Since 2009, we have consistently visited Walt Disney World in either September or October. And every year we consider attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party...and we always talk ourselves out of it. For one thing, I am extremely frugal and this hard-ticketed event goes for about $65 a pop (for approximately 8 hours of time in the Magic Kingdom, since guests are typically admitted into the park by 4 and the party lasts until midnight). For another, our children are just now getting to the point where they can stay up until midnight without getting whiney or grumpy--and you know if we pay for the party, we're staying until midnight! Finally, we had never been able to come up with just the right costumes for our predominantly-female family. Until now.
My husband has a very narrow field of costumes that he would consider wearing--and they mostly consist of Super Heroes or Star Wars characters. We desperately tried to talk him into LaLaLoopsy dolls last year, but that was a lost cause. Then it came to me...Oz! His costume would be rather normal--a tuxedo--and ours could still be fun and elaborate. Everybody wins! We were rather frugal with our costumes too. Some pieces came from our own closets, many were purchased second hand, and a we even made a few things. My best find was the 99-cent Tuxedo jacket for my husband at Good Will--score!
My parents were with us at the party too, and they dressed as Miss Kay and Phil from Duck Dynasty. It took a little convincing for my dad, although camouflage is pretty central to his wardrobe anyhow. Since he didn't want to wear a beard in the Florida heat (or, well, anywhere), he used this paper fan--perfect, right? For my mom, all that was needed was an apron.
We arrived at the Magic Kingdom around 4:00 p.m., when guests are typically admitted into the park. The party officially starts at 7:00, and that's when they begin ushering other guests out. Since we had a 3-hour window before the party technically started, I was able to schedule 3 Fastpass+ attractions for our Magic Bands in that time. So, basically, we had to head immediately toward the Fairytale Princess Hall upon our arrival.
After visiting with Cinderella and Aurora, we did Enchanted Tales with Belle. Both my husband and youngest daughter got to play roles in that one--fun! [An aside: one small way they've improved this attraction over Storytime with Belle is that now any child that would like a part can have one. They have plenty of "minor" character cut-outs so everyone can participate.]
Our final FP+ was for Under the Sea/Journey of the Little Mermaid. In addition, I think we were able to ride Dumbo, check out Belle's village (including Gaston's Tavern), and visit the Haunted Mansion before the party started in earnest. One of the highlights of the Haunted Mansion is seeing the CMs in ghoulish makeup. Even better, we were entertained by Madame Renata as she engaged guests outside the mansion.
Once the party started, we decided to do a bit of Trick-or-Treating along the way. I have to admit, this was one area of disappointment for me. I expected there to be CMs on every corner handing out treats, and that wasn't the case. Yes, there were a few "big" trails that had more than one stop, but those were few and far between. And some of the T-or-T areas were so far off the beaten path that it was rather inconvenient to search for them. Even after searching a few out, we all left the MK with less than half a bag of candy each. And by the time we weeded out what we wouldn't eat, it was less-than-impressive.
The highlight of the evening for me was the Boo to You Parade. The Headless Horseman signals guests to the parades arrival--yes, a real live horse with his rider! You'll see both familiar and exotic characters in this parade. It is certainly the most unique Disney parade, if not the best. There were grave diggers--complete with shovels that sparked on the pavement. And zombie dancers, just as those in the ballroom at the Haunted Mansion. We even caught a glimpse of the Hitchhiking Ghosts. And the catchy tune that accompanies them all will be stuck in your head for days! We liked this parade so much that we came back for the second viewing!
Another fun thing about MNSSHP is that you see characters that aren't typically available on a regular basis. While we aren't usually willing to wait in the long lines for some of these, we did manage to see a couple. Tarzan and Terk had almost no line, so we snagged a photo. While the Seven Dwarfs had a tremendous line (guests started lining up at 4:00 p.m.--I'm not even kidding!), there was absolutely no one in line when we dropped in just before midnight! Lucky us!
Additional activities for the night included character dance parties, a Villains castle show, and a seasonal castle projection show and fireworks. Honestly, we barely saw/did these things, as we were intent on seeing the parade, trick-or-treating, and riding a few attractions. My one regret is that we missed a full viewing of the Villains Dance Mix & Mingle--we just lost track of time. But, all-in-all, we enjoyed the party. Would we do it again? Probably not anytime soon. But it's definitely worth checking out at least once.
