"Official" 2018 Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party - A Spooktacular Celebration!

[sheila14]

Hmmmm...not sure I approve of this. Seems like a cheat of the system, and what fun is it? If the regular candy people have to stand in line to get their candy, then I think us allergy candy people should also have to stand in line to get our tokens. As much as I love a good time-saving tip for Disney, I personally wouldn't do this. I was more than satisfied with the amount of allergy candy we were given for our 14 tokens each, and I feel like we earned it just like everyone else did...by going through the trick-or-treat lines.

I agree also,, tokens or not all guests should go through the lines and get candy or token. If Disney continues this idea of someone claiming they have an allergy, then others are going to do it whether an allergy or not or tokens or not. Not fair for all involved!!!

 

[Southernswthrt]

Honestly, I have been wondering whether we should cancel too, given the crowds and negative reviews. However, I’m aware that many people have been multiple times, whereas I don’t have any “good old days” memories to compare it to. So I’m setting my expectations low, and going just to enjoy the atmosphere. If we get anything else done, that’s wonderful. But if all we do is see the fireworks and soak up the unique atmosphere, that can be enough. If I have a long itinerary of things I want to do, that just means it’s a list of possible things that can go wrong or ways I can be disappointed.

I realise that it sounds quite bleak and I don’t mean it to. I just think that, by going with no expectations, I won’t be taking on the baggage of other people’s experiences, positive or negative. It’s better than sitting in our hotel room, and if it’s not, then we will go back to our hotel instead, or take a break at one of the monorail hotels and go back an hour later.

I don't think you sound bleak at all! We have a very relaxed touring style. We are AP's and go often enough that we don't need to do every single thing every time. Our main reason for going is the atmosphere. We have never been during the fall. We tend to be there at rope drop to get in our favorite rides and head out early to enjoy our resort and relax. I don't really have any high expectations - just that the comments regarding the crowds scare us!

 

[Southernswthrt]

It seems like the people who are disappointed the most are those who hoped do a lot of rides during the party. I went during the first party, which was sold out, and it didn't feel like wall-to-wall crowds to me. If you want to do things which are unique to the party, the M&Gs are the things with the longest lines and you aren't really interested in those anyway.

If you want to do party food, Starbucks has 3 party desserts - but remember that Starbucks tends to be slow because people order fancy coffee drinks, it has no place to sit, and it has no takeout containers. I'm not saying to stay away, I'm just saying that it's nice to know this before you go in so you aren't surprised and frustrated.

I loved watching the fireworks by standing near the rail above the water, across from the Frontierland Shootin Gallery. I wandered over as the fireworks started. There was nobody in front of me, nobody next to me. A lot of people don't like this spot because they like to look at the castle during the fireworks. I found that except for the finale, the fireworks were going off over the water so this spot worked great for me.

I did several magic shots with no line, and I got a photo with the gravediggers with no line. I met Cinderella and Elena with no line.

I think you need to look at Page 1, decide what your priorities would be if you attended, and get input about those specific things. Make the decision based on your particular group's personalities. I don't believe in making a decision (any kind of decision, actually) based on "people say..."

Thanks for your insights! We really just want to soak up the overall atmosphere, and see the fireworks and the parade without being suffocated by others. I don't expect to be head on in front of the castle - we like the hidden nooks and crannies around the park!

 

[sheila14]

IMO it seems that if Disney is selling more tickets for the MNSSHP it is going to “feel” more crowded. This is a business and Disney will do what they need to make a dollar. I went to the second party and I agree that the tot lines were insane and with multiple rides that were down can make it feel crowded. You need a plan for these parties and do your best to stick with it. If Disney is not reaching their quota with reg park tickets then they might raise ticket sales for this.

 

[kat_lh]

I'm assuming there's no rider swap for the party?

 

[Roxyfire]

I was in Frontierland mainly during when it was raining. I saw both Brer Bear and Brer Rabbit at different times almost hiding under the cover around Liberty Tree Tavern and Diamond Horseshoe taking pictures and interacting with maybe one group each and nobody waiting. Almost didn't even see them.

Do you recall about what time that was? We are planning to be over in that area when the party starts (Pecos Bill for dinner then over to splash for a couple rides if it's not too busy) so I'd love to run into them before we move over to other areas.

 

[ohdanalee]

I agree also,, tokens or not all guests should go through the lines and get candy or token. If Disney continues this idea of someone claiming they have an allergy, then others are going to do it whether an allergy or not or tokens or not. Not fair for all involved!!!

I disagree with this entirely. People should be allowed to get whatever candy they want as Disney offers the allergy and non-allergy candies to everyone and the ticket includes unlimited trick or treating. And the allergy options aren't limited to those with allergies, those with dietary restrictions also benefit from these other options. Disney also allows everyone to get the allergy options without tokens. The tokens are specifically for those who want to experience trick or treating but can't get the regular candy. If you don't want to trick or treat but still want the allergy friendly treats then you can still get the candy. This policing of how people get the allergy candies, trick or treat, or how many tokens they collect is ridiculous. You don't have to "earn" the right to ask for wethers or whatever.

 

[Dentam]

Do you recall about what time that was? We are planning to be over in that area when the party starts (Pecos Bill for dinner then over to splash for a couple rides if it's not too busy) so I'd love to run into them before we move over to other areas.

I saw them around 7pm in that area during the party on Labor Day.

 

[anomamatt]

I'm assuming there's no rider swap for the party?

No.

The FP lines are closed. So all mechanisms that require the FP line (RS, DAS, etc) are not available during the party hours.

 

[adelaster]

So excited that I finally booked a long weekend trip to check out MNSSHP, but after reading a lot of these comments - I'm actually thinking about cancelling The only night we can go is Sunday Oct 14, and it's projected to be one of the busiest. We are not a fan of wall-to-wall crowds and after reading and researching, I'm just wondering if this is even a good idea. We have never been to the party, but were looking forward to checking out the parade & fireworks and some of the unique things at the party. We wouldn't be so interested in M&G's, but a lot of the comments from the last couple years have me rethinking! I'm seeing a lot more negative comments/reviews than positive. Where are the least crowded spots to watch the parade and fireworks?

I'm going in late October for the first time and I'm not worried. We went a few days before Christmas to MVMCP last year and had fun. We don't do character meets, and only do a few rides. For us, the focus is more on the special events and party specific things.

Honestly, our first visit to Disney was hurricane season 2016 and I was terrified by what I read on disboards. People were either defensively positive about the parks or overtly negative about crowds. We went with one day MK tix and barely rode anything due to weather closures, but we still made our own fun. It was neither as good nor as bad as people said. There are a lot of us who weren't able to go in "the good old days" because of age and existence. Does that mean we should just never try it because the sweet spot has passed? It also overlooks the fact that those sweet spots were created by other people being unable to attend; those who were unemployed, deployed, or dealing with other circumstances. Point being, we only have the now, and the now can be plenty enjoyable with realistic goals and expectations.

Disney needs to generate more revenue and maximize profits, so the cost of visiting will continue to rise. Florida weather will continue to get hotter and wetter, and everyone knows that navigating crowds is awful. So then, the way I see it, the odds are this is only going to get more expensive, more crowded, and less comfortable. It's something I personally wanted to experience at least once- so I'm going. I'm sure it will be ridiculous, but after four visits in the last two years I have a decent grasp on what that means. Fun can still be had; your nonrefundable tickets are the motivation to find it.

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

We are going for the first time in October and I’m not taking any of the negative reviews to heart. I like reading them just to see what I could POSSIBLY expect but I’m just going in with the mindset that it’ll be busy. Especially since we are going at the end of October. I have an itinerary but we will be just fine if we don’t get to everything. The main things I want to do are shop, do our dessert party, watch the parade, and ride space mountain. Everything else is a bonus.

We are going on Halloween night, as well as earlier in the month, and I fully expect it to be packed. It’s useful to know what to expect, but I agree that it is important to identify the “must do” items and treat everything else as a bonus.

I don't think you sound bleak at all! We have a very relaxed touring style. We are AP's and go often enough that we don't need to do every single thing every time. Our main reason for going is the atmosphere. We have never been during the fall. We tend to be there at rope drop to get in our favorite rides and head out early to enjoy our resort and relax. I don't really have any high expectations - just that the comments regarding the crowds scare us!

I’m pretty worried about the crowds too, but that can add to the fun if it’s well managed and people aren’t being obnoxious. I’m excited to see the fall decor and experience the atmosphere.

 

[Lovinallthingsdisney]

We did the party last night (9/14). This party had the 9th (I think) least busy prediction.....however it sold out. My guess is because the weather cooperated with a very small chance of rain forecasted. It was very crowded and the heat was at times nearly unbearable in the sun. We entered about 4:15 and rode Buzz and COP. We went to Big Top for party merch, but the pin I wanted (stitch) was only available at the Emporium. So....we walked all the way back to the front to get the Stitch pin. BTW, the CM told me that pin was predicted to sell out by the next party. After we lined up for Stitch....about 6:15. Line was fairly short....just outside of the entrance turnstile. He started meeting about 6:30. We were out by 7:15. Headed to Pooh but line was way too long. We TOT at one stop. We did do quite a few magic shots along the way. We had the dessert party booked (which I am SO glad we did because of the crowds). Checked in 8:15. Ate some desserts and were escorted to parade viewing area. Great spot for the parade. Then we were escorted to the garden fireworks area and watched the show in relative comfort. Afterward, headed over to Pooh and maybe waited 30 minutes there. Finished, TOT until our bags were full and then headed out. We left just before the second parade. All in all, we had a great night. We had no great expectations and met the characters I wanted to, had great spots for parade and fireworks. It WAS hot and it WAS crowded.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We did the party last night (9/14). This party had the 9th (I think) least busy prediction

Actually, it was the 5th least crowded ranking per TP.

Glad you had a fun evening, despite the heat and crowds.

 

[SquashBanana]

For those that have gone for the 4pm party entry recently-what were the lines like? Amount of time to get in? Were Annual Pass lines still flowing quickly?

I can't speak to the AP lines but we were allowed in at 3:48 on the 9/14 party. At 3:30 every event entrance was about 20-30 people deep.

 

[K&T]

Not surprised actually. I have formed the conclusion that the parties are not for those there just for the rides. Pretty much everyone who goes just for them comes back disappointed. I'm sure that relates to the large number of tickets they sell. But if I'm asked for advice and someone says they just want to do rides I do suggest they avoid the parties. DAH is all about rides. So you have to know your focus to know which extra fits your group, that's for sure.

The parade is just about the best thing at the Halloween party. And you also found out why I think the seated dessert is awful. I'm still amazed they sell seating for a bad view

My family went to MNSSHP mostly for the rides, and we were not at all disappointed. We were let in just before 4:00 on 9/9/18 and used FastPasses on Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise. Then, we did zero-wait-walk-ons of Pirates (pre-7:00, so we wouldn't have to endure all the Gunpowder Pete nonsense), Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Little Mermaid, People Mover, and Buzz Lightyear. Our longest wait of the night was maybe 12-15 minutes, if that, for Speedway when it opened back up after it had closed for weather. We kind of wanted to do 7DMT, but that was at least a half hour wait all night (which is still way shorter than day-time averages), and it was closed for about an hour due to weather. During the second parade, we rode Haunted Mansion again with an even shorter wait than our FastPasses had been earlier; we walked right up to the doors and were the only ones there. After that, we climbed the Swiss Family Treehouse and were the only people at that attraction; it was awesome. In addition, we had absolutely no wait the four times we bought food, snacks, and drinks, we got to do the Carousel of Progress before it closed at 6:00, we got pressed coin souvenirs from about 14 or 15 machines in the park, and we trick-or-treated for tokens at 12 locations with only a very short wait at one...every other location was a very quick walk through...but we waited until after around 9:00 to do most of our trick-or-treating.

Anyway, I wouldn't discourage anyone from going to MNSSHP for the rides. We were very satisfied with our experience. I think, even on a busy night at MNSSHP, the ride lines are shorter than during an average day at MK, aren't they? That's what I read before we went, and that's what persuaded me to buy the tickets. We got quite a bit accomplished during our 8 hours there and almost certainly more than we would have been able to get accomplished at MK during an average day... and for $140 cheaper for my family of 3 than daytime tickets would have been. So, it was definitely a win for us!

 

[Lovinallthingsdisney]

Actually, it was the 5th least crowded ranking per TP.

Glad you had a fun evening, despite the heat and crowds.

I knew it was a “low” number. Our other option was 9/16 and I think that is 9 higher than Friday...which is where the 9 came from. Regardless, it was much more crowded than it was “supposed” to be..LOL, which I KNOW is totally crapshoot.

 

[PrincessMamma4]

Can anyone tell me what attractions are not open during the party? We have 2 MK days...1 is the party and 1 the night before. I wanted to make sure we did those the non party night since we’ll be at the party after. I know philarmagic, hall of presidents, enchanted tales with belle any others???
Thanks!!!

 

[SquashBanana]

Can anyone tell me what attractions are not open during the party? We have 2 MK days...1 is the party and 1 the night before. I wanted to make sure we did those the non party night since we’ll be at the party after. I know philarmagic, hall of presidents, enchanted tales with belle any others???
Thanks!!!

Jungle Cruise, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Tinkerbell M&G, Princess Fairytale Hall M&G

 

[Haley R]

Jungle Cruise, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Tinkerbell M&G, Princess Fairytale Hall M&G

Carousel of progress

 

[Best Aunt]

Jungle Cruise, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Tinkerbell M&G, Princess Fairytale Hall M&G

I met Cinderella and Elena in princess fairytale hall after 6:00 but before the party officially started.