MNSSHP- how long do you stay

[JosieMouse]

I'm having to redo all my MK plans, now that we will only be able to do 1 day. The plan is to go on October 3. We will not be doing a mid-day break because now we'll be doing BBB and PL during that time. We have shorten our list of must do's. I was trying to get them done before the party. I don't think that's going to happen. Now my main goal during the party is to ride a few things, trick-or-treat, and see the parade. I would like to leave by 10:00 so we can be at HS the next morning for rope drop (don't want to be late because it will be closing at 6). Will we be able to get all that done in time or should we go to the party on another date. We could go on the 5th when we would be able to stay the whole time. Does everyone only wear Disney theme Costumes? I dress up for Halloween every year and I already have my costume picked out (50's poodle skirt). I would prefer not to have to get 2 costumes this year.

 

[Raenstoirm]

You will be able to see the parade and trick or treat and do some rides, but most of the characters will have longish lines so they eat up quite a bit of time. I personally wouldn't go unless we had the full 5 hours (in fact we go 2x per year just to get everything done and we have yet to do so). That said a lot of people with little kids leave early and feel like they get their monies worth, so its all in your perception.

 

[Figmentforever24]

Your ticket for the party starts at 4 pm so it would be wise to maybe get there at that time although nothing special will take place until 7. Ride what you want to ride mostly in that time to get those out of the way. First parade is at 8;30 and more people watch this one so line up a little early. Fireworks at 9:30 and meet and greets take place during the night. Like I said ride what you want to in the first 3 hours if you want to leave early. Save the party hours for the special stuff and the few rides you want to catch.

 

[JosieMouse]

Your ticket for the party starts at 4 pm so it would be wise to maybe get there at that time although nothing special will take place until 7. Ride what you want to ride mostly in that time to get those out of the way. First parade is at 8;30 and more people watch this one so line up a little early. Fireworks at 9:30 and meet and greets take place during the night. Like I said ride what you want to in the first 3 hours if you want to leave early. Save the party hours for the special stuff and the few rides you want to catch.

We would be going on our MK day. I just want to do additional rides during the party. There will be NO meet and greets during party hours, they will be done during regular park time. Not spending party time standing in lines. We will not be watching fireworks. I have kids with Autism, thinks to Thunder Over Louisville this year, I have learned that if I put the noise reduction ear muffs on them and don't let them see the fireworks, then there is no melt down. They hate the noise, but my daughter panics at just the site of them. We will be riding during firework time.

 

[figment_jii]

I would plan to go to mNSSHP on a night when you can stay as late as your kids can handle, but that's because there is so much to do and re-do if you enjoy it. However, I do think you can get most of what you want to do done in the time you have planned.

There will be NO meet and greets during party hours, they will be done during regular park time.

It's worth noting that there are some special MNSSHP only meet and greets. These include some unusual characters (like the Seven Dwarfs all together, Jack Skellington) along with the Disney characters in their Halloween costumes.

 

[Figmentforever24]

We would be going on our MK day. I just want to do additional rides during the party. There will be NO meet and greets during party hours, they will be done during regular park time. Not spending party time standing in lines. We will not be watching fireworks. I have kids with Autism, thinks to Thunder Over Louisville this year, I have learned that if I put the noise reduction ear muffs on them and don't let them see the fireworks, then there is no melt down. They hate the noise, but my daughter panics at just the site of them. We will be riding during firework time.

I understand. Well then just go to the rides that are the most popular since the lines tend to be shorter (sometimes) during the party. Hit up things your kids and everyone will love like SDMT or Peter Pan. Haunted Mansion will have a pretty long line though so heads up.

 

[MomofKatie]

I personally wouldn't pay all that extra $$ for the party if all I was interested in is riding rides and the parade, especially if I was leaving early. But, I am not paying, you are. You just need to decide for yourself.

Crowds tend to be low on party days, so you might get to ride everything you want during the regular hours. Early October isn't too busy in general, so you might not need to pay for the party for just rides.

If you really want to experience the parade, trick or treating, special character greets, and all the atmosphere of the party, try to go on a night when you can stay as late possible.

As far as costumes, many wear Disney ones, but just as many wear other types as well. Many don't dress up at all, or just wear a Halloween themed tshirt. You should be just fine with your "50s girl" costume. Have a great time!

 

[erikamacelroy]

I'm planning on going to MNSSHP Oct 3rd and we will be heading to Hollywood studios the next day too!! I'm sure we will miss rope drop the next day though. I'll be sure to look for the 50's outfit!! I'm having such a hard time figuring out what to wear!

 

[dsneygirl]

I personally wouldn't pay all that extra $$ for the party if all I was interested in is riding rides and the parade, especially if I was leaving early. But, I am not paying, you are. You just need to decide for yourself.

Crowds tend to be low on party days, so you might get to ride everything you want during the regular hours. Early October isn't too busy in general, so you might not need to pay for the party for just rides.

If you really want to experience the parade, trick or treating, special character greets, and all the atmosphere of the party, try to go on a night when you can stay as late possible.

As far as costumes, many wear Disney ones, but just as many wear other types as well. Many don't dress up at all, or just wear a Halloween themed tshirt. You should be just fine with your "50s girl" costume. Have a great time!

Agreed. Also depends on how busy the party is. We were at a sold out party in Sept 2012 and there were long lines for candy and we had to get our parade spot about 60min before hand.

We usually stay until it closes and midnight and sleep in. A full day at MK + late night party + 7am wake up for DHS sounds like a lot IMHO.

 

[JosieMouse]

Just how crowded would MK be that Saturday, October 4? That's the only day during our trip that won't be a MNSSH day. Would I get more done on a party day during regular hours. I had done all my planning for July. Now that I have to change dates We had to cut a day and my BBB and CRT is now all out of place. I feels like I won't get things done the way I want.

 

[jcemom]

A full day at MK + late night party + 7am wake up for DHS sounds like a lot IMHO.

Agreed.

We usually take the morning of the party easy, maybe hit a park for a few hours in the morning then take a swim break. We get to MK somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 and stay until midnight. The next morning is definitely not an early morning. Usually we'll sleep in, have lunch, and hit a park in the afternoon.

 

[MomofKatie]

Just how crowded would MK be that Saturday, October 4? That's the only day during our trip that won't be a MNSSH day. Would I get more done on a party day during regular hours. I had done all my planning for July. Now that I have to change dates We had to cut a day and my BBB and CRT is now all out of place. I feels like I won't get things done the way I want.

Saturday will be busier than a weekday, but it still won't be nearly as crowded as any day in July. What do you hope to get done in your day? We have no problem doing all we want on a party day in October, as long as we do a few common sense things:

-arrive before rope drop. Usually we get to the gate around 8:40 at the latest.

-do the things that get backed up in the first few hours. Like Fantasyland meet & greets, Peter Pan, Space Mtn, etc.

-FP+ what you can!! Definitely A&E if important to you, BTMRR, anything else you think is a must-see that tends to get busy.

-eat at off hours. We do lunch by 11, dinner either before 5 or after 8. Supplement with snacks.

-don't waste a lot of time staking out a prime parade spot. In October, you should be able to snag a front row (or close to it) spot in Frontierland or Liberty Square less than 20minutes before the parade. And, if it isn't a huge priority, parade time is a great time to ride with low wait times...

Have a fun vacation! I'm sure it will all work out- you should be pleasantly surprised at how much you can get accomplished when the parks aren't at summer levels.

 

[monorailrabbit]

You will have so much fun either way! We did our first party last year and we LOVED it! Our key was to plan and prioritze before we got there, that way we knew what we wanted to do and when, and got everything done easily. The second parade was almost empty for crowds! We got front row on Main Street right in fornt of the castle 15 mins before. (We went to the second party in Oct) As far as costumes, my husband just wore a Sorceror Mickey hat and had just as much fun as I did in my full out costume - my friend made a Fauna dress for me! There are special characters that you can't see normally, so this was a priority for us over regulars like princesses during the party. We crashed when we got back to the hotel, and let ourselves sleep in the next morning. Have a great time!

 

[BrianL]

If you do not care about Meet & Greets at the Party then you should be able to get TONS done. Ride lines are practically non-existant. I was there on sold-out Halloween last year, everything was walk-on. HM might have had a 10 minute wait or so (barely). I think you'll be happy with the ride situation.

Candy lines are super crowded at the beginning of the night, but practically empty toward the end. It sounds like you do want to catch the parade and fireworks. It will start to clear out after fireworks. You could go grab some candy then, and wait for the exiting masses to thin a bit.

 

[JosieMouse]

I have decided to go to the party on our last night, 10/5.

 

[HookdonWDW]

Personally? I get there a bit before the party starts, and stay until it ends. I would save MK for a full day, and do AK during on MNSSHP day (since it closes early) go back to the resort to freshen up, and then hit the party. With that said, there are always a decent number of people who leave after the first parade. That works out well for us, because it means that the lines tend to go down.

 

[JosieMouse]

Personally? I get there a bit before the party starts, and stay until it ends. I would save MK for a full day, and do AK during on MNSSHP day (since it closes early) go back to the resort to freshen up, and then hit the party. With that said, there are always a decent number of people who leave after the first parade. That works out well for us, because it means that the lines tend to go down.

That's what I have decided to do. AK is the recommended park on the last day of our trip. So it makes sense to do it that day. AK closes at 5 and we don't have a long list of must do for that park. Touring plans say we should be done around 3 ( that includes lunch). I it may be more like 4. That way we can have dinner and get ready.