MNSSHP??????

Hi

I am going to WDW in Oct 2014 and I have been looking around for information on MNSSHP but I just wondered what actually happens here I know there is a special parade and firework display but anything else? It just seems like a lot of money for not a great deal?!?!?!

Thanks
 

luv

Well-Known Member
It isn't cheap! Everyone has to decide for themselves if it is "worth it" or not. I no longer think thar MVMCP is worth the money, but, for me, MNSSHP is.

MNSSHP: luv's Not To Be Missed List... :D

(This is just my personal thing and not official in any way. Caveat emptor - and you didn't pay me, anyway, so you get what you get.;))

1. Headless Horseman - he rides before the parades and may be the highlight of the night. (Doesn't ride if the ground is wet and not safe for the horse.)

2. The Boo to You parade, which starts in Frontierland, goes to the hub and on down Main Street, is Disney's best parade, all year long. Try to get a good seat. By "good", I mean on the curb or at the rope. No one place is much better than any other, IMO. But it's more fun if you can see the Headless Horseman and parade stuff easily. Also, at the end, they hand out suckers to KIDS in the front, so a little extra bonus for your time and trouble invested in being up front and defending your spot. The 2012 parades were at 8:15 and 10:30.

3. Fireworks. The fireworks ("Hallowishes") themselves aren't all that amazing, but they're fun and the soundtrack is awesome.

4. The Haunted Mansion. The ride is the same, but there is a ghost who will chat with you as you enter the line and the staff are all decked out. Pretty cool.

5. The barbershop quartet. They're dressed for Halloween and sing Halloweeny songs. One of my favorite parts.

6. The Villains Mix n Mingle. The villains sing and dance on the castle stage, then come down for meet n greets. I don't go meet the Villains. If you want to do that, be up front and ready to book over to them when they come down. They don't stay long! But the show is good.

Trick-or-Treating - for kids and adults alike. They give you a small plastic bag when you enter. Wherever they hand out wristbands, they'll be handing out bags. They also sell a larger and more sturdy bag, if you want to get that. If your kid has a favorite pumpkin or something that they like to collect candy in, you can bring it. Lines get shorter later in the night. Sometimes there are candy trails - the one that begins in Fantasyland, back by Dumbo, and ends by Space Mountain is used more often than not...and it only runs one-way, so don't try to start it in Tomorrowland. Won't happen. :)

Meet & Greets - multiple character meet n greets (e.g. Seven Dwarfs! All together!) are set up around the park. My favorite is the one where you stand in a hitchhiking pose and they add the HM hitchhiking ghosts to it later. You can do M&Gs with characters wearing costumes, too. There are a bunch, but the lines do build, especially for the 7 Dwarfs. A lot of people start lining up for the dwarfs before the party begins.

Dance parties - for little kids (or anyone, really) - they're pretty loud, but the characters do a nice job with the kids. I generally avoid these, but the little kids are very cute, dancing with the characters.

Souvenirs - party-specific stuff to buy, if you want something from the event, like a pin or whatever. People have posted that they run out of T-shirts early in the evening, so if you want one, you might want to get there early. (I personally think they are kind of ugly and wouldn't bother, but to each, his own. :)) There is no running out of pins! And no lack of selection on pins, either. If you like to buy pins, you can drop a bundle.

Tickets - MNSSHP is a "hard ticket" event. You will need a MNSSHP ticket to attend. (You do not need separate admission to the park.) The party is a park-wide event and your party ticket gives you access to all of it. I don't buy mine until the day of the party because I won't go in the rain. But if you put off buying a ticket until the day of the party, you risk having them sell out. It's a hard choice to make. Party dates and ticket prices can be found here: http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/mick...-scary-halloween-party-ticket-now-on-sale.htm

Wristbands - they'll give you one when you enter, if you enter around party time. Multiple places where you can pick one up if you've been in the park during the day - just give them your party ticket. You'll need to show your wristband periodically to the wristband police, who set up human blockades to prevent people who didn't pay for the party from being there. They even interrupted us while we were eating once and demanded to see our wristbands.

Maps - there are special park maps, just for the party. It lists the rides and places to eat that are open during the party, dance party and Trick-or-Treat locations...and has the all-important parade, villain show and fireworks times. They're cure, too. :) Pick one up! Whenever these maps come out, you will find the info here, so you can check it all out before you go, if you want. Last year's map: http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/mick...t-so-scary-halloween-party-guide-map-2012.htm

Weather - it can be very hot (especially September or early in October) and it can get cold (especially later in the month).

Costumes - No way to predict temps, so if you have costumes, try to make them adaptable to any temp. Because that's so easy, lol. ;) Adults can dress up, too (but it isn't required. Some do, some don't. Whatever you choose, you won't feel out of place.) Some people go all out on their costumes and some are very funny, so it's entertaining to see them all. Disney frowns upon and may not let you wear masks that will obscure your vision, so leave those out. It is the only time of year that adults can go to the parks in Disney character costumes and many do. I don't know what the rule is on what time you can enter the park with your costume on, but have seen people in costumes as early as four or five o'clock. You can get spooky with the costumes, but not too gory.

Although the party begins at 7:00, they usually allow people with just a party ticket into the MK around 4:00.

If you have an AP that gives you free parking, it doesn't cover MNSSHP. So, be sure to get through the toll plaza before 7:00. If you don't, be prepared to pony up the dough, flyboy! ($15)

If you all are into the horror part of Halloween, check out Halloween Horror Nights at Uni. Tons of fun...but not for children!

Have a great time!!!
 
Upvote 0

lunchbox1175

Well-Known Member
Pretty much everything she said, it is a fantastic event, and you can get a lot of great photos as well. Its great if you love characters, you will get to meet some that are not out often, and like she said, the dwarves line can get pretty long, so if that is what you want to do, get in line early for it, I believe we waited an hour and 15 minutes for it.
 
Upvote 0

Sharkreef11

Well-Known Member
We have been twice. Absolutely love this event. It has a lot of fun energy, music, and cool lighting. Most everyone (all ages) is dressed up and trick or treating throughout the park. The fireworks and parade are both great and not to be missed. Probably the biggest benefit is that the lines for rides are usually very short. In the two trips we went, I think the longest we waited in a line was 5 to no more than 10 minutes. One trip was in the middle of the month (Thursday 13th) and one was three days before Halloween (Sunday 28th). I recommend!
 
Upvote 0

mouselover321

Well-Known Member
It is defiantly worth the money! We have been twice, and we absolutely LOVE it! Like others have posted, I'm not a Halloween fan and love it.

We dress up like Disney Characters and there are tons of meet and greets all over the park! You can trick or treat around the park too, which we usually don't do that much. Then they have an amazing parade that has great music (we bought the soundtrack online). You need to get there early to get a spot! Then like you said they have fireworks show. They do a villains mix and mingle, which I thought was really cool.
MNSSHP is a must do..Have fun! :)
 
Upvote 0

MOXOMUMD

Well-Known Member
Nice post @luv. We go to MNSSHP every year on Halloween night and the day after. It is absolutely amazing. Just to add a few of my tips to the list.

Parade--We always find our parade spot at least 45 minutes before the stepoff. (Sorry, won't tell you where. I don't want to lose my favorite spot.:)) At the end when they pass out the suckers they usually come in waves before Pluto in his truck until after Goofy in his candy machine. This is good because a.) the sucker people do not stop to make sure every kid gets a sucker so if they missed you the first time you'll get another chance and b.) you'll get a chance for two or more suckers. The BEST way for your kids to get one (or more) is to have your T&T bag open so the suckers can be dropped right in.

WARNING--You will have the "Boo To You" song stuck in your head for most of the evening. :) I love when the party starts and they pipe in Halloween songs across the park. "This is Halloween, This is Halloween..."

Characters--Depending on who you want to meet, the lines can get long. I can't stress enough too if you want to meet the Seven Dwarfs be prepared to get in line early and wait. It's worth it though. If you are trying to meet a villain find out beforehand which side of the stage they will be coming from. These character moments last about fifteen minutes and your villain time will be quick.

Dance parties--These are actually a lot of fun to stop in for a song or two (or three) but I wouldn't waste a lot of my evening there. They aren't just for little kids as they do play Halloween songs like "Ghostbusters" and "Thriller" but also everything from the BeeGees to Black-Eyed Peas plus all the line dances like Macarena to Cotton-Eyed Joe. The outdoor party at Stitch's Club 626 is okay. It has Pluto, Goofy and Stitch dressed as astronauts. The dance party at The Diamond Horseshoe is the better one. It has Woody, Jessie and Bullseye. (Last year I got a 30 second slow dance to a Selena Gomez song with Woody because we were the first ones in the door, lol.) If you plan on skipping the dance parties at least go into the Diamond Horseshoe. There is a candy stop in there! You walk in, cross the little foyer, and it's at the exit.

QS Dining--I think everyone tries to eat after the first parade. We've done Cosmic Ray's AND Pecos Bill's and they both were quick with the food. The only drawbacks were Cosmic Ray's only has one ordering bay open and Pecos Bill's only has half of their seating area open. If you like to collect popcorn buckets, there are usually Ghost Mickey ones at the popcorn cart for around $12.

Wristbands--When you enter the park there will be lines for MNSSHP attendees only that will lead to the wristbands. Two tips, 1. don't let them put it on too tight because they do make you sweaty and 2. don't let them put the little one's on too loose. Last year we needed to get a new one because it kept slipping off my daughter's wrist and they are not adjustable. If you happen to have spent the earlier part of the day at MK, just go to the front entrance or to Stitch's Great Escape in Tomorrowland and they will scan your ticket and give you a wristband.

Decorations--The park is decked out for Halloween but make sure to check out the carved pumpkins along Main Street. Many of them are carved to resemble whatever they are near such as Casey's has a hot dog and baseball.

Costumes--This is one of the top reasons to do MNSSHP. Many kids AND adults dress in costume. On Halloween night I would say 80% of the park had something Halloween on. You CAN enter the park at 4:00 in costume. We've caught a 3:30 bus from our resort to MK and everyone on it was in costume. The only rules WDW has about adults dressing up is no masks or bulky props and if you are dressing as a Disney character (for example a princess) you are not allowed to sign autographs or pose for pictures.

Trick or Treating--The best reason to come to MNSSHP. The variery of candy given has been quite different through the years but it is all good. You'll get things from Reese's cups to Skittles to Mary Janes and almost everything in between. They also pass out raisins as a healthy alternative. In 2011 they gave out Toy Story gummy snacks and last year they gave out bananas. As you enter the park you will be given a "small" treat bag. This will fill fast but you can bring your own T&T bag or they have extras at the candy stops. The candy stops are marked by a lighted fixture. Some years have been a Mickey ghost and some years have been a MNSSHP balloon. There are also "treat trails" (Splash Mountain is one) where you can get candy at four spots in one location. You CAN go to any candy stop more than once. (We do Splash twice.:)) Sometimes they will pass out candy at MK's exit gates. The last two years they were using a large ice scoop to top everyone's bag with generic foil Halloween chocolates.

Last tip--Locker rental--If you don't want to dress in costume until the party, rent a locker to hold everything. It is worth it. Also since the candy gets heavy we stop each time we are at tne front of the park and dump it into a backpack so we have an empty bag to continue with. Do expect to wait in line at end of the night to return your key and get your deposit as this is a popular idea.

Thanks for reading. Can you tell we love MNSSHP.
 
Upvote 0

Susan Savia

Well-Known Member
We went for the first time last year and had a great time! We hope to do it again possibly next year. It's very crowded, hot and long lines if your wanting autographs. We loved the fireworks. Bring your own bag for trick or treating. We used one similar to a grocery tote. Loved the special merchandise out just for the party.
 
Upvote 0

GoochDSA

Well-Known Member
...WARNING--You will have the "Boo To You" song stuck in your head for most of the evening. :) I love when the party starts and they pipe in Halloween songs across the park. "This is Halloween, This is Halloween..."...

What do you mean "most of the evening"? We went to our first party back in 2011 and I still have that song stuck in my head. I have literally woken up in the morning and the first thing I think is "Boo to you and you and you and you... Happy Halloween". Even though it has taken some of my sanity, the Boo-To-You Parade is the best parade on property, IMO, and no video does it much justice.
 
Upvote 0

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
What do you mean "most of the evening"? We went to our first party back in 2011 and I still have that song stuck in my head. I have literally woken up in the morning and the first thing I think is "Boo to you and you and you and you... Happy Halloween". Even though it has taken some of my sanity, the Boo-To-You Parade is the best parade on property, IMO, and no video does it much justice.

I'm actually using the music to surprise my girls in Sept. I already have it stuck in my head...they caught me humming it at bath time last night. :D
 
Upvote 0

Lisalyn

Well-Known Member
I've done MNSSHP and MVMCP.

I was extremely impressed with MNSSHP and HalloWishes!!! So much more than the Christmas party. The Christmas party was fun but I found the parade kinda blah and the images on Cinderella's Castle like a frog kept regurgitating (sorry! :D) They were ALLLL over the place and very erratic. I love Christmas and everything Disney Christmas but the party was only so so for me. On the plus side it "snowed", I got my special T shirt and Pin only sold at special events, and had a great time with my Disney BFF. I did it the one time but probably won't do it again. My motto is try everything at least once.

MNSSHP hands down - loved it! The headless horseman is quite awesome but don't blink..he (she?) is quick! The parade is so fun and the song although quite repetitive...you can see everyone sing along and bounce up and down. Kinda silly but hysterical! LOVED the fireworks display more than any of the others, kids trick or treating....everyone dressing up. Not a huge Halloween fan but the overall experience wiped me out. On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being the best...a 10 for sure! Also the decorations...holy cow can Disney do it right! Love the pumpkin Mickey heads on the lamp posts...the orange and red hues up and down Main Street. I could go on and on but you catch my drift.
 
Upvote 0

smk

Well-Known Member
What do you mean "most of the evening"? We went to our first party back in 2011 and I still have that song stuck in my head. I have literally woken up in the morning and the first thing I think is "Boo to you and you and you and you... Happy Halloween". Even though it has taken some of my sanity, the Boo-To-You Parade is the best parade on property, IMO, and no video does it much justice.
I am singing it right now! Love the MNSSHP!!!
 
Upvote 0

smk

Well-Known Member
I've done MNSSHP and MVMCP.

I was extremely impressed with MNSSHP and HalloWishes!!! So much more than the Christmas party. The Christmas party was fun but I found the parade kinda blah and the images on Cinderella's Castle like a frog kept regurgitating (sorry! :D) They were ALLLL over the place and very erratic. I love Christmas and everything Disney Christmas but the party was only so so for me. On the plus side it "snowed", I got my special T shirt and Pin only sold at special events, and had a great time with my Disney BFF. I did it the one time but probably won't do it again. My motto is try everything at least once.

MNSSHP hands down - loved it! The headless horseman is quite awesome but don't blink..he (she?) is quick! The parade is so fun and the song although quite repetitive...you can see everyone sing along and bounce up and down. Kinda silly but hysterical! LOVED the fireworks display more than any of the others, kids trick or treating....everyone dressing up. Not a huge Halloween fan but the overall experience wiped me out. On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being the best...a 10 for sure! Also the decorations...holy cow can Disney do it right! Love the pumpkin Mickey heads on the lamp posts...the orange and red hues up and down Main Street. I could go on and on but you catch my drift.
The headless horseman does slow down on the bridge in Liberty Square just before the hub, he does walk around the hub too. Good spot to scope out if you want a good picture of him. It is a popular spot, so get there well before the parade. Also, plenty of people will say the second parade is less crowded, I have not found that to be the case on the evening we go in September. Both parade times are usually packed. We always go twice a trip we love it so much!
 
Upvote 0

jkl2000

Well-Known Member
One thing (among others) that's keeps me from committing to the idea of going to MNSSHP is all that candy! We're already going to be subsisting on amusement park food for a week - do my kids really need to fortify it with bags of halloween candy? But it does sound like fun, so we'll probably go...
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom