"Official" 2017 Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party - Boo to You!

[TNGirlwCamera]

Wanted to pop in real fast and share some thoughts from the party last night. (10/5). We had an amazing time!! We were able to meet all the characters we wanted: Ducks, Mickey, Minnie, Jafar, Queen with hardly any waits! We even ran into Brer Rabbit and I was so happy I couldn't handle it. That super CM was so nice and got a bunch of pics for us! Crowds were VERY manageable! We planned to meet Mickey during the first parade and watch the second, but after Mickey we were able to walk up to an awesome spot in Town Square! Great character interaction! If you aren't set on seeing the castle during the parade, I highly recommend this spot! We also scored a great spot right in front of Partners for the fireworks! We rode BTM 3 times with no wait and then got a spot right up front for HP - can't say enough good things about that show! I'll do a full report soon, but after reading about how crazy crowds are this year, I wanted to share how great we thought it was!

We were there this night too! I'm bummed we missed Bret Rabbit! That's awesome. I totally agree about it being manageable. And thank goodness the weather held off!

 

[TNGirlwCamera]

We went to our first Halloween Party last Thursday, Oct. 5. We had such a great time! I dreaded what was going to happen because the weather was supposed be rainy the whole time! So we got there about 430 and did a magic shot at the pumpkins. I sent the teenagers off to do their thing and we mingled with the rest of our family for a little bit. We watched the first Hocus Pocus show because it wasn't raining and I just knew it was going to. Then we walked right in to Be Our Guest and sat right down! I couldn't believe it. And I was so excited to meet Beast. I had no plans on doing this during the party because I didn't want to take up time. Unfortunately my husband was having issues with his back and needed the break. I feel like it's totally worth it. (I also didn't have little ones to worry about) We checked out some rides and met up with my teens who then left us as we headed to Seven Dwarfs. We got in line for them at about 10:15 and was done by 10:45. Then headed to find a spot for the parade. The parade is fantastic. We did a few more rides then headed out. My husband and I had the best time. I actually wasn't crazy about going because of the additional cost but I'm glad we did it. Now my sister, who had two 4 year olds and a 5 year old with her said she felt rushed. They did mostly character meets so that took more of their time.

I'm not sure if we just timed it right or what but nothing we did took long or felt too crowded.

 

[TNGirlwCamera]

Is anyone else NOT doing Disney costumes for MNSSHP? My 11yo DS wanted to go Steampunk this year, so my DHdecided to match him, and I snagged a super cute Victorian bathing costume. I hope we don't look out of place!

I saw a lot of non-Disney costumes especially Harry Potter.

 

[TNGirlwCamera]

Thanks! Looks like a 7 dwarves style nightmare wait. Guaranteed 1:45 wait. The kids are older than previous years so I may take my chances after the first parade?

I waited 30 minutes. Got there about 10:15.

 

[TNGirlwCamera]

The dance party over in Tomorrowland--how crowded has it been? Is it better earlier or later? That's not something I see a lot of reports on, but ODS loves to dance and we want to make sure he gets to enjoy it.

We were by there about 11. There were about 30 people dancing.

 

[only hope]

Hi! I'd love some help with a MNSSHP touring plan! We will be going Thursday, October 19. It will be me, DS11 and DS13. We should get to the park around 4:30, I'm hoping, and we will have 2 FPs to use in the 4:30-6:30 time frame (made using our APs).

Our "must do's" are - fireworks, parade (either one), some trick or treating, and a good amount of ride riding (especially multiple rides on BTMRR, Space and 7DMT - but we can do without 7DMT if the line is too long). None of us are worried about doing any of the character M&Gs, which should free up a lot of party time for us. Like everyone I'm sure, we'd love good seats and a good view for the fireworks and parade, but don't want to camp out for an hour or more to get that.

Anyone have a magical plan for us that will maximize our time?? Would love to hear anyone's thoughts and suggestions!

Parade- it is really good and you may want to watch twice. The second one is much less crowded. If you definitely have no interest in watching twice, watch the second one. Either way, watch from Frontierland. It isn't as crowded and that is where the parade starts, so you no wait for the parade to get to you. If you don't care about front row viewing you could should up 30 minutes ahead of time. This can be a great time to send the teenager to grab snacks or you grab them after a spot is established. If you watch with your backs to one of the two bridges to BTMRR and dash over there as the last float is passing you, you will be one of the first and walk onto the ride. Wait any later and there will be a 15-20mn wait temporarily as everyone has the same idea.

For the fireworks, a good spot to watch that doesn't require showing up early is near Casey's, the Plaza, or in between the two on Main Street. We stood a few dozen feet up from Casey's and the area never filled out, on a sold out night. It makes for an easy exit to Adventureland or Tommorowland.

Save trick or treating for after the fireworks. The lines are very long at the beginning of the night but usually walk up after fireworks. Read the info on the locations in the other Halloween post- some are trails with multiple spots, meaning more candy more quickly.

Try getting FP for 2 of the 3 must do rides. You can make them from 4-6:30. Have one start at 4 and the next at 5. As soon as you use the first one, try to change the time of the second one to the current time. As soon as you use the second one, do a search for a third. If nothing else, you can hop in line for 7DMT at the end of the night so you're not wasting party time.

Some of the character m&g have 10 minute lines or less late in the night- if the only reason you're not doing them is to save time, just keep a lookout after the fireworks as you walk around. You may find someone you all are interested in with less wait time than some of the rides.

 

[kcount]

One of our "must do" M&G's are Captain Jack Sparrow and Moana. Does anyone know how the lines have been for them? When would be the best times to see them? We are traveling with 5 children, ages 6, 5, 3, 2, and a newborn. We are going on Sunday, October 29th.

 

[ggarriso]

Do not see many postings on the Garden Plaza Dessert party @ MNSSHP this year, couple people said it was so non crowded that it was almost weird/awkward.. Any recent thoughts.. Have this booked but thinking about dropping it.

 

[samara]

We went to the party on 10/5 and had a great time! DH and I arrived about 6:45 (DS14 and DF15 were already there). The whole atmosphere seemed so festive and Halloweeny We got in line for the pumpkin shot in the middle of Town Square. The line looked long but moved quickly and it was fun looking around at everyone's costumes while we waited. Afterward, the bypass was still open so we meandered that way and got several pictures, including the poison apple magic shot. We headed over to HM from there and only waited about 15 minutes to board. When we were leaving the ride, we got a fun surprise - Madame Leota was heading towards the ride and we were able to get a picture with her. Really fun interaction. When we were saying goodbye, she told us to go out and enjoy life because she didn't have one

While we waited in line for the carriage magic shot, we got another surprise...the kids texted to suggest we meet up! I really hadn't planned on seeing them all night They were just getting on a ride though, so we wandered around Liberty Square for awhile and ran into a Photopass photographer standing on her own near Columbia Harbour House. She did the hitchhiking ghost magic shot with us. I went back later to look for her to get one for the kids but she was gone, so I don't know where she ended up. We also checked the line for Jack and Sally around 8 before meeting the kids. It was about 1.5 hours long, which was longer than we wanted, but shorter than it's been on other party days I think. We checked back about an hour later and it was about the same.

After meeting the kids, we all went to ride BTMR, which was a walk-on. We then went around the park trick-or-treating. I didn't find that the CMs were overly generous with candy, just a few pieces per person. But it was still pretty early and I know they get more generous the later it gets. The Philharmagic stop was really neat and we stopped to watch the Sleepy Hollow cartoon for a few minutes. At this point, the kids went back to ride HM and get the carriage picture. DH and I did a little shopping and wandered to Main St to get a spot for the fireworks. I hung around while DH went to get a pumpkin waffle sundae (he loved it.) The kids were going to join us, but decided they wanted hot dogs from Casey's, so while the did watch, it was not with us. The fireworks were great. Lots of music from Nightmare, which I love.

After the fireworks, I was planning to head to Frontierland to find a spot for all of us to watch the parade together. DH really wanted to watch from Main St though, so we headed toward the castle to look for spots in the loop. BAD IDEA! I had forgotten that there was a Hocus Pocus show between the fireworks and the parade, so there were lots of people rushing toward the stage. We did manage to find a spot, though, and like good rule-following guests, we sat behind the tape. Of course, three people came and sat in front of us. I was annoyed, but I shouldn't have been because CMs made them move. The parade was wonderful. Our kids were so impressed with the Headless Horseman riding through and we all just loved the grave diggers.

After the parade, it was our turn to rush the stage for the Hocus Pocus show. We got great spots only a couple of rows in. The show was probably my favorite thing about the night. It was just so, so good. It almost felt like being a part of the movie. After the show we started heading out. I was still hoping to get the Headless Horseman magic shot, but it was pretty late and we were all tired since we'd been in the parks since 8am. So although I saw some photographers taking photos where I think it would have been we skipped it. We really wanted to get a Minnie van, but apparently they stop running at midnight, so we waited for about 15 minutes before a bus came for the beach club. By the time we got back to our room and got settled for the night, it was almost 2am.

I didn't end up getting either of the two Magic Shots I had planned on but somehow managed to get all the ones I hadn't planned on! Totally fine, although in retrospect I wish we had stopped for the Horseman. I definitely want to do this party again. I think as a second-time visitor, I would do a few more rides. As first-timers, DH and I were just so taken by the atmosphere and we found ourselves just wanting to wander around and take it all in!

 

[sherlockmiles]

@samara thanks for the great write up. so glad you had a great experience. we were first timers too. experienced a lot, learned alot. my DH is the one who said we were definitely returning next year.

we were there for Irma, and I thought that there would be more decorations. does anyone know if more were put out later in the month?

 

[Cluelyss]

Do not see many postings on the Garden Plaza Dessert party @ MNSSHP this year, couple people said it was so non crowded that it was almost weird/awkward.. Any recent thoughts.. Have this booked but thinking about dropping it.

We are doing it Friday - happy to report back.

 

[Cluelyss]

One of our "must do" M&G's are Captain Jack Sparrow and Moana. Does anyone know how the lines have been for them? When would be the best times to see them? We are traveling with 5 children, ages 6, 5, 3, 2, and a newborn. We are going on Sunday, October 29th.

Moana comes out early (5:45) so her line has been forming around 4. From most reports, her line stays consistently long all night. I'd recommend lining up as soon as you enter the park to be one of the first to meet her. This will also not cost you any party time.

Jack's line can get long, too, though not as bad. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of his set, as his line gets cut quickly, often before he even arrives.

 

[Aron1012]

Just got back from short trip for DD birthday. We did the party on Oct 6th and it was our first time going. We flew in that day so was a very long day leaving home at 5:00am and catching last ride of day on BTMR about 12:05. We got there about 2:30 with our APs. Crowds were very low up until 4:00. Did our FPs for PPF and SM plus Barnstormer and Dumbo before the rain came pouring down. We were stuck under cool ship for almost an hour. 7DMT was still closed about 4:30 when rained stopped so our FP for it was good until 7:00. We did BL and then decided to head for PoC about 5:00. Line for Jack and Sally was pretty long despite rain when we went by. PoC was 45 min wait and when we came out I saw CM carrying palms trees across the street so figured it was for Moana. Rain was just stopping for good and line didn't look too bad so we hopped in. DD was dressed as her for the party!! Despite a 25 min break just before our turn(ugh), it only took about 50 min in total. We finished at 6:55pm and sprinted to 7DMT. My phone said 7:00pm when we got there but FP came up blue. Luckily CM let us still use it.

Next we did some ToT and then ate at CHH. Was strange eating there with so many open tables inside. After we did HM which took about 30 min and then hearse driver magic shot about 8:30. We did quick walk on of BTMR and moved to spot along parade route across from CBJ. We got there about 9:00 and were one row back from rope. We didn't see the horseman which was disappointing. Not sure if he had already been by or didn't ride that night. Parade was amazing!!

After the parade we went straight to Jack Sparrow M&G. Our pictures were at 9:55, so maybe 20 min wait. Couldn't believe it was that short really. Next we went to castle to find spot for fireworks. We easily found a spot on the curb of the hub kind of in front of Crystal Palace. There was nobody on street in front of us so made for a great viewing spot. Was really surprised how much more room there was than a typical park night fireworks. Didn't see any CMs directing people around like normal, but honestly wasn't a need for it. We all thought Hallowishes was much better than Wishes or HEA.

After fireworks we head to SM and it was walk on also. Did the dance party while over there. About 11:00 we headed back to Adventureland to meet Jasmine, but instead it was Alladin and Abu. They were rotating them and Jasmine/Genie all night. Then we rode PoC again walk on and headed for BTMR. We actually had to wait for last half of parade to pass right by Splash, so kind of got to see it twice. Was hardly any crowd at that showing. We did two rides on BTMR with second one being last train of day.

All is all it was great. Crowds didn't seem that bad and short ride times were awesome. Like many have said the time goes by so fast it is hard to get everything you want in. But it was definitely worth it to us and would probably do it again sometime.

 

[Andyman33]

do I need to print my actual ticket and bring that or if it is assigned to me on MDE I can just use my magic band?

 

[eeyoreandtink]

It should be linked on MDE.I can see mine.

 

[Andyman33]

oh it is linked. just making sure that they have scanners in the park to give my wristband to me and I dont' need to bring paper tickets

 

[beffiegirl]

Going on 10/15, just wondering if any body knows how long the wait for J&S is late at night near closing? It's the only m&g we care about but i can't see waiting over an hour. So just curious. Also wondering how long it takes to get out of MK to TTC? Is it really crazy? Thanks!

 

[godders]

Hey guys, this may have already been answered but 429 pages is an awful lot to search through.

Does anyone know if the flag pole area is open to everyone for the parades? I know it used to be part of the dessert party package but as it isn't this year I'm hoping it isn't still closed off for regular party guests.

 

[sherlockmiles]

Hey guys, this may have already been answered but 429 pages is an awful lot to search through.

Does anyone know if the flag pole area is open to everyone for the parades? I know it used to be part of the dessert party package but as it isn't this year I'm hoping it isn't still closed off for regular party guests.

Flag pole area - meaning in town square in front of train station? If this is what you mean, then yes, it is open to everyone. For our party is was almost totally empty.

 

[godders]

Flag pole area - meaning in town square in front of train station? If this is what you mean, then yes, it is open to everyone. For our party is was almost totally empty.

Yes that's exactly where I mean. Awesome! Thank you!!!!