MNSSHP or Magic Kingdom After Hours?

sanibellife

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
We have never done either party so I'm just curious which would be best for a family with young adult kids? We obviously love Disney but I think kids will be more focused on getting on rides that have shorter wait times. But what does each party have that you like?

From what I gather MNSSHP has more event type activities, characters, fireworks etc and the after hours party seems more geared toward getting on the rides.

We have done the holiday party and I believe it was still pretty crowed in the park as far as wait times.

Would love to hear different view points and experiences! Thanks for your help
 
If it were up to me for everything you just described, MNSSHP would be my choice. MNSSHP is absolutely amazing, so much fun, and miles better than MVMCP IMO. I loved trick-or-treating, the Boo to You Parade and Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular are my two favorite entertainment offerings on property, and you can meet so many great characters. I thought it was well worth the money as opposed to MVMCP, which was far more crowded when I went and seemed to offer less in the way of character greetings.

If you think you'd be focused more on rides, you might actually have better luck at MNSSHP than at DAH. With all of the exclusive entertainment at MNSSHP, you'll find mostly low waits for the rides. You might wait MAYBE 30-40 minutes for Haunted Mansion or one of the rides with a "party overlay." Like you said, DAH is more geared towards "getting on the rides," so the rides in general will most likely have a higher wait time there than during MNSSHP.

Can I ask when you're planning this trip? Depending on when you go, the MNSSHPs can be between $50-$10 cheaper than DAH. The only exception would be a few days surrounding halloween, in which case it would be $10 more than DAH.
 
The After Hours events are 80% geared toward the attractions and 20% for the pictures, "free" soda and ice cream. MNSSHP crowds have increased greatly over the past few years but you should still find good wait times for the attractions, plus they have the special fireworks, character M&G's, food options, parade, trick-or-treating, etc.

If you've never done MNSSHP before, I'd suggest that but you really can't go wrong either way.
 


MNSSHP does not have any rides with a “party overlay.”

Last year, they started offering special overlays to certain rides for party nights. Specifically the Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean saw different lighting effects and/or live performers. From the 2018 Mickey's-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party master page on wdwinfo:

New experiences for 2018!
  • Fantasyland - the Mad Tea Party will take guests for a colorful ride as new lighting and special effects will give a new spin on the night. The color of your costume can make you transform under the new dancing lights.
  • Adventureland - New pirates will invade the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and interact with guests who can join the search for “Gunpowder Pete.”
  • Tomorrowland - Guests riding Space Mountain will be treated to a new soundtrack and special effects as the adventure transforms.

A more recent article by Jackie confirmed that different MNSSHP-exclusive overlays will feature attraction enhancements this year.
 
Last year, they started offering special overlays to certain rides for party nights. Specifically the Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean saw different lighting effects and/or live performers. From the 2018 Mickey's-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party master page on wdwinfo:



A more recent article by Jackie confirmed that different MNSSHP-exclusive overlays will feature attraction enhancements this year.
Thanks! With overlay, most assume it’s like the Nightmare Before Christmas at HM in DL which is far beyond different lights and music. :)
 
Thanks! With overlay, most assume it’s like the Nightmare Before Christmas at HM in DL which is far beyond different lights and music. :)

Oh, absolutely! The MK party offerings are nowhere near as elaborate as the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay at DL's HM, so I definitely apologize for any confusion with my use of the word "overlay." That is for sure Disney's wording-- not mine! :rotfl:
 


I love MNSSHP and DAH. If you can go to both they are worth it!

If I had to pick one with young adult kids, I would pick DAH. I loved the low crowds, really low crowds compared to MNSSHP. It was very special to walk around MK with so few people there. The lines were little to none.

MNSSHP is fantastic if you love the show, the fireworks, the characters, the Trick-Or-Treating, dressing up, the parade, the Halloween overlays. I do go on rides at MNSSHP, but some of them have lines, better than day time for sure. I really attend for all of the extra Halloween Magic.
 
We have never done either party so I'm just curious which would be best for a family with young adult kids? We obviously love Disney but I think kids will be more focused on getting on rides that have shorter wait times. But what does each party have that you like?

From what I gather MNSSHP has more event type activities, characters, fireworks etc and the after hours party seems more geared toward getting on the rides.

We have done the holiday party and I believe it was still pretty crowed in the park as far as wait times.

Would love to hear different view points and experiences! Thanks for your help

You are correct. MNSSHP has a parade, fireworks and special character meet and greets. It is VERY crowded!

MK DAH does NOT have parade, fireworks nor special character meet and greets, but crowds are thin, so you can do more rides.
 
Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for this info. This is so helpful! Okay don't laugh!!!! We are thinking of going Labor Day! I know, crazy right, with Star Wars opening. We must be gluttons for punishment. So not sure if that particular weekend changes anyones suggestions?

We may not go that weekend and select a different weekend but all this is new to me. It has been years since we have gone to WDW and there is so much to learn!

We are very lucky that we can pay to do these select parties or VIP experiences now so we are trying to figure out a good game plan for when we go!

Please let me know any other info you think may be useful!
 
They have varied a bit, but for the most part, the MK DAH's we've gone to are pretty light crowds. For perspective, here is Main Street from DAH around 10:30pm on Thursday the 16th. I have pics of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland as well. As others have said, if you want characters, parades, and other activities, the party is better. If you want rides and lots of space, DAH fits the bill.


EmptyMK4.jpg
 
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How old are the kids?

Hours play a factor for us.

If DAH is, say, 10-1 during your dates (it’s not always 10-1, just using this as an example), that’s a different proposition than a 7-12 MNSSHP event where we can get more mileage before the late hour gets the upper hand. But, mine are 8/4 so on the younger side. Won’t be a factor for older ones.
 

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