It’s been a long dry spell of no WDW, since my birthday bonus trip in June. I have been looking longingly forward to my October trip to WDW. It was supposed to be another solo trip. It will be my first time to WDW during the Halloween season, Food & Wine, and MNSSHP!
Then, DH said he had to burn some vacation time before we go to Japan so, he decided to go with me to WDW in October! Awesome! But while I love shows, character meet & greets, and Magic Shots at parties, he loves rides and snacks! AND he wants to do TRON at night!
DH has been super sweet about letting me have an WDW AP by myself and letting me go to WDW as often and as long as I want this year. So, I want to have a MNSSHP that that brings together the best of both of our desires and maybe, just probably lean more towards his must dos.
I can’t be figuring out what we will be doing at MNSSHP hours before the party like I did when I went by myself to HS After Hours!
So take out your favorite red pen and please help me with my touring plan for MNSSHP!
4 – 6:30: BTMR, POTC, 7DMT (We will be in MK on a regular day, too. These are most of his favorites.)
6:30 – 7:30: Character Meets: I may only have time for either Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy or Winnie the Pooh and Friends. I would love to do both. Is that even possible? Which one has a shorter line?
7:30 – 8:45: Snacks; Cadaver Dans and stake out territory for parade. What time should we stake out a place?
8:45 – 10:30: Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular, snacks; stake out territory for fireworks. What time should we stake out a place?
The time sink will be the time we need to devote to staking out for the parade and fireworks! The second parade should have less people but I think the lines for stuff will be shorter during the second parade?
Do you think I might be able to squeeze in more character meet and greets?
You’re waiting with any trick-or-treating until 10:30? We simply stopped in as we passed a treat spot to get a handful/scoopful of candy. It didn’t take much time at all (a minute or two?) and then we had treats to eat at our convenience. The candy is the same at all the handout places, I think.
We enjoyed watching the Cadaver Dans in Frontierland, and then just stayed in that area to watch the parade. Not crowded, and maybe a bit darker than the hub or Main St. No need to stake out a place there more than 15 minutes before the parade, maybe?
M&Ms don’t melt. Neither do Skittles or LifeSavers I don’t remember having trouble with melting candy, including snack-size chocolate candy, in mid-September evenings.
Hmmm. I think we watched the parade from the store side, where we could stand on the wooden walkway for a few extra inches of height. Otherwise I didn’t think it mattered for the parade. To watch the Cadaver Dans, you’ll be out in the middle of the street looking up above the stores. Remember, the headless horseman only rides if the pavement is dry, not if it is wet from a previous or current rain shower.
I recommend the first parade because lines will be shorter for other stuff during the second parade. I like to watch the parade from Frontierland. My suggestion is to stake out a spot about 45 mins before the parade starts and then one of you go buy snacks to bring back and eat while waiting for the parade to start (while the other person saves your viewing spot while the first is buying snacks).
I’d skip this. It’s the same kind of candy you can get anywhere and takes up valuable party time.
If there is time after you meet Mickey, check and see if there is a short line for Jack and Sally. Last year we met Jack and Sally right before their line closed. We finished in time to race to Space Mountain and hop in line around 11:55.
Agree. You can see Cadaver Dans before the first parade. I watched first parade last year across from the spot where Cadaver Dans perform.
And with just two of you, you can probably get a decent spot for fireworks 15-20 minutes before. I went solo last year and watched fireworks across the street from Casey’s. Showed up about 15 minutes before start time.
I wasn’t a big fan of the Villain Spectacular. I watched the midnight show and headed down to the Confectionary before it was over.
Thanks everyone! Unanimous vote for first parade from Fronitierland!
There is so much to see, do, and eat as a first timer, I wish we had allocated 2 nights for the party! There’s some FOMO going on with me right now. We went twice to MVMCP in 2019 because we didn’t think we would be back to WDW! But the parties are so expensive now…
Pecos Bill - Flatbread, Spiced Chocolate Mousse Bar, Guava Lemonade Slushy
Storybook Treats - Anastasia Cone
Friar’s Nook - Spicy Pork Spring Rolls
Sleepy Hollow - Char Siu Chicken Wings
Casey’s - Pumpkin Cheesecake
Main Street Bakery - Minnie Witch Hat
We do have a late lunch reservation at Kona before MNSSHP but will need something savory around waiting for the parade time. I do think going to 3 places for food, while one person is staking out a place is challenging!
Anyone know if I can take the flatbread to go? We can go get Pecos Bill stuff together, sit and eat on the parade route before one of us goes get wings at Sleepy Hollow?
I believe it! When we met the 7 Dwarfs at MVMCP, we lined up before 5 pm and waited around 2.5 hours! We only used up 30 minutes of party time; it was a must do; and we ate dinner in line using the one of us wait while the other one got food tactic.
If I want both Minnie et al and Winnie et al, I think I have to do one of them in the 6:30 - 7:30 time frame?
I feel like I have so much stuff to do after fireworks!
There’s just not enough time to do those dang parties right. You will have to give something up unless you divide and conquer. My strategy for MNSSHP has been both parades, fireworks and Hocus Pocus. Last year I threw in Tron and missed a good part of the second parade. And I barely had time to try one specialty treat - let alone many. The lines/waits were daunting. Can’t imagine standing in line to meet characters on top of it. As others have mentioned, Frontierland is a great spot to kill two birds with one stone. But an absolute amazing spot to witness the parade, especially The Headless Horseman, is in Liberty Square, facing Frontierland, right where the parade makes the turn. I have to thank @LTinNC82 for that tidbit. I thought trick or treat would be hard to fit in, but it wasn’t. Just grab treats closest to the areas you’re in and it will be fine. (I went to some of the stops multiple times.)
Thanks for everyone’s input! I know there’s more to do, see, and eat than we can possibly do in 5 hours! We have things prioritized and we’ll go with the flow of the evening. Whatever we don’t get done, well, there’s next time!
I’ve been tracking wait times during the parties. But, there isn’t a wait time for the Winnie the Pooh and Friends meet and greet. I’ve revised my schedule based on your inputs.
Revised Schedule
4 – 7:30: BTMR, POTC, 7DMT; Anastasia Cones from Storybook Treats; 7:30 – 8:45: Mobile order snacks from Pecos Bill; Trick or Treat at short lines; Stake out territory for parade in Frontierland; Watch Cadaver Dans and eat our snacks; Watch parade 8:45 – 10:30: HM PhotoPass, Trick or Treat at short lines; Stake out territory for fireworks on Main Street; Mobile Order Wings from Sleepy Hollow; Fireworks 10:30 – 11:55: Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy or Winnie the Pooh and Friends Meet and Greet; PhotoPass Magic Shots; 11:55: TRON; PhotoPass Photos on our way out
I have been looking longingly forward to my October trip to WDW. 
It was supposed to be another solo trip. It will be my first time to WDW during the Halloween season, Food & Wine, and MNSSHP!
DH loves sweets!
You saying it won’t or you’re eating it fast enough so it won’t melt! 
But the parties are so expensive now…
I believe it! When we met the 7 Dwarfs at MVMCP, we lined up before 5 pm and waited around 2.5 hours! We only used up 30 minutes of party time; it was a must do; and we ate dinner in line using the one of us wait while the other one got food tactic.
We need to go to a party together!
We have things prioritized and we’ll go with the flow of the evening. Whatever we don’t get done, well, there’s next time!