10/8: Boo to You

[Al Lutz]

Kevin wonders if Walt Disney World's Halloween event is worth the extra admission, discuss it here...

DIRECT ARTICLE LINK: MiceAge.com - A different look at Disney...

[Lebeau]

No doubt about it, there have been declines. Shorter fireworks, fewer characters and cheaper candy are obvious declines. All the while, the party has gotten more expensive.

However, the party can still be a value. Last year, we visited Disney's competitors for most of our trip. The party ticket was less expensive than a one-day ticket and allowed us as much time in the parks as we would have ordinarily spent. Plus all the extras of the party. And no lines. Under those circumstances, the party was a steal.

[Malin]

Interesting article Kevin and one I feel this is going to get a lot of people talking. Regarding light crowds the events usually start out light but pick up as the time gets closer to Halloween, thats been my experience anyway.

I have personally always had mixed thoughts about these events. Yes without doubt they are a lot of fun and an enjoyable night out, and offer a safer alternative to trick or treating. But why should we have to pay $60 when you go to most of the other Disney parks and can enjoy a lot of the same entertainment for free. In fact most of the entertainment for free at the other parks is actually better than the stuff WDW is charging you $60 for! WDW is continuing to cut corners and its the Guest who suffer. If WDW is looking to save money during these tough economic times it should consider trimming down its work force. I don't mean to sound harsh but a lot of the Cast Members at WDW range from poorly trained to just being rude and having zero interest in the job. Yet WDW continues to employ these folks while we as paying Guest are being charged more to attend things like the ticketed events, only to see the experience cut back each year. And its reasons like this that I have no interest in going back to WDW anytime soon.

[kcnole]

I personally don't mind the hard ticket events as long as it really offers something much better than what you normally get. Things like Universal's Horror Nights for example. I'm not quite as sold on this yet although I'm far more likely to do it than any of the others.

my second thought was a rationalization that perhaps something happened to go wrong tonight and customer forbearance is called for. But then I realized that I had paid extra to be in the MK tonight, and "paying extra" is supposed to translate into "extra" experiences – the lights are part of that. If they'd issued a partial refund for the event only being partially as magical as it's supposed, that would be different. Absent the refund though, it really is a Decline, even if a small one.

eh, I kind of disagree with this. Certainly I understand the idea that I paid more for this I should have everything working properly. But technical issues are going to happen every day. Disney can't possibly consider giving partial refunds because one little thing wasn't able to happen. There are people who come to Disney on regular days just to see the fireworks. If the weather is bad they don't happen, even though that's a big part of the day they can't give refunds for it. I don't see this any differently even if it is a separately ticketed event.

The cost of the event keeps going up, in fact. It's now essentially $50 for kids and $60 for adults. This would possibly not be worthwhile if you showed up at 7pm (when the regular guests are escorted out) and left after the parade and fireworks at 9:30. Some people with young kids might in fact opt to leave that early.

This is my problem with the event. To me it was a great event several years ago when it was much cheaper. While I think it looks like fun, I just don't see it being worth that much money. That's what a visit to the park for a full day cost just a few years ago.

[MaliceInWunderland]

Oh man that parade looked sweet. As a kid I never liked parades, just wanted to go on all the rides. Over the years they've grown on me though. Does anyone know if we have a parade with the Haunted Mansion out here in Anaheim though? That'd be great to see the hitchhiking ghosts or see the gravedigger sequence. ...jealous

[jedimaster7313]

I haven't been to MNNSHP in a few years now- I know several years ago they cut the Legend of Sleepy Hollow storyteller & I was upset over that. Do they still have any of the other storytellers left? I used to like the one on the Riverboat with Auntie Bellum. I recall the only ones left were in the small storytelling area on the right side of the castle on the way to Tomorrowland.

Also I was wondering if they still had the fortune tellers like they used to.

[BassBone]

My girlfriend and I attend the Halloween hard ticket event at DCA every year and it seems to only be getting better. There are plenty of characters around and tons of candy and healthy options. The parade is rather lame, but other than that it is a fun event, and with Annual Pass discount, it is as low as $26 with included parking. Seems well worth it to me.

[WDW Vacationer]

When I went in 06,there was not full candy bars at exit,but 4 HUGE tobs that you could take as much as you wnaTED FROM.

I was only limited by the space left in my bag.

[kcnole]

with Annual Pass discount, it is as low as $26 with included parking. Seems well worth it to me.

If you could get MNSSHP for that it would well be worth it. I don't think there is an AP or Florida discount for this though is there?

[Lebeau]

Originally Posted by WDW Vacationer

When I went in 06,there was not full candy bars at exit,but 4 HUGE tobs that you could take as much as you wnaTED FROM.

I was only limited by the space left in my bag.

In 2008, when you left you were handed a fancy chocolate. I believe it was Godiva. When we left they were regimenting the candy pretty closely. We had a little one with us, so we left the party around 10:00. But I don't think anyone's bag was more than half full. And most of the candy got thrown away because it was stuff no one liked.

[SoccerMickey]

I totally agree with Kevin's article. MNSSHP has gotten completely overpriced and I feel a true test of the value of it is how many regular attractions do you have time to visit while at the party. When we went to the Halloween party a few weeks ago we got to ride pretty much everything that was open on top of taking in the parade, villains mix and mingle, and fireworks. There was definitely less party-specific things to do this year.
As for missing the villains show, it was no big loss. It was just an introduction to a villains meet and greet below the stage.
Last year, I worked at the Magic Kingdom during several of the parties and was given treat shifts and we were specifically and repeatedly told by managers to only give out handfuls of two or three pieces of candy to each guest and do NOT try to fill bags at the end of the night. They use the excuse that there is not a lot of chocolate any more because it melts in the heat, which might be true, but the truth is when you go trick or treating you WANT chocolate.... not Mary Janes!
As for the fireworks show, its not my favorite (Pirate and Princess Party holds the title for that) but its okay. However the show has been reduced in time and pyro these past two years.
Storytellers have been cut back. The Riverboat experience is gone, which was always my MNSSHP highlight and the debutante ghost on the lawn of the mansion is still there, although we seemed to keep missing her while we were there.
Compared this year's Halloween to last year's Christmas party I would say the Christmas party was a better value in terms of party-specific activities but I will reserve judgement on that until I see if and what Disney has in terms of replacement for Mickey's Twas the Night Before Christmas, a wonderful stage show that put every other stage production in the Disney parks to shame.

[Angie_Duke]

Originally Posted by kcnole

If you could get MNSSHP for that it would well be worth it. I don't think there is an AP or Florida discount for this though is there?

There is on select nights. It's about $52 with tax for the discount price. Something like $5-7 more than it was 3 years ago.

[Angie_Duke]

Originally Posted by SoccerMickey

Last year, I worked at the Magic Kingdom during several of the parties and was given treat shifts and we were specifically and repeatedly told by managers to only give out handfuls of two or three pieces of candy to each guest and do NOT try to fill bags at the end of the night. .

That completely goes against the bag/pirate hat full of candy I got from one CM in 2006 towards the end of the night. He obviously had a tough time giving much out so he gave it to me and I took it home and shared it with family for weeks to come (it was ALOT).

[joanna71985]

I love mnsshp. I definitely think it is worth the admission price. I've gone twice so far this year, and probably will go another couple of times before the end.

[philkid3]

Kevin, I think you make a few too many firm (and negative) determinations based on a very limited sample of evidence.

There are other Declines. Unless my memory is playing tricks on me, they used to offer a broad range of candies in the trick or treating: gummies, hard candy, and brand-name chocolates. Now, you are hard-pressed indeed to find brand-name chocolates. We got a lot of candy on our visit; as a wild guess, I'd say 300 pieces of candy? And in that pile, there were four of the miniature-sized 100,000 Grand chocolate bars, three mini Nestle Crunch bars, and one mini Butterfinger (there were twelve boxes of raisins). That's it for the chocolate bars.

I've personally worked on the treat trails in one of the lands, including the person who organizes the cast and refills the candy bins. All the candy comes from the same supplier in varied boxes (of the same cost, btw). If I noted correctly, there are about four different boxes, each with a different mix of candies. Some have lots of hard candy type of assortments, some have lots of gummies. Some have lots of Hershey's bars, some have lots of Reese's cups, etc.

This gives a huge variety of candy, not just chocolate, which I think is very good. If you're unlucky, you can certainly just see the same kind of candy all night. If you're a chocolate lover, that might be lucky, or it might be unlucky as you won't see any. I went to the party recently as a guest and, indeed, got very little chocolate. From working the party, though, I know that that's just my poor luck.

You were unlucky, it's not that there is no chocolate. I believe you you didn't get any, but it's not because Disney isn't providing it, it's because they're providing a wide variety and you just happened to hit the wrong places at the wrong time (among other variables).

Also, your picture has Starburst and Necco Wafers. I didn't get any.


Also:

The Ghost Mickey balloon (is it a balloon? I'm not sure) that towers over a photo location each year used to be illuminated from within. This year, it was lit up by external lights. It's a small thing, I know. But that's exactly the point (and the problem) with the Declining by Degrees. Those small things add up, even if subconsciously.

From my trip: