MNSSHP for 'adults'

[OneLittleSpark]

Hi guys. I was hoping to get some information from all of you wonderful people on MNSSHP. We'll be visiting our Happy Place again in September , and will be there for some of the earlier Halloween parties. We're considering going along to one of the parties, but wanted to know more.

It will just be me and the fella going, so no little'uns to get over-tired. We're both 20-somethings, but with a mental age of about 6, so won't worry about whether or not we're being 'grown up enough'. We're more than happy to dress up, join in and generally be silly .

I've never been to one of Disney's ticketed events, so was wondering what they're like. I know enough about them to know it's not a great time to do the rides, but we're there for 14 days (we got in on the 14 days for the price of 10 deal!! Sooooo good!!) so will have enough time to do everything we want to during normal park hours. Really, I just like the idea of the at-mouse-sphere (sorry, bad bad pun), and we're both fans of Disney parades and fireworks.

So, first question is - what's it like and is it worth it? Very wide and subjective question, I know, but I just want to gather opinions and thoughts.

Now on to some more specifics...

I'm guessing that the crowds will be fairly heavy, but how bad are they? I'm a wheelchair user, so don't get the prettiest of views in tight crowds . Also, are there fewer people at the mid-week ones, or does it not really make a difference? My birthday is on the 18th and there is a party then, but it's a Friday night. We could go to that one or, if it would be significantly quieter, we could go to the party on the 15th, which is a Tuesday. It would be nice to go on my Birthday, but it would not be so nice to be smooshed into a pavement pancake on my Birthday

Secondly, what are the buses like? Is it horrendously crowded at kicking out time, even for the September parties? I really don't want to start a whole debate on wheelchair users and buses, but crowded buses can be... 'interesting' (I refer you back to the position of my eye-line).

And also, to the delicate matter of money. How much does it cost for us Brits?

Thank you in advance everyone!

 

[orangetiggs]

we went last year just us two on our honeymoon and loved it!

Loads of adults only go and dress up, we didnt but still had a great time and even both did the trick and treat stops!!

we went on the first night last year and dont think it was that busy and there are designated spaces at parades for wheelchair users, we managed tog et on everything we wanted with not much of a wait

 

[wayneg]

Plenty of Adults only go, its a party suitable for anyone.
Prices here
We have been to a few now, all midweek rides always been walk on. Nearer it gets to end of Oct and weekends then its busier.
Worth every penny to me, enjoyed every one we have been to.

 

[suzycute]

We've never been but have booked tickets (2 adults) for 22 September - can't wait - sounds as though it's suitable for all ages!!

 

[Pegasus928]

At-mouse-phere

I love it

 

[MaleDisneyBeliever]

Me and partner are 23 and 22 and are going alone this September. We've booked tickets for MNSSHP! We're not dressing up as such, mainly because of the heat, but we have made MNSSHP T-Shirts and will customise a little.

 

[Pinky166]

We have not been before but are going twice in September (also just a couple, no kids). If it's anything like Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party then it will be one of the top highlights of our trip!

 

[LeeDolling]

Last year was our first trip to WDW, to anywhere disney in fact. At the time both me and my GF were 30. We booked tickets in the first week of our trip. We went wearing normal clothes not really knowing what to expect.

We had an absolutely fantastic night, the atmosphere was great the parade was fantastic, hallowishes was brilliant. We didn't even bother with rides we just walked around trick or treated took in the sights and sounds watched the parades, dance parties and all the extra little bits we hadn't seen before.

That night when we returned to the hotel we booked to go again in the second week of our trip, purely based on how much we had enjoyed the first one. Whilst out and about we managed to find some cheap costumes to wear (Walmart). Being english we had never really celebrated Halloween to the same degree as Americans so we were like kids in a sweet shop literally.

On the night of the party we got there early - I was a grim reaper with wings carrying a sickle and skull. Julie my partner was a wicked witch - I got my face painted as a skeleton as the mask I had was hot (plus I wasn't sure I could wear it) they would only paint 1/4 of my face though as they deemed the costume to be to scary. Julie had the full grottbags look

The party was 10 times better dressed up, people and characters interacted with us a lot lot more (although I did get a few comments about growing up from some people who weren't dressed up, more fools them). For example on the second parade captain jack saw me from his float, cowered and pretended to be scared and watched me all the way til he was around the corner as if to be keeping an eye on me. Eeyore covered his eyes and wouldn't look at me whilst he walked passed. Lots of winks and thumbs up from other CM's - the people giving out the sweets were a lot more willing to talk and to have a bit of fun rather than mindlessly digging into buckets of sweets and throwing them into bags.

Between arriving and the first parade unbeknown to us we had been seen by a disney employee who was charged with finding the best dressed people at the parade. Apparently he saw us come in but waited til later to find us in case he saw any better dressed people. He finally found us stood on main street waiting for the first parade - apparently it took him 30 minutes to find us, I did say we were like kids in a sweet shop (running all over the place) !!! Anyhow after they took some photos we were awarded best dressed for the MNSSHP party that night and given priority seating for the first parade in an area with only about 6 other people. Now please forgive my ignorance because I do not know exactly where the area was but it was on a bridge so the view of the parade was absolutely fantastic and unobstructed.

The music is a must - we still walk around the house singing it now. We were re-living the halloweens of our childhood that we never had.

This year we plan to go twice again during our trip - we will definitely be dressing up and on ething is for sure we will have a the time of our lives

 

[wifey]

They prefer you to dress up for the MNSSHPs and you should get plenty of attention from the CMs. We will be at the party on 22nd September too in our pirate outfits having fun and taking in the atmosphere too. It's our first Halloween party but we are really looking forward to it
Don't feel shy we are a friendly bunch just say hello to people and smile and you'll be fine. I know they do have specific areas on parade routes usually roped off for guests who require wheelchairs and they do try to keep them free of obstructions. I hope you enjoy the party.

 

[Twilight Terror]

Hi there OneLittleSpark!!!

Hopefully I can answer a few more of your questions specifically, since our family is in the same boat. It's me, my sister and mum, and mum is in a wheelchair. We did MNSSHP last year and it was brilliant. We are going again in September.

We went mid-September (12th) last year, which was a Friday night, and it wasn't bad at all. The halloween parties don't tend to get too busy in September. The locals tend to hold off until October hits, so if you are visiting in September, it shouldn't make too much difference whether you do a Tuesday or Friday night. That said, there is always going to be an increase on the Friday night, because it's Friday. Just look at any holiday resort, whether it be a campsite in England or Disney in Florida - it will always be quieter in the week than at weekends. So there will be a slight increase of people.

That said, we were still able to get around everywhere with relative ease. Some of the queue lines for the trick or treating are very narrow, and it took some skilled driving on mine and my sister's part to get mum around the twisty, turny pathways. There is one to the right of the Steamboat (I think), that had to be the worst of the night - it had the tight turns, as well as being on a slope down to the candy! Slowing moving crowds and tight turns meant we had to be great on the driving and the breaks! Other than that one, they are all easily accessible.

Some of the rides you loose out on the 'walk-on' bit because you have to go the special entrance anyway, but even so, it does make for a completely different atmosphere when there aren't that many people around and everyone is there to enjoy the spookiness!

I can remember playing some random game on the walkway just as you go to Splash Mountain. You had to throw a Halloween-themed bean bag into a plastic cauldron from behind a white line. I managed it after the second throw, my sister failed all three goes, and when my mum went to have a good, they let her roll over the line and a little closer so she had a better chance!

We managed to view the parade alright as well. We weren't intending to catch the early one - we wanted to see the later parade, but we were walking towards Cinderella's castle and it was just about to start, so we found a spot and watched. We didn't head over for the special wheelchair viewing spots, just an empty spot on the parade route, which there were quite a few of!

Fireworks were great too, although that does get crowded and I do remember having to tell a dad with a kid on his shoulders to either move or take the kid down so mum could see. He moved, so all was good. We tend to grab a spot on the pavement facing the castle. That way, if anyone stands in front of us, they will be standing on the ground, and we'll have that little bit extra height from the pavement!

I'm trying to remember what the buses were like. They weren't fun, that's for sure. However, as long as you stay until the very end of the night, it will be quieter than say straight after Hallowishes, which is when a lot of families with young kids tend to leave. As always, there was a queue for the buses, but as MK is the only park open that late any night, there are plenty of spare buses drafted in from other locations to get people back to their hotels.

When we got to the line, it was almost out of the queuing section, and of course we had to go up front. Anyway, as our bus pulled in and started loading us, another pulled up alongside it. Those who could walk or were too impatient to wait for us to be loaded went straight onto the other bus, and it pulled away, taking half, if not a little more, of the queue with it. We and the rest of the queue got on our bus, leaving just a few behind, but could already see another PO bus coming through the barricade on the opposite side.

It was crowded on the bus, and in the end, I think one of us stood inside the safety restraints behind the wheelchair handles, and the other in front of the wheelchair, so at least mum could look at us, rather than the butts of total strangers!!!

We are going again this year, on the 15th, although we are still toying with the idea of going on the 22nd AS WELL!!!! Of course, we will be in costume again, as always, and will have been to the BBB already. Yes, we may be adults, but we have the mental age of 6-year-olds as well!!!

Here is us all in costume:

And here is mum in her decorated wheelchair! We wrapped this black and orange tinsle with pumpkin mickey heads (bought from shop at DTD) around the armrests and handles! People loved it, although not as much as the Tigger and Pooh clackers that she has on her wheels!!!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Thank you for all the responses everyone! Don't worry, if we go, we will most certainly go in fancy dress! Neither the fella nor I miss an oppertunity to be silly!! And of course, my chair will be in fancy dress too

Thanks for the wheelchair tips Twighlight! I've done Disney a fair few times now, and have spent at least some of the holiday on wheels for the past 10 years or so, so know what to do. However, as I said, I've never done one of their ticketed events before, wheels or no wheels, so it's really good to have all that info. Oh, and if anyone stands in front of me for fireworks, I can get pretty vocal. If they still don't move, I may bite! Hehehe!

You know you guys might well have swung me towards going now! I was thinking about not going, because it is quite a bit of money, and the holiday itself has taken a lot of saving, but now I'm reconsidering. Maybe I'll ask for the tickets for a Birthday present . If you buy the tickets in the UK, are they just a straight conversion based on the exchange rate, or are there set UK prices?

 

[Twilight Terror]

I've never bought from the UK. Last year I phoned US and had tickets put on Will Call. I paid with my credit card, so the exchange rate was taken as whatever the bank had it at, at that particular time. This year I have to call DVC, so it will be the same scenario again - bank card, so bank exchange rate.

 

[wayneg]

If you buy the tickets in the UK, are they just a straight conversion based on the exchange rate, or are there set UK prices?

The price you pay depends on 2 things, the exchange rate at the time of purchase and which card you buy them with.

If you bought today the current exchange rate would be 1.6448 if bought with a fee free card like Post Office then you would get this rate. If you used a low fee card like Nationwide (0.84% fee) todays exchange would be 1.6398. If you use a regular fee card like Virgin (2.99% fee) todays rate woud be 1.5956

 

[LeeDolling]

I did read somewhere that the tickets are non-refundable if the vent gets cancelled for rain etc.

I dunno whether to book in advance or wait til a day or two before and then book when I am there and I know what the weather is gonna be like.

What do other people do?
Does anyone know if the ticket price is refundable if the event is cancelled?

 

[Twilight Terror]

Either last year or the year before, one party got canceled. People were offered tickets for another night. Not sure what happened to those who were unable to attend another party.

I assume the party night tickets would be like theatre tickets. Sold as non-refundable, but if the venue cancels and is unable to deliver the service it promised, then refunds or alternative dates would be offered. That would be my guest anyway!

 

[happyj]

I would like some help on fancy dress,is it correct you are
Not allowed to be too scary and masks are not allowed .
We are going Sept 4 for the firsttime.

 

[Pegasus928]

There are rules for MNSSHP and I am pretty sure that someone has posted a more detailed list recently - I just can't seem to find it at the moment.
Basically though the costumes should not be 'obstructive or offensive' and I do know that no masks are allowed. I also seem to remember that another rule says you are not allowed to pose for photos with members of the public.

 

[Twilight Terror]

There is a rule that your eyes and the area around them should be visible at all times, hence why there are no masks, because masks go against that rule. If your costume is too scary, they will refuse you entry.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

There is a rule that your eyes and the area around them should be visible at all times, hence why there are no masks, because masks go against that rule. If your costume is too scary, they will refuse you entry.

If we do go, I'll go for the 'play it safe' option and be a pirate or something similarly non-frightening. But then again, I don't really want to look scary; if I wanted to make kids cry I could just run over their toes in my wheelchair *!

Once we've paid off the remaining balance on the holiday, I'll see how funds look. If we have the money to spare, this party does sound like fun . Besides, with no Adventurers' Club to go to , the fella will need somewhere where he can wear a pith helmet and still fit in .


*Please note: this is a joke. I'm actually a very careful driver, and never aim at children (just the idiotic adults ). Please see disclaimer below for further information

 

[happyj]

Thank you so much for your help .
I do think when you buy tickets they should tell you this because I had no idea and if not for the Dis boards I would of arrived in ignorance .
Janet