Episode 613 - 2009 Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Authored by: jcodirewolf on Friday, September 04 2009 @ 07:29 AM CDT

They have one setup in FantasyLand, where stroller parking is normally next to It's a small world, next to the old skyway station.
It's not a major attraction of the night, but it's there with a photopass guy. Early on in the night I've seen Cindy there. When Cindy is there the line can get fairly long when she isn't they will still take your picture in-front of the coach. But a lot of times you can by=pass the whole line, waiting for Cindy to return.

You've been saying catch the second parade. The thing you've not been saying when you say that, the headless horseman only rides before the first parade. I suppose you could stake out a spot for the horseman and then leave, but why? If you stake out a good spot for the horseman why not stay for the parade?

My thoughts on the party in general. It's no longer worth it. 5 years ago I think it was a lot more fun (in addition to being about $20 pp cheaper.) Yes if you've not gone before, and it's something you're interested in you should think about going. But this year we are not planning on going. The price per entertainment unit just isn't good enough for us.

johno

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Authored by: cgs878 on Saturday, September 05 2009 @ 10:12 AM CDT

You guys mentioned the prices, but you didn't include them on the list of "scary things" about this event! :) Maybe if we weren't in a recession, I'd actually consider spending the $$ on the event.

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Authored by: laurielew on Saturday, September 05 2009 @ 10:40 AM CDT

Hi Guys! I enjoyed the podcast & I love hearing other's take on the parties. I've collected some of my thoughts over several of the topics covered to add to the discussions. Before I start let me just say WOOHOO! I can't wait to be returning to this years MNSSHP!!

Here's our party experience list: Oct. 07 MNSSHP, Feb 08 Pirates & Princ., Dec. 08 Christmas. I agree with the guys that you MUST experience & decide for yourself if you find the parties worth it or not. We've recommended to others & they hated & then others loved. We're a bit addicted, but I still post comments objectively & the addiction doesn't mean we don't find pros & cons.

1. Cindy's Photo Op - Yes, this is exactly where the lady posted, just past Small World. Our experience is that it is not always Cindy. I want to even say that early during a party we passed by & it was Cindy & then later the carriage was gone and it was changed to Snow White or another princess. However, when Cindy is there, the lines are very long. We do regret skipping this because we've never made it back to do & it is a rare photo op!

2. ADR's at 4:00 w/only a Party Ticket - Definately change the time to later! This past Dec for the Christmas Party, we had regular Park Hopper Tickets & Party tickets so we were not worried that our ADRs were at 4:20 @ CP in MK. To our disadvantage, however, at 3:30 or so, there are Party people lined up waiting to get in, & I don't blame them, but the entry to the park lines are completely shut down for a while around 3:45-4:00. There is no getting in at all even if you have a regular ticket, you still had to get in line with all the Party goers & wait. I went to a cast member & explained that we had Regular Ticket & also ADRs & needed to get in quick, but we were told there was absolutely no entrance for anyone while they were getting ready to switch over to party mode & we had to wait the same as everyone else. I don't know if this turned out to be a glitch in the system that day or what, but the lesson learned here was to expect delays on entrance at 4:00 for anyone & not schedule any ADRs near 4:00 again (speaking of Party days only). Cast members helped us work out the problem & hold our reservations at CP, but it was still nerve racking at the moment!

3. Follow Len's Tourning Plan!!! Like the guys mentioned, plan ahead for what you want to do & experience that night, look on line for maps & schedules or find them in the park ahead of time. Don't wait until you get in the MK for the party to decide or you will waste your precious 5 hours! For us, a perfect mix is getting to see those rare characters & photo ops, seeing the big show in front of the castle, the parade, Hallowishes, a story book reading or other performance if possible, then off to treats & rides. We narrow down what we want to accomplish that night & then follow Len's Tourning Plan recommendations for when to experience them. We have to disagree with some of the arguements that you are wasting your money if you spend time on the rides because it is a priceless experience for us to be able to ride Buzz Lightyear, Splash Mountain, etc. over & over with no lines. The 5 of us are giggling & racing from the time we are off the ride to rush back through the turnstiles to ride it again! I do agree that treating & rides should be put off till later in the night though, because the crowds go way down & they give out much more treats at the end of the night.

4. Is it worth it?? HECK, YEAH! Well for us, again you have to decide for your own family... Is it worth it for a 4 yr old? I would wait another year or two if I could to experience just so they will enjoy it the most & remember it more. However, our youngest was 3 in '07 & he still remembers it as a blast! He was up until 1:00 that night & going at it full steam! Be sure to dress up in comfortable costumes that are layered for the unpredictable Fall weather & skip any "froo-froo" princess or costume shoes and stick with your sneakers. Your kids feet will still ache just as much even though it's just 5 hours. Consider getting the kids hair tricked out at the Castle or the Barber shop. It really makes things festive & fun for the kids!

5. Do arrive early between 4 & 5 if possible! Don't wait until 7 to arrive! And last but not least, shut the park down that night! There is nothing like walking through the park all dreamy eyed with hardly anyone around but you and your family! When else would you be able to stand in front of the castle with no one blocking your view??? It's worth the price of admission alone!

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Authored by: TiggerRay on Saturday, September 05 2009 @ 02:51 PM CDT

Mike...

Notice Matt said the shows were "...the best sounding of the ones he's done..." not the ones you've done.

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Authored by: emilyrose0507 on Saturday, September 05 2009 @ 09:54 PM CDT

you can see Cinderella's coach at MNSS you can have your pic's taken by it. look at allears page you can see what I mean. just thought I would let you know..

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Authored by: LenYJr on Wednesday, September 09 2009 @ 08:41 PM CDT

I'll be going for the first time this year, so this is very well timed for me.

And the only costume that's come to mind is dressing up in a white sweatshirt & Mickey ears and going as "Mooseketeer" Roy since we are of similar shape.

I'm really looking forward to it.

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Authored by: bfcalhoun57 on Wednesday, September 23 2009 @ 09:41 AM CDT

I'm trying to avoid excessive crowds, and I wanted to make sure I understand what y'all said about crowds. I think it was Mike Scopa who said that the passholder discounted nights are less crowded, especially if they are on weeknights - Tuesdays instead of Fridays. Tuesdays being less crowded makes sense, but discounted nights? I'd think the fact that they are discounted would almost cancel out the advantage of being on a weeknight. Could someone weigh in on this please?

Anyone? Anyone?

Thanks!

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Authored by: bfcalhoun57 on Wednesday, September 23 2009 @ 09:47 AM CDT

...And one more thing: What's all this special merchandise I hear about? During regular hours, they have all kinds of cool Disney Halloween stuff. Could someone tell me what kind of special merchandise they sell only during the party? I'd be much obliged.

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