First time for Halloween?

[Metilinos]

Hey guys, I'll give a tl;dr at the end for anyone who chooses to scroll right past the wall of text (can't say I blame you..)

Going during Columbus Day weekend, October 10th, through the 13th. Started a new job and it's been hectic getting time off (six days a week, ten hours a day..) but we managed this holiday weekend.

Flying out of Manchester, NH to MCO, 6-9:10ish, flight back 7-9:10ish. I don't remember the exact flight times, and they aren't that important to me :|

Anyway, we have tickets for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on that Friday and I was wondering what you guys suggest for first timers? Any recommendations on dressing up? Nothing too heavy to wear? Can you get on some rides to avoid wait times? I don't really find the idea of meet'n'greets with some of the villians too thrilling (probably catch Hook if we can find him) so we'll probably see the parade and ride stuff if possible. Treat trails or something to collect candy, what's the best way about going that?

Just got a dining reservation for Be Our Guest! 6pm Saturday (took weeks of checking several times a day..) but we got one. Really excited. What do you guys like and was it worth it?

Tl;dr, What's your best advice for a first time at MNSSHP?

 

[JIMINYCR]

My first time was last MNSSHP. I followed advice/tips given ..you can find the thread on WDW Magic. Yes dress up. It was worth it. What a great time. I didnt see very many guests not dressed in costume. Some were very unique and took lots of work, others you could tell were thrown together that day. I was advised to dress in something that wasnt too heavy or hot. Glad I did cause it got warm and if my costume was hot I wouldnt have lasted the night. Lots to do & opportunities to do rides.
They do hand out small trick or treat bags but you should bring your own if you want to collect a lot. There are maps to show where candy is given out. The castle show & fireworks are absolutely fantastic. There are many photo ops w/ characters. The MNSSHP was one memorable event which I will try to attend again in the future.

Very worth it..BOG ...French Onion soup, Shrimp & Scallops & grey stuff were my choices... everything was superb. It was recommended to me to ask for the West Wing... It was imo the best atmosphere.

 

[disney4life2008]

Halloween is a time I would love to be in the Orlando area both for Mickey's party and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal. But my schedule is always busy and takes me to the west coast during the time period. Listen to the people on here - they know what they are talking about especially for the parties Have a great time

 

[Metilinos]

Haha thanks. A supervisor "blessed me" with some time off around then so I could go. We just added an extra day yesterday so we will actually leave on a Tuesday!

 

[belledream]

Dressing up definitely doesn't have to be a weather/ride-unfriendly, all-out affair! Tshirt costumes, hats/ears, etc will do the trick - there's a lot of cool photo opps that costumes will enhance the Halloween spirit!

We weren't too crazy about waiting in line for M&Gs either, but we definitely didn't miss Hallowishes or Boo-To-You Parade. As for the candy, hit the trails towards the end of the night. For us, there was no line and the CMs were giving out significantly larger piles of candy.

 

[Chernaboggles]

My CM pal gave us this advice: don't focus on the rides at the party, because the rides are always there. Focus on all the special Halloween stuff, because that's what you paid extra to do, (and because it's great).

We're going to dress up, but our costumes will be relatively low-key (we're big Once Upon a Time fans here, so we're going with a Storybrooke theme) and will work with jackets in case it's chilly or wet.

 

[Metilinos]

Yeah my girlfriend LOVES that show (and Hook. All she ever talks about is Killian Jones [dunno the actors name, I've seen few episodes]).

Thanks. I doubt we will do a lot of the meet and greets either. Especially with it being closer towards Halloween and the holiday weekend I'm sure it will be a long wait.

Definitely hit the treat trails later on then. We will stay as late as they're open probably :3

What other special Halloween-esque stuff is going on besides the parade and M&G stuff?

 

[Disney Shib]

Halloween in the parks is awesome. We've gone to MNSSHP three times and just bought tickets for this October as well. Being from New England myself the one piece of advice I can honest give you is to keep the costume cool. We are so used to the weather in MA being freezing around halloween that twice I made costumes under the impression is would be colder there as well. WRONG. I sweat my butt off. Do yourself a favor and keep it simple and cool. It's warm at night in October. Not the 35 degrees we experience in New England lol.

 

[DVCPluto]

We're thinking of going in Sept 2015... Not sure I can wait that long with all these good reviews!

 

[Metilinos]

Ha, I remember the past couple years we had some snow during Halloween. Last year I believe it was postponed due to the ice conditions. Good old New England.

 

[JillC LI]

Best tips for MNSSHP?
- Arrive at 4pm because they will let you in then even though your ticket says the party starts at 7pm.
- Wear costumes - it's fun.
- See the start of whichever parade you attend so you can see the Headleses Horseman ride.
- If you're interested, take a "special" photo outside the Haunted Mansion.