Category — q. Reviews

OVERVIEW: FOUR SEASONS RESORT AT DISNEY WORLD FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort (the full name, which only its mom uses) is the first deluxe-level hotel to open in Disney World since the Animal Kingdom Lodge opened more than 15 years ago, and the first ever five-star resort on property.

Not owned by Disney, it does not share in various Disney hotel guest perks like Magical Express or access to Extra Magic Hours, the Dining Plan or to FastPass+ booking 60 days out.

It also has its own transportation system and does not use Disney buses for hotel-park transport.

Its transport ranges from every half hour (to the Ticket and Transportation Center) to hourly to Epcot, the Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios.

This transport is not yet well attuned to operating hours–with, for example, first morning arrivals at or after rope drop at Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and last pickups at Hollywood Studios just 35 minutes after Fantasmic is scheduled to begin.

It is supported by some Disney cast members for planning help, but has even less Disney theming than Shades of Green.

I rank hotels on this site for first time family visitors who may never return, and because of that put pervasive kid appeal as the first criterion, and after that transportation convenience. So with its slender kid appeal (other than the pools) and transportation issues, I can’t really rank Four Seasons Orlando highly for first timers who will be spending most of their time at the parks.

But for returning visitors who will be spending time relaxing at the hotel, and who have cars and can thus work around the shuttle schedule issues, Four Seasons Resort Orlando is a spectacular place to stay, with a level of service and amenities unmatched elsewhere at Disney World, the best pool complex on property, great dining for adults, and enormous and very comfortable rooms.

I had a chance to stay in it both in August 2014, its opening month, and in September.  Everything wasn’t done yet–as of my September visit, the gift shops were still not open, and neither was Capa, its 17th-floor Spanish steakhouse. But enough was going on to see and judge what this resort will be.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL OF THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

The main point is that once you arrive on the grounds of Four Seasons Resort Orlando, you could be almost anywhere. With next to no Disney design or decorating touches, nor any architecturally playful elements, the overall feel is simply that of a lovely high end resort.

The seventeen story tall building is deep in the Golden Oak area of Disney World, between Fort Wilderness and Port Orleans Riverside. Note that the speed limit back here is 25 mph.

The building is quite lovely, though I never really fully captured its appeal in a photo. The architecture has elements of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, mixed in with a bit of Tower of Terror.

In a contrast to the Disney resorts, you’ll see more greenery than flowers in the landscaping–making the flowers that you do see, such as these on the lobby level, that much more welcome.

The slender Disney theming here is wonderful for some–those who have enough Disney in the parks themselves, or those staying here largely for purposes other than playing in Disney World: a convention, a wedding, simply relaxing at a luxurious resort. But it’s not so fun for others.

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

You could reserve the nine-bedroom suite that’s available here among the more than 60 suites on offer.  For a lot less you could book 80 or so rooms at Pop Century, losing however a certain je ne sais quoi.  Or you could, like I did, book standard rooms.

Standard rooms here come in two flavors: one with a king bed and a couch that folds out into a bed, and one with two full beds. I’ve stayed in each type. The king room floor plan is above, and the full room plan below.

Either choice yields an enormous room–with 500 square feet they are, according to Four Seasons, the largest in Orlando–a simply huge closet, tons of storage, and a nice, though mostly undivided, bath (the toilet is set off in an opaque glass surround).

I can’t imagine why adults would want a room with full sized beds, so pretty much everyone who is booking just one room should aim for the king/sofa bed combo.

The sofa bed at the Four Season is the most comfortable such I’ve ever slept on, and puts the sofa beds in the Disney resorts to shame. I measured it as 60 inches wide by about 72 inches long–as wide as a queen, but shorter.  The cushion is an astonishing 6+ inches deep.

But I’m not seeing the why of the full beds–at Disney, even the Caribbean Beach Resort is getting queens. Likely these rooms are designed for kids/staff, with the expectation that the parents/bosses would be in a connecting king room. Many rooms are built in pairs of king rooms connecting with full rooms, with deep entries to both that allow another set of doors to close off the front doors of the connecting spaces from the hall.

VIEWS AT FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Park View rooms are worth the extra money. One long side of the Four Seasons overlooks the parking lot and construction; the other side overlooks the pools, and, at a distance, both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom–much to be preferred.

Here’s one of the worst views–the east view from my tenth floor room at the short north edge of the building, on my first stay.

Even though the fireworks really are quite distant, the pool and water views are themselves spectacular.

From my 12th floor Park View room on my second stay, you can see Epcot in the distance from one side of my balcony–Spaceship Earth and the Swan and Dolphin…

…and the Magic Kingdom from the other, with the distant bulks being the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower.

The night view of the pools is particularly nice…and speaking of them, just a few quick word on the pools–more to come later.

THE POOLS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

The pool complex at The Four Seasons is better than the pools at any Disney owned resort–yes, better even than Stormalong Bay at the Yacht and Beach Clubs.

There’s four pools here: a lovely adult-only infinity pool…

…and then in the separate “Explorer Island” area  (see the map above) three more pools: a kids pool and splash and play area that itself is bigger than most Disney World main pools…

…a lazy river pool…

…and a large and long family pool.

There’s also dual pool slides, one open and one enclosed, that splash down into their own landing zone near the kid’s water play area.  Pool lovers will simply love the offerings at the Four Seasons.

DINING AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

There are five restaurants at Four Seasons: PB&G, the pool bar and grill; Cuban-American dining in Plancha at the golf clubhouse; Capa, a 17th-floor Spanish steakhouse; Ravello, with downstairs Italian dining and an upstairs bar (with its own bar menu, but where you can also order off the Ravello main menu). There’s also a grab and go coffee shop, Lickety-Split.

The only one I had a chance to experience on my 2014 visit was the Ravello bar, where I ordered a wonderful ribeye off the main Ravello menu.

Unadventurous, I admit, but I was here to watch Monday Night Football–steak seemed to suit. It was glorious (the food, I mean, not the game)–as nicely seasoned a steak as I’ve ever had…

Anyone can book meals at the Four Seasons…and I suspect many will. I’d suggest you dress for dinner at Ravello, Plancha, and Capa–though I saw plenty of people in shorts in Ravello.

Note: in April 2016 we had dinner at Capa, and it was less formal than I expected it to be.

The Capa menu (click to enlarge)–note the beef organized by origin…

…and the setting.

PARK TRANSPORTATION AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

All parking is valet, and getting your car in and out is fast and very straightforward. For those guests who want to use Four Seasons transport to the parks, there’s two options.

One option is the free shuttles. There’s two free shuttle routes:

• One leaves on the hour and goes to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), a monorail or ferry ride away from the Magic Kingdom, then the Animal Kingdom, then back to the Four Seasons.
• The second leaves on the half hour and goes to the TTC near MK, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and back to the Four Seasons

The result is twice hourly service to and from the TTC with its easy access to MK (and Epcot), and hourly to the other parks, with some stops in between. The scheduling is not right–the shuttles begin too late and end too early–and the frequency is not sufficient.

The other option is to pay for town car service, at $16 for Epcot and HS, $18 for MK, and $29 for AK.

THE STAFF AND THE GUESTS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

I have been in a lot of hotels (including more than a hundred different rooms at Disney World itself…), but only have stayed a couple of dozen times at five star resorts–mostly Ritz-Carltons, but also a few InterContinentals and Four Seasons.

People who haven’t stayed in such often have two questions: will the staff treat me like a peon, and how supercilious are the other guests?

I loved, loved, loved the staff here, from the valets through the front desk folk to the pool staff to the Ravello team, and all the other staff I walked by in less structured settings. They were friendly, cheerful, and helpful.  They were a little more formal than Disney cast members–it was always “Hello,” or “Good Afternoon,” not “Hi!”–but they were most welcoming.

The other guests I was a little less keen on.  Three vignettes:

• A Four Seasons staff member was touring me through Explorer Island. An overly thin guest walked up and simply straight out immediately interrupted us to demand a drink. The staff member told her she would be right with her, and after the guest walked away, I said to the staff member that she should feel free to take care of that guest and that we could return to our chat later, which is how things unfolded
• Most people know how to wait for an elevator, and in what order to board one when it comes, based on where they are standing in proximity to the doors, as balanced out among men my age by gentlemanly factors.  But one tall wiry father with his tall wiry teenage son simply tried to elbow me out of the way to enter the elevator ahead of me. Luckily I’ve spent enough time walking on Oxford Street to know how to tenaciously preserve my little bit of this green Earth
• A short wiry father with his short pre-teen son walked by in matching Speedos…

Now the hotel was not busy during my visits, so the sample size here of fellow guests encountered is small…but really??

PRICING AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Guest rooms here range from $545 to $2,000 per night. Suites range from $1,050 to $12,000 per night.  Add taxes and valet parking, and soon that adds up to real money.

My full-bed and king bed rooms were at the lower end of that scale, putting them 10-25% higher than the least expensive rooms in the monorail resorts the same time I stayed.

However, now through December 19 the Four Seasons Resort Orlando is offering a buy two nights, get the third free deal, which will put it below the cost of three nights in a monorail resort at standard rack rates. (You still may pay less at a Disney deluxe via a deal.)  To book a room at the Four Seasons, start with my friends at Destinations in Florida.

PHOTO TOUR OF STANDARD ROOMS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, click here.)

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort has two pools.

• In the Cabins area, there’s a small quiet pool.
• At the center of Fort Wilderness is the Meadow area. Here’s you’ll find the main pool, the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool.

THE MEADOW SWIMMIN’ POOL AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

The Cabins at Fort Wilderness were reclassified as a “moderate resort” in 2009, and at that time the Meadow pool was upgraded with a bit of theming and a 67 foot corkscrew water slide.

The pool area overall has as many amenities as you’ll find anywhere in a Disney resort, but the look of the main pool remains a little weak–frankly, it looks like an inexpensive campground pool, not like a resort pool…

The pool is also small for the thousands of people who might be staying in Fort Wilderness at any given time.

Here’s some shots of the pool:

…and a closer view of the water slide:

There’s a hot tub here…

…and a kids water play area.

Another image from the water play area.

The Meadow Swimmin’ Pool also has a pool snack bar…

…with a bit of a menu–I like the pulled pork here.

The food available here is handy, given the distance of the pool from many sites.  For the current menu, see this. More food and snacks are available in the nearby Meadow store.

Also here is one of the many, many playgrounds scattered around the resort…

…a volleyball court…

…a picnic shelter…

…and tennis courts.

There’s nothing wrong with this pool, and it has pretty much every amenity you could ask for. It’s just not as nice as the pools at the other moderate resorts…

THE QUIET POOL AT FORT WILDERNESS

Back in the Cabins area, between loops 2500 and 2700, is a second, smaller pool.

It has no real theming…it’s just a pool.

It does have a hot tub.

This pool is handy for Cabin visitors who don’t wish to make their way to the Meadow pool, and is more likely to have available deck chairs. It’s not worth the trip from most campsite loops, although those in loop 2000 and 2100 might want to take a look.

REVIEW: THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS

• Overview of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Amenities at Fort Wilderness: The Outpost and The Meadow
• Amenities at Fort Wilderness: The Settlement
• The Pools at Fort Wilderness

• Overview: The Cabins at Fort Wilderness
  • Photo Tour of a Fort Wilderness Cabin: Kitchen, Living Room and Dining Room
  • Photo Tour of a Fort Wilderness Cabin: Bath and Back Bedroom
• Overview: The Campsites at Fort Wilderness
  • Hints for Tent Camping at Fort Wilderness: Gear and Weather
  • Photo Tour of a Tent Campsite at Fort Wilderness
  • The Comfort Stations at Fort Wilderness

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 150+ stays in them

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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, click here.)

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT: THE OUTPOST AND MEADOW

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort has three different ways to stay–in a cabin, a group campsite, or a regular campsite.

All three share the resort’s  amenities—such as a beach, marina, dining areas, stores, stables, movie and sing-along theater, bike rental area, pools, boat docks for transport to the Magic Kingdom (and to two other Disney Resorts—the Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary Resort), bus stops for everything else, etc., on more than 700 acres.

There’s three areas to keep in mind at Fort Wilderness, the Outpost, at the lower right of the map and circled in purply-blue; the Meadow, in the center of the map and circled in yellow; and the Settlement, at the top left of the map and circled in red.

THE OUTPOST AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

The Outpost area is mostly about logistics, but also has one amenity.

This is where you enter Fort Wilderness to check in. Those with rigs can do drive-through check in.

If you are entering via Disney’s Magical Express, check in is inside in an apparently difficult to photograph space.  This is also where you can get help with dining reservations, tickets and such.

Check-in time is 1p for the campsites and 3p for the cabins. If you are early, or have extra cars, toy trailers, etc., there’s a small parking lot here.  This is also where you would park if you are driving in to see Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue.

Just outside the check in building is an area where you pick up your golf cart if you rented one.

A little north is the Outpost bus stop.  You’ll get to know this very well, as this is the only stop for the buses that take you to all the parks except the Magic Kingdom, and also to Downtown Disney. (You get to the Magic Kingdom via boat from the Settlement.)

The internal buses that go into Fort Wilderness itself also depart from here. These internal buses run on several routes.  All go to the Settlement and Hoop-Dee-Doo; for your campsite or cabin, check the bus route map posted here to select the one that will drop you off at the closest point.

There’s also parking here for those with golf carts.

The only amenity in the Outpost area is trail rides.

Most of the fun at Fort Wilderness is in the two more northern areas, the Meadow and the Settlement. The rest of this page covers the Meadow; the Settlement is covered here.

THE MEADOW AREA AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

The Meadow area in the center of Fort Wilderness has a shop, bike and boat rentals, an outdoor theater with a fun evening program and the main Fort Wilderness pool and recreation complex.

I’ll come back to the pool area in detail later in this review.

In this Meadow area you’ll also find one of the two stores at Fort Wilderness (the other is in the Settlement).

These two shops have a varied selection of Disney stuff, camping supplies, and a strong assortment of food. (The Settlement shop is thinner on camping gear and food.)

You’ll also find here bulk ice, candy, and a refillable mug station…

…and S’more supplies!

Shopping is made tougher by the lack of parking spots. There’s a few outside the store…

…and a few more across the street.

Behind the store and to the left is a place where you can rent bikes, canoes, kayaks and such.

The menu of offerings (click to enlarge…some of these leave from the marina at the Settlement).

Kayaks and canoes on the bank, dreaming they’ll be rented.

Fishing.

Canoeing.

Beyond the Bike Barn is an open-air theater.  In the evenings, there’s an extensive campfire program here:

S’mores–Disney will sell you the supplies or you can bring your own…

…a sing-along–which frankly I found a little lame…

…the chance to meet Chip or Dale (they split the crowd between them)–love the expression on the little boy’s face…

…Me and Chip…

…and then a Disney movie.

The main pool and recreation area is here too, but as noted above I cover that in more detail later in this review.

THE SETTLEMENT AREA AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

This review continues here!

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS

• Overview of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Amenities at Fort Wilderness: The Outpost and The Meadow
• Amenities at Fort Wilderness: The Settlement
• The Pools at Fort Wilderness

• Overview: The Cabins at Fort Wilderness
  • Photo Tour of a Fort Wilderness Cabin: Kitchen, Living Room and Dining Room
  • Photo Tour of a Fort Wilderness Cabin: Bath and Back Bedroom
• Overview: The Campsites at Fort Wilderness
  • Hints for Tent Camping at Fort Wilderness: Gear and Weather
  • Photo Tour of a Tent Campsite at Fort Wilderness
  • The Comfort Stations at Fort Wilderness

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 150+ stays in them

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, click here.)

THE BATH AND BACK BEDROOM IN AN UN-RENOVATED CABIN AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

These cabins are being refurbed. The Murphy bed is being replaced with a sofa bed, the kitchen is being simplified, and the full bed in the back bedroom is being changed to a queen.  A photo tour of the renovated cabins begins here.  The photo tour below is of an un-renovated cabin.

THE BACK HALL AND BATH IN THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

On the other side of the kitchen there’s a hall leading to the bath and back bedroom (see the floor plan at the top of the page).

The first stop is this half closet (with mechanicals below in the other half of the space) which is OK for suitcases but not much else.

The bath is adequately sized, but unlike those at the other Disney World moderate resorts, is not divided into two spaces, and also has only one sink, not the two you’ll find at most of the other moderates. This makes it less handy for even four-person families than the baths at the other moderates.

The biggest issue with the bath is not enough hot water. Six people will need to be pretty thoughtful about their use of the tub and shower. So will three.

THE BACK BEDROOM IN THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

The back bedroom has one almost-full sized bed, and a couple of bunk beds.

The larger bed has one side tight against the wall, meaning that if two are sleeping here, one has to exit over the other, or via the foot of the bed.

The bunk beds have mattresses 66 inches long by 39 inches wide, but, because of the railings, sleep shorter than that.

Note the small table with two available drawers between the beds in the shot of all the beds above.

Other storage in this room is along the entry wall.

Under the TV you’ll find four smallish-drawers…

…and next to the TV you’ll find a small closet–not really big enough for six people, especially given the already limited storage space in the cabins (unless you re-purpose kitchen cabinets).

Left of the closet, what looks like another cabinet is actually the enclosure around the hot water heater. The top is usable, and on the short wall above it there’s a mirror. There’s also another mirror behind the door from the hall.

An oddity to these back bedrooms that troubles me a bit is the second door to the porch you’ll find in this space.

This door is secured by a deadbolt, which makes it easy to leave unlocked. If kids are in this bedroom, and the hall door is closed, there’s some potential for the kids to get outside without the parents knowing…

Overall, I love these cabins. But they sleep short, are thin on storage–especially closet–space, have an awkward bath set up for large families, not enough hot water, and have some bed egress issues.

PHOTO TOUR OF A REFURBED CABIN AT FORT WILDERNESS

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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, click here.)

A PHOTO TOUR OF AN UN-RENOVATED CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

These cabins are being refurbed. The Murphy bed is being replaced with a sofa bed, the kitchen is being simplified, and the full bed in the back bedroom is being changed to a queen.  A photo tour of the renovated cabins begins here.  The photo tour below is of an un-renovated cabin.

The first thing to note on approaching The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is that you can park right outside…

…and that your cabin comes with its own grill. Nothing else at Disney World offers both these amenities except the Treehouse Villas.

The deck itself is quite large, and includes a picnic table that seats six.

THE KITCHEN IN THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

The main door of the Cabins at Fort Wilderness opens directly into the kitchen.

Besides having all the basic appliances, the kitchen comes supplied all the basics you need to prep, cook, and serve…

…meals for a family of six.

It also comes with a standard fridge/freezer unit, with plenty of capacity.

You can stock your fridge from one of the two stores at Fort Wilderness (this photo shows all the brands of my childhood)…

…by calling in an order, and having the campsite staff deliver it; or, least expensively, by driving to one of the many grocery stores within 15 minutes or so of the Cabins.

Counter space here is thin, and you really need to use the dining table–which is pretty close–to prepare any substantive recipe.

There’s plenty of food storage space. You can consolidate the stuff in the kitchen cabinets and drawers to create space, and you’ll also find, to the right of the stove, a huge pantry–6 feet tall, 18 inches wide, and 24 inches deep.

But you might need some of this space for clothes…more on that later.

THE DINING/LIVING/MURPHY BED SPACE IN THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

The kitchen shares space with the combined living and dining area.

The dining table includes three full-sized chairs and a bench, and easily seats six, if three can fit along the bench.

Next to the dining table is a couch that seats two or three, and also can serve as another sleeping spot for the shortest member of the family. If you use it as a bed, the two cushions are 22 inches wide and sum to 58 inches long.

On the other side of the room you’ll find a TV with storage underneath…

…and also a darling set of miniature chairs and a table that just begs to be used in a game with the kids. A lot of moms have squeezed up to these tables over the years…

In the middle of the room there’s a padded object that can serve as either a footstool or a seat.  There’s no shortage of seating in these cabins! Above this footstool you’ll see a wall with a Native-American inspired hanging.

Behind this wall is the Murphy Bed–shown here beginning to descend.

The Murphy Bed, when deployed, is not quite as large as it looks–by my measurements the mattress is just a hair over six feet long, and it’s not quite 54 inches wide.  This makes it not quite a full bed.

This bed is a tight fit on the width dimension. See the tape measure showing the distance between the bed and the couch. The Murphy Bed is so close to the couch that it’s actually easier to exit on this side over the foot of the bed, rather than inching along the tiny space between the couch and the bed.

There’s not a lot of storage space for those sleeping in this space.

There’s no closet–the only usable closet for clothes is in the back bedroom.

There are some storage cabinets.  Besides the pantry noted above in the discussion of the kitchen, there’s also storage space below the TV, and two small cabinets on either side of the Murphy Bed. The one behind the couch is hard to access with the bed down, and none of these options has drawers–also only available in the back bedroom, or from moving around the stuff in the kitchen drawers.

THE BATH AND BACK BEDROOM IN THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT

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MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (“MNSSHP”) is a special, separately ticketed party that happens on certain nights every September, October and some years even early November at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

At the party you will find un-crowded rides, a special parade (shown twice, at 8.15 and 10.30p), special fireworks at 9.30p, trick-or-treating, dance parties…and a ton of guests in costumes!

I had a chance to see it again in early September 2014, and the scoop follows!

(See this for more on logistics–Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party dates, ticket prices, etc.)

COSTUMES AT MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

Costumes are not required, and not everyone wear them.

The most common costumes I saw in my September 2014 visit to MNSSHP were, as usual, princess costumes and pirate costumes, and after that Marvel costumes. Lots of Disney themed costumes!

Whole families dressed as pirates were not uncommon–the whispers on the buses were such choices were made because “it’s all we could get dad to wear…”

And this group in Adventureland proved a Disney theme was not required!

THE PARADE, FIREWORKS, DANCE PARTIES AND TRICK-OR-TREATS AT MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

MNSSHP has a special set of Halloween-themed activities.

For example, the parade–Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade–is seen only at MNSSHP.

It starts with ducks…

…but then shortly shifts to my favorite part, Haunted-Mansion themed dancing gravediggers and ghouls.

These are followed by Disney villains, but the parade returns to “not-so-scary” at the end, with candy!

There’s two showings of the parade, at 8.15p and 10.30p, with spectacular Halloween-themed fireworks between.

You can also find in both Liberty Square and Tomorrowland dance parties featuring Disney characters–new for 2014 is “Club Villain” in the Golden Horseshoe. (The photo is black and white because unlike every other photographer in the world I couldn’t make sense of the blue light in here.)

The Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball in Tomorrowland is less villainous!

Character meet-n-greets are all over the place–with both common and unusual characters–and there’s also a ton of trick or treat locations…both of which raise an issue.

STRATEGY AND RIDES AT MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

All the major rides are open, and many minor rides as well. Most have very short waits. In our visit we walked right on Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, and Enchanted Tales with Belle had waits of less than 30 minutes. (That’s me on the right, defending Belle.)

The trick-or-treat spots and character greetings, on the other hand, have pretty long lines.

So the best approach is to skip the character greetings and trick-or-treats–or delay them until after the second parade–and spend the first part of the evening on rides.

Do rides through the first parade (that is, til about 8.45p) and then watch Celebrate the Magic, the wonderful fireworks show Hallowishes, and the second showing of the parade.

Some families will be worn out by now.  If yours has energy left, keep going with with more rides, or trick-or-treating!

I struggle with whether or not this party is worth the money for first-time family visitors who may never return.

It’s quite expensive–more than $200, and even over $300 on some dates (prices vary by date and whether or not you buy in advance–see this) for a family of four.  And it’s just a five hour show (7p to midnight)–though Disney unofficially lets you in starting at 4p.

Yet the fireworks are the best Disney World offers, the parade is a hoot, the rides have short lines…and the costumes are fun!

My overall take is that for first-timers this time and money is better spent elsewhere, but that’s a really close call, and for sure I’d recommend it to returning visitors! But enough with the pirates costumes already dad, OK?

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