going to a signature before MNSSHP

[proudestmunkie]

Is anybody doing a Signature before MNSSHP? It's just DF and I going to Artist Point for the first time (very excited, read some great reviews on here!) for 5:35. We're going to have a car while on property so the game plan right now is to drive to WL and then take the boat to MK after dinner. We are getting dressed up for the party as Yzma and Kronk in their secret lab outfits so it's nothing crazy but I'm trying to decide if we should go into the restaurant in our costumes or bring them with us to change after dinner. It's only a couple items (lab coats, black gloves, goggles, Kronk beanie..my hair will be the issue..dunno if I'm spiking my hair back or getting a black wig and wearing that)

I'm curious, is anyone else going to a signature restaurant before MNSSHP? If yes, are you going dressed up or bringing your stuff? Opinions/input is appreciated. Thanks! :

 

[Highlander82]

I have done a signature before MNSSHP but never dressed up!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I wouldn't worry about wearing costumes. I'm sure you won't be the first to wear them to a signature on party nights. However, I wouldn't waste that much party time eating. I also wouldn't want to rush my meal at AP. If you don't mind missing out on the party, & rushing your meal, go for it. Personally, I'd book AP for a night when I could fully enjoy it, & plan to eat a quicker/earlier meal on party night to take full advantage of the party hours. That's JMO though Enjoy your trip.

 

[deakam]

A lot of people believe that getting to the park at 4pm is the best plan for the parties. The park does not start anything until 7pm. The lines are still full of non party people at 7pm. Yes you can position yourself for things like pictures with the Dwarves and such but if that is not something you need to do then I would enjoy my dinner at AP and I would also not feel at all uncomfortable about wearing a costume.

We all went dressed to 1900 PF a few years back. It was perfectly fine. And we were seriously dressed----Donald Duck, Minnie 3 Princesses--2 Princes--2 evil Queens, a white rabbit and Alice.

I have never eaten at AP but I don't think it will take more than the hour and half you have between your ADR and your party start time. The boat ride is only about 10 minutes.

 

[emmamc252]

you can normally get into the party froma bout 3 or 4 oclock, personally if I had paid the extra for the halloween ticket then I wouldn't want to miss a minute of it, i would save the signature for another night and maybe do something in the park, crystal palace character bufet is great for the kids.

 

[catne]

I would not waste party time eating at signature restaurant on a party night. At all of the sig. places we have eaten, 90 minutes was the minimum length of time we were in the place...most were closer to 2 full hours from the time we checked in until the time we were walking out of the restaurant. So even if you're seated right on time (which is rare, even at restaurant opening time) you still would not get out until at least 7:00...and then you have to go catch the boat back to MK, and go through bag-check, ticket turnstyles, walk the length of Main STreet, etc. It could be as late as 8:00 PM by the time you get to the Main STreet hub and actually start the "partying". In other words, you're paying for 5 hours of party, and only getting 4 hours. Not worth missing that hour, IMO. I'd get the signature restaurant on a non-party night.

 

[nkereina]

I have not done Artist Point but as a PP said, they take longer. 90 mins min and I know some can take 2+ hours like Cali Grill. And who knows if you'll be seated on time. If that is the case, you wouldn't get to the party until 7:30-8ish and you lose good party time. The party is from 7-12 but remember part of that time is spent lining up and watching the parade and fireworks. So getting there late doesn't leave a ton of time for rides or other things.

 

[Pakey]

We don't eat at signatures on party nights; those meals take too long and we want to be at MK as close to 4 as possible.

Also, you are going to have to pay for valet parking since you can't self park at the resort and leave your car there while going to a park. That's an added cost that I wouldn't want to pay on a party night.

I also wouldn't want to be in costume for a signature dinner. It would not make it feel like a special meal for me.

 

[jesswindsor]

I thought a read a story or post somewhere where a couple one dressed as snow white, had an ADR at another park (other then MK), and she was told that she couldn't enter. I don't really know what it was about, I know for sure I seen it somewhere, but I don't know how true it was.

 

[proudestmunkie]

Thank you everyone for your input!

Regarding the parking thing, last visit in May we didn't have a problem parking at hotels and going into a park after a meal, we parked ourselves and that was at 2 monorail resorts but we're staying on property and DVC, I don't remember if that's printed on the ticket in the windshield, maybe it makes a difference but I dunno I would not be a happy camper if I had to trek back to Kidani.

You're not allowed to go into the park dressed up beyond a certain age unless it's for MNSSHP and it's after 4 so I feel bad for the person who had ADR's in another park but that's a BIG no no.

I'm not really concerned with the length of time and getting in at 4..it's our first day in, we're not going into another park, we're doing this trip for MNSSHP and F&W...DF isn't a huge ride person and there aren't any kids involved..I've done MNSSHP a handful of times and have gone in early before so getting in to take a bunch of pics with characters isn't a huge deal, it's more for the atmosphere, Boo to You parade and Hallowishes.

When we did CG and Jiko in May we actually weren't there for any more than an hour and a half and CG we waited about 15 minutes to be seated...we're not ones to sit somewhere for 3 hours, as much as we love food, we want to eat, enjoy our meal and get out once we're done....we actually have ressies for CG on 10/27 so we can watch Hallowishes again (they're my fav fireworks..yay Hallowishes x2!). I was just curious if anyone else has done a sig before the party and what they did about getting dressed up. I'm not really looking to be refused seating at the door so I'm thinking just bring our stuff with us and throwing it over our clothes..we'll be relatively casual so not a big deal. Thanks again everybody!

 

[Cafeen]

As long as it fits the loose dress code, you'll be fine.

I've done sigs solo before a party (ok, sig, as in one) and I was out of there by 6:30 and in the park before 7 (it was Citrico's though, so travel time was minimal). If you're not that concerned about squeezing every penny out of the ticket, but are comfortable getting there around 7 and enjoying it, then go for it.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

We did exactly what you're planning the last time we went to the Halloween party. We had a reservation at Artist Point for about the same time as you. The meal went smoothly, but we felt like the wait for a boat to the Magic Kingdom took forever. We didn't get to the park until maybe 7:20 or 7:30, but my feeling is that as long as I get to see the Boo to You Parade, I'm a happy camper.

 

[honeymo78]

Thank you everyone for your input!

Regarding the parking thing, last visit in May we didn't have a problem parking at hotels and going into a park after a meal, we parked ourselves and that was at 2 monorail resorts but we're staying on property and DVC, I don't remember if that's printed on the ticket in the windshield, maybe it makes a difference but I dunno I would not be a happy camper if I had to trek back to Kidani.

You're not allowed to go into the park dressed up beyond a certain age unless it's for MNSSHP and it's after 4 so I feel bad for the person who had ADR's in another park but that's a BIG no no.

I'm not really concerned with the length of time and getting in at 4..it's our first day in, we're not going into another park, we're doing this trip for MNSSHP and F&W...DF isn't a huge ride person and there aren't any kids involved..I've done MNSSHP a handful of times and have gone in early before so getting in to take a bunch of pics with characters isn't a huge deal, it's more for the atmosphere, Boo to You parade and Hallowishes.

When we did CG and Jiko in May we actually weren't there for any more than an hour and a half and CG we waited about 15 minutes to be seated...we're not ones to sit somewhere for 3 hours, as much as we love food, we want to eat, enjoy our meal and get out once we're done....we actually have ressies for CG on 10/27 so we can watch Hallowishes again (they're my fav fireworks..yay Hallowishes x2!). I was just curious if anyone else has done a sig before the party and what they did about getting dressed up. I'm not really looking to be refused seating at the door so I'm thinking just bring our stuff with us and throwing it over our clothes..we'll be relatively casual so not a big deal. Thanks again everybody!

We'll be at CG before MNSSHP on 9/27. Two of us will be dressed in ghostly formal wear. We'll likely hold off on the wigs and definitely on the make up until after dinner, but DH will have a dyed goatee. We'll carry those extras in our camera bag then finish getting ready in one of the restrooms downstairs (maybe just do DHs makeup sitting on a chair in the lobby).

 

[Tistal]

OP that's what we're doing exactly. We have reservations for AP at 5:35. I figured it's one of the first reservation times, I would think (yes I know things happen) that we should get seated timely. We're going in costume my costume and his costume.

That day is also our MK day. We don't feel like it's going to be the end if we aren't there at 4:00. Sure, signature meals can take awhile; however, DH and I do at least one signature every trip, and we have found that they usually try to be accommodating if you let them know you have somewhere else to go. We're going knowing it's a risk we're taking that it could take a while, but we're excited about it.