We went to the party on 9/18. First thing that is completely out of Disney's control was the heat. Last week was unbearably hot every day and this party night was HOT!
This was our 9th year attending the party going back to 2006. Compared to the early years, Disney is selling many more tickets to this event then ever before. Back in the day you could go through a candy line multiple times within a few minutes. This time there are actually queue lines winding just like for rides. I've never experienced this before.
Nothing was what I would consider to be a "walk on". Even constant loading rides such as Under the Sea had a wait time. Peter Pan was a 45 minute wait.
I noticed major miscommunications with cast member's knowledge. Several popcorn carts said they can only sell the cauldrons beginning at 7pm yet I saw many people walking around with them well before then. I finally asked one guest where and when she got her bucket. She said she had purchased it a few minutes earlier at the cart in Liberty Square. I went over to the cart and was told that they are selling them at 7pm but they heard a cart on Main Street was selling them. We went to Main Street only to find that there was no cart on Main Street open at all at that time. Funny thing was after chasing this popcorn bucket around, we saw it being sold all day long at Hollywood Studios the next day.
I also needed to pick up an Alex and Ani bracelet for my daughter. I went to the Jewelers on Main Street and was told by a cast member that Alex and Ani are "only sold at Disney Springs and at Epcot". I did a google search and found that the Emporium does in fact sell Alex and Ani all the time. I went there and what do you know? They had a large case of Alex and Ani. During the party somewhere in the crowds my husband lost his magic band. We asked a cast member on the last ride we were on in Fantasyland if they had found it. They did not but told us to beat the parade crowd and go to Guest Services which had a location closer in Frontierland. It was about 9pm and I just knew there was no way that location would be open but we fought the crowd and went there only to be told that of course, they close after sunset. So we fought the crowds again to make our way to Main Street during the parade.
One of the frustrations with the larger crowds at this event is how log jammed areas get after the parade. We were back in Liberty Square again after the parade had gone through and the crowd literally could not move anywhere. There were so many people in the area trying to go in two directions at once with no cast members directing the crowd that hundreds of people were stuck at a standstill for about 15 minutes. It was like squeezing marbles out of a tube of toothpaste; nothing was budging. It was a pretty unsafe situation.
The bus going back was a nightmare. Our bus to AKL was beyond full. I still don't understand why it is car seats and seat belts are required in cars but it's not considered unsafe to have over 100 people on a bus, half of which are standing while moving at 45 miles per hour.
MNSSHP has always been my favorite event but with the prices going up and crowds getting larger each year, I find it harder and harder to really get my money's worth. Just my opinion. I understand others feel differently.
was't it just pure magic? 
