MNSSHP - Talk Me Into or Out of It

[disrev]

I'm trying to decide if I should take my fam to the Halloween Party.

The facts:
Me, Wife, Daughter (7), Son (6), Daughter (3).
We are staying offsite for a week.
The current plan is 3 days in the parks and 1 day at a Water Park. If we go, we would add the Party as another day's visit.
We have done MVMCP but never done MNSSHP.
Kids do a pretty decent job with late nights.
We are up for a family costume.
We are pushing the budget at this point attending the Party will have to result in dropping some ADRs (looking like no Ohana dinner and/or Crystal Palace breakfast)

To those who have experienced the Party (and especially those with kids near my ages)
talk me into it or out of it. I'm interested in hearing both sides of the argument.

 

[DetroitDisney]

Obviously cost is relevant. If money isn't an issue, it's a no brainer in my opinion. The parties are just fun.

You said the kids are good at late nights which is certainly good, as this would be my only concern for most people.

If cost is a concern, consider the following: you can use the tickets effectively as park admission for the day (4pm-midnight), so you could save on a day of park admission. They will also likely have exclusive sorcers of the magic kingdom cards available. In previous years, these cards sold on eBay for $10-20+ each on eBay, which could reduce your final costs of attending.

Again, the parties are great. You get good entertainment, no waits on most rides, and special fireworks/parade that tie the whole night together.

 

[pork]

My kid went to his first party at 4 and we're going again this year at 5. Last year it was the highlight of his trip. Dressing up and trick or treating in the magic kingdom was awesome. Not to mention the parade and fireworks. This year were planning on 2 parties

 

[Nancyg56]

Okay, since cost is a consideration, first look at your ADR's and ask if you will be happy swapping them out for a counter service meal. If you will not be disappointed, I would think about adding the party. For some folks MNSSHP is an event to see, but they are not "into" it. It seems like your family would not just attend, but that you all would participate, and with three days in the parks, the paty ticket woudl give you one more in MK, and a spectacular one at that.

Of all the parties I have attended MNSSHP is my favorite, The characters are all in costume and to me, it seems like there are way more out. There is trick or treating, and that is a lot of fun, and Hallowishes is incredible, as is the parade. YOu will be able to enter at 4, so you have a full day, really.


I never suggest people stretch their budget for parties, especially if it means that they have to scrimp during the trip, but tha does not seem to be the case for you. It does sounds like in order to attend you would compromise some of your choices, but that is really not the same IMO. Disney's quick service meals are really good, and can be stretched without leaving the table hungry. And many TS meals are huge, and can be split without anyone feeling deprived, so to me, your decision is realy about the style of trip, not the quality.

I would take the party and compromise on the dining.

 

[bamacmac]

If I were you, I would do it. Did y'all like MVMCP? I loved MVMCP, but I really, really, really loved MNSSHP! It has a totally different feel to it. So much fun! I only wished we had dressed up for it, and love that y'all would do a family costume idea. The Boo to You Parade is THE BEST WDW parade. Really cool. The trick or treating is so fun, the villains and rare character sightings are cool, the treats, photo ops, and HalloWishes...so great too! Love the music for it. I would do it again and again and again.

And the best thing about the party ticket is getting in at 4pm. Lots of extra play time for your family.

I think it's more than worth sacrificing some ADR's.

All the kids I saw there seemed to be having an absolute blast and I think your kids are great ages for it

(Oh and for what it's worth, I'm not even a big fan of Halloween in general...but I love it at WDW!)

 

[disneydude365]

Your kids age wise are okay for the party
I've done mvmcp and loved it so I've decided to try the Halloween party this year with my family (well friends family but they consider me part of theirs lol)

I say if you can afford it go for it

 

[cakebaker]

We've done it twice- once years ago and again last year. I didn't care for last year's party- it felt very crowded and I think they oversold it.

However, we already had park tickets so the party was additional cost for us. If you're using your party ticket as park admission, it's well worth the price. As an additional add-on with the intent of trying to get things done that are offered only during the party- not so much.

 

[JimmyV]

We've done it twice- once years ago and again last year. I didn't care for last year's party- it felt very crowded and I think they oversold it.

I think the Halloween Party is much more fun for the family than the Christmas Party. But I do agree with the above statement. When I fell in love with the party, it was a much more intimate affair, almost like an E-Ticket night. The added crowding is obvious and doesn't do the party any favors. Still, it is worth it in my opinion especially if you take advantage of the "unofficial entry time" of 4:00.

 

[Delirium]

The party can be a great time, but how you approach it makes all the difference in the world.

• You don't want to dress up so that you are uncomfortable. Hot costumes, or costumes/shoes that are hard to walk in are sure to ruin your night. We've done both but our best experience was NOT dressing up.
• Don't do a park earlier in the day. Spend the day resting and arrive about 5 o'clock.
• Don't feel as if you have to trick or treat. Trick or treating can get chaotic, and can be a big time waste for candy that probably will never be fully consumed. The party is a GREAT opportunity to ride even the major attractions with short lines.
• The parade is a must. Catch the second one for smaller crowds.
• Don't spend time seeing characters you can see during regular park hours. Characters can be a time hog as well.

 

[cakebaker]

I think the Halloween Party is much more fun for the family than the Christmas Party. But I do agree with the above statement. When I fell in love with the party, it was a much more intimate affair, almost like an E-Ticket night. The added crowding is obvious and doesn't do the party any favors. Still, it is worth it in my opinion especially if you take advantage of the "unofficial entry time" of 4:00.

I agree to a point- we didn't want to do the things you can do anytime in the parks. We had plenty of regularly scheduled park time. We wanted the special events and those were the things we found next to impossible to do- or at least do without standing in hour or more lines. Some of us dressed up, my grandson had a grand time collecting candy so it wasn' t all bad- just wouldn't do it again.

But, regular rides had short lines and it is an inexpensive park entry ticket. I just personally wouldn't do it if I already had admission.

 

[avic77]

Love MNSSHP It has been the all time favorite event we have done.
I am not a foodie so i would drop ADR's for the party
Dress up! Its so much fun to get into the spirit of the party. Just take into account you want to be comfortable enough to move around get on and off rides and walk a park for 6-8 hours. I see little girls in Princess dresses and tennis shoes all the time! Last party we went to we wore SuperHero Tshirts and jeans. We got lots of compliments and looked great in our pictures. This time we are going a little more elaborate but still a costume that will be comfortable for a long night in the park.

 

[BOST99]

My DD was just weeks shy of 3 last year and she loved it. She loved getting to dress up and trick or treat at the parks. She enjoyed the various dance parties they had in the park including one right before the parade. We loved the parade and fireworks. She also wasn't that scared of Haunted Mansion - which surprised me.

We didn't buy park admission for that day and only did the party (getting there right at 4pm) to save on the cost and her energy. For our family it would be worth the cost over ADRs and definitely worth it to go at least once.

 

[JimmyV]

I agree to a point- we didn't want to do the things you can do anytime in the parks. We had plenty of regularly scheduled park time. We wanted the special events and those were the things we found next to impossible to do- or at least do without standing in hour or more lines. Some of us dressed up, my grandson had a grand time collecting candy so it wasn' t all bad- just wouldn't do it again.

But, regular rides had short lines and it is an inexpensive park entry ticket. I just personally wouldn't do it if I already had admission.

I don't disagree at all. It's just that we have to try to subordinate our mindset as people who got to experience the party in the "good old days" in favor of someone who has never been. The OP will never get to experience the party the way we once did. But just because it isn't as good now doesn't mean that it isn't worth trying for the first time. I am probably done with the party. But I would still recommend that others try it.

 

[frannn]

I agree with all the above posters- we love MNSSHP and have used the ticket as our park entry for the day. If you could do it on a weeknight (is it Tues?) you might avoid some of the local crowds. Some of the characters in costume, shorter lines, trick or treating, face painting, the special parades, fireworks, and photo-ops, the decor, etc, all make it a must-do for us when we are there at the right time. You could always do BOG CS at MK for dinner that day, as that feels like TS to me.

 

[tooh8ful]

We LOVE MNSSHP. My girls have been going since they were 4 and not yet 2. Its always a big hit with all of us.
We start planning our themed costumes as soon as we book our trip. We've done Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story, Fairies, and this year Pirates.
The parade is the BEST of all the Disney parades. Don't miss it!

 

[disrev]

Thanks everyone. As I figured would be the case the, overwhelming response is to go for it... Which we are planning to do!

The party can be a great time, but how you approach it makes all the difference in the world.

• You don't want to dress up so that you are uncomfortable. Hot costumes, or costumes/shoes that are hard to walk in are sure to ruin your night. We've done both but our best experience was NOT dressing up.
• Don't do a park earlier in the day. Spend the day resting and arrive about 5 o'clock.
• Don't feel as if you have to trick or treat. Trick or treating can get chaotic, and can be a big time waste for candy that probably will never be fully consumed. The party is a GREAT opportunity to ride even the major attractions with short lines.
• The parade is a must. Catch the second one for smaller crowds.
• Don't spend time seeing characters you can see during regular park hours. Characters can be a time hog as well.

Delirium, thanks for these practical tips... holding on to them for reference.

So, I'm catching a unanimous recommended "must-dos" for...
... arrival at or soon after 4 pm to take advantage of early entry.
... Parade
... Hallo-Wishes

Mixed reviews on taking advantage of rides v characters v trick-or-treating.

Here's a few follow-up questions...

• With the additions to the fireworks, does anyone have any special or unique viewing spots you would recommend?
• Same with parade... Any special spots especially recommended?
• What character me and greets do I want to make sure to take advantage of?
• I remember dance parties at the Christmas Party. Are they at this event also
• Are there any attractions that are not open during the party?

Thanks for all the thoughts everyone. This is the stuff I love about the boards!

 

[Accident]

We did MVMCP and MNSSHP last year for the first time. We ended up doing them both twice because of some last minute visitors who wanted to also do it. We also liked MNSSHP more, but we also love halloween more than christmas anyway. For us, it was really the more villian theme with a parade and characters you just don't see. We had both sides of the crowd, every party was sold out but some of them sold out seemed to be a lot more people than previous.

The dance parties are also there. The 2 events are basically the same except, halloween has some trick or treating spots where christmas has the cookies and hot chocolat. Fireworks are a little different (color/film on castle wise). and the parades are different. Street performers are in a halloween/zombie like dress instead of their christmas best.

Some of our tips:
- there is limited food options (but some quick serve), eat a late lunch and not a bad idea to have something you can safely store in the room/fridge for after unless you want to wait for pizza delivery, there's not many options for food after midnight.
- I agree with PP recommendation to avoid a park before 4pm to save money. We sleep in, get some breakfast and a casual couple hour at downtown disney with a late sit down lunch (walk in, we don't reserve anything).
- If you happen to go in the park before 4 on a regular ticket, you must get the wrist band for the party by 7 or they will force you to go back to the front to get it. plan your earlier day where you end up at the entrance before 7pm to get it. There's only 1 place to get a wrist band and that's at the entrance. There is also a special party map you can grab while up there to show where the special party thigns and opened food options are.
- Like any other park day, when the fireworks go off, more and more people are in the front of the park and many start to leave. We saved the trick or treating and some rides for after the fireworks. Starting from the back and working our way around it was a lot of walk on and nobody in a line to trick or treat.
- For safety reason, any candy that disney has removed from the bag must be thrown out. If you time your exit to be one of the last people out, they will literally hand you giant bags of candy at the exit if that interests you. They throw anything not given out in the garbage. If you don't want this candy, parents keep this in mind for when you exit or how you walk out. If you spot the bins as the last thing when you leave, keep your kids away

 

[MataHari22]

Thanks everyone. As I figured would be the case the, overwhelming response is to go for it... Which we are planning to do!



Delirium, thanks for these practical tips... holding on to them for reference.

So, I'm catching a unanimous recommended "must-dos" for...
... arrival at or soon after 4 pm to take advantage of early entry.
... Parade
... Hallo-Wishes

Mixed reviews on taking advantage of rides v characters v trick-or-treating.

Here's a few follow-up questions...

• With the additions to the fireworks, does anyone have any special or unique viewing spots you would recommend?
• Same with parade... Any special spots especially recommended?
• What character me and greets do I want to make sure to take advantage of?
• I remember dance parties at the Christmas Party. Are they at this event also
• Are there any attractions that are not open during the party?

Thanks for all the thoughts everyone. This is the stuff I love about the boards!

While the first parade was going on, we were right up at a fence in Fronteirland and watched the Headless Horseman ride through, but we didn't stay. We walked back through Adventure Land and rode the Jungle Cuise and then walked out past Crystal Palace onto Main Street and the tail end of the parade was coming through. We got snacks and we stayed on the curb on the left side as your looking at the castle in the hub and the parade comes down the right. I think after that, there was a show up at the castle, but I was wanting that spot for the fireworks. We had a good view, a little father back they say is the better viewing, but we wanted to head back up to Fronteirland after the fireworks to catch the second parade, which is usually less crowded. We sat on one of the porches and had an excellent view of the parade, which was awesome. After that we met Capt Jack without much of a wait and rode Pirates. The character meet and greets for some of them can be a real time sucker. The waits on a lot of them were pretty lengthy, so I was happy that I got to do Capt Jack's without a wait. That's actually the only one I did that night, I think. The longest lines were for The 7 Dwarfs and Jack & Sally. I would pick one or two favorites your family might have and do them. This might be helpful to you:

http://www.kennythepirate.com/2012/09/13/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party-characters/

There are dance parties and these are other sites that might be helpful to you:


http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/events/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party

http://www.disneytouristblog.com/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party-review-tips/

http://www.themouseforless.com/walt.../events/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party/

https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/tips-mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party-with-kids/

I hope you have a wonderful time.

ETA: If you guys like to ride The Haunted Mansion, do so after 7 so it's during the party and the CM are dressed up in their party costumes with the make up and Madam Carlotta is out there.

Also, look for special Magic Shots during the party from the photopass photographers. They're very fun.

 

[williamscm3]

Do it!! We have been to MVMCP and MNSSHP and the Halloween party was by far better! The fireworks are the best I have ever seen at Disney, the parade is awesome, and dressing up is a lot of fun...hope you have a great time!

 

[draybook]

The Halloween party is way better! We're set for another 3 parties in September, the 15th, 20th and 22nd. The Boo To You parade is not to be missed!