.
I know this may sound a bit excessive but as you know, Disney Parades are pure Magic and getting a first row seat usually means saving your spot way ahead of time!
Guests who make their way to the parade route 15-30 minutes before it starts, are usually met with large crowds and by that time, Disney Cast members have already roped off the viewing areas to make way for foot traffic making it harder to find a spot.
My best advice would be to look for a good seat an hour before the parade and plan to enjoy mealtime right in your parade seating area. In other words, if you'll be watching a daytime parade, have lunch at the spot you've saved. This will make time go faster and it's actually quite enjoyable to sit, eat and people watch at the Happiest Place on Earth. Before you know it, you'll have enjoyed a yummy meal and you'll be able to comfortably watch the parade from a great spot.
I hope this helps!
Have a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious time at the
Disneyland Resort!
-Anabel