MNSSHP 2015 - Be Prepared For Chaos

[Amw1064]

Same here. I emailed first then got a call back a few days later.

I email early Saturday morning. I have not received any phone call.

 

[Hopelessly_Devoted]

That stinks. I thought one of the "perks" of these special parties was the low crowds.

Hasn't been that way for a few years. Disney is selling more and more tickets each year.

 

[anniemae]

Hasn't been that way for a few years. Disney is selling more and more tickets each year.

Yeah, it seems like they are going for quantity over quality. Used to be all about the guest experience, now it's about packing them in and making more money. I guess from a business stand point it's great. They want it sold out all the time, hotels filled, parks at capacity etc. The thing is, people are going to Disney more than ever before it seems, it just keeps getting more and more crowded. At what point will people stop going? I don't think they will. They are doing something right. From a business side.

 

[jpeden]

Saw my refund was posted to my credit card today. Funny how I was not offered any comp tickets. Seems like CM's are handling angry patrons from the first night quite differently.

There's no consistency in how they've been handling the issues regarding the first party. Some people offered replacement hard party tickets, some offered refunds, some offered one day - one park tickets, some offered one-day park hopper tickets. Disney really should have said "okay, there's an issue here - we are going to offer option A or option B to consumers who call in." This would help them fix the cost estimate of the party, and give CM's a company line to toe regarding "management has decided that these are the remedies being offered to concerned guests" and not the line of "every case is handled differently and examined in different ways" which is what I was told.

 

[mamasha]

I got tix to next year's party. Not sure if they saw I did a BB before I left.

 

[Disneylover99]

I got tix to next year's party. Not sure if they saw I did a BB before I left.

Is it a voucher of sorts to redeem when dates are announced?

 

[mamasha]

Yes. Gor an email with a voucher number that can only be redeemed at guest services with my id

 

[mamasha]

I didn't ask for it. It was offered

 

[Lehuaann]

I knew someone would remember that party!

your description of last night mirrors what I expect for Tuesday & what we've experienced at other sold out parties. makes me feel a little better about my plan. thanks!

We were there, too As a matter of fact, I just recently made reference to the MNSSHP monsoon of 2012 somewhere on this board, lol. I laugh now, but it wasn't funny then. We had never experienced so much rain during a trip, but that night was a complete nightmare. The weather was insanely scary. Streets so flooded that people were sloshing and pouring water out of their shoes. But the candy stops were great, especially the "secret" locations. They were shouting for guests to come get candy...

 

[FoodieFriend]

just thought I'd give some feedback on my 1st experience with the MNSSHP we attended on 9/27, Sunday. getting in at 4pm was no problem, we got our wristbands easily along with our teeny ToT bags, we picked up our Sorcerer's card with our 1st pack ever & was given a good explanation on how to go on with the game. cool. we were able to find Halloween party shirts along with Hocus Pocus shirts in the Emporium. Lots were in stock & the CMs were controlling how many ppl were buying shirts. i couldn't tell if they were only allowing those wearing wristbands to purchase or not. my main goals were to ride/see the New Fantasyland stuff, get some candy and see the Hocus Pocus show. I was able to get my early FPs for 7DMT & Enchanted Tales with Belle. Loved them both! Since I got to ride the new Little Mermaid ride on the previous night, i used my 3rd FP for Haunted Mansion. Sadly, Madame Carlotta wasn't out yet, but i told myself we would come back around to see her.
when we got out of HM, it was POURING!!! 3/4 of us had ponchos but i couldn't just abandon my unprotected friend, so we stayed near Momento Mori under shelter until the storm lessened. unfortunately, i hadn't planned for rain so i had no idea where else we could go to stay dry. we decided to take a shot at playing more of the Sorcerer's game. I could only get it to work at two more locations & then the cameras wouldn't read any of my spell cards at the next two locations. bummer. i gave up on the game after that!
we were starving, so tried to head toward Main Street but ran into the 1st parade finishing up. ACK! luckily we were able to get to Casey's Corner & grab a table for some dinner. we heard the announcement that the 2nd castle show was cancelled & heard that the 1st show was also cancelled. BUMMER! i guess the heavy rain/lightning really killed a lot of stuff because some of the rides in the open were shut down. I know Disney can't help the weather but I wasn't about to wait around anymore.
we did hit about 4 candy lines, mostly in Tomorrowland. Lines were definitely long, but moved fairly quickly. most had two CMs giving out handfuls from two bins. i didn't experience the "one candy per person" reported at other parties, but we also didn't go to every candy line either. i think i got a decent haul of about a gallon size ziploc between 4 of us.
as we were leaving, i decided to tell the worker at the original Sorcerer's location at the firehouse about the problems i had with the game. I was happy to find out that the CMs there actually seemed to be players so they advised using a flashlight or my phone to light up the cards because the cameras that try to detect the face of the card do not work well at night. duh. no one told me THAT part! our group was sticky from the intense humidity & feeling yucky in sopping shoes, so we gave up on the party & headed back to the hotel around 10pm.
i did get two of the poison apple steins/mugs, the Zero and Cinderella popcorn buckets as souvenirs along with our party shirts, so i was happy about that. i truly don't think i would spend the money on the party again. for me, it was a One & Done kinda event. I can get a great view of the Hocus Pocus show & Boo to You parade online without having to sit on the curb/in front of the stage for a couple hours. If i can buy party shirts during non-party hours along with treats & other souvenirs, what's the point of spending all that money on the tickets? oh, i didn't get to return to HM to see Madame Carlotta but i did see a few seconds of her on YouTube also. my sister said that the downpour really ruined the whole party for her & she wouldn't pay to go again. the ride lines were not significantly shorter than our other MK day so she also couldn't see the value of it. it must be because we weren't interested in waiting in line for M&Gs.
just my thoughts on how i saw the party. it wasn't awful, but wasn't worth it either, and i know that's just for me personally. glad i got to see it 1x tho.
wishing everyone wonderful parties in the future!! i do plan to write to disney just to give my perspective on the event. i'm not expecting any compensation or anything. i just hope they will take input as a learning experience to make things better for everyone in the future.

 

[jhaig]

There's no consistency in how they've been handling the issues regarding the first party. Some people offered replacement hard party tickets, some offered refunds, some offered one day - one park tickets, some offered one-day park hopper tickets. Disney really should have said "okay, there's an issue here - we are going to offer option A or option B to consumers who call in." This would help them fix the cost estimate of the party, and give CM's a company line to toe regarding "management has decided that these are the remedies being offered to concerned guests" and not the line of "every case is handled differently and examined in different ways" which is what I was told.

That's surprising that CM's have that kind of flexibility, especially when toeing the line is what they do best

 

[ktate82]

Well after reading a bunch of posts, it sounds like not many people are enjoying themselves. We are going Friday Oct 23rd, while we are there basically to do rides, as it is our only magic kingdom day. I hope the ride lines are still short, and hopefully catch the second parade. Is the parade basically the same it has been for years or has it been updated at all?

We have tickets that same night. We are coming in from Miami after a Magic cruise and leave the next morning for a Fantasy cruise. We thought with one night, it would be a great way to see the park and fireworks. We have been to a MNSSHP every year since 2010 (but most were in Sept and never a sell out). I know it will be much busier than we originally encounter, but still anxious about all the negative posts. We don't do character meets and are more interested in the fireworks (our #1 must), the parade, and riding rides. We have the desert party booked. I didn't really want to spend the money, but thinking it may be worth it.

 

[AquaDame]

At what point will people stop going? I don't think they will. They are doing something right. From a business side.

Are you going to stop? Are any of us? They're absolutely right to do what they are then. I don't like it either, but we're still giving them money so I must not mind THAT much. That said, after this trip we're going to be taking a couple years hiatus from WDW at least - I've been enjoying my trips to DLR much more. I just hope I remember that in a year!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Are you going to stop? Are any of us?

I know you were posing the question hypothetically, but I'll answer for my family anyway .

DH and I haven't been to MK (or any of the Disney theme parks.....just the water parks) since January 2009. Since that time, we have travelled to Orlando 3 times in 2012, once in 2013, once in 2014, and this will be the second of 3 trips in 2015. The super-scheduling needed for a Disney day (ADR's, FP+, touring plans, etc.) have been a huge turn off. As a result, we have opted to visit the other Orlando theme park families instead (and are currently Premier AP holders at Universal).

MNSSHP appealed to us because it offered a "solution" to all the things which kept us away. Limited admission, so lower crowds. No Fastpasses during the party. The ability to be spontaneous and flexible and go-with-the-flow. Our vacation dates have never aligned with hard ticket events until now, so we though we'd dip our toes back in the Disney pool and give one more kick at the cat.

Early party reports have been discouraging at best. We have booked two parties, thinking that as first-timers, we'd need both nights to see it and and do it all. Now, we're second guessing our decision to spend that much money on what could potentially be a disappointment.

So, in answer to your question......will we stop going if it turns out we don't find "value" in the party? Absolutely. This is Disney's chance to win back our business. If they drop the ball, I don't forsee us heading back for quite some time.

 

[puffkin]

To us it really depends if it is worth it. When we go as a family and usually for a week, it really gives me pause. We no longer find any value in MVMCP. During a weeklong trip with all the other Christmas activities it just isn't worth it for the party. We are still on the fence with MNSSHP. The kids love the costumes and trick or treating, parade and fireworks. The extra characters and rides are a bonus. But if we miss it, not a huge deal breaker either.

Now on this past trip, it was just my DS9 and I. We were mainly down for a Universal weekend and didn't have active AP's this trip. To us, the party was well worth it. The price was discounted over just a day ticket, and by getting in at 4 we still got our 3 FP+ and 8 hours of park time. Our focus was more on the rides, atmosphere, parade, fireworks, and getting the special Sorceror's card. Getting a bunch of candy at the end when the lines were really short was a bonus. To us the party was very worth it. We got 3/4 of the park done, we weren't rushing around and we got to see most of the special Halloween stuff at a discounted price over a day ticket. We did have a decent plan though with our FP, made sure to eat counter service before the park closed for day guests, hit the second parade and last stage show, and skipped the treat stations until the end when the lines were short. We also made sure to get in the park right at 4 and stay til midnight to maximize our time. Even with some rain, we had a fantastic time at a Sold Out party. But all in all, the value of the party is all relative.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Now on this past trip, it was just my DS9 and I. We were mainly down for a Universal weekend and didn't have active AP's this trip. To us, the party was well worth it. The price was discounted over just a day ticket, and by getting in at 4 we still got our 3 FP+ and 8 hours of park time. Our focus was more on the rides, atmosphere, parade, fireworks, and getting the special Sorceror's card. Getting a bunch of candy at the end when the lines were really short was a bonus. To us the party was very worth it. We got 3/4 of the park done, we weren't rushing around and we got to see most of the special Halloween stuff at a discounted price over a day ticket. We did have a decent plan though with our FP, made sure to eat counter service before the park closed for day guests, hit the second parade and last stage show, and skipped the treat stations until the end when the lines were short. We also made sure to get in the park right at 4 and stay til midnight to maximize our time. Even with some rain, we had a fantastic time at a Sold Out party. But all in all, the value of the party is all relative.

That's a very reassuring post for me, because we are approaching the party with the same focus as you did: for us, its mostly about the rides (and the atmopshere and the chance for us two adults to dress up for Halloween). Over the course of our two nights, aside from the rides we want to see the fireworks at least once, and the parade once. Captain Jack will be the only character meet that we'll wait for (we're dressing as pirates, so it would be a shame not to get a photo with him). Trick or treating, other character meets, the Hocus Pocus show.....they're all just happy bonuses if we can work them in.

I refuse to go in with "low" expectations (we have paid to attend these events, why should I expect to be disappointed?) but I like to think that we are going in with reasonable expectations. Quite honestly, the unpredictability of the weather is my biggest concern of all. We can change up our touring strategies, we can change up our attitudes.....but we can do a darn thing about the weather!!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Yeah, it seems like they are going for quantity over quality. Used to be all about the guest experience, now it's about packing them in and making more money. I guess from a business stand point it's great. They want it sold out all the time, hotels filled, parks at capacity etc. The thing is, people are going to Disney more than ever before it seems, it just keeps getting more and more crowded. At what point will people stop going? I don't think they will. They are doing something right. From a business side.

Are you going to stop? Are any of us? They're absolutely right to do what they are then. I don't like it either, but we're still giving them money so I must not mind THAT much. That said, after this trip we're going to be taking a couple years hiatus from WDW at least - I've been enjoying my trips to DLR much more. I just hope I remember that in a year!

My AP expires November 9th. For the first time in over 10 plus years it will not be renewed. I have reached the point where the quality has declined to the point that it's time to spend the money elsewhere.

I have to go to the Orlando area several times a year to visit family and next year my money and free time are going to visit Harry Potter!

 

[BigHeroKen]

My family went to MNSSHP last year for the first time and loved it so much we decided to go again this year as the only Disney portion of our recent trip. Sadly, this party paled in comparison mainly due to grouchy cast members and crowds.

We went to the 9/27 party. Arrived just after 4 via ferry. On our way to the bag check station closest to the ferry there was a security guard that forced us and a few other people (while letting plenty of people go to the one we wanted to go to) to go to the bag check near the center of the entrance which was twice as long as the one which was closer to where we were. After that long wait we were able to get into the party quickly and get our bands.

During the rain storm, I parked under an awning near the exit of a closed ride with my son and stroller while my wife went to buy ponchos, this was about 6:30ish and was told by a cast member I couldn't stand there because it was going to be used for the party at 7. I told her I was just waiting for my wife to return with ponchos to which she replied "you can't wait here." Since it was pouring at the time I asked where I could wait that was dry and she pointed at a restaurant across from where I was standing. I went into the restaurant, now soaked, and tried to find someplace to sit, but there wasn't anywhere so I stood near a window so I could keep an eye out for my wife, but I was once again told I couldn't wait where I was and I needed to find a table. There were no tables, so I just left and waited outside since the rain had slowed enough to not be an issue and I was already wet.

After that we got my son changed out of his wet clothes and into his costume and started to trick or treat. After a couple of (long) lines it was apparent the people giving out the candy were not doing so in similar ways. I know of at least 3 candy lines were one side was giving out handfuls of candy and the other side was giving out between 1 and 3 pieces.

We also had an issue with a cast member yelling at my 3 year old. My son saw the barrel of candy and thought he could reach in and grab a handful, I saw him reaching out and put my hands on his shoulders to stop him and at the same time I was starting to explain to him that he needed to use his bag she yelled "don't put your hands in the bucket." This completely shut my son down, who didn't think he was doing anything wrong. As some of you parents know, how you talk to a small child will determine their reaction and his reaction was fear and shame so he didn't want to go into any more candy lines.

I noticed some people at the same party said most rides were walk on, but that was not true for my experience, we had to wait 10-20 minutes for most rides (Snow White seemed to be closed every time we passed it so I don't know what the wait for it would have been). While that is not long, I do not consider it "walk-on". Last year we walked on more rides than we had to wait for, this time it was the opposite.

I found the crowds this year to be much heavier than last year and they stayed in the park much longer. Last year the crowds started to thin out around 10. This year it seemed just as crowded at 10:30 as it did at 7:00.

My son lost his wrist band early in the night and was never asked about it. We were stopped once at 7pm, on Its a Small World, to check for our bands and that was it. We were never asked again. Last year we must have been asked at least a dozen times.

I don't think I'll be going to another party any time soon, while it wasn't completely bad (we got to ride rides, enjoy some dance parties, eat some candy) it just wasn't the same.

 

[jhaig]

My family went to MNSSHP last year for the first time and loved it so much we decided to go again this year as the only Disney portion of our recent trip. Sadly, this party paled in comparison mainly due to grouchy cast members and crowds.

We went to the 9/27 party. Arrived just after 4 via ferry. On our way to the bag check station closest to the ferry there was a security guard that forced us and a few other people (while letting plenty of people go to the one we wanted to go to) to go to the bag check near the center of the entrance which was twice as long as the one which was closer to where we were. After that long wait we were able to get into the party quickly and get our bands.

During the rain storm, I parked under an awning near the exit of a closed ride with my son and stroller while my wife went to buy ponchos, this was about 6:30ish and was told by a cast member I couldn't stand there because it was going to be used for the party at 7. I told her I was just waiting for my wife to return with ponchos to which she replied "you can't wait here." Since it was pouring at the time I asked where I could wait that was dry and she pointed at a restaurant across from where I was standing. I went into the restaurant, now soaked, and tried to find someplace to sit, but there wasn't anywhere so I stood near a window so I could keep an eye out for my wife, but I was once again told I couldn't wait where I was and I needed to find a table. There were no tables, so I just left and waited outside since the rain had slowed enough to not be an issue and I was already wet.

After that we got my son changed out of his wet clothes and into his costume and started to trick or treat. After a couple of (long) lines it was apparent the people giving out the candy were not doing so in similar ways. I know of at least 3 candy lines were one side was giving out handfuls of candy and the other side was giving out between 1 and 3 pieces.

We also had an issue with a cast member yelling at my 3 year old. My son saw the barrel of candy and thought he could reach in and grab a handful, I saw him reaching out and put my hands on his shoulders to stop him and at the same time I was starting to explain to him that he needed to use his bag she yelled "don't put your hands in the bucket." This completely shut my son down, who didn't think he was doing anything wrong. As some of you parents know, how you talk to a small child will determine their reaction and his reaction was fear and shame so he didn't want to go into any more candy lines.

I noticed some people at the same party said most rides were walk on, but that was not true for my experience, we had to wait 10-20 minutes for most rides (Snow White seemed to be closed every time we passed it so I don't know what the wait for it would have been). While that is not long, I do not consider it "walk-on". Last year we walked on more rides than we had to wait for, this time it was the opposite.

I found the crowds this year to be much heavier than last year and they stayed in the park much longer. Last year the crowds started to thin out around 10. This year it seemed just as crowded at 10:30 as it did at 7:00.

My son lost his wrist band early in the night and was never asked about it. We were stopped once at 7pm, on Its a Small World, to check for our bands and that was it. We were never asked again. Last year we must have been asked at least a dozen times.

I don't think I'll be going to another party any time soon, while it wasn't completely bad (we got to ride rides, enjoy some dance parties, eat some candy) it just wasn't the same.

Thanks for that detailed report. Unfortunately, a lot of people who went this year share your feelings on not going back. But Disney won't care until people stop buying tickets, which won't happen either. We've just decided to concentrate our time and money elsewhere until this party, and other hard ticket events, are turned back into what they used to be and not the unregulated, crowded grouch-fests they are now.

 

[jennyatx]

The only character we *have* to meet is Captain Jack, but I've heard that he often comes out late? Anyone know how long the line has been, and do you have any tips on the best time to meet him? Thanks!