Planning Parks on a Party Day

[WDWFan2018]

How do you plan your party day? Do you take the morning off and then head to the party later in the day? Do you plan on going to MK in the morning and just spending the whole day there? Do you go to another park and then to MK for the party? My kids are 7 and 4 and I'm trying to find the best way to do the MNSSHP. Our 180 ADR window is coming up and I'm trying to decide where I will be on what day. We are staying at POFQ.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My kids are 7 and 4 and I'm trying to find the best way to do the MNSSHP.

Don't. That's a very very bad idea IMO, unless it's the very last day of your trip and you have a late flight. Keeping a 4 year old up that late can absolutely destroy the rest of your trip. He or she will never be able to catch up on sleep.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I never take a day off. I want to do something all the time that I'm at WDW. So we go to a different park for the morning hours and then hit the event as soon as it starts. But with your younger kids, you know how well they can hold up... you might want to do it differently so they can last longer through the event hours. Our DS was able to handle long hours without fading. Planning an easier, quieter morning at the resort or do mini golf or something else. Are you doing costumes? Its a great event with lots to do and although its gotten more popular and busier over the years, you still get a lot of riding time. POFQ is also our favorite resort.

 

[WDWFan2018]

Don't. That's a very very bad idea IMO, unless it's the very last day of your trip and you have a late flight. Keeping a 4 year old up that late can absolutely destroy the rest of your trip. He or she will never be able to catch up on sleep.

We'll have a stroller, so I assume at some point he'll nap. If we take the morning off, he won't nap during the day and will probably nap after dinner some time. If we go to a different park in the morning, he might nap at the resort if we go back there before the event. I'm just not sure how we should do it. We'll probably never go at that time of year again, so it might be our only opportunity to do the parties. We normally go in February.

 

[WDWFan2018]

I never take a day off. I want to do something all the time that I'm at WDW. So we go to a different park for the morning hours and then hit the event as soon as it starts. But with your younger kids, you know how well they can hold up... you might want to do it differently so they can last longer through the event hours. Our DS was able to handle long hours without fading. Planning an easier, quieter morning at the resort or do mini golf or something else. Are you doing costumes? Its a great event with lots to do and although its gotten more popular and busier over the years, you still get a lot of riding time. POFQ is also our favorite resort.

Yes, we'll do costumes. I already have 2 days off planned during the trip. We'll go to the parks for 4 days and take 2 off to do the pool and DS and have a more relaxing day. That's "relaxing" by Disney standards haha. But I could always move stuff around.

 

[macefamily]

We always make a point to check the 'crowd calendar.' Sometimes it's spot on, other times I wonder. We compare undercovertourist.com and orlandoinformer.com. We schedule what parks to visit on what days.

 

[Gillyanne]

Our family (even w/ APs so "using" another ticket doesn't really matter) will do the morning "off" and then hit the park at the 4pm "allowance" for the Party tickets. This will still allow (usually) some FP used in the 4-6 window, and the "extra" hour of transition between regular park hours and party hours. While the little may not nap, they usually are at least rested vs running around (or letting them run around the playground or pool to tucker them out that they can't help but nap while everyone else gets ready) so they weren't exhausted for the party.

 

[LAKid53]

I'd do something low key the morning of...hang around the resort or putt putt golf. Get a good nap in late morning/early afternoon. I wouldn't waste a park ticket that day since you can get in at 4PM with your party ticket. There are two showings of the parade, so if your kids are done after the fireworks, head back to your resort. If you think they can last until the party ends, do rides during the 1st parade time. Lots of people leave after the fireworks. Less crowded park.

Bring your own trick or treat bags - the plastic bags CMs hand out are small. CMs hand out a handful of good candy at every station. And don't care if you visit each one multiple times. Hint: go trick or treating just before the party ends at midnight, if you're still there. CMs will dump lots of candy in your bags.

We go every year. Love it.

 

[HoustonHorn]

We did an 8AM PPO Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique with our 3 year old (this was incredible - we were all done with the salon and pictures by 8:40 - much faster than a PPO BoG reservation), then we hit a bunch of rides and did CRT for lunch (so the daughter was all made up and dressed up to meet the princesses).

Then it was back to the hotel for a few hours of rest, before heading back to the park for the Christmas Party. This was also our last full day (the next day was a travel day, and my park warrior daughter was up early and ready to go, so she and I went back to MK for 8 rides while everyone else packed up - she is AMAZING!).

But I agree with the Captain above - if you're going to do a late night, let the next day be a slow one.

 

[NelleBelle]

Our first MNSSHP our youngest happened to be 4. I think to each their own on how late you let your kids stay up! Some kids do absolutely fine. Our DS just needed to have a nap that afternoon and to make sure he slept in the next day (and it didn't hurt that we were still on west coast time). I think we did a water park that morning (if you don't have the H2O & more tickets, hang out at the resort, go shopping at DS). We loved our times attending the party but alas, won't be doing it with our teens as they have said they don't want to miss school now that they're in high school (darn them--maybe a long weekend at DLRs Halloween Party)!

 

[NickPytlinski]

Chill for the morning, the kids 'may' get tired, the adults 'will'! lol

my wife loves the candy stations, shes a big kid at the halloween party.
so im always destroyed by fireworks time lol