We went to the party last night. It was our first
MNSSHP at WDW, but we did the Halloween party at DLR last year and then we did
MVMCP at WDW last year. We come to both World and Land often, several times per year since we live in Dallas and are equally between them.
It was me and my two DDs (11 and 13) as DH had to leave the trip early for work. We went to BB in the morning as we had water park days left on our tickets but not park days. That was fun but overcast and not as hot as we would have liked. It got hot later, of course! We left BB at 1:55pm to head back to WL to shower and get ready. Lyft driver took several wrong turns due to construction and it took until after 2:30pm to get back to resort. Cleaned up and were ready to head out when rain started. We decided to take a Lyft to Contemporary, walked to MK. Rain had pretty much stopped by then. Bag check coming from Contemporary was only one other person, so very quick (bag check at the gates was longer).
We arrived at the park about 3:45pm, very long lines all the way back to bag check tables. They had a few touch points open to the far right for DVC only, but we aren’t DVC so couldn’t use those. We stayed to the right lines, though and they did open some additional tapstyles right before 4pm, so we hustled into those much shorter lines.
They were not forcing or even showing people the Bypass, but we knew about it and went that way. Got a few PP photos, our candy bags, and on our way. It was steamy hot at that point. We had 3 FPs, so went to HM, then Pirates, then BTMRR, with some stops to shop and pin trade in between.
I will note here for the pin people, we wanted to buy a few of the 2-pin Mystery boxes during the party. We decided based on experiences posted here to buy one box at the Emporium, one at the store in Frontierland, and one at the Big Top. This was to try to avoid doubles. We watched a couple open 3 boxes from the Frontierland store which were all identical (Cruella and Hitchhiking Ghosts), and we also got the same 2 pins there. We got Shan Yu and Big Bad Wolf at Emporium. We got Cruella (again) and the Headless Horseman at Big Top.
Ate at Pecos Bill’s when it started to rain again at right around 6pm. Decent food there and lines were ok until the rush came in from the rain. We rode Tomorrowland Speedway with about 10 minutes wait right after 7pm (posted 20 minutes but they opened the second side while we were in line). Went to Dumbo with 5 minute wait after that, both sides running (posted 10 minutes).
Wandered over for the first HP show at 7:35pm about 5 minutes before it started. Got a pretty great “walk up” place in the hub with space to spare. However, several people put kids on their shoulders and it blocked everyone. People taking video with their flash on the whole show, and phones and iPads above their heads also made for not the best viewing. We didn’t wait long to stake out a place, so I wasn’t expecting much and got what I expected. Show was cute but not life-changing to me and my girls. Raining and sprinkling on and off here.
“Walked with purpose” straight to SM from the HP show. Posted was 30 minutes and we waited 20. They were loading very quickly and efficiently. Liked the dark ride better than the normal ride, but not so much to wait a long time for it again last night. Rained hard again while we were inside the ride but stopped as we exited.
Decided to get in line for SDMT since second HP was going and wait was posted at 40 minutes. By the time we briskly walked there and arrived at 8:45pm, they increased it to 50 minutes. We waited 35, even though they announced it would be longer than expected due to “poison apples” in the mine. Not too bad of a wait for this ride but not walk on of course. This caused us to miss the first parade, but once we were in the line, we were not getting out!
Committed to the second parade and a later night than we planned, we decided we had time to ride BTMRR. Posted was 20 minutes, but we waited 8. Only one side was running when we were approaching the split point, but suddenly they opened the second side right as we approached, so our wait evaporated. I like to think they were trying to move people through for the fireworks, which were getting close, but that might not be true.
We headed to the fireworks, walking out of Frontierland with the “10 minutes to fireworks” announcement overhead. We weren’t expecting much in the way of a view, but took the advice of others on this board and went for the area in front of Casey’s. Main Street was a mad house and packed. But we found a small spot in the thin row taped off right behind the Dessert Party area. The back of the grassy Dessert Party area was 3 feet away from us, separated by two railings. Initially people were standing and leaning against the back of the Dessert Party railing but they moved right before the show started so we had an amazing unobstructed “dessert party” view for free, with only 10 minutes of waiting. We felt like we got some pixie dust right there! We liked the fireworks, but we all agreed that DLR does an even better fireworks show for Halloween.
After the fireworks, we had some time before the second parade and the kids didn’t want to sit and wait for it, so we headed to Main Street to get some baked treats and then did Magic Shots all the way up and down Main Street and by the Train Station, and then headed to Frontierland to find a parade spot. We wanted to leave as earlier as possible after the parade since we had a very early flight the next morning.
Walked over by the Christmas shop, and there was enough room for 3 in front of a closed popcorn stand at the rope! Could not believe this as the parade was due to start in 10 minutes. I guess no one thought you could sit there, but the stand was several feet back from the tape on the ground, so plenty of room to squeeze in for us between the tape and the popcorn stand. They did make another person move who tried to sit in front of a trash can, as the tape went right up to the trash can so there was no space to be there. HH did not ride again though it had not rained in a while.
Followed end of parade down MS, and they let us cross in between floats. Bus to WL took about 20 minutes from waiting to walking into WL. We did many TOT stations, but not all of them. They were giving out at least 3-4 or more pieces at each station, and Laugh Floor had two stops in one!
We didn’t meet any characters as we have met them all before, and the lines that we saw for Jack and Sally stayed long all night.
Overall, we had a great time, and did basically everything we wanted to do. Had we not met all the characters before, we would have certainly run out of time trying to do that, as well as the rest that we did. Crowds were pretty heavy to me, even compared to last year’s MVMCP. Not unbearable, but a good number of people everywhere. Minimal waits for bathrooms, food etc, so nothing like some of the early reports of parties this year. Buses were not full by any means on the way out of the park for us. We had our bands checked very infrequently the whole night. I didn’t see anyone without a band as the night went on, but I wasn’t particularly looking for that either. It was not nearly as strict at DLR, where the CMs block the entrances to all the lands and check bands to see if you can enter any land from the hub. I think if they did this, it would help thin the crowds. Certainly no one checked bands during the parade or fireworks or HP show.
I think if we do Halloween again, we will do DLR. I think their decorations far exceed WDW’s because they decorate both parks. I think the party is not as packed, and the fireworks are superior.
I’m kicking myself because my sister went to an earlier party and I could’ve asked her to pick it up for me. 
