MNSSHP worth it????

[nkereina]

The crowds in September are so low, we did not notice a difference crowd-wise at MNSSHP. However, we were there in late September during a rare sold out party. People have speculated the sell out was due to the 40th anniversary at the end of the week. If you decide to go, make sure its a night when nothing special is going on that could draw more crowds. We were disappointed that the wait times were just as long (if not longer) than they were during the day.

I'd also suggest eating before you go... we ate around 8pm and it was very busy and time consuming, and we ended up not getting to do everything we wanted to.

 

[dschneider]

I'd also suggest eating before you go... we ate around 8pm and it was very busy and time consuming, and we ended up not getting to do everything we wanted to.[/QUOTE]

Is it difficult to get CS meals during the party?

 

[CityGirlLost]

We already have our tickets for Halloween night-- the night before our wedding!!! I am so psyched, there are no words. I'm just stressing about keeping the kids calm, awake and having fun!

 

[2manydaves]

Your kids are about the ages of mine when we first went, and they had a BLAST. We've been twice since then and everybody just loves it. We ARE Halloween people, so we dress up and really get into it. SO MUCH FUN! I highly recommend it.

 

[ghtx]

A party ticket gets you into Mk at 4 all by its self. If you want to get in before 4 you need a regular ticket.

So, even though MNSSHP doesn't start until 7, the ticket allows you to enter the park at 4?

 

[mgoblue21]

Fun for a couple who has 6 days in the parks (Park Hopper plus Water parks pass)? My fiancee and I will be at Disney, her first trip since as a kid.

Our only special plans are a dinner at Ohana and doing the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. Then I saw this was open, and thought I'd get some input on how it'd be for 2 adults (her late 20's, me 31).

Was thinking maybe we do one of the water parks in the morning, take a break in the afternoon, then go to the party at 4?

 

[peeputt]

My husband and I are going and we don't have any kids either. I asked the same kind of question all over the place and everybody who has answered me swears that we will have a blast, and you don't have to have kids to enjoy it so we're doing it! I actually just got the tickets yesterday

 

[Sunshinepixie27]

We have been x2 and we did not see the value in it at all. Sure the parade was AWESOME. Maybe it is because we have always been with a large group (8 or more), but I did not feel like we were able to do much at all. The first time we went we made the mistake of eating while at the party and it consumed 45+ minutes of party time. The atmosphere is great and seeing the rare characters is neat if you are willing to spend most of your time waiting for them. Bottom line, glad we did it not once, but twice so that I can say, not worth the money for our family.

 

[kmb584]

I'm not someone who gets excited over Halloween and its festivities so on our trip last October I had made no plans to attend MNSSHP. It wasn't something that DD or I had ever done and because of that I felt that we wouldn't be missing out.

I was wrong.

Our last MK day happened to be a party night with the park closing early for those who didn't have tickets. That evening we had an early ADR (5:30p) at Chef Mickey's and I wallowed the day away because we wouldn't be able to return to the park after dinner. In a complete spur of the moment decision I walked into City Hall prior to heading to the monorail and walked out with a MNSSHP ticket (DD was 2 and free) for that evening.

It was a BLAST and probably the best night that I've ever spent in WDW! Boo-To-You and HalloWishes were worth the price alone. The decorations, lighting, characters - it was all perfect!

Even better, the longest wait time we had for ANY attraction was the length of time it took us to walk through empty queues and board. DD was able to ride all of her favorite attractions ten times over in the amount of time one would spend waiting to ride just once during normal park hours. After I had purchased my ticket, my aunt followed suit and purchased one for herself. She entertained DD while I rode SM and BTMRR, twice on Space and three times on Big Thunder as the CMs at both let me just stay on as there were only a handful of people waiting to board. The same went for The People Mover - we rode it 5 times in succession while taking in the awesome view of the park.

I'm not typically the type of person who will tell someone that they're missing out if they don't do something, but MNSSHP is one of those rare exceptions! Disney hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned and it's not something to be missed!

 

[kmb584]

I've heard some complaining with folks who have gone closer to Halloween, where the crowds were heavier.

I've heard this as well but last October we attended the party the night before Halloween proper and the crowds were extremely low! Main Street was clogged but considering that's where the majority of the party's activities take place that's to be expected. We had a "0" wait time for every single attraction, including those with the longest waits during the day!

 

[BearcatsFan]

So, even though MNSSHP doesn't start until 7, the ticket allows you to enter the park at 4?

Yes, in the past they have allowed guests to enter with only their MNSSHP ticket at 4 p.m. It is assumed they will be doing that again this year.

HTH

 

[emcclay]

Watch the first parade.. use the time during the second parade showing to get on rides with no wait. My dad and I walked on to BTMRR and Splash.

 

[kmb584]

Not worth it, IMO, unless you go to WDW every year and need something new to do.

The party interferes too much with the rest of vacation. You have to take it easy on the day of the party so you have the energy to stay late, and you have to miss a rope drop the next morning because you were up so late.

This isn't necessarily true.

We had no plans to attend the party last year and I purchased tickets, a spur of the moment decision, prior to heading to CR for our CM dinner reservation. It was 4:30p at that time and we had been in the park since RD that morning with no break (DD naps in her stroller). After dinner (~6:30p) we went straight back to MK and had a fantastic time; we left when the party ended.

No alarms were set that night but we were all still awake, dressed, and on our way to EP by 8:30a the next morning. There were no complaints of being tired, DD didn't have a single toddler meltdown, she napped in her stroller that afternoon per usual, and we left the park once again at closing.

Everyone is different and while I can see plans needing to be adjusted to accommodate a MNSSHP night, I don't think the party interferes with someone's vacation at all, but rather it adds an extra spark of magic as it's not something that can be done year round.

 

[nkereina]

Is it difficult to get CS meals during the party?

Not all CS restaurants are open, so the ones that are open are more crowded than usual. We ate at Cosmic Rays around 8-8:30ish and the lines were much longer than I would have expected and open tables were few and far between. I was also not crazy about the CS options that were available. Cosmic Rays is blah in my opinion, but it was the only one we agreed on.

 

[Ninnygunk]

Absolutely! So much to do & the parade is amazing! Just don't schedule a table service meal - it ate up 2 hours of our party time (that won't happen again!). We took the early part of the day to swim & relax then got there close to 4pm when you're allowed to enter with party tickets. I also agree that watching the first parade will allow you to practically walk onto most rides later that night. Don't miss Stitch's dance party or Woody's Hoe Down. Our kids had more fun dancing with the characters that trick or treating!

 

[Irishlisa]

So we ordered our tickets last week and they came in the mail today. I think I'm more excited than the kids

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We haven't taken our kids to MNSSHP but have the opportunity to when we go in September. I didn't know much about it but I read a blog detailing what to expect and it seems worth it. You pay a separate fee but it seems like it is worth it to be able to go to MK from 4 til Midnight with less crowds.

Our kids are 8,6,and 4. Thoughts?

To answer the question of is the party worth it, really I think it boils down to how much you like parades and fireworks. If you're a big fan, I think you'll consider it worth your while when all is said and done. If you're not, it probably won't. The second consideration is rare characters. If you're into that, it probably will seem more worth it. If not, probably not so much. Note, however, that rare characters are not guaranteed. The show at the castle and the tricks or treats and the rest of what is there probably aren't going to do it for you in the worth it category. As for the short lines on the ride, regular attendance at mk the day of the party is relatively light leaving the rides fairly accessible then as well. But during the party, most things are 10 minutes or less except for the Haunted Mansion. If your trip is short, you may want to consider the party for the rides as well.

On to the crowds. Less crowds depends upon what you are doing. There are shorter waits for the attractions. But if you're doing characters they aren't less. The first parade is very well attended as are the fireworks. The second parade is less attended. The rides are easily accessed during both parades and the fireworks. It is hard to get access to the characters that come out for the mix and mingle after the castle show. All shows are well attended.

Originally Posted by dschneider View Post
Is it difficult to get CS meals during the party?

I very strongly suggest you eat before the party. Not only is it very easy to get a CS meal with little wait around 4:30-5 before the party starts, and difficult once the dinner hours hit, but you don't want to waste party time eating. If you need a late night snack later because you ate dinner early, there are always ice cream bars while waiting for the fireworks or parade. The best way to do the most popular of rare characters is to be in line long before starting time.