"Official" 2018 Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party - A Spooktacular Celebration!

[NLW814]

This was our first MNSSHP. I am not a parade person, and I have to say that this parade was amazingly well done. The gravediggers stole the show; their routine was awesome! As first timers at this event, we were a little disoriented, and we thought the crowd level was very high.
Some of the candy lines were very long, and we had to skip some of them. The biggest disappointment of the event; the super long lines for the characters. Sadly, we did not have the ability to stand for over an hour for photos so we had to bypass every character. The 7 Dwarfs were hidden away in a tent, so we couldn't even see them. I feel strongly that due to the crowd levels, FP+ was needed especially for the characters. DGS has a DAS and cannot wait very long in lines so this became a problem last night.
We spent a good deal of time waiting in lines last night, even to buy the Halloween merchandise. Way too much waiting for a ticketed event. I don't know; maybe they oversold. We loved the parade and Hallowishes, but not overly impressed with much else.

I agree completely with everything you said here!

 

[jmoney4080]

did anyone do Disney Junior dance Party? Was Vamparina there?

 

[gerryrobinson]

did anyone do Disney Junior dance Party? Was Vamparina there?

Someone said no Vamparina

 

[SDSorority]

I want to see trick or treat haul pics! Any special stops with different candy? Anyone do the allergy candy trick or treat?

I second this- just wondering if the allergy offerings are the same as last year! I have seen ZERO posts about it so far on any YouTube video, Instagram, Blog, Google Photo..... nada!


***UPDATED A FEW POSTS DOWN! I FOUND A PHOTO!!***

 

[Tonyz]

More

Great pics! Couple questions: What’s the dessert next to the poison apple cupcakes on the left? What did the chocolate bark taste like? And what is the thing on the left of the Worms and Dirt?

The spread for this dessert party actually looks fantastic. The desserts look good and there’s a lot of them, and cheeseburger spring roles, cheese and crackers, and dip are nice savory selections. If I didn’t have to buy a ticket for the Halloween party I think I’d go to this!

 

[mousefan73]

guys we are on the bench if we do this or not this year... We have two options.. Aug. 28th which is a tues.. or Sept. 7th a Friday...... which one will be significant less crowds? I would think the tuesday, right? We are waiting last minute too if we do this to buy tix as weather is always an issue.

28th aug or 07 Sept?

 

[chicagoshannon]

I read that the GO GO Squeeze was at the Tom Sawyer dock treat station. Also read that Vamparina will not be at the dance party until October 1.

 

[mamapenguin]

Amazing!

"Hey, we haven't changed much at MNSSHP for quite awhile - let's do a SM overlay! They love it at DL."
"Sounds great! We can market that and get a lot of people back that stopped with the parties when we increased the price but added nothing."
"Hey, I got it! Let's pipe in some new music to our cheesy speakers we clamped onto the coaster frame work. And then turn out the lights!"
"Sounds great! New marketing, more guests, save money on electricity!"
"Done! Awesome ideas everyone."

Not everyone loves ghost galaxy. Dark will be just fine for Space. I do wish they would do the Holiday Haunted Mansion overlay that DLR does.

 

[jmoney4080]

Someone said no Vamparina

devastating

 

[SDSorority]

Just spotted these awesome allergy-free options! They're really (REALLY) stepping up their game this year!!!! Between my husband and myself, we are gluten/grain/dairy/soy/legume/nut/seed/nightshade free, and I see GOGO SQUEEZE, which my husband and I BOTH can have, and the Enjoy Life Morsels which I can have in moderation, as well as non-food craft kits! YAY! https://www.websta.one/media/Bmn4n1tAnmp

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Not everyone loves ghost galaxy. Dark will be just fine for Space. I do wish they would do the Holiday Haunted Mansion overlay that DLR does.

It's more that the definition of overlay would not typically mean turning off the lights. It wasn't about replicating Ghost Galaxy.

 

[MPLsDad]

I noticed on the party map that it said "Special Thanks to Gogo Squeeze." Were they passing out the pouches at any of the candy stops?

Gogo Squeeze pouches were being distributed at the Trick or Treat station where you load for Tom Sawyer Island.

 

[chiisai]

Oops, deleted; already answered.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

I agree completely with everything you said here!

Me three!! As someone who goes to this ticketed event every year as tradition, we are getting more & more worn down by it.

Is it amazing? Yes! But the lines!!! Oh, the lines!! My kids kinda get annoyed because it seems like we have to pick and choose a lot what we can manage to fit in. And we get there always by 4:30!

I wish they would just go ahead and put out merchandise carts for the MNSSHP specific merchandise and be done with it.

And who knows what the solution could be for such long character wait lines. We managed to get Jack Sparrow last year, and a few others but this year I hope we get one with the Dwarves or Jack & Sally. But i don’t want to be in a huge line! It sure does suck up a lot of party time.

I sure do miss the crowd levels circa 2009 ish lol!!

 

[Princess_Nikki]

guys we are on the bench if we do this or not this year... We have two options.. Aug. 28th which is a tues.. or Sept. 7th a Friday...... which one will be significant less crowds? I would think the tuesday, right? We are waiting last minute too if we do this to buy tix as weather is always an issue.

28th aug or 07 Sept?

We always go on a Tuesday. I avoid weekend parties as that’s typically when the locals go too! Not sure it would be a super significant difference but I would still wager a Friday being more crowded than Tuesday. Historically it usually is.

 

[mamapenguin]

It's more that the definition of overlay would not typically mean turning off the lights. It wasn't about replicating Ghost Galaxy.

Agreed. The only SM overlay I’ve liked was hyperspace. I do feel like darker is better for SM, my daughter doesn’t care for how lit WDW SM is compared to DLR SM. But you are right, it isn’t an overlay.
I wonder if the SM change is only during the parties or if it is for the whole Halloween season? I’m just thinking about what to fast pass.

 

[coolingjupiter]

I’ve been following most of the updates and I’ve read about lines for rides, treat trails, characters, and merchandise...but are there any locations that are nuts for buying party-specific treats? I’ve always heard that Sleepy Hollow gets crazy.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Agreed. The only SM overlay I’ve liked was hyperspace. I do feel like darker is better for SM, my daughter doesn’t care for how lit WDW SM is compared to DLR SM. But you are right, it isn’t an overlay.
I wonder if the SM change is only during the parties or if it is for the whole Halloween season? I’m just thinking about what to fast pass.

My understanding is that this is only during the parties. During the day all the normal effects are on.

 

[jacobzking]

So will both versions (Terrace and Garden view) both have the same dessert/food selection?

I booked the cheaper Garden view cause it has a seed bet of having a good view, but also cause it’ll save me from having to stand in several different lines for the different Halloween Party treats (Gracey, Doom Buggie, Leota, etc...).

I just wanna make sure the Garden view will have all those same treats that Keisha posted.

 

[MPLsDad]

All about our Trick or Treat Haul - 4 people in total, no allergies.

Candy / Quantity
AppleApple GoGo Squeeze 3
AppleCinnamon GoGo Squeeze 7
Twix (Fun Sized) (White) 16
Skittles (Fun Sized) (Original) 95
Skittles (Fun Sized) (Sour) 36
M&Ms (Fun Sized) (Peanut Butter) 25
M&Ms (Full Sized) (Caramel) 16
Twix (Fun Sized) (Dark) 16
Maltesers (Fun Sized) 27
M&Ms (Fun Sized) (Peanut) 55
Snickers (Fun Sized) (Crispers) 64
Snickers (Fun Sized) (Peanut Butter) (Squared) 28
Snickers (Fun Sized) (Real Peanut Butter) 8
Dove Circles (Mocha & Latte) 15
Dove Circles (Peanut Butter) 1
Skittles (Fun Sized) (Wild Berry) 57
M&Ms (Fun Sized) 81
Lifesaver Gummies (Big Rings) 53
M&Ms (Fun Sized) (Caramel) 47
Lifesaver Gummies 67
3 Musketeers (Fun Sized) 44
Snickers (Fun Sized) 7
Snickers (Minis) 105
Dove Minis 83
Twix (Fun Sized) (Left) 78
Milky Way (Minis) (Midnight) 16
Milky Way (Fun Sized) 43
Milky Way (Minis) 79
Twix (Fun Sized) (Right) 71
Starburst (Original) 106
Starburst (FaveREDS) 123

Total Pieces: 1472
Total Weight: 49.5 pounds

Went to most stations, sometimes multiple times. Did not get to Country Bears. Best stations for volume were Philharmagic and Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. Cast members were generous with candy, energetic and very excited about the different costumes they recognized - especially those that were not typical or showed creativity.

Sorcerer cards were easy to get - out in front of the firehouse and the castmember marked your wristband with a sharpie.

Ride overlays were unimpressive -
SM in the dark was even more jarring and the music did not plus the experience as it was not Halloween themed, just thumping.

POTC - There was a pirate in the load area announcing to be on the lookout for Gunpowder Pete. Gunpowder Pete was a live pirate on a bridge towards the end. I had to laugh as the interaction went something like this. GPP: Yo Ho, Yo Ho, I am Gunpowder Pete...And then we sailed under. We didn't see any other evidence of live characters. Overall this seemed like a distraction to me and a way to lure people into rides.

Teacups - visibly striking lighting effects but the music wasn't themed when we passed. It was cool to see though.

A highlight is the Haunted Mansion lighting and watching the characters on the lawn. That is the best ride plussing that is done!

The special snacks that we tried were fine. We had the Hades Nachos that were nothing special but you could fix them any way you wanted at the fixins bar at Pecos Bill. My kids said the cider donuts and caramel pretzel were fine. Their favorite was the frozen apple cider. All of these were available at the Outpost behind Pecos Bill's. It was a hot night so we didn't eat much but had our share of ice water, soda and a LaFou's Brew as well.

The merch was plentiful as far as we could tell but we usually only get what we really want BADLY. I found headless horseman and light up gargoyle ornaments to buy. Neither are party specific. We are past tshirts, popcorn buckets and pins, but everything we saw was well designed/themed.

The parade and fireworks are amazing as always and the Halloween themed music and lighting in each area of the park really set the stage for a fun evening. We have done all of the characters so we don't wait in line for them anymore, but it is always exciting to have their presence in the park. At one point Cruella was back by Be Our Guest with no line (close to the end of the party) and she was a hoot to watch.

If you need an air conditioned escape, I highly recommend the Philharmagic Theater that plays spooky cartoons on a loop - catch Spooky Scary Skeletons or Mr. Toad if you can.

Can't wait to go back next year!!!