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MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY 2019

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–like 2019–even early November at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

At the party you will find un-crowded rides, a special parade (shown twice, at 9.15 and 11.15p), special fireworks at 10.15p, a Hocus Pocus show, trick-or-treating, a dance party…and a ton of guests in costumes!

I had a chance to see it again in mid-September 2019, and the scoop follows!

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

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2019 AT MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

The 2019 party pretty much follows the pattern set in 2015 and continued since. The most important change over the period is that the first parade is later.  This limits a bit the crowds in the hub during the first part of the party. You will still see crowds everywhere–ride waits are low to very low but the paths are mobbed.

The big change for 2019 is a new fireworks and projection show, Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular, replacing the old Hallowishes. There is a lot to like with the new show, but I liked the Hallowishes finale much better, and, because of the projections, you really need to be in the hub–with 15,000 of your twitter followers–to see it at its best.

In 2018, three rides were “plussed” for the party” and Pirates of the Caribbean is much better plusse din 2019 than it was in 2018.  I don’t want to give anything away–just ride it and let me know what you think.

The Mad Tea Party gained a different soundtrack, lights, and spooky smoke effects, greatly increasing its popularity–except with me.

Pirates of the Caribbean gained some live characters…

Finally, the experience of Space Mountain really changes with a near blackout of the ride.

A big part of the fun of Space Mountain has been not being able to see what comes next–and a refurb a few years ago made the ride even darker (though not everyone is a fan). For the party, we have something different–a near black-out.  All lighting effects are turned off, objects formerly lit are now dark, there’s no stars in the sky.  All you can see is a few red dots here and there and some distant “EXIT” signs.

The effect is to make Space Mountain much more scary than before–as testified to by the quite louder screams, mostly of joy, you will hear while riding it. (Note that I did not ride Space Mountain this year, so my description is from last year.)

One reviewer innocent of analytical skill recently posed hat the plussing of these rides reduces crowds by pulling people into their lines. Hint: lengthening the lines of three rides by about ten minutes each is not enough to reduce the all-night pressure on the hub…

The best approach to the Party remains the same–skip the character meets, defer trick or treating until later, see rides until the fireworks, and watch the second parade rather than the first. If you do this will avoid crowds (except in the hub and around the parade route) and have a fun evening.

But because of the crowds remaining after the 9.15 parade, it will be hard to get to the hub to see the fireworks and projections from there. See my images later in this review to see how much the projections and such might appeal to you.  My advice is to make your way to the hub as soon as the first parade has passed through, a little before 10p.

So do rides until just before ten, find a fireworks spot in the hub and see them, then see the characters and go trick or treating, see the 11.15p parade, and see the midnight Hocus Pocus show. A late night.

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

Costumes are not required, and not everyone wears them. But even after the increased security that began in December 2015, they are still allowed at the party.

Above is the official Disney lingo (click it to enlarge it). Note that these guidelines are solely for the Halloween Party.  “Regular” attendance is subject to different rules, basically ruling out costumes for those 14 and older.

The most common costumes continue to be princess costumes and pirate costumes, and after that Star Wars costumes.

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

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

Besides most rides being open to short (or shorter) waits, MNSSHP has a special set of Halloween-themed activities (see above–click to enlarge it).

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

It begins with a surprise–pay attention when the cast members start to rope off the crosswalks (dampness on the streets may eliminate this first surprise).

Then a bunch of characters stroll by.

It then shifts to ducks and mice…

…then some pirates…

…a pirate friend…

…more pirates…

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

More ghouls.

The gravedigger dance.

More from the Haunted Mansion.

Soon comes candy…

…and added in 2019 more Pixar fun:

…then the parade goes back to scary, ending with Disney villains!

There’s two showings of the parade, at 9.15p and 11.15p, with a Halloween-themed fireworks and projection show between at 10.15p.

The show is best seen from the hub, about halfway in.

Below are fireworks photos. Note the projections on the castle in particular.

Also offered are some entertainments.

The Liberty Square dance party left years ago, but there’s still an outdoor Monsters-themed dance party at the thingy between Astro-Orbiter and Space Mountain.

New for 2019 you’ll find a Disney Descendants themed dance party in Cosmic Rays, which had a lot more energy than most prior parties in this space.

There’s a Disney Junior dance party in Storybook Circus…

…not much attended, at least during my visit to it.

You’ll also find lots of Halloween-themed merchandise.  Some is specific to the party (and may be sold out–see your brochure for locations) and the rest is generally available–including, somewhat jarringly, in the Christmas shop.

Although to be fair, it appeared that Santa Claus might have visited the party on holiday…I saw him in the Caribbean Beach bus line.

The Hocus Pocus show is quite popular.  The three sisters from the movie return…

…and call on hordes of Disney villains to help them stay.

The show includes strong songs and dances, fun characters, and some spectacular effects. Those familiar with the movie need not get close to the stage (thought it can’t hurt), but if you haven’t seen it, the characters of the three sisters are much more apparent if you are closer to the stage.  This is easier at the midnight show, not so easy at the earlier shows.

Character meet-n-greets are all over the place–with both common and unusual characters.

Some more characters:

There’s also a ton of trick or treat locations, marked by lighted columns.

Get your trick-or-treat bag on the pathway that begins at the left of Town Square…

…and your first handful of candy, too.

But both the characters and trick-or-treating 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–e.g. 10 minutes for Space Mountain. Typically, only Peter Pan and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train have annoying waits.

The trick-or-treat spots and especially the character greetings, on the other hand, have pretty long lines, and the hub is packed all evening.

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

Do rides until 30 minutes or so before the 10.15p fireworks show, head to the hub then, and watch it.

Now try trick-or-treating or character meets. Then see the second (11.15p) parade and the midnight Hocus Pocus show.

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–for a family of four, well over $300, and even over $400 on many dates. And it’s just a five hour show (7p to midnight)–though Disney unofficially lets you in starting at 4p.

Yet the fireworks, while not I think as good as prior shows, are among 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!

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

DOCTOR WHO AND DISNEY

By Jim Korkis

Doctor Who is the main character in a long-running British science-fiction television series of the same name. He is a time-traveling, humanoid-looking alien Time Lord whose method of transportation is the TARDIS that from the outside looks like a typical blue British police call box.

In April 1981, Doctor Who producer, John Nathan-Turner had approached Disney’s London office with the idea of setting a story at Walt Disney World where The Doctor would be tracking down an alien who was hiding there. After all, an odd looking character would seem to fit in very easily at WDW.

Arni Halling, Disney’s Sales Promotions Director, wrote back that the whole idea had been quashed by the American head office, stating, “It is against our policy to allow settings like Disneyland and Walt Disney World to be used as background for a program in a non-Disney television series.”

When Michael Eisner became CEO in 1984, he was actively looking to purchase franchises like the Muppets. Disney made several attempts to buy the rights to the Doctor Who franchise and its video library. At one point, it looked like a deal might finally be made just as the show went into an indefinitely long hiatus in 1989.

Eisner was looking for something to revitalize Tomorrowland. Preliminary plans were drawn up for a walk through attraction at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland that would have taken guests through the inside of the TARDIS. They would enter the phone booth and find themselves in a much larger show building and just as in the television show the interior was much larger than the exterior.

The show building was also to include some type of a dark ride that would have taken guests through an adventure in time and space.

There were discussions about Disney making a film based on the franchise with an elaborate official announcement of the new Doctor to be made at a special press conference in Tomorrowland. Unfortunately, negotiations stalled, and Disney partnered with George Lucas for Star Tours.

In 1987, The Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) appeared in a three-episode serial entitled Delta and the Bannerman. The premise was the Doctor and his companion, Mel, and a bunch of aliens were to spend a week at 1959 Disneyland. However, when their Nostalgia Tours bus hits an orbiting satellite, they all then end up at a holiday camp in South Wales which was more appropriate for the BBC budget.

In the third novel about The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), the companion Rose Tyler says she would like to go to Disneyland and the Doctor responds that he can take her to a place with real talking mice.

In the August 1975 edition of Disney Time, a BBC TV series that was shown three or four times a year and featured clips of Disney cartoons and films since the U.K. did not have a weekly Disney television show, Tom Baker attired as the Fourth Doctor appeared as the host for those clips and both appeared and disappeared in the TARDIS at the movie theater showing them. The following Saturday was the first episode of Doctor Who Season 13 featuring Baker.

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Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest, The Unofficial Walt Disney World 1971 Companion: Stories of How the World Began, and Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 21 TO SEPTEMBER 29 2019

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2019 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/21-9/29/19

The Magic Kingdom will be open 8a-10p 9/21, 8a-6p 9/22, 8a-9p 9/23, 8a-6p 9/24, 8a-9p 9/25 and 9/26, 8a-6p 9/27, 8a-10p 9/28, and 8a-6p 9/29

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/21, 9a-9p 9/22 through 9/26, 9a-10p 9/27 and 9/28, and 9a-9p 9/29

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-10p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-9p 9/21 through 9/25, 8a-8p 9/26 and 9/27, and 8a-9p 9/28 and 9/29

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/21-9/29/19

• Saturday 9/21 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: none
• Sunday 9/22  Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: none
• Monday 9/23 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: none
• Tuesday 9/24 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: Epcot
• Wednesday 9/25 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: Magic Kingdom
• Thursday 9/26 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios (6-9a)  Evening: none
• Friday 9/27 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: none
• Saturday 9/28 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a)  Evening: none
• Sunday 9/29 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a)  Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/21-9/29/19

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/21-9/29/19

Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom:  9.15p 9/21, 9/23, 9/25 and 9/26, and 9/28

IllumiNations at Epcot: 10p 9/21, 9p 9/22 through 9/26; 10p 9/27 and 9/28; 9p 9/29

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 10p every night

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 8.15 and 9.15p 9/21; 8p and 9.15p 9/22; 8p 9/23 and 9/24; 8 and 9.15p 9/25; 8p 9/26 and 9/27; 8 and 9.15p 9/28 and 9.29

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/21-9/29/19

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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In March 2019, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the far end of Sunset Boulevard—about as far from Galaxy’s Edge as it could get, which was probably part of the point, to spread crowds (if they ever do show up) a bit.

Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is in what had been the rarely-interesting Sunset Showcase building, set in a courtyard accessed through a gate just to the right of the entrance to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

You wait for it outside, with umbrellas providing some relief from the elements. Since shows are continuous, you likely will need to wait at most 12-15 minutes, just until the next performance.

Frankly, I had low expectations for this ride, but it is a winner. Yes, you need to enjoy Cars to get much out of it.

But if you do—or someone in your family does, perhaps younger than you—then it is a solid attraction, with a great audio-animatronic of Lightning McQueen, fun racing scenes, more appearances by other good guys, a bad guy, and virtue triumphant.

The bench seats are about as uncomfortable as you’ll find at Disney World, but the duration of the show is not long enough for this to much matter.

Outside the building, Cruz Ramirez from the Cars franchise takes pictures with guests, and a DJ-led dance party is also intermittently scheduled outside in the courtyard.

Here’s the review from our fancy book.

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

THE ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM–UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

By Jim Korkis

The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management ran at Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland (after a seven month transformation of the original version of the Enchanted Tiki Room) from April 1998 to January 2011.

“The new management” were audio-animatronics figures of Iago (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried) from the animated feature Aladdin and Zazu (voiced by Michael Gough rather than the film’s Rowan Atkinson) from the animated feature The Lion King, who had “been given the deed to the WDW Tiki Room as part of their bonuses for starring in hit movies as negotiated by their agents William and Morris (voices by Don Rickles and Phil Hartman)”.

In particular, Iago sought to update the show and make it more hip for a modern audience but his approach is cynical and jarring and angers Uh-Oa, the green audio-animatronics “Tiki Goddess of Disaster” (voiced by Armelia Audrey McQueen) who emerges in smoke from the center fountain to punish him. Iago later appears at the end of the show bandaged, burnt and with a crutch, yet not humbled by the experience.

(C) Disney

The revamped show was done by senior concept designer Jeff Burke and senior concept writer Kevin Rafferty. “It was kind of demoralizing to see guests leave in the middle of the (original) show,” said Burke. “So we wanted to infuse new life into it. We wanted to bring out the Disney magic that current audiences would relate to. People who have seen the show before will wonder ‘What is going on around here?””

For the recording session, three of the four original voices for the Tiki Bird hosts were brought back: Wally Boag (Jose), Fulton Burley (Michael), and Thurl Ravenscroft (Fritz). Ernie Newton, who had done Pierre, had passed away in 1996 and was replaced by Jerry Orbach.

Associate show producer Kate Zovich took pride in the creation of the two new audio-animatronics characters, “The work that (Imagineering in) Tujunga (California) did on the A-A figures is absolutely amazing. To fit all of that wiring and mechanics inside these teeny birds is an incredible accomplishment and they were very successful at making these figures more like cartoon characters.”

Many guests were appalled that the lighthearted original show had been replaced by the newer snarkier version that eliminated familiar songs and had too many in-jokes like Iago commenting at the end of the show, “Boy, I’m tired! I think I’ll head over to the Hall of Presidents and take a nap.” While curious enough to visit, enough guests didn’t revisit to defeat the purpose for the drastic changes.

On January 12, 2011, a small fire broke out in the attic of the attraction, damaging the figure of Iago as well as other show elements when the automatic sprinkler system went off to extinguish the flames.

The decision was made to replace the show with a newly shortened version of the original show now dubbed Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room that opened August 15, 2011.

However, a reminder of the ill-fated new management attraction exists at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto in the Polynesian Village Resort. One of its signature drinks is the Uh-Oa. Above the bar is the Uh-Oa goddess figure from the attraction. If a guest orders the drink, a storm begins outside with winds and heavy rains.

The bartenders lead guests in the chant of “Uh-Oa, Uh-Oa, Uh Oa-aaaa!” and the Krakatoa volcano erupts and lightning flashes illuminate the goddess figure who opens her eyes to reveal their glowing redness and she cackles, just as she did in the attraction.

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Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest, The Unofficial Walt Disney World 1971 Companion: Stories of How the World Began, and Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 14 TO SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2019 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/14-9/22/19

The Magic Kingdom will be open 8a-10p 9/14, 8a-6p 9/15, 8a-9p 9/16, 8a-6p 9/17, 8a-9p 9/18 and 9/19, 8a-6p 9/20, 8a-10p 9/21, 8a-6p 9/22

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/14, 9a-9p 9/15 through 9/19, 9a-10p 9/20 and 9/21, and 9a-9p 9/22

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-10p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-9p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/14-9/22/19

• Saturday 9/14 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: none
• Sunday 9/15  Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: none
• Monday 9/16 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: none
• Tuesday 9/17 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: Epcot
• Wednesday 9/18 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: Magic Kingdom
• Thursday 9/19 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios (6-9a)  Evening: none
• Friday 9/20 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a) Evening: none
• Saturday 9/21 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a)  Evening: none
• Sunday 9/22 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (6-9a)  Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/14-9/22/19

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/14-9/22/19

Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom:  9.15p 9/14, 9/16, 9/18 and 9/19, and 9/21

IllumiNations at Epcot: 10p 9/14, 9p 9/15 through 9/19; 10p 9/20 and 9/21; 9p 9/22

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p 9/14 and 9/15; 8p 9/16 through 9/22

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 10p every night

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 8.15 and 9.15p 9/14 and 9/15; 8.15p 9/16; 8.15 and 9.15p 9/17 through 9/21; 8p and 9.15p 9/22

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/14-9/22/19

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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