MNSSHP review

[adambreakey]

Hi guys. -- this is long.

Well, last night we went to the Mickey Not So Scary Halloween Party - a special thanks to WhispyPixie and Pirate Mickey ). This was our first time going to any special ticketed event at WDW. To sum it up in one word... WOW. We had the best time!

EDIT: - Amanda, our 6 yr old, dressed up as a ballerina, her friend Victoria, 9yrs old, dressed up as a cheetah... and the big kids along with the baby all dressed up in St Louis Cardinals Jerseys.

Details: (SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!)

We got to the Party right at 7pm... we were trying to get there much earlier, but thanks to work and the traffic on I-4, that didn't happen. First thing we did was wait for our turn on the monorail to ride in the pilot's cabin. We try to do this on most visits to the MK, but this time was special because we had my sister and one oh my daughters friends with us whom had never done it before. anyway, we finally get to the MK and get our trick our treat bags, then quickly go over to the flower mickey for our 'entrance' photograph. The flower mickey had glowing eyes and fog flowing all around it. Also the train station was flanked by two large lit up pumpkin balloons. very cool.

Now we get inside and start making our way down main street. All of main street was color washed with halloween colored lights and flying ghosts and witch spotlights. (I of course run into the emporium to get the required pins and shirts to remember this night by).

The first thing we do once inside is make our way to liberty square. We want to make sure we catch the first storytelling of the headless horseman as well as making sure we have a good spot for the 8pm parade. An added bonus is that the free halloween pictures are available to be taken at the hall of presidents... so we knock that out right away (no lines either). While we are waiting for the story and parade, I took the kids to a couple of the tirck or treating lines to start the candy collection for the evening.

The storytelling... it was fantastic. Just scary enough to be interesting for the 10-12 year old group, but not too much for the younger set. Then, when the story was over, they announce be on the lookout for the headless horseman. Well, that made my 6 year old a little nervous. A couple of minutes later, here he comes riding from the castle back towards fronteirland. It was cool. The horse's 'shoes' sparked the whole way down the 'street'.

The parade... I was suprised by the parade. I did not know how large of a parade it was going to be. I expected a couple of floats, but this was a full scale parade. Personally I was very happy to see Hades get his rightful place in Disney parades with his own dedicated float! But other highlights of the parade were: the 101 dalmations (with live dogs), the rockin' villans float, and the haunted mansion float with the hitchiking ghosts.

after the parade we headed for the haunted mansion. We walked right on, no wait at all.

after HM, we did some more trick or treating, met woody, jesse and bullseye, then made our way to the bridge to tomorrowland to prepare for the fireworks display.

The Fireworks... Well, the fireworks started off as a standard Wishes fireworks display. Which I was confused by... I had heard that it was something special for the halloween party. -- then, things changed. Suddenly a witces voice interupts the fireworks... lets us know we can't get away with this happy stuff on halloween... then she appears flying over our heads (in place of Tinkerbell). Now is when the show really starts to get going. (side note, I love wishes... it is the best fireworks display disney has put on, on a regular basis, IMHO). anyway, the booms get louder, the number of shells increases, the colors are all typical halloween colors, the music is dark, and the castle looks very eerie. Then the best part... all of the sudden we are surrounded by full size fireworks going off all the way around us. From Mainstreet, to Fronteirland, to tomorrowland, everywhere there are giant fireworks going off in a perfect circle around us. It was the coolest effect I have ever experienced as part of a firework show. It garnered more ooohhss and ahhs than any show I have seen at WDW. This alone was worth the time and energy of giong to WDW on a weeknight.

After the fireworks we hit Space Mountain and Buzz (no waits at all). We tried to work our way into Stitch, but they couldn't be persuaded. Speaking of Stitch, there is a new GIANT inflatable Stitch on the building as you enter tomorrowland... and on the opposite side of the walkway there was a GIANT inflatable spider with glowing yellow eyes. After the tomorrowland rides, we did more trick or treating and made our way back across the park to Big Thunder Mountain. Again, we had no wait for this ride at all and actually rode it twice in a row. Then we hit Splash Mountain (no wait)... some more trick or treating and then it was off to toon town.

Here we did more trick or treating and rode Goofys Barnstormer (twice in a row thanks to no lines)

and we finished out the night riding Indy Speedway...it had the longest wait we experienced at just over 10 minutes.

We slowly made our way back to main street, being sure to hit all of the trick or treat spots at least one more time FYI, make sure you hit the spots right at the turnstiles as they have full size candy available, where most other spots in teh park are of the 'snack size' variety.

I have to say that this 5 hours at the MK were incredible. We will do this event every year now... and we are already now planning on going to the Christmas party now that we know what kind of party to expect.

Again, I want to thank Pixie and Pirate Mickey. I am sorry you guys couldn't make it, but I want you to know exactly how much we appreciate what yuo did for us. Watch for a little 'thank you' from us in your mail soon. Thanks again!

if anyone has any questions, let me know.

adamb

[MandaBella]

Thanks for the review Adam!!! Glad to hear you had a great time.

I enjoyed reading it, especially since I will not be able to attend this year.



Think I can get my hubby to dress up as the ?


I enjoyed the MNSHHP quite a bit last year. The parade is my favorite parade at WDW.
Love the headless horseman, the HM float, the Villains, etc.

[judycats]

since i cant go this year i guess this is as close as ill get to it! thanks for the awesome report!

[disneydame2004]

Fabulous report, Adam! I've never been at WDW for one of their parties, and now I'm dying to go!
Great job!

[TrendyMagic]

Thanks for the report Adam. I was there Tuesday night. I was hoping for Wishes for fireworks but they did an updated version of Fantasy in the Sky for the first part followed by a Halloween ending. I really enjoyed the extra Davy Crockett explosions at that part of the show. Between two of us we ended up walking out with about 5.5 pounds of candy that night.

[Stitch]

So they let the Adults Trick or Treat too, or is it just the kids?

[crashbunny]

Yeah what's that like ?

I was thinking of going a little earlier so we could do this next year, are there fun thing for "BIG" kids?

[MandaBella]

So they let the Adults Trick or Treat too, or is it just the kids?

Us big kids can trick-or-treat too!!! We had no plans on doing it, but a CM shoved a bag into our hands and the next CM gave us candy. Who were we to argue? We trick-or-treated for the first time in well over a decade. We were two adults dressed as pirates last October. Had a blast!

[Stitch]

They even give you bags? Very cool!!! I can't wait to go!


This time next I'll be on the road to Florida!

[TrendyMagic]

Yes big kids can have fun too.

[crashbunny]

Cool
then i'm gonna plan for late October next year!!!!

Now to decide where.......

Wilderness Lodge

or

Old Key West

or Saratoga springs

[TrendyMagic]

WL

[crashbunny]

that's looking like the place


We'll visit it
in a few weeks and check it out

[WDW Donna]

Oh my gawsh I can't wait to go!!!! We are going to be there on Halloween night (I wonder if there is a little extra magic that night?) I just put together my costume a few minutes ago - a pirate! . My 8year old DD is going to LOVE the party.

Hey Stitch see you there. We are still planning to listen to the story and watch the parade from Liberty Square. A , an 8year old , a 2year old Alice in Wonderland and I think a or baseball player. The husband can't decide.

[Stitch]

We have a 7:00 PS at the LTT. So I'll be in the area. Look for two dalmations (I'm 5'11 and I'll have a pink pooh backpack, so I won't be too hard to miss)