MNSSHP - Trying to decide if it is worth doing

[matt314hew]

Good morning to everyone. My family and I will be down in Disney September 12 to the 16th and are trying to decide if this is something that we would regret not doing.

I know we may never be back during this time but I also know my kids loved watching the fireworks on YouTube last year from the Halloween party.

We are staying at the contemporary this year and could see the fireworks from the resort but would not get the music and such.

Curious on what others think about this and if we might regret it. My DS are 4 and 7 and have never experienced the fireworks before since last time we went they were 4 and 1.

Thanks in advance for all opinions and tips.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

We did MNSSHP 2 years ago for the first time because we too are never at DW during that time - and we loved it. Our kids loved all the shows - especially the parade and Hocus Pocus. There are meet and greets with different characters but the lines could be long. We also loved the fact that we were in costume. We were a party of 10 and we dressed up as the characters of Snow White - I have to say that was the best part. Going to eat dressed up and trick or treating. Our family had a blast. I would definitely do it once to see. Enjoy!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Good morning to everyone. My family and I will be down in Disney September 12 to the 16th and are trying to decide if this is something that we would regret not doing.

I know we may never be back during this time but I also know my kids loved watching the fireworks on YouTube last year from the Halloween party.

We are staying at the contemporary this year and could see the fireworks from the resort but would not get the music and such.

Curious on what others think about this and if we might regret it. My DS are 4 and 7 and have never experienced the fireworks before since last time we went they were 4 and 1.

Thanks in advance for all opinions and tips.

If I were staying at CR while a MNSSHP was going on, you couldn’t keep me away!

You’ll get mixed opinions of course, but for us, we’re big MNSSHP fans. It’s the one special event we’d go out of our way to attend. For us, it’s the whole package - great vibe in the MK, low ride wait times, fun treat trails, great parade, fun fireworks, etc, etc.

I’ve taken DS every year since he was 4 (he’s now 7). Last year I took both DS and DD 3. My kids have always had pretty good stamina for a special “stay up late” splurge, so making it to 11ish-12 has been doable for us - so I’m happy with what we are able to accomplish.

Love the quick walk there/back from CR, that’s where I try to stay when we go down for a party.

If you don’t go to the party, as you noted CR has great viewing of the party fireworks. They do play the HalloWishes music on the 4th floor observation deck. Also, if you have a TPV room they play the fireworks music on a channel on the TV as well.

Good luck deciding!

 

[Ngwira]

Yes!!

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

We are going to be there at the exact same time that you are in Sept. We enjoy MNSSHP. We just really like the overall atmosphere of this event. We say "Yes".

 

[WorldWalker18]

We love MNSSHP! We have attended on our first night of a stay and that was perfect. Time to get settled into our room and then getting as much (or more) done than we would in a full day at MK.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

Absolutely! We did MNSSHP last year for the first time, just DD15 and I. We had the most amazing time! We did it on a Sunday. It wasn't too busy. We loved trick-or-treating at the MK, and got TONS of candy. We loved the parade, I recommend watching it from Frontierland - it's a little spooky over there. Hallowishes was awesome - we watched it from the hub and it wasn't crazy packed. The lines for 99% of the rides were minimal. HM and SDMT were the only ones with a wait. We walked on everything else - POTC multiple times in a row. I especially loved seeing all the costumes! We dressed up but it wasn't obvious who we were, and it ended up being a lot hotter than I anticipated to I was not comfortable most of the night. My favorites were a family that dressed up like all of the characters from Alice In Wonderland (especially Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum), and there was a huge family that all dressed up like sock monkeys. So much fun!

 

[larissawbb]

We loved it so much last September that we went twice!

 

[Lesverts]

I have a dislike of Halloween that runs deep. I love this party. It is absolutely amazing. The fireworks. The parade. The candy. The cast members. The decorations. Everything about the party is perfect. It’s one of those here’s my money things for me if I am at Disney during that time. I went during Irma because I didn’t want to miss going again.

 

[mamapenguin]

Did last year, doing it this year.....

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

How late can your kids stay up? To me that will help you determine if it's worth it. Last October when we went the first parade didn't start until 9pm, so it didn't come to the hub until 9:30. My baby was asleep in my arms and my 6 year old was falling asleep in the baby's rented stroller but woke up in time to see the parade. We left before the fireworks even started. It was still fun to dress up, trick or treat, take special magic shot photo pass photos, and ride the rides we went on with shorter lines, but I don't think we'll do MNSSHP again until my kids can stay up until at least 11pm or so.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

It's a must do for us. Me. my wife and our girls love it! If you have never done it, I would do it at least once. I'm pretty sure you will be happy you did! Also, since your staying at Contemporary, you can tune the TV to play the music from the fireworks on any night they have them and listen while you watch! We do this every trip. Nothing like watching and listening without the crowds!

 

[Haley R]

We are going in October for the first time this year and are doing 2 Halloween parties because it sounds so fun (and it's just DH and I). I do agree with a PP, though, about how late your kids can stay up. You'll have to decide if it's worth it to you even if they fall asleep before fireworks happen.

 

[disneynanacat]

We've been to several over the years and had a blast at all except the last one we went to in 2013. It was just sooo crowded at the last party that it took away much of the enjoyment. Lines for everything. We've even been on Halloween Day before and it wasn't that crowded. I don't know if Disney had increased the number of tickets told or if it was just a fluke but it was packed.

That said, if you've never been, it's definitely a must do! The parade alone is worth the price of the ticket. The atmosphere is amazing too.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As PP noted, if you think your kids can stay up through the first parade and fireworks, I think it's worth it. My DS is 10 and that's all he can do as well, but we love the party. We went last year and will do it again this year. Especially since you are staying at CR, getting back to your resort after the party is a piece of cake!

 

[GillianP1301]

The party itself is most definitely worth it, a lot of great fun packed into one night. However, it's only worth it if you're awake for it and that would be my concern with young kids and the reason why I waited until my son was 8 to do our first one. I was ready that year to pack it in after the fireworks, but he turned out to be more of a trooper than I expected and was refusing to leave until it was over. At 4, there is no way he would've made it even past the first parade. But, every child is different and only you know how much they will potentially get out of it. I would say if you think you can get past the fireworks, then definitely it's worthwhile. If you think they'll be crashing at or just after the first parade, then I would probably skip it.

 

[matt314hew]

Thank you to all who responded. As for how late the kids can stay up it all depends. There are days they can make it to 8. And others where 11 rolls around and they are wide awake.

I think if we would decide on it, then we would most likely want to have a break in the day and have them both try to nap.

I think since we don’t know if we would be back during that time we would want to try to do it.

 

[matt314hew]

What type of candy do they give out? We have a peanut allergy and I am curious what type they would be getting. Not that we would do this for the candy. More to see the characters and decorations.

 

[larissawbb]

What type of candy do they give out? We have a peanut allergy and I am curious what type they would be getting. Not that we would do this for the candy. More to see the characters and decorations.

They have allergy friendly candy that they give out at the allergy friendly stations. It’s marked on the party guide. It’s mostly a lot of Surf Sweets but we love Surf Sweets!

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

What type of candy do they give out? We have a peanut allergy and I am curious what type they would be getting. Not that we would do this for the candy. More to see the characters and decorations.

You can do the regular trick or treating and then trade your candy in for an allergy-free bag I think at Guest Services or somewhere near there on Main Street. Or I think you can even skip the T&T lines and just pick up the bag on your way out. There were M&Ms, Starburst, and other typical drugstore candy in the regular lines. Can't recall if it was all Mars brand.