My MNSSHP experience- just back as well

[needtoplan]

We went Tuesday, September 25th- our first party. Me, DH, DS- 4 and my sis.

We were really overwhelmed by the crowds. Much much heavier than I expected on a Tuesday night in September. Both me and DH glad we did it once, but would not do it again. Claustrophobic.
Ride lines short- but everything else long, long waits.

I will say thank you to disboards- helping me to get a plan together. I was able to accomplish a lot simply because I knew where characters were- but I ran into 2 different moms in tears because this was just so crowded and overwhelming. Made me sad.
This is what we did.

Arrived at 4:30- didn't get into park until 5:15 due to monorail issues. <sigh>
Pre-party rode Buzz, teacups, and haunted mansion. Got in line for dwarves around 6:15.
Went thru candy trail by dwarves while waiting. Finished dwarves by 7:20 and super excited because I know we walked by at least an hour and a half wait when we left that greet.
Then wanted to get Genie- line 45 minutes long and then two groups before we got there switched out for Abu <sigh> this very frustrating as hard to plan for this.
Went to Tarzan crew. Got all three and great interaction - but once again 45 minute wait. Note three greets and nearly 3 hours of time.

Hustled to princes and princesses at town hall. Managed to get these before fireworks. (as a side note - son dressed like dopey and the prince and snow white requested an encore with him just so they could kiss his little head - so cute)
Fireworks awesome. Took a quick potty break headed to fantasyland to catch some more characters all had at least 45 minute long lines and some characters leaving for parade. We did manage to get Suzy and Perla and hit two trick or treat stations.
Got a good spot for parade by ducking and sitting under some people who were standing (they were super nice).
After parade headed down to Liberty boat trick or treat. Went to mix and mingle last show. Got in line for Cruella and really lucked up being last to catch a photo with queen of hearts (so two characters after show- but once again just barely). Tried to head back to any more characters but all had super long lines with most cut off already for the night. So, disappointing. Candy lines also still 10 minutes long and found them to just giving out a few pieces at each stop.
I know we did super well - but we hustled all night and just really people every where. Difficult to navigate. All character lines at 45 minutes- even insignificant ones. Be forewarned it is crazy crowded- I'm sure maybe not as bad as late October but as bad as it was for us You couldn't pay me to go then. And it never really let up like people said it would.
Side note- we spent our park day at Magic Kingdom the next day on Wednesday and experienced fairly low crowds and did everything in the park at least once- and the headliners twice. This was fun- party - not so much.

 

[Chellymouse]

Sorry to hear you had such a poor time. We love MNSSHP and we've never had a problem with it being super croweded. Having said that, we also go to several parties a trip as there is just 2 of us so it's not as hard on the pocketbook as if we were a family of more than 2. There is no possible way to see and do everything offered at this party. There is just too much going on. We learned that the hard way 2 years ago. There is double the amount of stuff at MNSSHP than MVMCP. We usually spend one night just running around getting character pics, then spend the other nights trick or treating and seeing the shows, parades and fireworks.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

We went Tuesday, September 25th- our first party. Me, DH, DS- 4 and my sis.

We were really overwhelmed by the crowds. Much much heavier than I expected on a Tuesday night in September. Both me and DH glad we did it once, but would not do it again. Claustrophobic.
Ride lines short- but everything else long, long waits.

I will say thank you to disboards- helping me to get a plan together. I was able to accomplish a lot simply because I knew where characters were- but I ran into 2 different moms in tears because this was just so crowded and overwhelming. Made me sad.
This is what we did.

Arrived at 4:30- didn't get into park until 5:15 due to monorail issues. <sigh>
Pre-party rode Buzz, teacups, and haunted mansion. Got in line for dwarves around 6:15.
Went thru candy trail by dwarves while waiting. Finished dwarves by 7:20 and super excited because I know we walked by at least an hour and a half wait when we left that greet.
Then wanted to get Genie- line 45 minutes long and then two groups before we got there switched out for Abu <sigh> this very frustrating as hard to plan for this.
Went to Tarzan crew. Got all three and great interaction - but once again 45 minute wait. Note three greets and nearly 3 hours of time.

Hustled to princes and princesses at town hall. Managed to get these before fireworks. (as a side note - son dressed like dopey and the prince and snow white requested an encore with him just so they could kiss his little head - so cute)
Fireworks awesome. Took a quick potty break headed to fantasyland to catch some more characters all had at least 45 minute long lines and some characters leaving for parade. We did manage to get Suzy and Perla and hit two trick or treat stations.
Got a good spot for parade by ducking and sitting under some people who were standing (they were super nice).
After parade headed down to Liberty boat trick or treat. Went to mix and mingle last show. Got in line for Cruella and really lucked up being last to catch a photo with queen of hearts (so two characters after show- but once again just barely). Tried to head back to any more characters but all had super long lines with most cut off already for the night. So, disappointing. Candy lines also still 10 minutes long and found them to just giving out a few pieces at each stop.
I know we did super well - but we hustled all night and just really people every where. Difficult to navigate. All character lines at 45 minutes- even insignificant ones. Be forewarned it is crazy crowded- I'm sure maybe not as bad as late October but as bad as it was for us You couldn't pay me to go then. And it never really let up like people said it would.
Side note- we spent our park day at Magic Kingdom the next day on Wednesday and experienced fairly low crowds and did everything in the park at least once- and the headliners twice. This was fun- party - not so much.

~Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm so sorry that you didn't enjoy yourself at the party. I would let Disney know about your experience. Maybe, Disney needs to limit the amount of tickets sold for each party, if overcrowding is a problem.

 

[yakkin' yeti]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm really regretting buying our tickets for next month. At least this way, we can lower our expectations.

 

[Fan of Figment]

We were there on the 25th, too! I couldn't believe the crowds either. We got there around 6:15 and had dinner at Cosmic Ray's. Then the kids wanted to do the speedway since we were right there. After that we went over and saw the first mix and mingle. When that was over, I went to meet Captain Jack Sparrow and waited an hour and a half for that! Anyone else I would not have waited as long, lol. My son wanted to wait with me, so while we were in line DH took DD to all the different candy stops. They had a good 1/2 bag full each when they were done.

Before we could even get through the meet and greet line though, Hallowishes had started, so DS and I didn't get to see that very well. But at least DH and DD did. It kind of felt like a waste of my party time, but it was the #1 thing I wanted to do, so I just went with it. After that, we headed over to Frontierland and got a spot for the 2nd parade. Loved it! Then we hit up BTMR and Pirates, and that was pretty much the end of the night. I do wish we would've been able to do more, but it was still fun and I'm glad we went!

 

[Julia Says]

We were there on the 25th, as well. I also found it extremely crowded and gave up really quickly on doing any meet & greets. I had to change my expectations entirely. Going into the evening, my one must-do was seeing the parade. That didn't even happen. We did get to see Hallowishes, and I'm glad we did. We did a couple of Trick or Treat stations, but otherwise spent the evening riding rides with no waits.

To be honest, because I have a child with autism, the no-wait rides were almost worth the price we paid for tickets. We were in MK that morning also, and while it wasn't crowded, the wait times were still much longer than during the party. Also, I was able to let my ds play in the Dumbo waiting area, which he really wanted. I couldn't do that during regular hours because there were just too many kids in there.

I wouldn't do MNSSHP again, though.

 

[famsen]

I too was at the 9/25 party. I thought the crowds were much better than at the same party we were at last year. I actually complained to Disney about that one as it was WAY oversold and given that Toontown was closed down at that time for construction, the crowds were shoulder to shoulder everywhere the whole night.
Maybe Disney can look at extending the hours of the party if they are not going to limit the ticket sales. Make it go until 1:00am. Maybe even start an hour early. I know people that don't have tickets for the party won't like the park closing early but something will have to give with this many people being disappointed every year.

 

[bellaally]

Is it better to go in the beginning of September ?

 

[mesaboy2]

Is it better to go in the beginning of September ?

The first party on September 11 was fairly empty, by most every account I've read. I would say yes, especially on weeknights.

 

[MEF92]

I was also there on the 25th and had the best time ever! I thought it was crowded, but not overwhelming. There were absolutely no ride line waits at all, and we had amazing spots for both the fireworks and 2nd parade (and we didn't stake out a spot forever in advance, maybe 15 min tops).

We had such a great time, that the next day we canceled our "Pirates and Pals Cruise" for Friday and bought tickets for the 9/28. MNSSHP. Friday ended up being a sold out night and to me there was a huge difference in crowd levels.

With all that said, we didn't waste our time waiting in line for candy. We'll trick or treat on Halloween, we didn't feel the need to waste precious party time doing so. So right there, I know we saved a lot of time.

Sorry to hear you (OP) didn't have the best time. We seriously had the time of our lives. I hope to attend this party many more times in the future!!!

 

[alc571]

I'm nervous now. The only party that works with our schedule is next Friday night. Only good thing is that DS has no interest in characters - just candy and rides.

What would you suggest as a plan of attack? Candy and then rides?

 

[krd315]

We were also there on 9/25 and 9/28. This was our 1st time for MNSSHP and we chose to do 2 parties as my dgd's wanted to meet several characters.

9/25 it felt crowded but not overwhelming except in the hub area which is to be expected with characters, castle show, etc. We got to the party at 6pm and were able to do the following:
Princess meet & greet, ate at Pecos Bills, Woody & Jessie dance party for a few minutes, 2 trick or treat trails, fireworks, castle show, met Jafar, Gaston, step mother and step sisters, watched the 2nd parade at front of park and then met Mickey & Minnie before leaving at 11:45pm.

9/28 it didn't feel as crowded but we were off main street and spent a lot of time in fantasyland so that helped. we got to MK at 4:00pm, met Merida, ate at Columbia harbor house (yum) lined up for the dwarfs (done by 7:10pm) several trick or treat stops/trails, rode small world, peter pan's flight (10min wait), carousel, tea cups, met donald & daisy, pooh & friends, Alice & mad hatter, fireworks, stitch dance party for a few minutes, caught the 2nd parade again and did a little shopping for MNSSHP shirts and souvenirs before leaving at 11:30pm.

We had an awesome time and felt it was worth the money and so glad we did 2 parties. All of the great info here on the boards helped us set our priorities and while we couldn't do everything it gives us something to look forward to next time.

 

[ppony]

Sounds like Disney hasn't listened at all to any complaints of crowdedness because people have been complaining for over 4 years. I'm one of them. That's one reason I won't buy ticket in advance because I do NOT want to go to a sold out party again. Yes, I would rather miss it. We have 4 party opportunities coming up for our trip so we're going to watch the weather and make our choice when the time comes. Our last MVMCP was sold out and utterly miserable. I'm not looking forward to a repeat performance just w/ different decor.

 

[juliebug1997]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm really regretting buying our tickets for next month. At least this way, we can lower our expectations.

Awww, don't say that! Remember that everyone's experience is different.

 

[mollygirl13]

We went on Sept 11th. First party.

Empty party-didnt do any character lines but rides and candy lines were non existent.

Also , we lined up in Frontierland only 15 min before first parade and we got a front row spot.

Walked into the Hub literally 5 min before HalloWishes began and had an amazing spot.

We got
Lucky!! Our party was fun and had low low crowds.

I have been on the other end a few years ago-went to an overcrowded party and I didn't have a great time. :-(

 

[Bagheera23608]

I'm really considering two parties the next time I go. It really seems the only way to get everything done w/out killing yourself. It bothers me that may be the only way to get everything done when you are already paying extra........We went in Sept '09 and I admit, the crowds were surprising. Getting on rides and trick or treating weren't bad at all, but characters, shows, parades and fireworks were shoulder to shoulder and we did the late parade. I know we stalked out our spot for a hour and half before start time. Also very long lines for M&M. Next time, I will save M&M (if I see them) for later at nite with fewer small ones around.

I like the idea of extending the hours of the party with OUT raising the price.

 

[daraddg]

we have tix for Halloween night this year, kind of dreading this but with a large group so wasnt my choice...in 2009 we went on Nov 1st it was great

 

[xipotec]

Last 3 parties we did were way more crowded than the normal days. I always assumed they limited tickets those parties.
I think you can have a good time experiencing it, just be sure your well rested before you go.
We will probably not do another party again, unless WDW assures people of a decreased tickets sales, and thats about as likely as them taking down Uncle Walts statue for one of Stitch.

 

[Sammie]

The parties get more and more crowded each year, not sure we will be going back either. Also I think word is out that usually Tuesday is less crowded and now that makes it more crowded than a Thursday or even a Sunday.

 

[BigGreen73]

My DW and I did the MNSSHP on 9/25 & on 9/28. And I agree with the OP. The crowds were way heavier than what I experienced. The parties were a lot more crowded than in Sept 2010. I spoke with a bunch of CM's and they said the 1st two parties were dead,barely anyone, but after that they were busy, busy, busy.

Tuesday 9/25 was near sell out and Friday 9/28 was a sell out. The lines for all the characters AND trick or treating were long from the beginning of the party right through midnight or the close of the lines, whichever came first. Even getting in line at 6pm for Capt Jack for example, it still took 30 mins to get through. When we left the line at 7:30, the line was from Pirates past Jungle Cruise. The line for the princesses moves slooooooow. We were at the Princesses at 6:15 and there was maybe 10 families in front of us, took 30 mins again to get through. The lines for all characters were long. Period. On average 30 mins+ and people seemed to have no problem waiting in line. Best bet is to hit characters is to line up EARLY for your must see, and do others during parades and FW's if those lines are open to avoid most of your party in line. Everyone seemed to know where and when characters were meeting and lined up well in advance. The Villains mix and mingle was also nuts. Every show was packed and that section in front of the castle always had hundreds of people watching the show and waiting to get in line. We didn't bother trying to see the Villains this time as we easily got them all in 2010. Both parades were equally busy, crowds on main street and in front of the castle were pretty thick all night. Oh and when I say trick or treating was busy, I don't mean 10-12 people, I means 50+ person lines at 11:30pm. Yikes, at least the the lines moved somewhat quickly.

If you are doing the parties for rides you shouldn't have too much problem. From 4pm - Mid, waits were usually walk on to peak of 30mins. I saw a lot of people getting frustrated with character and trick or treat lines heading for rides instead.