I need help with our park days

[jillily]

I'm hoping someone can help me with my park days. This is our 1st family trip, to anywhere, and we are celebrating a lot. Our dates are Oct 7-17 with 8 day park hoppers.

Day1- travel
Day 2- MK- BBB- Dinner in the castle. DD2's actual 6th birthday
Day 5- Pool Day- Dinner 1900- Halloween Party- DD1's 9th birthday celebration ( her birthday is 2 weeks before we leave
Day 7- MK- Dinner Mickey's BBQ- Hubby's B-day Dinner
Day 8- Last day Hubby's actual 40th B-day. I want to spend our last night in MK but its a party night.

So my big question is do I do the Halloween Party twice? Is it worth it? I'm already disappointed that the BBQ isn't available on Sundays and I had to change it to Saturday night instead. Its not our last trip but it is our 1st and I really wanted to end our vacation with fireworks over the castle. And even though hubby doesn't care about his birthday, I do and I want it to be special. HELP!

 

[a_lynnie]

I wouldn't do the party twice, but that's just me. Could you look into making a reservation for dessert at one of the restaurants with MK views, so it's a more intimate experience but you still get to see the fireworks?

 

[Hootch]

I wouldn't do the party two nights in one trip, others may have a different opinion. Daytime crowds are lower on party nights. Since you have hoppers, you can start at the MK or start somewhere else and hop to the MK late before the party starts.

 

[mm1971]

Whether to do the party twice is really a personal decision and financially based for us. I think it is the best ticketed event Disney puts out and we always attend if there around that time. However, the cost is a lot (and increased this year) and we would prefer to use those funds on other activities/experiences. With this being your first real vacation, I would say only one party night and make alternate plans for the evening.

How about a fireworks cruise on the last night? They have a few different options and is a good way to relax and enjoy the fireworks without the crowds and being in the park.

 

[Dis703]

I personally wouldn't do the party twice, but I would also mention I wouldn't plan a dinner for a party night and especially outside of the park. For me to really feel like I get enough out of it I am in the park from 4pm to midnight and would prefer not to do a TS meal at all to make the most of it.

I will say though that while we had a blast and did a lot of rides, trick or treated, and saw all the shows and the parade, we did not do any meet and greets. The lines were just too long. I have read where others did two nights and focused one night on doing all the M&G and the other on the rest of the party activities. I'm not personally interested enough in M&G for that to work for me, but if you are that might be a way to go. It's definitely hard to do everything in just one night. For me though, with the cost of the ticket, there wouldn't be quite enough for me to justify 2 nights either.

 

[Dis703]

Is the issue with the last night that it's a party night? Does it have to be fireworks over the castle or could it be fireworks at another park? Maybe something like the Illuminations Dessert Party would be just as exciting a way to end your vacation?

 

[AshleeH]

We've done the party twice on several trips and loved it each time. We opted not to do it on our upcoming in favor of using that budget for a new experience, but I debated for a long time about whether or not to do two parties again. We love it because it takes the pressure off - we like to get pictures with hard to find characters, so having two party nights made that much easier. Trick or treat and pictures and a few rides one night; trick or treat and a couple of pictures, more rides, and dance parties the second night.

 

[jillily]

I just want our last night, and hubby's 40th to be magical. I really wanted to spend our 1st and last day in the MK. Can someone point me in the right direction to find info on a fireworks cruise?

 

[LisaDKG]

I also would not recommend booking a table service meal the night of the party. For us, the hours of the party go really fast - even though we ALWAYS arrive at the gates at 4 pm in order to maximum our time. We always eat quick service that night, either in our hotel prior to leaving for the park, or in the park as soon as we enter (crowds around 4pm are pretty heavy in the park as both party-goers and non are allowed to be there). I don't really care if the crowds are heavy then though because at least I know we've made it INTO the park and are ready to enjoy ourselves. We usually head over to Cosmic Ray's for dinner and use that time to eat and plan out our night.

I also remember that even with one of the earliest ADRs at PF 1900 we had to wait a long time before we actually got seated. It would kill me to be in the waiting area watching party minutes tick by. It's a fun dinner too so I would want to relax and savour it.

 

[Shanti]

I'm hoping someone can help me with my park days. This is our 1st family trip, to anywhere, and we are celebrating a lot. Our dates are Oct 7-17 with 8 day park hoppers.

Day1- travel
Day 2- MK- BBB- Dinner in the castle. DD2's actual 6th birthday
Day 5- Pool Day- Dinner 1900- Halloween Party- DD1's 9th birthday celebration ( her birthday is 2 weeks before we leave
Day 7- MK- Dinner Mickey's BBQ- Hubby's B-day Dinner
Day 8- Last day Hubby's actual 40th B-day. I want to spend our last night in MK but its a party night.

So my big question is do I do the Halloween Party twice? Is it worth it? I'm already disappointed that the BBQ isn't available on Sundays and I had to change it to Saturday night instead. Its not our last trip but it is our 1st and I really wanted to end our vacation with fireworks over the castle. And even though hubby doesn't care about his birthday, I do and I want it to be special. HELP!

Do Hoop Dee Doo Revue on his birthday.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm hoping someone can help me with my park days. This is our 1st family trip, to anywhere, and we are celebrating a lot. Our dates are Oct 7-17 with 8 day park hoppers.

Day1- travel
Day 2- MK- BBB- Dinner in the castle. DD2's actual 6th birthday
Day 5- Pool Day- Dinner 1900- Halloween Party- DD1's 9th birthday celebration ( her birthday is 2 weeks before we leave
Day 7- MK- Dinner Mickey's BBQ- Hubby's B-day Dinner
Day 8- Last day Hubby's actual 40th B-day. I want to spend our last night in MK but its a party night.

So my big question is do I do the Halloween Party twice? Is it worth it? I'm already disappointed that the BBQ isn't available on Sundays and I had to change it to Saturday night instead. Its not our last trip but it is our 1st and I really wanted to end our vacation with fireworks over the castle. And even though hubby doesn't care about his birthday, I do and I want it to be special. HELP!

On Day 5, I would not do the out of the park dinner if I were going to the Halloween Party. You are paying a lot of money to be at the party, and you can enter at 4:00, and I wouldn't want to waste a minute of my time in the park for the party. Can you plan that as a lunch instead? Or have a nice lunch somewhere else.