UPDATED: Just back..MNSSHP 10/5 & 10/6 * all pics added *

[DisFam95]

We just got back yesterday and had a great time. We arrived about 6:00ish both nights. No line to get in. Friday night was much more crowded than Thurs..due to locals someone speculated. It was just a much slower walk down Main Street with the crowds. Lots of great costumes. I'll have to post a few pics later tonight.

We saw lots of CM’s checking wrist bands on both nights and seemed to be doing a good job in hearding out the non party guests. We never experience any non-party guest anywhere after 7 trying to get in any line.

Candy trail at Toontown on Thursday was very managable. Lots of candy. DH and I had bags that we were given at the front but we just did not want that much candy so we let DS4 get all the loot. CM's were trying to give us candy and we had to decline! I'm sure they thought we were nuts compared to some of the classy folks seriously griping about not getting a full bag...nice...spend the 3.99 at Walmart and you’ll get a bigger bag. I had heard about troughs of candy for the taking at the exit but all we saw both nights was a manned “Top it Off with Snickers” where they just put in a handful of mini Snickers. No biggie just not what I had heard so not sure if we missed something.

Candy trail at Adventureland on Friday was a madhouse. I suppose it moved quickly but it was sooo confining..and hot that night. We saw a clever costume with the dad dressed in a suit and bald cap and his wife and 2 dtrs dressed in matching ‘evening wear’ dressed carrying briefcases w/ #’s on them....Deal or No Deal..very clever.

DH and I are not parade people but we saw the Boo to You Parade 3 times!!! 1st location on Thursday 1st show was at the hub just at the bridge from Liberty Square. We were at the turn on the inner hub. Not very crowded and great visually but photo’s were terribble due to all the back light. 2nd show that evening we had not planned on seeing and were on the way out and right in front of the Emporium when it was about to start. There was no one there!! We just stood right at the rope and watched it again. That’s when I got my shot of the Horseman. One of the CM’s that sort of run along with the horse near the rope moved right in front of me but I managed to get a decent shot. Much better photos. More even lighting on Main Street and better photos.

Third time was on Friday and we had really not planned on seeing it but I forgot where we were and got stuck in Frontierland. We just stood on a big wooden platform surrounding a tree right in front of the Shootin Arcade. Decent visibility. Good to show up late and my DS4 could see while standing up there.

Great parade...infectious music. We’re still singing it around the house! We loved the atmosphere and all the costumes. I had heard about TONS of characters being out but we did not see any except the parade, Alice’s treat trail (mad hatter, queen, lots of CM’s dressed as cards) and the Jungle Book characters in Adventure Treat Encounter, Stitch at the Dance Party). Not sure if we missed something?

We let the small crowd leave following the last parade and wandered the shops almost empty on Thursday night. We cleared out with the crowd on Friday night after the last parade and it still seemed crowded.

We had our DS1 and DS4 w/ us who fell asleep later so no big rides for us but most things seemed like walk-on or very short waits. We did HM after the 1st parade on Friday (the crowded night) and waited about 15minutes. Great little “pre-show” entertainment on the front lawn!! Totally not up on my HM facts but there was a woman ghost (madame Carlotta I thought she said..I know Madame Leotta but that was not what she said) sitting right up by the fence on the grassy area in the line doing a comedy bit.

Fireworks were good. 1 time we got stuck in Fantasyland by the Carousel and Dumbo. Sort of weird because the main fireworks are 1 way and the "flare" type are another direction from that vantage point..like watching a tennis match! 2nd time we were facing the castle on the left side of the hub. Pretty good but the trees obstructed some of the show but not much.

Thanks all I can think of now. Let me know if you have any questions!!

 

[DisFam95]

This was a just a party guest. Her costume was great. They brought her in and danced around before the parade came! anyone know her here??

The Haunted Mansion portrait gallery... is this you??? I stopped you exiting on Main Street.

My bad shot of the horseman. I was trying to zoom but I could see the CM running along side and about to get right in front of me so I was pressed for time.

I have more pics but not sure if people are tired of seeing them??? I'll post more later. I got a few good ones of Jack Sparrow.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Great pics! I'd love to see more!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Very cool pictures, thank you.

 

[cjb71870]

Her costume is great. She is Scarlett from POTC. "Who wants the red head?". Rope and all. Great job!!!!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

You were right on about the characters. There were less of them this year, it seems. And many only do maybe three meeting sessions a night, for about 20 minutes a session (like the villains and the dwarves) so it is VERY easy to miss all of them! And many are inside and out of view, like at the ToonTown Hall of Fame, so very easy to skip meeting them. It definitely seems there use to be more random surprise characters at MNSSHP's in the past.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

More pix! Thanks for sharing.

 

[DisFam95]

I'll add more tomorrow..time for bed!

Thanks for looking..check tomorrow evening.

 

[DisFam95]

Does anyone know if there's a better way to post all pics to a photo album somewhere and then I can post a link? If not I'll add the IMG tag one by one..thats' all I know.

Thanks

 

[DisFam95]

ok..always time for Jack

 

[Foladar]

Does anyone know if there's a better way to post all pics to a photo album somewhere and then I can post a link? If not I'll add the IMG tag one by one..thats' all I know.

Thanks

You can try photobucket

 

[Stitch's O'hana]

Love the pictures! Really Love Jack! Can't wait to see him in Dec.!

Would love to see more pictures, when you get a chance.

 

[brer rabbit 28]

great photos,would love to see more if you have them.I've always wanted to go at halloween but havn't made it yet.

 

[mtemm]

thanks so much for your report! we're going next monday with our kids (4, 2, 2) and hearing that yours were young but that you had a good time and were able to do a lot really helps give me hope.

may I ask, what did you do that day?

 

[MonkeyPants]

that was actually one of the best Headless horseman photos yet...he is so hard to click a pic of

 

[SnowWtch]

My DH and I along with my parents were there 10/5. It was great. Didn't wait long for anything. We had a lot of fun and brought back a lot of candy. My DH thought they were stingy with their candy but we certainly didn't need anymore by the end of the night. DH said the fireworks were the best he's seen at Disney. It was his first time and my 3rd. My parents even dressed as pirates. DH and I dressed as a fire demon and I was an ice vampire. Got a lot of strange looks but it was fun. The CM's liked our costumes.

The parade was the best one I've seen yet. I couldn't believe they had a real dog in the parade. That was a nice touch. It did seem more adult though with the ghosts dancers and skeleton band. We had a blast but next year are planning MVMCP instead. DH's never been to that was either. He was Disney deprived as a child even though he grew up in Florida.

 

[CathrynRose]

My son - at MNSSHP on the 2nd:

 

[Stitchfans]

Great pictures, keep em coming!

 

[jjan]

DisFam95... Thanks so much for the info and pictures. My DD8 and I will be doing the same thing by doing 2 MNSSHPs in a row on Oct. 19th and 20th so I would LOVE any info on how you handled this. Did you do any park time during the day, naps, etc.? How exhausting was it? I'm hoping that I haven't set us up for a difficult short trip by having actually 3 very late nights in a row... we come in on the 18th and land around 11 pm and we leave on Sunday the 22nd. Thanks in advance for any info (or anyone else that has done this).

 

[ms.ojo]

We were there on the 5th too! Didn't think the crowds were bad at all. Rides were walk-on all night. We did the FW then the 2nd parade. I wasn't very impressed w/ the Villains meet & greet. The dance part was kind of lame and lighting low so you couldn't take any good pictures. The meet and greet was a madhouse. Just not worth it. And as my son pointed out, the cruel ugly witch wasn't there or the evil queen. I agree w/ other posters there were far fewer chars out & about. I also missed having the free photo from yrs past. That was a nice touch. We didn't bother to wait in the lines for pic ops w/ the carriages.

We got LOTS of candy. I can't believe how much. The kids had a blast. I also loved riding the rides at night time, they take on a whole diff't feel.

The parade has changed a lot since we went in 2003. I love what they added around the HM section of the parade. The guys w/ the shovels were amazing. And scared the stuffing out of me when they turned and yelled right at the crowd in front of me. lol it was sooooo funny. The man was 2" from my face as I screamed and he kept a straight spooky face on the whole time. I swear he must have had ear plugs in. I don't know how they did it.

We were there right until midnight taking one last ride on Space Mtn. Sure, people left after the FW...and more after the 2nd parade...but let me tell you, there were still plenty around right until Midnight! Fortunately it was a relatively quiet night overall so reallly, the crowds were completely managable. (Unlike Friday 1/6 and Sat 10/7 when the parks became REALLY crowded, in my estimation and REALLY HOT!!!! Those 2 days were killers for my family. But that's another story I'll post in a separate thread)