questions about upcoming trip

[Okeena]

My wife and I our going to Disney World in October for 9 days. I've been there many times but she has never been before. We have been discussing wheather or not to attend the Mickeys not so very scary halloween thing. Is it something worth attending if you do not have any kids, and do you have to dress up to attend? If we did go neither one of us is to keen on the idea of dressing up to go but are interested in going. I want this trip to be something fun and special for her since it is her first time but I don't want to waste money on something that is not worth it.
Also has anyone ever stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside before? Is it a nice place? I've never stayed on property always found Disney's resorts to be to expensive and not really worth the money you are paying for it compared to what you can get at a non disney hotel or motel like the Hampton Inn etc. Any ideas you can give to make this trip great for her i would greatly appreciate it. I love going down to WDW and i want her to enjoy it too. thanks for the help guys

 

[SpongeScott]

I've never been to Mickey's Halloween Party before, but I've never heard anything negative about it--go and have a great time! And no, you do not have to dress up for it.

I have stayed at POR before and we loved it! You will not be disappointed. It's worth the extra money to me to stay on property--it just adds to the magic of the trip. Do some searches on Riverside to find our specifics about the property.

And welcome to the boards! What part of Tennessee are you from?

 

[VILLAINSRULE]

It is well worth the money to go to the Not So Scary Halloween event!! You both will LOVE it! October is the perfect Disney trip time! And staying on the property makes it even more perfect, no hassles with driving and parking, so convenient---you dont have to leave the magic at the gate!!

 

[jcamacam]

Definitely go!

We went to MNSSHP in October 1999...and we did not dress up and we had a great time. It was a lot of fun looking at everyone else who WAS dressed up too - there was one family who was dressed as all different characters from Toy Story - right down to Bo Peep!

Go and have a great time!

 

[careship]

I am going this Oct. to the Halloween Party for the very first time. I had many of the same questions and everyone convinced we had to go. There are 4 kids 12 and under, 4 parents and a 17 yr old boy going on this trip and we all cannot wait to go. They said dressing up is optional and everyone can trick or treat no matter the age. They told us you can't miss the parade and decorations for this. So, join me and try it out, we have our tickets bought already.

 

[Chernabog2512]

We went to MNSSHP last year on a Sunday, the day I reccomend,
and my two year old loved it. We dressed him in a Mickey costume. He got candy from all over the park. The parade is cute, I suggest going to the second one. The fireworks are the best firework show I have seen at MK. I think everyone should go to it, with or without kids.

 

[Lovecraft]

My wife and I took our little neice to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in 2003 and I have to tell you I had a blast, I felt it was definitly worth the 20 or so dollars to attend just to see the nighttime theming for Halloween and the parade. While the event is geared toward children with trick or treating and face painting etc. Many of the rides that adults enjoy are open as well.

Go, you will enjoy it -- especially if you have been to the magic kingdom many times before -- the change of scenery and theming will be refreshing for you... plus, there is something extra magical about riding the Haunted Mansion at the Halloween Party that just makes halloween even more fun

Lovecraft

 

[MagicWows]

I just wanted to let you know, that my family and I have been going to disney for a long time. And each time we spend the night, we stay at Riverside (at LEAST 6 or 7 or so times). And in my opinion, it is the best choice. :slurp:

 

[burbur]

i went to the halloween thing in fall of 2001. had an amazing time. the parade is amazing and you will love it. i went with a bunh of 20 year-olds and we had a great time overall. they do perimeter fireworks, which is a rare thing lately. and all the characters do meet-and-greets dressed up in costumes. for example, chip & dale are ghosts and mickey is a cowboy. so it's kinda something you'll only see once.

additionally, you get mad amounts of candy. and i'm talking MAD amounts. i think we loaded up two backpacks full. of course, we were CPs and all out CP friends were working, so we had some help in that department. additionally, all the major attractions are open. and they limit attendance to a certain level, keeping the park sort of empty and the wait times super low.

so, in summary, go for it.

 

[miles1]

We went to the party in October 2001 too, with a 1 year old and a 7 year old. It was a blast for all of us, at least early on. The parade is fun and they make the overall atmosphere very festive. The attendance is limited, to the point that Space Mountain was a walk-on, no wait situation. Definitely worth the extra money.

My recommendation is to hang out and relax early in the day at your hotel or elsewhere. We tried to go all day in the parks, then go back for the party. By the end of the night all of us, including the adults, were pretty wilted. Better to rest up and enjoy yourself later in the evening, when its a little cooler.

Have a good time!

 

[Bagheera]

Originally posted by Lovecraft My wife and I took our little neice to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in 2003

Look, everybody! Lovecraft's a time traveller!!!

 

[Timekeeper]

halloween

While you're in the area, you may want to check out the infamous Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Orlando. Just a suggestion if you enjoy that type of stuff.

Tk

 

[Lovecraft]

Originally posted by Bagheera
Look, everybody! Lovecraft's a time traveller!!!

heh heh I meant 2002 Last year...

*makes note to himself: The large cat knows too much about secret time travel experiments.. must deal with this soon*

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Originally posted by Okeena
I've never stayed on property always found Disney's resorts to be to expensive and not really worth the money you are paying for it compared to what you can get at a non disney hotel or motel like the Hampton Inn etc.

whoa! obviously you've never stayed on property! i can promise you, you'll never want to stay off property again once you stay at a Disney resort!
our first trip, we stayed off property in Kissimee. our second trip, we stayed at Caribbean Beach, and swore we'd never stay off property again. a decade later, we've not only stuck to our promise, but we loved the Disney Resorts so much, we bought into the Vacation Club. and let me tell you, we've never regreted spending the extra money. it's SO worth it!
and i'll tell you something else....we've stayed at 9 or more Disney resorts, and Dixie Landings (aka Port Orleans Riverside) is by far my favorite! the gardens at the plantation complexes are gorgeous! but my favorite complex is Aligator Bayou with the 'swamps' and Spanish moss hanging here and there...it's just lovely! and the food court is simply the best on property, in my opinion!
of course, like everything else in Disney World, the themeing at the resorts is top notch, so of course you're going to pay a little bit extra for that....but it's worth it to be completely surrounded by Disney magic, even when you go 'home' at the end of a long day in the parks. but what you're really paying for (and this is the best part) is the transportation. and i'm sure being someone who has been to the parks many times, you already know about all this, but just to remind you....as long as you go within the limits of Disney property, you never have to touch your car! you can always find a way to get from one place to another while staying at Disney. and i can't tell you how much of a relief it is to let the bus drivers fool with the traffic after parades and fireworks and such...you may have to wait in a long line for the bus, you may even have to stand on the bus, but you won't have the headache of having to remember where you parked the car, and having to get out of the parking lot with everyone else...not to mention getting lost (after 15 trips, we still have a tendancy of getting lost at times...thanks to mom not paying attention to the signs :hammer: ) anyway, if you've never experienced staying at a Disney resort, the price may seem a little steep. but after you see how much easier it is to get around, you won't regret it!
have a wonderful, safe, and magical trip! and i'm sure it will be a trip to remember, not only for your wife, but you as well! :wave:

 

[tigsmom]

There is being a guest of Disney and being a GUEST of Disney(staying on property). It may cost more, but it's also worth more...the biggest is the transportation. Not having to fight the crowds is worth it (esp with little kids). IMHO the magic of Disney starts when you check into one of the Resorts.

And as the security guard said when we returned to the WL after dinner at the Contemp "Welcome home!":sohappy:

 

[careship]

I've been staying on Disney property since Fort Wilderness opened. We stayed off property once about 6 years ago. I was miserable. It was a nice hotel alot of things to do, but I missed the magic of staying on property. I missed Mousekeeping. I missed the bus drivers. I missed the greatest pools. I missed everything about it all the way down to the little Mickey soaps. And believe it or not, I haven't stayed in any deluxe resorts. All-Stars have become our home away from home. I wasn't thrilled with Coronado, although it was wonderful. I liked Dixie Landings (at the time it was still that). The CBR was just so big, but fun. I prefer All-Stars and if I ever get a motorhome, I'll go back to Fort WIlderness and that'll be that.

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

careship, i'd like to reply to your post....as i mentioned before, i've stayed at 9 Disney Resorts; AS Music, AS Movies, AS Sports, PO Riverside, Caribbean Beach, Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas, Wilderness Lodge Villas, and Old Key West. the deluxe resorts are absolutely beautiful and wonderful, and i've never seen anything like them anywhere....but, there's just something about those value and moderate resorts that the deluxe just don't have. ever since we bought into the DVC a couple of years ago, we haven't been able to stay in the moderate resorts because it costs too many points...and the value resorts aren't even available to DVC members unless we want to pay for it ourselves. i can't tell you how much i miss staying in the less expensive resorts. there's just something about the hustle and bustle of the food courts in the morning that gets me pumped up for the rest of the day. that's the worst part about the deluxe...no food courts. don't get me wrong, the deluxes are really nice and i'm glad i have the oppurtunity to stay in them, but i have to agree with you...i prefer the values and moderates.

 

[careship]

Originally posted by Dizknee_Phreek
careship, i'd like to reply to your post....as i mentioned before, i've stayed at 9 Disney Resorts; AS Music, AS Movies, AS Sports, PO Riverside, Caribbean Beach, Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas, Wilderness Lodge Villas, and Old Key West. the deluxe resorts are absolutely beautiful and wonderful, and i've never seen anything like them anywhere....but, there's just something about those value and moderate resorts that the deluxe just don't have. ever since we bought into the DVC a couple of years ago, we haven't been able to stay in the moderate resorts because it costs too many points...and the value resorts aren't even available to DVC members unless we want to pay for it ourselves. i can't tell you how much i miss staying in the less expensive resorts. there's just something about the hustle and bustle of the food courts in the morning that gets me pumped up for the rest of the day. that's the worst part about the deluxe...no food courts. don't get me wrong, the deluxes are really nice and i'm glad i have the oppurtunity to stay in them, but i have to agree with you...i prefer the values and moderates.

There really is something about them. I don't know what it is. I couldn't explain it in a million years. We stayed with my Aunt in Old Key West...she's a DVC member, I still just love the others. We got bumped into a treehouse long ago at the Institute, and they were amazing in their own special way, but I wouldn't have stayed there again. I like the fun of the All-Stars and my kids enjoy them.