We leave next Friday too!! Whoohoo! Yes lots of thoughts about what to pack but no actual packing yet. We have our tickets for the 26th already. We have been on the Tuesday night of Halloween week the past two years and it was more crowded overall until after the fireworks, then the park seemed to thin out. I say as far as which parade, it depends on how your kids do later rather than earlier. We always go ahead and catch the first parade and the fireworks, then however long we stay and trick or treat after that is a bonus! The first year we went home at midnight, seems like last year it was 11:30. Some folks have great success doing some trick or treating/character meet and greets during the first parade, that seems like a good idea too but just be careful to locate yourself so that you don't get trapped in an area due to the parade route! I heard from another poster that her child enjoyed the Toy Story characters while the parade was going on!
Looking forward to seeing everybody in their costumes! DS is going as Woody again, my daughters and I are going as "Batgirls" from Batman (one pink/silver and two in classic black/yellow), and DH is going as LOTSO!