***Official September 2022 Thread***

[pigletgirl]

Yes, I'm hoping for a MNSSHP announcement on Thursday!!

We have decided to rent a car. I know prices are still ridiculous, but the freedom it gives us (and not solely relying on Uber/Lyft), feels right.

We have also decided to to do a Discovery Cove day. Has anyone been? It looks totally peaceful and relaxing.

 

[pigletgirl]

Southwest already changed my flight that I JUST booked a week ago! Canceled the nonstop and want to put me on a 9pm arriving after midnight. other choice means either pulling kids out of school early on departure or having a huge layover and still only getting there at 11:30pm.

I *guess* I’m glad this isn’t happening day of travel like some folks are experiencing but what the heck! These flights have only even been available since March 30

For my May trip coming up soon, Southwest changed our flights 4 times!!! Eventually I gave up, cancelled the tickets and rebooked American on a direct flight. I really feel you!!

 

[RLGNC]

For my May trip coming up soon, Southwest changed our flights 4 times!!! Eventually I gave up, cancelled the tickets and rebooked American on a direct flight. I really feel you!!

Does SW notify you by email when flights are changed, or do I need to keep checking my schedule on their website?

 

[RLGNC]

Regarding the Halloween party announcements that are anticipated, I'm not interested in attending but I'm wondering how those parties affect MK hours. I currently have our MK days scheduled for Tues and Thurs and was hoping hours in the park those days would be until 11:00 pm.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Does SW notify you by email when flights are changed, or do I need to keep checking my schedule on their website?

You get an email. If you want to be intense about it, you can check flight schedules each day. There's often a period of time (maybe a few hours) between when you can see that your flight time is no longer on the site and when you get the email confirming where you've been bumped. For my September flight, I saw in the evening that my flight time no longer appeared but one 20 minutes later was there. Email came in the middle of that night showing that they'd bumped me the 20 minutes.

Regarding the Halloween party announcements that are anticipated, I'm not interested in attending but I'm wondering how those parties affect MK hours. I currently have our MK days scheduled for Tues and Thurs and was hoping hours in the park those days would be until 11:00 pm.

Depends on if they do a party or an After Hours event. After hours doesn't impact regular hours but a party does. MNSSHP 2019, Tues, Fri, and Sun in September the park closed early and didn't show the regular fireworks show. It bumps crowds up significantly on full park days because they want the longer hours and the fireworks.

Regardless of parties versus after hours even, September is usually when the hours go back to closing in the 8-9pm range. You only get the 11pm closes during high crowd spring, summer, holiday times. For example, here are Sept 2021 hours: https://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/hours/september2021.cfm

 

[pigletgirl]

Does SW notify you by email when flights are changed, or do I need to keep checking my schedule on their website?

Yes, and if you have the app, it'll send you a notice as well.

 

[DaniellePoppins]

Depends on if they do a party or an After Hours event. After hours doesn't impact regular hours but a party does. MNSSHP 2019, Tues, Fri, and Sun in September the park closed early and didn't show the regular fireworks show. It bumps crowds up significantly on full park days because they want the longer hours and the fireworks.

This is why I anticipate they will go the route of an "After Hours" Halloween Event instead of a Halloween Party return as was done for 2021 Christmas. They get the full day hours benefit and then the additional ticketed event. My hope if they do make the change is that they have it be 4 hours instead of the Boo Bash 3 hours. I can understand Boo Bash being less time without fireworks or parades, but for the price they charged for the Christmas party I'd be annoyed if I hardly got any time other than parking on main street for the parade and fireworks and didn't get to see characters or other goings on. I have read some people standing in line for special treats practically the whole time.

 

[RLGNC]

Regardless of parties versus after hours even, September is usually when the hours go back to closing in the 8-9pm range. You only get the 11pm closes during high crowd spring, summer, holiday times. For example, here are Sept 2021 hours: https://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/hours/september2021.cfm

Oh darn. This is good info, though, thanks! So just to clarify, if they do a party does that mean the park would close even earlier than 8-9 pm? I hope I don't get "forced" into buying a ticket to the party just to stay in the park longer.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Oh darn. This is good info, though, thanks! So just to clarify, if they do a party does that mean the park would close even earlier than 8-9 pm? I hope I don't get "forced" into buying a ticket to the party just to stay in the park longer.

Parties from 2019 and earlier closed the park to day guests at 6. After hours events from 2021 came after normal 8-9pm closes. Watch carefully for the language they use when they announce, presumably this week.

 

[Neverbeast]

We went in sept 2016 and on party days MK was so dead we did more in our 10-6pm day than our full day. Everything but 7d was walk on all day until about 4:30 when party guests started entering. So if they do announce party hours, don’t despair!

 

[jamieluvsdisney]

We went in sept 2016 and on party days MK was so dead we did more in our 10-6pm day than our full day. Everything but 7d was walk on all day until about 4:30 when party guests started entering. So if they do announce party hours, don’t despair!

I agree!!! Same experience in 2019.

 

[Dentam]

I'm assuming this too. We did MNSSHP in 2019, and while fun, it was pricey. Has anyone been to the scaled back Halloween events they've had during Covid?

We went to Boo Bash last fall and did not think it was worth the price. For an After Hours event (which is what it was billed as) it was too crowded and it didn't have fireworks or a full parade. It was also only about 3 hours long if I remember correctly. I won't do Boo Bash again but will definitely do MNSSHP if it's offered. I think many people are in the same boat and hopefully Disney realizes that!

 

[okw19]

We went to Boo Bash last fall and did not think it was worth the price. For an After Hours event (which is what it was billed as) it was too crowded and it didn't have fireworks or a full parade. It was also only about 3 hours long if I remember correctly. I won't do Boo Bash again but will definitely do MNSSHP if it's offered. I think many people are in the same boat and hopefully Disney realizes that!

This is what I'd heard as well. Doesn't seem worth it for the price, but if they bring back MNSSHP we would do it.

 

[DaniellePoppins]

We went to Boo Bash last fall and did not think it was worth the price. For an After Hours event (which is what it was billed as) it was too crowded and it didn't have fireworks or a full parade. It was also only about 3 hours long if I remember correctly. I won't do Boo Bash again but will definitely do MNSSHP if it's offered. I think many people are in the same boat and hopefully Disney realizes that!

I think it will be more like the Christmas After Hours with parade and fireworks at 4 hours long. Ideally for the price if they closed at 8 and made it 5 hours I'd be happy.

For anyone who has done MNSSHP, I know the parks closed earlier, but how long was the event?

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

For anyone who has done MNSSHP, I know the parks closed earlier, but how long was the event?

You could get in at 4pm, park closed to day guests at 6pm, official party was 7pm to midnight. The last stage show started at midnight so, if you could hack it, you were actually entertained until 12:30am.

In the time between 6 and 7pm, ToTing hadn't started, but you could ride rides. Also, some of the highest demand characters (Moana, 7 Dwarfs, Skellington) met before the party officially started, but you had to have the party band to get in line. I think they also started some of the high demand magic shots during that window, but I'm not 100%. That wasn't my focus during that timeframe; we were using it to get meets done before official party start time.

 

[DaniellePoppins]

You could get in at 4pm, park closed to day guests at 6pm, official party was 7pm to midnight. The last stage show started at midnight so, if you could hack it, you were actually entertained until 12:30am.

In the time between 6 and 7pm, ToTing hadn't started, but you could ride rides. Also, some of the highest demand characters (Moana, 7 Dwarfs, Skellington) met before the party officially started, but you had to have the party band to get in line. I think they also started some of the high demand magic shots during that window, but I'm not 100%. That wasn't my focus during that timeframe; we were using it to get meets done before official party start time.

That sounds pretty good to me, (especially your strategy to see characters and get magic shots done early.) There's really no reason why they can't do the same exact thing, but just start later after park hours. With the cost of the events being so high, 5 hours isn't asking too much imo. Four hours when you're going to spend a good chunk of that holding down a spot for the parade and fireworks means you won't get much else done. I don't figure on doing many rides. If I do anything it would be Pirates and HM. I would ideally like to do parade, fireworks, trick or treat, see characters, and get a special snack of some kind.

 

[pigletgirl]

That sounds pretty good to me, (especially your strategy to see characters and get magic shots done early.) There's really no reason why they can't do the same exact thing, but just start later after park hours. With the cost of the events being so high, 5 hours isn't asking too much imo. Four hours when you're going to spend a good chunk of that holding down a spot for the parade and fireworks means you won't get much else done. I don't figure on doing many rides. If I do anything it would be Pirates and HM. I would ideally like to do parade, fireworks, trick or treat, see characters, and get a special snack of some kind.

It also really depends on how many tickets are sold per night for the event. I feel like we could tell with MVMCP in 2018 that it was much more crowded than I remember in previous years. I'm curious to see if Disney really does limit the number of tickets sold per night.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

There's really no reason why they can't do the same exact thing, but just start later after park hours. With the cost of the events being so high, 5 hours isn't asking too much imo. Four hours when you're going to spend a good chunk of that holding down a spot for the parade and fireworks means you won't get much else done.

There's no way Disney is giving you 5 hours if things start at park close. They've got to do staffing, fireworks, parade, etc. They managed it with parties by closing the park early and therefore only having to keep staff a couple extra hours; only running the "special" fireworks, not the regular show; etc.

Plus, the holiday events were already a harder sell for folks with kids (or sleepy adults) who might not be able to stay up until the end. Bump that time frame from 12pm to 2am and you're going to have a lot fewer people buying the add-on ticket. They know their kids won't be up for all the fun if it doesn't start until 9pm, so why try?

 

[DaniellePoppins]

It also really depends on how many tickets are sold per night for the event. I feel like we could tell with MVMCP in 2018 that it was much more crowded than I remember in previous years. I'm curious to see if Disney really does limit the number of tickets sold per night.

I don't think they're going to limit anything this year. Last year when things were slightly more precarious with Covid and they were just starting back with events they probably did. I'm sure it wouldn't be daytime capacity, but it will be crowded. Non seasonal after hours events sold well, but not out, I don't think the same will happen here. Your best bet for lower crowds would be to pick off nights and earlier dates.

There's no way Disney is giving you 5 hours if things start at park close. They've got to do staffing, fireworks, parade, etc. They managed it with parties by closing the park early and therefore only having to keep staff a couple extra hours; only running the "special" fireworks, not the regular show; etc.

Plus, the holiday events were already a harder sell for folks with kids (or sleepy adults) who might not be able to stay up until the end. Bump that time frame from 12pm to 2am and you're going to have a lot fewer people buying the add-on ticket. They know their kids won't be up for all the fun if it doesn't start until 9pm, so why try?

Staffing is definitely the sticking point. I think to get your money out of the event you have to arrive when they allow people in before park close with the pictures and characters. I can't see how you could get much done otherwise.

 

[Sparkly]

Yes, I'm hoping for a MNSSHP announcement on Thursday!!

We have decided to rent a car. I know prices are still ridiculous, but the freedom it gives us (and not solely relying on Uber/Lyft), feels right.

We have also decided to to do a Discovery Cove day. Has anyone been? It looks totally peaceful and relaxing.

I've only been once, many years ago, as a child and it rained the whole day unfortunately, but otherwise it was nice! Food and drink are included and it's quite serene. I'd love to do it again someday.