Hey, friends, I need your help with this one. Earlier this week, I was stuck between two friends battling back and forth over a conversation that became much more heated than I had anticipated. One will visit the Disney Parks at Walt Disney World in about three weeks and has opted not to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. However, they will visit the Magic Kingdom with a day ticket on one of the available dates. The other friend was shocked to hear that this was the original intent and not a result of sold-out dates or circumstances. To my surprise, from there, it turned into a friendly but heated debate over whether the after-hours parties were worth the time and money if you were already spending the day in the park.
I’ll admit some good points were raised on both sides. These after-hours events are a fantastic way to immerse your family in the specific event, allowing you to enjoy a concentrated version of the season. However, on the contrary, the added expense and limited access to the full range of park attractions and amenities can be more restrictive and unnecessary after a full day of park fun.
The conversation darted quickly from one side to another, like a professional tennis rally. I sat in the middle, the third wheel, waiting to disagree with one of their points and counter with an equally unpopular opinion (it seemed that would be the trend here). Instead, I kept thinking they were both separately right, even though they had utterly opposing points of view. One pointed out the benefit of all the candy you get to take home with you; the other countered with a brief cost analysis of buying it yourself rather than purchasing the additional nighttime event ticket. Then, it was suggested that the party offered the family a unique experience separately, adding to a day of more general Disney fun. Even that was opposed again by how much of that atmosphere and suggested ambiance is enjoyable without the added hours. See what I mean? Both are good points. I knew there was only one thing to do here: ask our DIS community for their thoughts.
If you are visiting Walt Disney World during this season, do you invest in Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party? And, if so, do you also back it onto a full park day at the Magic Kingdom or have it as a stand-alone park experience? I understand the push; being from Australia, once we get all the way over there, we want to make the most of our time in Orlando and squeeze in as much as possible, as I am sure many of you do, too. But when does it become too much? Let me know how you structure your Disney days when it comes to after-hours parties. Have you done it the other way and learned a valuable lesson, or just trusted your gut? See what others had to say in the discussion on our Facebook page.
In the end, there was no resolution; both set in their disagreement from candy to it being your one chance to dress up and enjoy. For those of you wondering, the counterargument was that with a little creativity, you can DisneyBound your way through any Disney day and enjoy it just as much.
