Hocus Pocus Spelltacular Due to Unforeseen Circumstances Cannot Continue
Mickey Mouse Day!
Thursday was our designated day for Magic Kingdom for a couple of really lucky reasons. That was the day boyfriend had managed to snag a coveted reservation at Be Our Guest, and Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) was also scheduled for that night. I hesitated on buying tickets to the party because 1) it's extra and kind of expensive, and 2) because I was worried it would be too kid-based.
It's definitely worth the splurge at least once. The closer to Halloween you get, the more expensive the tickets are, so you might want to take that into consideration if you're planning on being at Disney during those times. We would've had to leave the park at 7 if we hadn't bought tickets to the party; party tickets kept us in the park until 1 a.m.
I had never been to Disney during the fall, but the park is decked out in its harvest colors and pumpkins are everywhere!
We arrived at the park before it officially opened, like good little Mouseketeers, and while everyone else was making a beeline for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, we ran to Space Mountain. I was well into my teens before I actually rode Space Mountain (and would like to apologize to my parents for all the times I denied them the joy of riding this because I was too chicken). We were a few of the first people on the ride and should've ridden it again because when we went back that evening it was…you guessed it! Broken.
We skipped by the entire Storybrook Circus area. It's mostly for small kids.
Our next stop was Ariel's Grotto area which was new to us, and we hopped on Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. Boyfriend must have a thing for princesses because this was another ride he requested to do a second time later during the day. We didn't have a wait, but there are some interesting activities in the queue if you are in a long line. I now can't get "Under the Sea" out of my head.
After "oohing" and "ahhing" at Beast's Castle, I dragged boyfriend to Enchanted Tales with Belle.This is a reenactment of the story, and we were BY FAR the oldest people there without children and being there was the only real time I felt kind of creepy. I still wanted a part in the play but got denied. Little kids will freak out over this, but unless you're there with a bunch of adult friends, your time might be better spent elsewhere.
In Belle's house waiting for Enchanted Tales
Like Gaston's Tavern.
The "manliest of manly places" according to the Disney site.
We had only completed three activities and were already hungry. We kept seeing people with giant cinnamon rolls walk out of Gaston's, so going inside for food seemed like the only logical thing to do. The next logical thing to do was order a giant cinnamon roll, a ham and cheese pretzel, and LeFou's Brew (it's frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow, topped with passion fruit-mango foam). I know, I know. What a weirdo combo – but TRUST ME. Freaking amazing.
I want to go back just for LeFou's Brew.
We got in a ton of rides before finding our parade spot and basically just worked our way from Gaston's Tavern counterclockwise around the park. We had a FastPass for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (thank goodness!) – when we passed the ride around 10 there was already a 2+ hour wait. We got in "it's a small world," Peter Pan's Flight, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, the Country Bear Jamboree (so many sites say to skip this, but I think it's hilarious and boyfriend had never seen it), and we rode the boat over to Tom Sawyer Island which I had never done (and won't do again).
The only picture from the Festival of Fantasy Parade – clearly Beauty and the Beast is my favorite movie.
We had a perfect spot for the parade and it was nice to stand there and dry off from Splash Mountain.
After the parade we needed refueling; I had a plan. Boyfriend did not. Since we were super close to the Sleepy Hollow kiosk, I opted for a Sweet and Spicy Chicken Waffle Sandwich which was pretty tasty! Boyfriend wanted something from the Pinocchio Village Haus, so I took my waffle there. There's plastic glass on one side of the restaurant facing "it's a small world," so we entertained ourselves by watching the boats load.
After our lunch break we fit in most of our other rides: Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise (we waited forever in this line), and the Enchanted Tiki Room (my mother HATES this show; boyfriend had also never seen this one – one time every ten years might be enough, tbh). Then it was time for my first Dole Whip! It was a perfect late-afternoon treat to help us cool off (no pic because I ate it so fast).
After a show at Mickey's PhilharMagic we came back to Adventureland for The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (totally a kids ride, but hey, I'm a kid at heart).
While we were riding the magic carpets I saw Aladdin and Abu! I wasn't about to pass up a photo op! And again, the oldest people in line. No shame.
Pirates of the Caribbean lit up for Halloween
We found some prime space for the Boo-to-You Halloween Parade which usually takes place twice during the party. We opted for the later parade – everything I read said to avoid the early one because all the kids were there and left by the time the later parade happened. I loved this parade because it featured a lot of characters, especially villains, you can't typically find around the parks (the hyenas from The Lion King, below, were hilarious), and the parade begins with the Headless Horseman riding through the streets. Warning: the song they sing throughout the parade WILL get stuck in your head forever.
Earlier in the day we had picked up our wristbands for the Halloween Party. When you get your wristband you also get a bag for trick-or-treating around the park (that already has candy in it!). We hesitated to actually go to the trick-or-treating stations, but nobody looked at us weird, other adults were doing it (and dressed up in super impressive costumes!), so we jumped right in! Who doesn't like Disney + free candy!?
It was FINALLY time for our dinner reservations at Be Our Guest! (hear about that here!) We missed the Happy HalloWishes fireworks, but stay tuned to hear why we were ok with that…
Before the final show we hit up Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, a peaceful ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover where we could see a lot of the park lit up, and then a nighttime ride on Splash Mountain. I highly recommend riding Splash Mountain at night because the park is beautiful to see right before the big drop.
Cinderella's Castle decked out in Halloween colors for the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
And then at midnight we had the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular in front of Cinderella's Castle featuring the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus and all their Disney villain friends! I highly recommend this show, especially if you like seeing the Disney villains!
The park was open for a couple more hours, but we were absolutely exhausted. I have no idea how some of those kids were making it. If you're debating on whether or not to attend Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, I highly recommend doing it at least once! Even if you're adults without kids!
*Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was closed for refurbishments during our trip (so sad!).
Source: https://biscottiandaphd.com/tag/hocus-pocus-villain-spelltacular/
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