Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Elle

Elle

Happy Camper!
For someone who has never been to NYC how crazy is it to go for Thanksgiving to watch the parade, and also lets add a couple of little ones in the mix just for fun. I realize we’d have to stake our claim to “our spot” early so entraining them while we wait will be a small feat. Would it be ok to rely on public transportation early in the morning to get from a cheaper hotel further out to some place near the parade route and how crazy would it be to eventually get back? If we do this we’ll leave on Wednesday and view the Statue of Liberty and also probably stop by Central Park. Anything else that can occupy a 10 year old and a 2 year old at the same time that I should look into?
 
nachomama

nachomama

All Up In Your Grill
Wait til the 2 year old is about 10. Not worth the trip. That place is a zoo on Thanksgiving Day.
 
kwillia

kwillia

n/a
Elle said:
For someone who has never been to NYC how crazy is it to go for Thanksgiving to watch the parade, and also lets add a couple of little ones in the mix just for fun. I realize we’d have to stake our claim to “our spot” early so entraining them while we wait will be a small feat. Would it be ok to rely on public transportation early in the morning to get from a cheaper hotel further out to some place near the parade route and how crazy would it be to eventually get back? If we do this we’ll leave on Wednesday and view the Statue of Liberty and also probably stop by Central Park. Anything else that can occupy a 10 year old and a 2 year old at the same time that I should look into?
Click to expand...
Pssst... you missed it by days...:ohwell:
 
Elle

Elle

Happy Camper!
nachomama said:
Wait til the 2 year old is about 10. Not worth the trip. That place is a zoo on Thanksgiving Day.
Click to expand...

This trip would be more for my current 10 year old (he'll be 11 next year). I refuse to put my life on hold for a baby, we've always included the oldest and now the younger 2 in everything we do. But I do want input on how crazy is a "zoo".
 
Beta84

Beta84

They're out to get us
Elle said:
This trip would be more for my current 10 year old (he'll be 11 next year). I refuse to put my life on hold for a baby, we've always included the oldest and now the younger 2 in everything we do. But I do want input on how crazy is a "zoo".
Click to expand...

there would be people wall to wall for basically the entire parade route. it would be pretty cold, obviously, and you'd need to get there pretty early to get a decent spot...especially if you have children that can't see over anyone.

of course if you aren't in that one area in the middle where they do the various songs and dances on TV, you'll be missing out. But that area probably fills up the quickest
 
Elle

Elle

Happy Camper!
Beta84 said:
there would be people wall to wall for basically the entire parade route. it would be pretty cold, obviously, and you'd need to get there pretty early to get a decent spot...especially if you have children that can't see over anyone.

of course if you aren't in that one area in the middle where they do the various songs and dances on TV, you'll be missing out. But that area probably fills up the quickest
Click to expand...

Just seeing the balloons is what matters the most. But that does make me think, do the stars ride on the floats the entire parade route or do they just like hop on, perform and then the parade ends. I could care less to watch them lip sing. I doubt we'd try to be down at the end of the parade, probably more up near Times Square or Central Park. I just want to say I've done it and have the pictures to show for it
 
nachomama

nachomama

All Up In Your Grill
Elle said:
This trip would be more for my current 10 year old (he'll be 11 next year). I refuse to put my life on hold for a baby, we've always included the oldest and now the younger 2 in everything we do. But I do want input on how crazy is a "zoo".
Click to expand...

I believe the parade route is 2 1/2 miles long. New York City on a slow day is crazy, especially in the area of the parade, as that's where Time Square is, NBC Studios, Broadway, St. Patrick's Cathedral, etc. etc. In order to get anywhere near the parade route, I would think you probably have to camp out the night before or at the buttcrack of dawn. You REALLY need to know where you are going when you are in New York; it's NOTHING like DC.

I'd go visit the area a few times and get a feel for what's where before I'd even venture to take small children there. It's a freaking madhouse. I think I heard somewhere that there were over 4 MILLION people lined along the parade route. :faint:
 
kwillia

kwillia

n/a
nachomama said:
I believe the parade route is 2 1/2 miles long. New York City on a slow day is crazy, especially in the area of the parade, as that's where Time Square is, NBC Studios, Broadway, St. Patrick's Cathedral, etc. etc. In order to get anywhere near the parade route, I would think you probably have to camp out the night before or at the buttcrack of dawn. You REALLY need to know where you are going when you are in New York; it's NOTHING like DC.

I'd go visit the area a few times and get a feel for what's where before I'd even venture to take small children there. It's a freaking madhouse. I think I heard somewhere that there were over 4 MILLION people lined along the parade route. :faint:
Click to expand...

Well there ya go, Elle... you are a helluva scrapbooker... just fake the pictures and embellish the journaling.... no one will be the wiser. :yay:
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
I don't go in for the parade, rather watch that from the comfort of the bed with a cup of coffee. However, it's a HOOT to go in the day before and watch them fill the balloons by the Museum of Natural History. There are lines going up and down the streets and you get to see the balloons from about 15 feet away. It's impressive. While you're there, it's a great time to bop around town.

Best time we ever had was walking toward Times Square. We picked up a drunk somewhere along the lines and he kept trying to hit on the women. The guys were watching from 20 feet back just hysterical... We'd loose him, and a few blocks later, there he was again!
 
V

vbailey

vbailey
Elle said:
You should know that I never make plans any less than 11 months in advance :lol:
Click to expand...

Gosh, my family would never get to do anything if I lived by that rule.....we do everything last minute...right down to our family vacations...sometimes we don't know where we will be going or what we will be doing until about 2 or 3 days before....we just pack the camper and go.....so much fun, we love it, it is like a surprise!!!!
 
Elle

Elle

Happy Camper!
vbailey said:
Gosh, my family would never get to do anything if I lived by that rule.....we do everything last minute...right down to our family vacations...sometimes we don't know where we will be going or what we will be doing until about 2 or 3 days before....we just pack the camper and go.....so much fun, we love it, it is like a surprise!!!!
Click to expand...

I need to plan, it’s an illness I have. I need to research and be informed. I need to countdown to what ever the event is. I am not spontaneous at all.
 
V

vbailey

vbailey
We take the wireless computer with us and we have a woodall book ( of campgrounds across the USA that are 4 & 5 star ) so far we have had all good experince....our life has so much structure that it is so cool to do what ever/when ever for a week or two.....we went to Kentucky last summer, just hooked up the camper, got in the truck and started driving..... with the wireless computer ( most all camp grounds have free wireless )we look up stuff to do in the area when we get to the camp ground....we saw and did some awesome things while in Kentucky..most camp grounds also have a ton of brochers/pamplets of things to see and do so we grab a bunch of those when we check in.....
 
T

Tina2001aniT

New Member
Elle said:
I need to plan, it’s an illness I have. I need to research and be informed. I need to countdown to what ever the event is. I am not spontaneous at all.
Click to expand...

We went to the parade when kiddo was 5, she is 10 now. It was a FANTASTIC time, and every year the kiddo asks to go back. It was a little crazy, but really I didn't think it was too bad. We did have a hotel within walking distance of the parade route, and I think we went out there like an hour anda half beforethe parade started and got perfect spots. We were somewhere in the middle of the parade route, the stars did ride the whole way, I am sure that to get where they actually sang/danced it would have been mass chaos, but just to be on the parade route was not too bad at all. We also had a younger toddler with us and we never felt like it was too much of a cluster or that she was too young to be there. Feel free to PM me if you need any more info.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top