24. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Fantasyland Draft

[00:00:00] Coming up, there are unique times of the year at Disney and one of them is upon us. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Planning is in full swing and we have all of the tips and tricks you need to have the most successful party experience you possibly can. But of course, in true Moms Behind the Magic fashion, we're doing it our style with a draft. We're going to duke it out. We're going to steal the most popular things in each category and come out with our own draft boards at the end that you will get to vote on.

[00:00:28] Capturing a moment that isn't a memory maker picture and it's a staged picture. You're getting genuine smiles, genuine laughs, moments that you'll remember. Hey there, everyone. Welcome back to another very spooky episode of the Moms Behind the Magic. It is springtime, but that is Halloween time when you are in the Disney calendar year. And I am so excited to dive in.

[00:00:54] And if I'm being honest, a little nervous today to dive into Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Tickets are officially on sale. Well, that's what we've been doing all month is linking up all of our guests that are going to Disney, getting our own tickets for our families. We're going to talk about it. Everybody wants to know. We're going to talk about it. I'm your host, Allie. I'm here with Becki. I'm here with Katie. And it's Halloween, ladies. We should have worn costumes. We should have worn something, but honestly, it was just Mother's Day. So there's that. Yeah, no kidding.

[00:01:23] What do you all do for Mother's Day? Because every friend I've talked to, our Mother's Days have been spent at the children's activities. We were at a dance competition, I'm not kidding, from 6 a.m. to midnight. Those were our hours that we were inside the building at the dance competition on Mother's Day. And I think every Mother's Day my mom ever spent was also at a dance competition. I actually got a really, really great Mother's Day. My kids did a really good job. Macy came home from her Disney College program right before Mother's Day. So I got all three of my babies at home.

[00:01:53] Kenna's teeter-tottering on the walking out the door of high school graduation. So getting time with them. Y'all, I've seen three movies in the movie theater in the last week. Like, that is my very favorite thing to do, aside from going to the beach in Disney, of course. So on Mother's Day, I got back-to-back movies. We went and saw The Sheep Detective. We went and saw Michael. And then last night, my husband convinced me to go see Mortal Kombat 2. And oh my gosh, I was so like, why is this coming out on Mother's Day?

[00:02:23] But I laughed harder in that movie than I have laughed, like belly laughing, in a really, really long time. So our kids were cringy, like, what on earth am I watching? But we laughed so, so hard. Did you see The Devil Wears Prada? We saw The Devil Wears Prada the week before. We usually see movies when they come out the week of. Like, we're just a movie family. So we typically see it the weekend that it comes out. Did you play a lot of Mortal Kombat whenever you were growing up? I did. Like, I was just waiting for that moment where Scorpion's like, get over here.

[00:02:53] Like, you know that's coming, right? Get over here. Yeah, that's all I can think of. It's everything. Let's have a contest for who can do the best. Get over here. I don't remember much of Mortal Kombat, but I do know we played the crap out of it. Like, my brother and I played some Mortal Kombat, and the only thing I remember is, get over here. I think it's implanted in every millennial's mind, like, forever. I'm, like, crying happy tears. This is great. As soon as you said you saw it, that's literally all.

[00:03:23] I kind of didn't even listen to what you said because in my head I was just hearing that over and over. Oh, my gosh. They had all the characters in it. So many character flashbacks, like Sonya and... Oh, my gosh. I forgot about that. It was so good. You're saying these names and it's all coming back. That's crazy. It was very gory, and there definitely are explicitives in it, so be aware on that. The video game was gory, wasn't it? Oh, yeah. Very much inexplicit before we had ratings on our video games. Yeah.

[00:03:52] I think that was one that in certain countries the blood was green compared to it being red so that it could pass certain ratings. Oh, my gosh. That's true. Yeah. And when they started putting ratings on things, I remember my mom, my brother would give my mom, like, a Christmas list of, you know, things that not Santa was bringing. Obviously, Santa knew what to bring. But for when my mom would do her Christmas shopping, my brother would give her a shopping list and he would write Eminem's album. And then with the E, like, specifically with the E by it or whatever.

[00:04:22] And she would have to take it to Best Buy and hand it to an employee there and just say, we want to make sure these all have the E. I don't even think she knew what she was talking about because it was like marriage. That's hilarious. He said to make sure they all have the E. So he wanted the explicit version. Oh, yes. Of course. Oh, my gosh. That is awesome. That is awesome. I have a little bit of a beef. Actually, Katie, I want to hear what you did for your Mother's Day. And then I have a beef about Mother's Day. Okay.

[00:04:48] Well, I had mentioned on a prior episode that I was hoping to pick up a cake bake reservation. I did not pick up a cake bake reservation. My little girls tried on their lace gloves and they thought it was great. And they're like, when do we get to wear these? And I'm like, now I don't know. But I woke up that morning and I was like, it is so hot. I am not wearing this dress. I am not wearing flats to walk around Epcot. I'm not doing that. So I told Matt, let's just do a low key chill day and we'll hang out.

[00:05:18] So I, by myself, I went to pick up my annual pass holder magnet. That was the new Woody and Buzz one. And I had driven separately from Matt. And so he was a little bit behind me. And I was like, I've never actually met Mickey and Minnie and Goofy over in Communicore Hall. So I'm just going to do that to kill time. And I did. And it was fantastic. And whenever I came out, the Encanto dance show was finishing up. So I got to get a selfie with Mirabelle too.

[00:05:47] And at that point, my kids joined up with me. We went to the playground because that's how we spend our time in Epcot. We went to the playground and we said, okay, well, we didn't get the dining reservation. We were planning on what's available for a walk-up that we could do. And I think I've said on the podcast before how much Matt and I loved our date night at Le Cellier. And Matt was like, Katie, Le Cellier is available for a walk-up. We're not going to get another date night in Epcot. It's been four years. Let's just go and take the kids.

[00:06:17] And so we did Le Cellier that day for Mother's Day, which was perfectly lovely. It was great. After that, it was pretty low key. We hit Nemo. We hit the Crush show, Turtle Talk with Crush. And then we did Test Track and Guardians and went home. It was good. It's amazing that you guys live so close that you can literally every special occasion that ever comes up, you can be like, oh, you got an A today. Let's go to Disney. Yes. I mean, like every special day you can spend it at Disney. It's true. I wanted that for my kids.

[00:06:46] It's very intentionally part of the design of the move for us. We went to Disney on Valentine's Day and we often go on holidays because that's when Sean's off work. Something I love that Disney does is they have seasonal, like day of character meet and greets, right? So on Valentine's Day, we saw Prince Philip and Aurora. We saw like it's the prince and the princess together in lots of different spaces. You'll also maybe see like Daisy and Donald together. You'll see Mickey and Minnie together.

[00:07:16] When you don't normally get to see those as a pair. They're individual meet and greets. Yes. Well, I have a beef with Mother's Day because who do they pull out for Mother's Day? Well, I was so excited about who they pulled out. Yes. In the Magic Kingdom. Did you all see who they pulled out? Yeah. I know who they pulled out. Merida's mother. Yeah. I was going to say, who else are you pulling? Like ridiculous. Think about who else they have.

[00:07:44] Like we know that Disney kills off all the moms, which is ridiculous. It is so sad to me that all of the moms are either bad guys or there isn't a mom to pull into the story to have a meet and greet with. If Mother Gothel was meeting on Mother's Day, I would have, I would have been there for that vibe. Oh, a hundred percent. But totally, totally a villain in that space. Like Disney. They could have done it. Like Mrs. Potts and Chip. That might've been cute. Oh, that would have been cute. She's like a Disney mom.

[00:08:14] She is. Rapunzel has a mother. Well, all of them have a mother. It's just. I don't know if that's true. I mean, yeah. Well, some of them don't currently have a living mother. Most of them. That's true. Most of them. Okay. Well, I would thought, I saw Queen Eleanor. That's her name. And I just learned it from you, Becki. But I saw Merida's mom. And I thought that was absolutely amazing. And it's just like some of the fun pop-up magic you can experience. Sometimes I have, I'm working, you know, with clients. As an agent. And they'll be like, oh, they're going on a special day. Let's say.

[00:08:43] And then, oh, can we expect anything special? And it's like one of those things where I can say, sure, I would think so. But you never quite know what that special thing is going to be. But for those special days in the parks, it's pretty often that you get something special. So it's really cool. But for today's conversation, you don't only have to guess if you're going to get special things. You're definitely going to get special things. And it's going to cost you extra.

[00:09:07] So we're going to talk about Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, one of a few after-hour party events that Disney offers annually. And arguably the best one. You know, there are lots of people that value Halloween as the top holiday and love the villains and love the scare. And, you know, pretty soon at some point in the coming years, we're going to have a dedicated dark space in Magic Kingdom with the villains, hopefully. That's been announced. And so. That's going to be great. Yeah, I can't wait for that.

[00:09:36] But at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, I love that it's called the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, right? Because the space, Magic Kingdom, is transformed just enough that it feels eerie or spooky. And you definitely get a sense of we are in a Halloween area at this point. But it is not so scary to the point where kids are going to have nightmares and be scared later. You know, our local theme park does the Halloween thing, and it's actually so scary. They jump out and scare you and follow you.

[00:10:05] And it's very, it's a lot. Kids need to leave. And, you know, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is so not that. It is eerie enough for everyone to enjoy and nobody to be so scared that they're not going to be able to go to bed that night. We're going to break it down because I've sold a lot of tickets this month to Mickey's Not-So-Scary for lots of guests, as I know both of you have as well. Do you all go to this party every year? We try to go every year. We've only gone four times of the seven years we've lived in Florida. So not every year. But it's a high priority, and the kids always want to go.

[00:10:34] Even as teenagers, they absolutely would choose this over any other party. They're falling in love with Jollywood Knights, though, as well, as a really good contender as teenagers. That's interesting. More than very merry. Yeah, more than very merry for my teenagers, for sure. I want to point out, too, the opposite end of that spectrum with little kids is our first trip was, I mean, my two older ones were five and two at the time. And they asked for an entire year, when do we get to trick-or-treat at the castle again? As if it was like an everyday thing.

[00:11:03] So they remember it. They love it. And then, of course, we moved down here, and they've been since we moved down as well. They love trick-or-treating at the castle. Yeah, that amount of candy that you get at this party is hard to forget. It's going to haunt your brain. Yeah, it is. So the ticket cost is ranging this year from, I believe it's about $119 a ticket pre-tax to all the way into the $200s. And that's going to depend on which night you're going. Is it a weeknight? Is it a weekend?

[00:11:32] Are you in August? Because the very first party starts August 7th. August is Halloween at Disney, officially. And it runs all the way through Halloween with the final party being on Halloween night. And if you do want to go to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, it is very important that you get those tickets because every single one of these dates will sell out. They all eventually do.

[00:11:54] And it is not only an opportunity to see the park transformed in a really fun way, but it is an opportunity to get creative with your group, to come up with a costume, which is probably my favorite part of the party. You get to, like you said, Katie, trick-or-treat. A lot of the rides are open, so you're getting to experience some of your favorite attractions with lower wait times. Although with so many of the different things we're going to talk about today and so many of the things that are exclusive to the party,

[00:12:22] rides almost take a back burner for our family, you know, when we're here. We ride a couple of things if the line is really short, but there's so much to see, do, and experience beyond the rides that it's really fun to prioritize just the Halloween things because you're paying, you know, a hefty price for the tickets. So I'm going to explain the way we're going to talk about this today, but before I do, we're going to take a quick break. And then when we get back, we are drafting Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. This episode of Moms Behind the Magic is brought to you by BabyQuip. BabyQuip.com.

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[00:14:45] No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're going to go through the list. Oh, I'm going to do that. I'm going to say, clarify this for me. That's fine. That's fine. But I also, number one, don't want to do spoiler alerts. And what I meant was I don't want to explain too much of the party right now because there are a couple really important key details about the party I haven't mentioned. And the reason I don't want to is because we're drafting and I don't want to give anybody ideas or take anybody's ideas.

[00:15:11] And so we thought a really fun way to explain to all of you M&Ms the fun things you can see, do, and experience at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party would be to, in classic Moms Behind the Magic form, draft in different categories. We are drafting things that are exclusive to the party. That doesn't necessarily mean that, you know, it's not open during the day when we get to some of these categories.

[00:15:35] But we want to make sure we leave you with an idea of the really cool things that you're paying for when you get a ticket and get you M&Ms excited about what is to come. The categories we're going to be drafting, and then I have a question for you all. So snack, character, must ride, show or entertainment, candy stop, resort, and then of course a wild card. So we have seven categories to draft in.

[00:16:00] I am probably more anxious for this draft than I have been in a really long time because there are clear winners in some of these categories to me. But then there are some that I'm like, I can think of a couple things that would be good in this category. So I'm excited to see how it shakes out. I'm nervous about how it's going to shake out. And are we, do we have any questions? I have a question. I have a question. I have lots of questions. Yes. My question, Katie, are you going second or third? Because I'm going to go second or third.

[00:16:29] Because we know Allie's going first. I don't want to go first in this draft, if I'm being honest. I have a different position in mind. You do? I do want to go first. Yeah. There is something that is the clear winner of what should go first in this. Well, see, I think I know what you're talking about. But I have other things that I'm like, I definitely think that that could be best too. There are some categories where it feels like there's a clear winner. But I don't know. I've got a list here. Okay. Are we doing other questions before we determine? I have a question. I have lots of questions.

[00:16:59] Okay. You can't have lots. You can have one. Well, I have more than one. And you're just going to have to deal with it anyway. Anyway, so in the show category, show slash entertainment, what qualifies as a show? Anything that's a show or entertainment would qualify for show and entertainment. Yeah. As long as it's a show or entertainment. I mean, hold on. Hold on. Becky, you just kind of broadened the spectrum. A ride could be entertaining. That's not entertainment. So we're going to say like performers. Okay. Okay. Yeah.

[00:17:29] Or not. I mean, a show, you're being entertained by something, right? You know what I mean? Not like I was entertained by Tiana's Bayou. You know what I mean? Like, no, that's a stretch. I think we understand the parameters. Okay. Go ahead. Oh, you're ready? That was it. I think I'm ready. All right. Oh, I have a question clarifying. Just for Katie's sake, does it have to be exclusive to the party in order to qualify? Well, if you really look at our categories here, there's some categories that can't be party exclusive.

[00:17:59] So I'm going to say no, but like you can't draft something, but you can't draft something that wouldn't exist at the party. So you cannot take Happily Ever After for your show because it happens at Magic Kingdom. Like we are, we are educating on Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party today. And if you were to take Happily Ever After, that would be telling our M&Ms, you're going to see Happily Ever After, which we all know you are not. So this is, you're going to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. These are the things you can see, do, experience, and have a good time with, with your party ticket. Got it? Got it.

[00:18:29] All right. Here we go. Everybody see the wheel? Yep. Yep. We're waiting for Ellie to get it to where she needs it to be. Just stop. You tell, you know what? You tell me when to, you tell me when to hit spin. Go. Oh. Oh. Oh. Becky. I'm so excited. This is like breaking tradition. Yeah. Becky is our first drafter. You manifested, so you will. I just apparently needed to manifest. You know I'm a big manifester. I am. Let's see who's going second.

[00:18:59] Ah, ah, ah. Katie. Oh my gosh. Buy a hair. Okay. All right. So that means I am going third, which I actually wanted today. When I said I didn't want first, I actually wanted third. So I feel okay about this. But I am nervous. I am beyond relieved to be going second because I feel like I'm really bad at figuring out that double pick and what the heck are you guys going to pick six moves from now? I'm bad at that. So second feels optimal to me. Yeah.

[00:19:28] This is intense. I'm not kidding. I've been on every draft we've ever done as a podcast team, obviously. And I'm feeling more anxious for this one than any other one I've ever done. This is Allie admitting that she really, really does want one every single time. No. No, I was not because I got third. I actually wanted third in this draft. I kind of had an idea in my head of what I would maybe do if that happened. And I was anxious prior to that just because I feel like there are a few categories where

[00:19:56] it's like, oh man, that might, you got to take that pick. I want to take a side moment here to talk to our M&Ms because we were talking about how we're getting ready for this episode yesterday. And Carla was like, Katie, you got it. You got to strategize your wild card. Okay. And I was like, dude, I'm going to get wrecked anyway, because this is a draft. And not only is it a draft, but I'm with Allie and Becky who are both like fantasy football league people. And I was like, this isn't Survivor. So I guess I'm stuck.

[00:20:25] Maybe we should do a Survivor version. We should do Survivor. We should. Yeah. Oh, that's fun. All right. Listen, if you want to draft Survivor, I'll be here all day long. I'm going to. Not Survivor. Survivor themed. A Survivor themed Disney episode. Like voting things off. Shut the front door. I would so do that. Yeah, we're going to do that. That's coming. Coming soon, M&Ms. Be on the lookout. And we came up with it right here. You were here in a creative session. All right. Becky, this is what it looks like behind the BTS M&Ms.

[00:20:53] This is what creative function looks like. Becky. I am like dancing. I'm so excited because I never get first. I know what you're taking. We all know what you're taking. Go ahead and take it. What am I taking? Well, I'm not going to say it because then when it's that's not what you take. I'm taking the Boo to You parade. That is absolutely the best thing in all of this. All of this. Mickey's not so scary. Halloween party world. Oh, it's so good. That's all you're going to say about it? What do you want me to say? It is worth camping out for.

[00:21:23] Isn't there typically two parades per hour? Yes. You can see it twice. Yep. For me, I'm going to take the time to sit in the circle, the hub, in order to see it with the castle right there in the background. Allie, you had talked about how every party sells out. But even with sellouts, there's still the ability for you to not feel like you're in the busiest day at Magic Kingdom. They cap capacity. Yeah. And so get there early so that you can see the pre-parade.

[00:21:52] Get there early so you can see the headless horsemen take their ride. Make sure you have a good view and you're not like 10 people back in the audience. Adjust where your family's sitting so that you can see the grave diggers perform. There are my family is huge into the color guard world and they have flag spinners that are a part of this. You will see so many characters. Gosh, I was looking at the list of characters in this parade and it is endless. You get to see Wreck-It Ralph.

[00:22:18] You get to see characters that you don't always get to see in your regular days in Disney. So and the music in and of itself is worthy of just sitting there and listening. It's so fun. It's good. It is so good. So the best part is definitely the grave diggers, which you briefly touched on. But what makes them so cool? Actually, there's two best parts. The grave diggers have choreography with their shovels and the timing and the way they scrape the shovels creates like a spark effect.

[00:22:46] And it is truly, truly so cool. And the performers are incredible. They're the grave diggers. And then also the Haunted Mansion dancers, the dancing are just exquisite and really cool. And this is my favorite parade in any Disney capacity. So, well, you know what? I said that and then I immediately started thinking of all the different parades. But for purposes of this episode, I'm just going to say it's my favorite. And the next time I'm probably going to say something else is. But it is just so it is a wonderful.

[00:23:15] You cannot miss it. It is easy to strategize. Just know that you want to see it. Pick which time because it does usually happen twice and make sure that you you prioritize it because you're paying a lot. And it's part of what you're paying for, for sure. I'm so happy like doing the happy dance. And if this does not win for show and entertainment, you all are wrong. Like, that's just the reality. That's not there to call all of our M&Ms wrong. OK, because there are other shows. There are absolutely other shows that are so great and worthy.

[00:23:42] So with that, I don't know what category you're going with, Katie, but you are our second pick. OK, I am also going to draft my show and entertainment right now. And I am going to draft the Hocus Pocus villain spelltacular. Oh, it's such a good one. Not as good as. Come with me for a moment on Main Street USA. It's the end of the night. You just had the most incredible Halloween party you've seen and done all the things.

[00:24:09] And now at the very end of the night, you're going to watch the stage show that has the Sanderson sisters up at the front and they're doing all their spooky things. And you're hearing the music from the movie. And it is a really cool show. Got me some love for the Sanderson sisters. Give me Hocus Pocus. And I am there. I love this show so much. Clearly not as much as Boo to You Parade. I do love it. The Sanderson sisters and Hocus Pocus is like my Halloween why.

[00:24:38] I absolutely love the movie. I love them as characters. Amazing. So lovingly called Hopo, I believe, behind the scenes. You will do anything to dismerge my choice. No, I said lovingly called Hopo. Lovingly? What? No, I love this show. Lovingly called Hopo? I've never heard anybody call Hocus Pocus Hopo. I said from behind the scenes, I have a dear friend who may perform in this show. And he always calls it Hopo.

[00:25:07] And it's the coolest, funniest thing. But anyway, what I was going to say before you were saying I was besmirching you, which I was not at all. What I was actually saying was this is one of the most highly sought after shows in all of Disney World for performers to be part of, to get to be with the Sanderson sisters. I think this is a... Okay, hold on. I was about to eat my words. I was going to say they do that castle show at Christmas. And the first time I saw it, I actually didn't like it. But then last time I saw it, I actually loved it.

[00:25:35] So I forgot that I had a secondary experience with it where I loved it. I was going to say this one's way, way better. They're both good, though. But this is a castle show with live performers. And, you know, when you're at Halloween, you want villains. And you get villains. And you get, you know, you're never getting the Sanderson sisters otherwise. And they were always a Halloween staple for us growing up, like our generation and our age. But I feel like they've really had a comeback, especially with the second movie. And I think they're working on a third. But it's a great show.

[00:26:04] Again, you want to do all of the things at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, but missing the shows would be to your detriment. You're paying nearly $200 a head, you know, give or take. Depending on what day. And so you want to make sure you're not missing out. I'm absolutely saying nothing bad about the Hocus Pocus show. I love it. And both of them are great. And this is why I wanted to go third. And I'll tell you. Because I really felt like there were three strong shows. And I really thought, I think you want me to do what I'm going to do, Becky.

[00:26:33] Like, I think you're crossing your fingers in hopes that I will do what I'm going to do. I am not bringing the same energy to this draft. I just want to say. Well, I get two picks. And this is why I wanted to go first. Because I knew that three shows was kind of where we were at. And I knew Becky would do something shady, like take the booty you parade in Wild Card or something. And luckily, she didn't do that. And so I wanted to go third because I knew I would get the third show. I figured shows would go first.

[00:27:01] And I'm obviously going to take the third show. And I think these could have gone in any order. I think the parade was obviously obvious to go first. But at the same time, I am adding Disney's Not So Spooky Spectacular to my draft board for show. And that is the exclusive firework show at Disney. Now, I am on the record for saying firework choreography is my Disney-y.

[00:27:24] So to have special choreography, music, lighting, smoke, effects. I mean, you are getting all of the emotion and magic of Disney exploding in front of you. But not only that, it's hosted by Jack Skellington. And it has lasers and projections. And this show only happens once. You know, it is that exclusive between all of the other stuff. And I'm adding the firework show. And obviously, anytime I'm adding fireworks, I'm going to be thrilled about it.

[00:27:53] I don't think there is a week show at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. And so this could fall any direction. And I'm thrilled to get the fireworks. I would have just left it. But I thought if I left it, Becky would take it in wild card. And then I'd be left with like a dance party. And I didn't want that. So are you reading my draft board? Like what I know? But I know. No, but I know you. And so I would have left it because two are already gone. And I would have gone another direction. But I didn't want it to be swept under and taken wild card. So I'm going to obviously take the fireworks show.

[00:28:23] And I'm thrilled about it. No disappointment to have fireworks ever in my life. And then before. Wait a minute. Before we move on, let's give a hot tip for our M&Ms. So Allie did already say earlier in the episode, if you're trying to catch Happily Ever After on a party night, it's not going to happen. However, you should still prioritize seeing Happily Ever After on your trip. So make sure that you hop over to Magic Kingdom on another night so you can see both shows if you're going to the party and Magic Kingdom on a regular night.

[00:28:52] Park hoppers are so important during the Halloween season, which, as I said, runs from August to Halloween, as I said before. And the reason is because of what Katie just mentioned. You can go to Magic Kingdom in the morning. And it's going to be less busy because Magic Kingdom closes early to non-ticketed guests. When Mickey's Not So Scary, a Halloween party is happening at night. So you can go experience lower crowds because a lot of people that don't have park hoppers or don't have tickets to the party don't want to waste a day in Magic Kingdom where they're going to have to leave by 6 p.m.

[00:29:22] So you can get that lower crowd. Then you can use your hopper to go somewhere and have a park day late elsewhere. And then if you, as you should, want to make time to see Happily Ever After, you can start your day at a different park another day, hop in and see Happily Ever After. Make sure you get party tickets so you can see the parade, Hocus Pocus, the fireworks, all of the things. But never, ever miss fireworks. And with that, I get a second pick. Wait, before you go forward, I have to add, not just Halloween, though.

[00:29:49] That's a really good point beyond then as well because basically August through December, you're going to be haunted by parties. And once this particular party ends, we basically jump into the Christmas party and Jollywood Nights. So you're going to be double dipping on parks that have reduced hours during that time of year. Yes. I'm really, I'm torn on where to go here. But my gut tells me I need to go to the space I'm going to go.

[00:30:13] But I am aware that in going to the space, I'm giving up something else that I think will win its category. And that's why I was so stressed about this draft in particular is because I don't, there's not a strategy in the world where one of us can get that best thing in every category, right? But in a world where I went third, it does mean I not only get a firework show, but it also means that I get maybe the most popular character meet and greet of all time at Disney World.

[00:30:42] And that, of course, is Jack and Sally. Jack and Sally are meeting at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. And I would venture to say they are not just the most popular characters at the party. The line is going to be very long. You're going to want to get into that line. Maybe the first, like, first thing you do to knock it out before it gets too long. It's going to be long all night. I would venture to say it's not only the most popular at this party, but maybe the most popular at any given point in any park at any time of the year. They are so exclusive and cool.

[00:31:11] And they look so cool. And it is such a unique experience to get to meet them. And in the space of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, getting Jack and Sally just makes sense. It just fits. It's perfect. And so I am so thrilled to get Jack and Sally. I know that everybody wants to meet Jack and Sally, and I'm taking them in character meet and greet. It's a good choice. And last year, Jack got the glow up where his mask is appropriate now. Yeah.

[00:31:41] He looks more like himself. The great choice. Yeah. He looks amazing, and I'm really happy about it. But like I said, there are things on my draft board that I am leaving that I still really, really want. And I just don't know how this is going to shake out. So this is really fun, but I love that our M&Ms are getting an idea of the different things that they're going to get to experience at this party. Like seeing all those shows. Like meeting Jack and Sally. It's just an exclusive, awesome haunting time. It's so good.

[00:32:07] And there's only a couple places you can ever see Jack at all. One of them being your fireworks. It seems like maybe you have an affinity for Jack Skellington. McKenna certainly does. We absolutely love him at our house. You can see him here, and you can also see him at the stage show at Jollywood Nights in particular. One of the reasons we love it. So great choice. I think I mentioned that he hosts the fireworks show. I said that, right? Yeah. Oh, it's incredible. Like he's a host. Yeah. And what other fireworks show has a host? And of course, it's so fitting that he's this grand host of the fireworks.

[00:32:37] And then you can also see him. He has to be like 10 feet tall. Like you can see him from anywhere in the crowd. Unbelievable. Yeah. Just so good that his presence is so, what's the word I'm looking for? Like powerful? Prominent. Yeah. At the party. Yeah. He's the lead character for sure. All right. Does that bring it to me? It does. That's you. Where are you going, Katie? Oh, you know. It's gone. It's gone. You can all grieve now. I don't know. You don't know? You're crazy. No, I do. I do know. No, I know.

[00:33:04] I'm taking Must Ride, and I'm taking Hyperspace Mountain in the pitch black. Oh, I'm so happy I got that one. So I have been on the record saying that Space Mountain is not necessarily one that I hit on every park day because Carla and I like to joke that you're going to have to fill out a lost and found form for your uterus on that one. But I will make an exception for during the party because during party hours, everything

[00:33:34] is pitch black. They change the soundtrack. So it's like a spooky soundtrack. And you have nothing to prepare yourself for the dips and the drops and the turns. It's just you're on a ride and let's just go. There is nothing like this feeling of kind of helplessness, but also thrill in that I'm just in this for what I'm going to get out of it. Like I can't prepare myself for it at all from any visual cues.

[00:34:02] And it is the coolest, most singular experience, I think, of any ride. I'm going to say Hyperspace Mountain it is. I am incredibly sad to see this come off the board because that is definitely what I would have been taking next. This is fantastic. The soundtrack is amazing. The dark, writing in the dark is amazing. What were you going to say, Allie? I think I've said before that my twin daughter, my youngest daughter, my youngest child, her

[00:34:31] very first ever experience on Space Mountain was Hyperspace Mountain. It was at the party. And I had like, I knew it was Hyperspace Mountain, but I hadn't done it in a while. And I certainly hadn't done it with her. It was her first time. And, you know, they make the little one ride in front. So she was the very, very front and I was behind her. And when I remembered that it was pitch black, I could see her not at all. Not even like a hair on her head. I was like, oh my gosh, have I scarred her? Is she going to be freaking out? I was certainly freaking out.

[00:35:01] I had my arm forward touching her the whole time. We got off. She was, she loved it. She was just laughing and jumping and just loved it. But it is such a different experience. And differently, and I assume we're going to draft the Christmas parties as well, which I'm really excited to do. A lot of the rides at the Very Merry Christmas Party get holiday layovers. They join the party and have party exclusive experiences. Mickey's not so scary. Not the case. Yeah.

[00:35:29] So just, yeah, just really, you know, this is the big one. So really good pick here. You have to ride it. Again, I wouldn't prioritize rides at this party. That's kind of what's true. There's just other things, characters and shows and experiences, trick or treating, photo opportunities. There are just things that you're going to be doing that rides maybe aren't the top priority, but you are going to get shorter lines, but not for hyperspace. That's going to take some time. Oh, I had a thought on this, and I don't know if you all know the answer to this.

[00:35:59] Is it officially called Hyperspace Mountain at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween? Because I think it's actually considered Deep Space Mountain. I think you're right. Hyperspace is the, I think Hyperspace is the Disneyland. They do it at Disneyland called Hyperspace. Oh, is that it? And I think it's at Disneyland during the Star Wars. Yeah, I think we, I don't know why we've adapted that because a lot of us called it that, but I actually don't think it's called that, but. But we know what we're talking about. And it is the same. That's what it is at Disneyland, which is why I think that's why we call it that at Disney World is it's that pitch black experience.

[00:36:29] Yes. But yeah, either way, no matter what they call it, I don't even know if they adapt it to anything. It is that pitch black. Just Space Mountain in the dark. Yeah, it is that pitch black Space Mountain experience. I am conflicted on what I should take next because everything on my list is worthy of being taken. Honestly, I'm so, I love this party so, so, so much. It's amazing. But I do get back to back. So I think I'm going to take. It's stressful. It is so stressful.

[00:36:59] Let's go with snack. Snack. And I think for the snack, this is true to me in what I that's so us true to me. Where does that even come from? Me. Okay, this is true to me. And I love I love what we're now going to officially call Hopo. And so for my snack, I am going to take the Madame Leota seance candle that is at Sleepy Hollow. I love a good cake pop.

[00:37:26] And this is a cake pop pushed in like a push pop kind of idea. It has the chocolate dripping down the side of it. So it looks like the black candle from Hocus Pocus. And more important for a snack for me, I do want it to be tasty, which this is. But I also want it to be picture worthy, which this absolutely is among the most picture worthy snacks at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Mm hmm. Yeah, it's fun. Okay. I love a I love a theme, you know, and I don't I mean, this is a great pick.

[00:37:55] Madame Leota, also a star of the show when it comes to Halloween. So great pick. Next one I'm going to choose. I just think I have a theme with Magic Kingdom. And that is must ride. This probably will not or do I go with Candy Stop? I'm going to choose Candy Stop. Okay, I've changed my mind. I'm going to go with Candy Stop. This is our family's very favorite Candy Stop and all of it. The Candy Stops live throughout the entire kingdom.

[00:38:23] And from every corner, you're going to find them throughout the space. You'll see big lit up blowy balloon kind of things that mark where these Candy Stops exist. Our very favorite Candy Stop is inside of Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. We love this particular one because not only are you getting a good group or a good handful of candy while you're going through here, but it's also a great place if you need to rest your feet for a minute and not feel like you're losing out on what you're at the party for.

[00:38:53] You can sit down and they are telling Halloween jokes. It is a live show that you do not have to sit and wait for for it to start. It is a walkthrough. You can sit and listen as long as you want and then leave as well or at any point. Our family almost always gets a rainy party. It pretty much rains every time we go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. And this is a great space if you need to get yourself out of the rain for a bit. Yeah, that's a really good pick.

[00:39:15] I also just like it because it's that corridor where you get the candy is so large that you're funneling so many people through. It's helpful. It's helpful when there are large spaces that lots of people can fit through at once. Yeah, especially go here later in the day. This one will get really busy early on because it is a dedicated entertainment kind of space as well. But remember that these candy stops are open throughout the entire length of the party. So hit it later on in the day if the line is super long when you go by.

[00:39:45] This is probably the only candy stop that is basically they're doing a Halloween version of the Laugh Floor like continuously. It's not like a timed show. It's while people are coming through, you also get the entertainment factor. So that's cool. Yep, exactly. There is another one that has that though. Interesting fact. We'll see if it comes up. All right. Well, is this my turn? It is. Yeah. Back to you. Okay.

[00:40:11] I may have a controversial pick here, but I feel like I strategically need to announce it now. And I'm hoping this doesn't result in a phone a friend situation. Oh boy. But it may. Get Carla on the phone. Okay. There is a singular experience that you can have at a particular time on Main Street. And you can only do it on Main Street, which is why I don't feel like it really qualifies as the parade.

[00:40:41] Because it's not throughout the entire parade route. But I would like to, if you are amenable to it, I would like to draft in the wild card category, Dancing with Powerline Max on Main Street. It's sort of a pre-parade event. It only happens on Main Street USA. You can't do it anywhere else. So if you're trying to catch the parade over in Frontierland, you're not going to get that chance.

[00:41:09] But my millennial heart is bursting knowing that I can learn the eye-to-eye dance and I can dance it with Powerline Max on Main Street USA. There are few moments that we as adults get to feel like the magic of being a kid again. And this is optimal. This is it. So I will let you be the judge. I have zero problem with this. I don't think this is the parade at all.

[00:41:37] I don't think it's even close to questionable. I think it's a good pick. And it also is in line with something I'm going to pick. Okay. In terms of I don't think that, and I actually have something controversial coming up as well. So I'll be interested to see. But I don't think that this is parade at all. Okay. I agree. Yeah. It is considered a pre-parade, actually. It is. It doesn't. Yeah. It's almost like a cavalcade idea. So really fun. Everyone should prioritize seeing it. And you can only see it starting at where Main Street starts connecting to the hub. Yes.

[00:42:06] And then heading down Main Street. Okay. All right. Does that mean that it is my turn? It does. I'm so happy I got that pick. Sorry. Go ahead. Okay. I have one that I think is controversial as well. And I'm a little nervous about it because I don't know what you guys are going to say similar to this. But I think it's fine under the same kind of rules that we just said for Katie. And I have done some research on this. So I do have an argument if you're going to fight me.

[00:42:35] I would also like to take my wild card. And I would like to take the Headless Horseman as my wild card. He is also considered a pre-show to the parade. He is not considered the parade. He does come a considerable amount before the parade actually begins. He is probably my favorite part of the entire party. The park is silent. You get a music ahead of it. And so you know it's coming.

[00:43:04] And that makes it very, very exciting. And then the park is silent. And you get the clopping of this horse with no head, like a rider with no head. It's literally the Headless Horseman carrying his pumpkin head. And it is eerie. It is so cool. I like laugh when I see it because I'm so good. I have shivers now that you're talking about it. It is. It's so good.

[00:43:30] There is not a moment in Disney World where the parks fall silent in this way. And I mean, my wife would have killed me if I didn't get the Headless Horseman. She loves this. This is her favorite thing about Disney. Any time of year, any party, any park, any time of day. Like this is it. And I think it is a total feat. I love that this exists. It is such an underestimate.

[00:44:00] Like if you underestimate how cool this is, you're going to be floored. And if you are psyched up for this, you're going to be like you're going to be happy. So I feel really good about it. I love it. And I want to take it. Is that fine with everybody? Yeah. It's the same thing. It's a pre-parade thing. It's not part of the parade. Okay. It's connected to the parade, but it's not the parade. I will say I love the Headless Horseman. And I think it's a fantastic wild card pick. But I'm sad with how quickly it's over.

[00:44:29] There's all this build up and then it's like, okay, it happened. I wish it was longer. And also something else to keep in mind with the Headless Horseman is if the ground is wet. So if it's raining at all, just set your expectations that you're not likely going to see him. The Headless Horseman only rides if the ground is dry. That's true for a lot of things. Fireworks may not play. People might not dance on the stage if it's wet. I mean, a lot of things. I don't. Yeah. Every single thing we select can come with an asterisk of if it's raining, you may not get that. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:44:58] But specifically, the Headless Horseman has been the most affected as we go to a lot of the parties we've been to. Three of the four have been rainy and we've only gotten to see the Headless Horseman once. He is so cool. I'm happy to have him. I hope everybody understands how neat and unique he is. Yes. Okay. So we're going to take a break. We each have three picks with four to go. We're going to take a break. And when we come back, I will make my next pick and we will keep working our way through our snake here. M&Ms, I am so excited to share a brand new product to the Moms Behind the Magic podcast with all of you.

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[00:47:19] I I've already been in the mindset because like I said, I've been helping people get their tickets for the party for the whole month of May. But now that we're really diving in and talking about it, I am so amped. I love it so much. All right. I think I'm going to go with my candy stop next. And I am going to go and Becky, I wonder if this is what you're talking about. This is on my list is what I was going to take anyway. I am going to go with the country bear musical jamboree as my candy stop. They have characters here.

[00:47:48] The show is running during it. It is a 16 minute show. I believe it's about 15 or 16 minutes and it is air conditioned. So you're getting that break from the party. And also this show has been reimagined. And so it's great fun, great entertainment. You're getting your candy. You have characters like Romeo McGrowl. Do you all know who that? I mean, that's one of the bears. And yeah, okay. I just want to make sure you all know who that is when I say it, but he's there and he's greeting. So it's also can double as a character meet and greet. The show is running. You're getting candy.

[00:48:16] So you're kind of knocking off like character candy show break. If it's raining, get off your feet. So it's kind of a one-stop shop for multiple, multiple things. Whereas some of the other candy stops are just going to be swing through, grab a candy and keep walking. So I love that this one kind of doubles as a break and an entertainment and a candy stop. And you're getting a touch of something that's just Halloween and then a touch of things that are going to check all their boxes during your party time. This is not what I was thinking of, but this is a good pick. Great stop.

[00:48:46] Great show. If you haven't seen Country Bear Jamboree since it's been reimagined, absolutely prioritize it. It's so fun. It is so good. Yeah, it's fantastic. It's not taking too much time away from your party to do something that's going to give you a little bit of a break because honestly, you're walking a lot during this party. You're trying to get all the candy stops. You're from here. You're to there. You're all over the park. You want to ride Hyperspace Mountain, but it's just a lot. It can be a lot. And this is a good way to implement just a little stop. Love it. All right, Katie. My next pick may also be controversial.

[00:49:15] So I will again, let you be the judges, but I would like to draft my character next. And I will let you decide if this is considered a character meet and greet. I would like to draft the Cadaver Dance. So it's the Dabber Dance. They're the barbershop quartet that you usually see on Main Street. However, for the party, they dress up as sort of like zombified versions of themselves. And they're still singing.

[00:49:41] They're singing spooky songs in the barbershop quartet style. And they're really cool to see and to meet. So are you cool with that for character? Are we not cool with that for character? This is complicated. That feels more entertainment to me just because the Cadavers are not like Disney identifiable characters. There are other options for character that are Disney identifiable characters. I don't want to be the Debbie Downer that just says no, but this feels more like entertainment to me than character.

[00:50:10] They are dressed up, but it's kind of like performers in costume more so than a character meet and greet. Okay. But I do kind of also see that the Dapper Dance are a character, characters in the storytelling of Magic Kingdom. Or are they a show in Magic Kingdom? Like if you look up the Dapper Dance, they're going to be under entertainment, not characters. Yeah. I mean, they just are. That's just what's true. Okay. So we're saying I can't take the Cadaver Dance? If you hadn't taken your wild card in entertainment, I would say you could.

[00:50:40] But I feel like making them a character when they are in entertainment is a little much. Okay. Then I can't take the Cadaver Dance. But you should stop and see them. I'm so glad. I'm so glad you mentioned them. Yeah. Because otherwise we may not have gotten to talk about them. And what another cool, unique little thing. Nugget of information. This party is nonstop. If you go to Mickey's Not-Sisterial party and you don't have a good time or you say there wasn't anything unique or there wasn't, you did something wrong. That's very much on you. Yes. Very much. Okay.

[00:51:09] Then if I can't take the Cadaver Dance for my character, I am going to take a risk because there's something new coming this year for 2026 for character offerings. And in Tomorrowland, Stitch, Lilo, and Angel, the pink version of Stitch for those of you that aren't familiar. Stitch, Lilo, and Angel are going to be at an ever-changing masquerade in Tomorrowland throughout the party.

[00:51:39] And of course, Stitch has a very large following. People love Angel as well. I think that this will be a really cool addition to the party. So I'm going to take a risk and draft the brand new thing that we'll see how it works out. Have they shown if Stitch is going to still be in his Elvis outfit? Because that is so cute. It is really cute. I think he's got to be. He's got to be in Elvis. Like he's got to wear his costume. Elvis is his. I bet they're all going to be in costume, honestly. Yeah. I bet Lilo's in costume.

[00:52:08] She should dress up as Stitch. Oh, that would be adorable. Lilo should dress as Stitch. That would be so funny. Somebody needed to call me on that. And Angel should dress as Lilo. I just know. The answer is no for me. That would be hilarious. That would be hilarious. I wonder what Lilo really would be dressed up like. That's, I can't imagine putting her in something other than her normal outfit. Okay. Interesting call here on what I have left. Do I go with character? Sure. I guess I'm going to go with my must ride.

[00:52:37] Disney has kind of stepped away from having full-blown overlays historically. They used to have really active overlays on several rides during the party. For instance, pirates used to have live actors in the queue and in the ride while you were going through. There are very few rides at this point that have active overlays. And to that point, let me clarify. This is specifically a Walt Disney World for Mickey's Not So Scary. Yes.

[00:53:07] Because if you go on the other coast to Disneyland, they have tons of overlays. Yes. Yeah. Yes, they do. So for my must ride, I think I'm going to still take Haunted Mansion. Because even though it is not a full overlay, it is still a ride that is so on brand for what this is. And if you're going to take your time out, absolutely go over there. There are fantastic magic shots over in that space. And Haunted Mansion... Stop and get your picture.

[00:53:36] Stop and get your picture. They have spooky smoke added to the outside. Sometimes they will have some commentary happening with ghosts on the outside that are kind of bantering back and forth. So even though it's not a real full overlay, it's still very much just the regular ride. It is still a ride that I think you absolutely should prioritize if you're going to do any rides while at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. I found out a special secret thing. You know how some rides have like secret things that you can do?

[00:54:04] If you're the last guests coming off of Haunted Mansion, they let you shut the doors to the mansion at the end of the night. That's amazing. I did not know that. Wouldn't that be so cool? Now that is officially on my bucket list. I have to make that happen. Yeah, that's amazing. Oh, that's so cool. Okay, so then that also leads in to... Do I want to do character next? And I have several characters. Okay, go with me on this. I want... It's not a meet and greet though.

[00:54:30] So you guys tell me whether you're going to let me to qualify this as my character. For my characters, I want to select seeing the Sanderson sisters in the Boo to You parade. So you get to see Minnie and Claribel and Daisy as the Sanderson sisters in the parade. Can I choose them as my character? And if not, then I'm choosing them as my wild card. Well, I don't know that you can choose them for either because you kind of already chose them in the parade. Like I couldn't choose the gravediggers.

[00:55:01] Like I can't like... I couldn't have been like my wild card is the gravedigger dance. Oh, okay. Like that's already taken. Okay, then I will go to my backup. But you still have to make sure you see the Boo to You parade just to see them. They're the best. I love them so much. And you can meet them at Disneyland. You can meet them on cruises. I know. They need to put them as actual meet and greet. I cannot believe that they haven't. Yes, I can't. I cannot believe it. It would help the Jack and Sally line. It really would. Maybe they will. Disney, listen.

[00:55:30] We need the Sanderson sisters as the Disney characters available to meet. It's important to say that we are basing this draft on history and a couple announcements like Katie said. But, you know, the brochure for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party for 2026 will not be available until closer. So we do have confirmation on some of these things. They've given some details of snacks and things that are coming. But sometimes there are surprises too.

[00:55:55] So there may be something that comes up that we haven't mentioned or maybe that they had last year that we assumed would be this year that's not. You know, so there's a little bit of push and pull here with what could be offered. Yeah, that's true. And there are because we don't have definitive answers on what has been announced on all of these things. Some of these things are based on assumptions we're going to make based on things that have historically happened and what happened last year. Right. Right.

[00:56:21] So in this case, I'm going to shift my character to meet and greet with. There's two I really, really, really love. I'm going to say character meet and greet with the hitchhiking ghosts. Yeah, that's the answer. I was wondering what you were. You don't meet them, right? They're just on the bridge. You can see that. Well, you can talk to them. You see them. It's not like a formal line you have to get in. But you 100% can meet them, get a picture with them, talk to them, etc. Right.

[00:56:50] This was my backup to Jack and Sally. I didn't understand what you were doing. If you were about to pick Pooh as a clown, I was going to lose it. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. This feels like Cadaver Dan territory. These are absolutely character characters. No, this is characters. These are identifiable characters from Disney IP that are meeting and talking and interacting for the party. I think this is very different. And I think if you filtered the app, this would be under character, not entertainment. Yes, it definitely would.

[00:57:18] Can you just reiterate what that pick is, Becky, specifically? The Hitchhiking Ghosts? The Hitchhiking Ghosts. Okay. Yes, the Hitchhiking Ghosts from Haunted Mansion. So like I say, I have a theme. Hocus Pocus and Haunted Mansion. That is make Becky's like, how to make Becky happy. Go and watch Hocus Pocus and ride Haunted Mansion and the night is made. That's the reality. It's a good pick. It's a really good pick. Yeah, I love it. Okay, Katie. Okay. We only have a few picks left.

[00:57:48] And I'm going to draft my candy stop next. So the candy stop that I'm drafting is whenever you first arrive to the party, you're going to get your wristband and everything. You're going to go through the gates. And then even before you would like walk on to Main Street, you're kind of just entering through the gates. And they are going to filter you off to this side path on the right if you are arriving for the party.

[00:58:15] And that's where they're going to give you your trick or treat bag as well as a full size candy bar, usually M&Ms. So I'm drafting this stop not because you're going to get a ton of candy at it, but it is your first moment of excitement of you're about to start the party. This is really cool. You can't wait. And they have added several characters along that secret walkway that's not always open. They've added a lot of villains that meet there.

[00:58:43] And it's just a really cool kind of alley where you can get a lot of character interaction there. So that's going to be my pick. That is a good one. They have like a DJ there that's really hyping the crowd. It's yeah, yeah. It's a scene. Yeah, you definitely know you're here and ready to party. You can linger there. You could linger. Yeah, that is going to be to me. And I have three categories left.

[00:59:09] I have snack, must ride and resort left. I'm definitely going to go to resort. And I've really toyed around with what would be the best resort to stay at because obviously they the ones we're really picking from are all right there in the same area and they have a lot of the same pros and cons. Ultimately, I am going with the Polynesian. And here's why. Shocker. Well, it is my favorite resort, but I wanted to think from the perspective of I'm going to Mickey's not so scary Halloween party. What's the best one?

[00:59:39] And here is the reason why it is my favorite for the party. You still get two forms of transportation. I mean, you can walk, but don't. It's really far. You take a boat or the monorail. Both are super easy. Neither one is going to take you a long time to get back to your resort. So it's super convenient for the party. But you are situated directly across from Magic Kingdom. And we stay at the Polynesian during the Halloween months every year. Every single year we do this.

[01:00:05] And when I tell you that when the party starts and Magic Kingdom gets spooky, the dead center view that you get from Polynesian of the smoke and the lights and the colors, you can hear the Halloween music and spooks. Like all the way from Polynesian, you can hear it and you can see it. And the visual just looks different. You're getting a new experience. So when I was weighing the resorts, I was like, which resort is going to give you a new experience? And it's going to be that one.

[01:00:33] And then additionally, of course, the central view of the fireworks where you can see that. I mean, you're not going to see the projections or see Jack Skellington like perfectly clear. Obviously, you're pretty far. You're going to get a faraway aerial type view of the really special party. And that's, you know, what's going to set the Polynesian apart when you have all of these convenient resorts in the area? It's a good choice. It is.

[01:00:59] That is where I stayed last, what, September when I went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party. And even if you're not on the party day you're going, being able to see reference to that right from your balcony, if you have a theme park view, good choice. So I feel good about that. And yeah, the view from your room can be great or you have all kinds of view options from the grounds. And then I have one where I don't, I'm going to draft something I don't think is going to win, but I feel like I have to take it because it's like my favorite thing.

[01:01:29] And I want to draft, like I said, true to me. And so I'm going to go ahead and take my snack. And I really wanted to take something that is specific to the party. I get this question all the time. Should I sit down and eat? And I'm like, well, first of all, definitely not. Like there are a couple of restaurants I think that are open, but you're not going to sit down and like take a bunch of time to eat during this party that you've paid so much money for. Right. But you are going to be hungry and it's smart to have a sit down reservation before you ever go into the park. Yes.

[01:01:58] But then you might, you know, like you're there until the hour, like the day changes. And so you're going to need something hearty. And I am just at this phase in my life where I want savory over sweet. And so when I think of a snack that I want, I want to be, I want it to be filling and I want it to be savory and I want it to be quality. And so I am going to go with the Cajun sausage poutine. It is so good. It is so far above. It's at the Golden Oak Outpost. Okay.

[01:02:25] And what it is, is waffle fries topped with Cajun inspired like seafood and on Julie, is that how you say that? Sausage. On Julie. Yeah. With gravy and cheese, cheese curds and spices and little scallions. I mean, this is not only a savory, delicious snack, but it has a Halloween twist. They call it boutine, which is really, really fun. And it's also going to be filling for a long night. You're getting a lot of candy.

[01:02:52] And I have a really hard time when I'm also getting a sweet, a sweet treat. You know what I mean? Do you eat your candy during the party? I mean, I'm definitely snacking on the candy. Definitely. I mean, I'm not like going. I never do. Us either. We never touch it. It's like. Oh. That's for later. How much can we gather? Yeah. Yeah, we're definitely snacking on ours as we're going. But the Cajun poutine at Golden Oak Outpost is so, so good. And I don't think a lot of people probably know about it.

[01:03:19] And I think that when we're voting, the picture is going to have to be included because people aren't going to know what it is. Is it an appetizing looking photo? I'm sending it to you right now. I just sent it to you because this is legit so good. And I love poutine. And this is the Halloween twist at the Golden Oak Outpost. So I feel good about getting it. Like I said, I don't think it's going to be like the most popular Halloween treat. But I wanted something that had the party twist and was going to balance out the sugar rush. And this is where I landed. It does look delicious. It almost looks like the buffalo chicken dip stuff.

[01:03:48] OK, I got to prioritize that. But my snacking is based on I'm spending money. The picture better be cute. That's just that's just a snack for me. I have to have. And most of those are the sweet ones, unfortunately. But I want to try it this year, though. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Katie, what's your next one? I am actually going to draft my snack next as well. And I'm going to lean the opposite direction of Allie because I have a sweet tooth. This is Halloween. I'm saving my candy for later.

[01:04:19] So if you go to Cosmic Ray's Starlight Lounge, you can get this. It is an Instagram photo worthy snack as well. It's a mini witch hat and it's like peanut buttery and just so good. And guys, peanut butter is everything to me. If there ever came a day that I was allergic to peanut butter, I would I would wither away. There would be nothing left for me to eat.

[01:04:49] I love peanut butter more than anything. And this mini's witch's hat. It's so cute. It's a purple hat. It's got like a green bow and green lace around the edge. And it has the cute little mini ears, of course. But it's a really filling snack, too. Like you can certainly share it with other people and it would still be more than enough. But the taste like I'm craving it right now as I'm speaking about it. This like delicious peanut buttery mousse kind of stuff. It's so good.

[01:05:19] Oh, I want it so badly. It is adorable. I have yet I have not gotten to try it because of exactly what you just said. I am allergic to peanuts. So no peanut butter for Becky. Sad face. I actually think that it's a really great picture. It is so, so cute among the very cutest snacks in all of the party. And I think this is a really good place for us to also plug because I am an allergy person. I have allergies to a lot of things. And especially in a party and you're getting a lot of treats and things, just calling out.

[01:05:47] If you are allergic to one of the big nine, they do have the ability for you to get a teal bag when you are checking into the party. And then you can collect tokens and go trade those tokens for allergen friendly treats along the way. So I love that there is an allergy friendly trick or treating solution here as well. Well, completely agree. And the other thing, the other thing that I want to call out, since I mentioned that you can get the snack at Cosmic Rays,

[01:06:13] people are asking because the Disney Junior characters are no longer in Hollywood studios. Historically, they had this like dance party inside Cosmic Rays for the little kids where you could meet the Disney Junior characters. That was the only time that they were ever in Magic Kingdom was during the Halloween party. We have not heard this year if the Disney Junior characters are coming back for the Halloween party.

[01:06:36] My gut and my guess says probably not because I don't see them talking about it on the promotional material so far. Just be aware of that. We'll see. Yeah, because our teenagers absolutely love we'll go in there and dance to like little Einstein's music. And like even as teenagers, they still hold on to that. This is completely a rabbit hole. But did you hear that Sophia the First is having a comeback? Oh, yeah. Did you hear who's on the first episode? I did. Oh, my gosh. I am so excited. I cannot wait. My kid.

[01:07:06] McKenna grew up as a Sophia the First kid. She was Sophia the First for Halloween. Oh, sorry. That's a very much a rabbit hole that we don't. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I need to hear who's on the first episode of Sophia the First coming out. You have to tell me. Is that a spoiler? I mean, I guess it's not a spoiler. It might be a spoiler. All right. It's should I say it? Yeah. Say it. It's Rapunzel. Oh, nice. Her amulet. I would be really into that. Yeah. It's going to be amazing. Yeah. So good. All right. So, Becky, that's to you. You have resort and wild card.

[01:07:34] You can take them in any order you want because you're getting both of your picks now. Yes. So I'm just going to choose my resort. This is the resort that if I was truly choosing, I'm going for the party and this is where I'm going to stay. I can stay at anywhere I want. I'm choosing the Contemporary. It is the closest walk to Magic Kingdom. If I got a choice of category, I would choose a theme park view room in the main tower so that I can look out over just like Allie talked about with an elevated view in this case because the tower is definitely tall.

[01:08:03] But the location, location, location, location, location. Let me say location. At the end of the night, whether it's midnight or one o'clock that you're heading back to your room, especially if it's a rainy night, your feet are exhausted, your kids are exhausted, you are exhausted and getting back to your room is priority. So this is probably my one and only time that I would be like Contemporary is my number one choice. You know what? It's such a great point with location. But to just a little pushback on you said, especially if it's rainy, I would say, except

[01:08:32] if it's rainy on a rainy night, it's when you're low. I'm not taking that walk. I'm going to be like, dang, I stayed here and it's so close and I don't want to walk in the rain. But even if that was the case, I would still get on the monorail and you're once like, you're right there. Yeah, for sure. That's a five minute walk. I'd walk it. It is a five minute walk. It's so close. I have stayed in Bay Lake Tower during the Halloween party before. So have I. I like that you can see the fireworks show from that angle of it that close to it. That's pretty cool. Yeah, it's cool too.

[01:09:02] It's a good pick, Becky. All right. And that wasn't a given for me. Obviously, I have my very favorite resort is in this space. Yeah. Two of my very favorite resorts are in this space. But for the party purpose, I think the contemporary edges it out for me. Okay. My wild card. This is random. So hopefully you all are on board with this. This is something I'm going to buy myself while I'm at the party. And it is an exclusive to the party. And that is the party exclusive popcorn bucket.

[01:09:32] Historically, they've had so many really, really cute ones. I'm so sad. I never got the Mickey as a mummy. It is so cute. I've seen the vampire one. And they've had Sanderson sister inspired ones before. Every year, we get amazing popcorn buckets for the party. And the line to get them is often long. You'll see people carrying around multiple of them. And I love popcorn. So it is the perfect snack and a perfect memorable take home.

[01:09:59] And then it gets to be a Halloween decoration in my house for years to come to think back on the memories made. So I love that for you. It makes sense for you because I know that you like popcorn buckets. I have never had an affinity for them. I think they take up a lot of space. And I have a hard time rationalizing the line. I have never thought, okay, I've come to this party and now I need to stand in a line for this plastic bucket. It's never been like the figment popcorn bucket at a party. And sometimes they even do virtual order for it that you just walk up and get it.

[01:10:29] But they definitely are figuring this to you. Yeah, that would be a much better. I would never waste my party time waiting on a bucket. But I know that people love them. Like there is a world of people like you, Beck, that want these buckets, that collect these buckets. I have not been able to tap into that obsession at all. But I get that there is a group of people that do. I'm bitter as we're talking about this because I'm not a huge fan of popcorn. But the only popcorn bucket I wanted was the carousel one that lit up. It was fun and it was amusing. I wanted that one. I didn't get it.

[01:10:58] Do you know how many popcorn buckets are at my house? Hey, but you're talking about the refillable ones, not necessarily like the collectible cutesy ones, right? Well, those are refillable too. Well, yes, they are. But honestly, the popcorn buckets aren't ones that people are really putting their popcorn in. It's really just about the nostalgia and the peace. However, y'all, I was just in Disneyland a couple weeks ago and their popcorn bucket that was refillable was bluey. They had a bluey refillable popcorn bucket. Shut up. Yes, like the regular $12 whatever.

[01:11:28] Popcorn bucket was a bluey one. Okay. Again, with the rabbit holes. Let's keep going. Okay. All right. That brings it to me. And my last category is also resort. And I'm excited that I get to choose what I think is the best option here. So, to be fair, Contemporary could have been a close pick for me too because I love that it's just a five-minute walk away. I don't want to get on that monorail for nothing.

[01:11:55] At the end of the night, the line to get on the monorail is so long and then you got to make multiple stops at multiple resorts. I will not get on that monorail for anything. So, unfortunately, the Polynesian would be lower on my list, Allie. And Grand Floridian being the last stop? No. I take the boat to both of those resorts at the party. There you go. During the party, I do the boat. I also don't do the monorail for any resort. So, when I'm at the Poly, I take the boat. Yes.

[01:12:23] The boat is the answer, which is going to bring me to my choice. So, you can take a boat and you can skip the line for the buses. You can skip the line for the monorail. You can take a boat over to Wilderness Lodge. So, I'm choosing Wilderness Lodge. I want to point out, too, for our M&Ms, none of us chose a resort for Halloween theming. That's not really the draw for picking any particular resort this time of year. At Christmas time, sure. Halloween, not so much. Okay?

[01:12:52] But we're processing this through a standpoint of practicality for the most part. Unless you really want to view like Allie does. But I'm picking Wilderness Lodge so you can get on the boat. It's going to have less wait times at the end of the party to get over there. It's going to feel more convenient and more expedient. All of these resorts are accessible by boat. And some of them have the split access, right? Where you can choose monorail or boat. Wilderness Lodge is going to be exclusive boat where some of the other ones have options. So, it's just important to understand what you're wanting.

[01:13:21] But all of them are very convenient for the party. Is there a boat that goes from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom? Or just between the resorts? There's a boat. There is one that goes between the resorts. I actually don't think there's a boat that will take you to Contemporary. Because the boat dock is behind. Definitely more convenient ways. Yeah, nor would you want to even if there was. Because you would walk to the boat. The walk to the boat dock would be just as long as the walk to Magic Kingdom. Exactly. You'd be walking the opposite direction.

[01:13:48] But anyway, I guess my point was all of these resorts, with the exception of Wilderness Lodge, have multiple options to get to and from Magic Kingdom. And then the singular option that you have from Wilderness Lodge is still a very convenient one. Kind of depends on what you're wanting out of the resort in that way. Wilderness Lodge is a good choice. I think that was my backup, Katie. I do love that resort. Becky and I are often aligned. And it was interesting to me that you said that theming wasn't a driving force. Because Wilderness Lodge was on, well, these were all on my list.

[01:14:17] I could have made a good argument for any of them. Ultimately, I wanted that panoramic view of Magic Kingdom during the party. I've seen it many times, and so I know how special it is, which is why I ultimately went for it. But when I was thinking about the other options, Wilderness Lodge, the wilderness at Halloween and that time of year, I actually do like it for that reason. So you're right. It's more important at Christmas. But I'm not saying it's nothing at Halloween.

[01:14:40] To add to your point, we probably made a little bit of a misstep here in saying not choosing Fort Wilderness, not to be confused with Wilderness Lodge. Oh, we probably did miss out. Yeah. People go all out to decorate their campers and stuff for Halloween. And people actually trick-or-treat at Fort Wilderness for Halloween. I'm actually so mad at myself because it's like my bucket list to stay there.

[01:15:08] Fort Wilderness does not get love on this podcast. It does not get enough. It does for me. Every time we talk about Fort Wilderness, I'm like, yes, please get yourself there. Go stay at those cabins. If you're a camper, go do that. But I don't know that I would choose Fort Wilderness for the party. One, getting to the party, you're going to have to take a bus to get to your transportation to get to the party. And that's going to elongate how long it takes to get back to your room at the end. So for the purpose of the party, I wouldn't choose Fort Wilderness.

[01:15:34] But if you're going any time around Halloween, go explore the campgrounds because people really do go all out. People will camp there for an entire month and decorate their yard or their campsite as if it's like their yard for like how Allie goes all out in her house for Halloween. Yeah. It's amazing. It's amazing. Do you think people bring the 20-foot tall skeletons? I don't know about that tall, but they definitely go all out. It's on my list.

[01:16:05] All right. Must ride. I'm so torn. I don't even think it matters because I don't think this category is winnable at this point. So I guess I'm going to go through the I'm going to go with the thing that is best for discussion topic for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. And that's going to be what I do here because, like I said, I don't really think at this point it's a winnable category. Allie's at a loss for words. Well, like I said, I don't think it's winnable, but I want to talk about a couple of things.

[01:16:35] Number one, it's important to know that I've already said this a couple of times. My family doesn't prioritize rides at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Even Tron and Mind Train, while the lines will be shorter, are often still 45 minutes or more. So you're dedicating an hour to ride those things. And it's like an hour of your party is quite a bit of time for one thing, you know? And so I don't prioritize that. The strategy there is don't go to the first parade. Let the parents with the little kids go to the first parade.

[01:17:05] And whenever that's happening, that's when you go hit the heavy hitters like Tron and Seven Dwarfs My Train. Yep. You use the first parade as a low wait time amplifier. Is that the right word? Yes. Yeah. Or go to Magic Kingdom on another day and do Lightning Lane for those things. Don't use your party time for these things. You do get early entry, which honestly there was a version of this draft where I took the early entry to the park as my wild card. Because it's so awesome that you get to go in at four o'clock before the party starts.

[01:17:34] And you get these like included Magic Kingdom hours ahead of the party. They are included hours with your party, but they aren't quite party. So the party specific offerings are not available yet. But you could ride Mine Train. You could ride Tron. You could knock those things out then. And that might be better than during the party hours. Let me build on this. On a party day, the crowds are always going to be lower. I will tell you that as a local, the crowds are always lower on a party day by quite a lot.

[01:18:00] But especially between six to seven. Seven because day guests have to leave at six o'clock. And some party guests aren't going to arrive until seven. And so the crowds are super low between six to seven. So personally, my strategy is let's go hit as many rides as we can. And I'm going to get in line for Space Mountain probably like 20 or 30 minutes before seven. So that I'm one of the first people that gets to do Hyper Space Mountain.

[01:18:29] So the two I'm torn between because I already explained my strategy for things like Big Thunder Mountain, Mine Train, and Tron, let's say. Right? I'm not going to prioritize those during the party. The only things I want to ride during the party are things that are Halloween. That are going to be either overlaid or special for the party. I can't do it otherwise. One of those things, of course, Hyper Space Mountain. Of course, Haunted Mansion is just on brand. So it makes sense. And the other two, I'll pick one of them. I'll talk about both of them. Um, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow is often meeting out front.

[01:18:59] And that's just kind of a fun, unique party experience. But it's not ride overlay. And I'm not prioritizing it at the party. You know, so it's cool that a lot of times Jack is there. They have a cool pirate band that plays there too. Yeah. They do. Jack does meet regular park hours too. Yeah. So it's not party exclusive. So I just kind of wanted to talk about that area. It's kind of spooky. Jack, you know, whatever. But it's not going to be what I pick. I'm going to go ahead. I'm going to pick the other ride that does consistently get a Halloween layover.

[01:19:28] And that is the teacups. They get special lights and Halloween music. And they get a Halloween level experience. Now, am I going to be spinning a ton? Likely not. But where you all talked about the Instagram worthy photos and things. I mean, the videos that you can get on teacups with the spooky elements and the views of the spooky park and the different lighting. I mean, it is a great Halloween time experience.

[01:19:55] And because it is special and unique and it's not something I'm typically riding at Magic Kingdom on a normal day. I'm going to go ahead and take it as something I would ride at the party. I think this is a really great choice, Ali. Among my very favorite videos of my kids growing up, I've talked about taking videos of them on the teacups year over year. Having your kids ride the teacups with the lighting and the music and them in costume, if you're putting your kids in costume, is priceless. And capturing a moment that isn't like, oh, let me be in front of this memory maker picture.

[01:20:25] And it's a staged picture. You're getting genuine smiles, genuine laughs, and like moments that you'll remember. So I think it's a really good pick. Yeah, I don't think it's the top thing to ride. It's not going to win. And it's not the top thing to ride, but it is notable for the party. And the line's going to be like five minutes. Yeah. So just take the time to get the content, you know? And if Disney's not putting a lot of time and energy into re-theming things for the party, but they are doing this one, you know, do it.

[01:20:50] So just to clarify for our M&Ms, the three attractions at Mickey's Not So Scary that they get what they call Frightful Flare are Space Mountain in the Dark, Mad Tea Party with the lights and the music and everything. And then Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, they're saying, also gets sort of a Halloween overlay to it. So those are the three for your Halloween party. I would also argue Haunted Mansion just because a lot of the times in the graveyard, there are ghosts that are interacting. There are. So while the ride isn't overlaid or changed, it really doesn't need it because it's haunted

[01:21:20] anyway. They do level it up with that encounter. So I would actually add that to the list as well. Yeah, I feel like that's fair. Yeah. Okay. We do have a time we have to be done today. So we could talk about this party for hours. We're going to do our friend like me. Then we're going to review our draft order, hit a lightning lane and talk about a few things we didn't mention. Friend like me, as you remember my M&M friends, you're not fast forwarding. You're listening to the friends just like us out there doing their thing.

[01:21:45] It's not easy to gain a community of friends that have similar likes, interests, beliefs, things that you are talking about daily in your space. And maybe somebody in this segment has a space that resonates with you and it's important you find it. So listen here, give them follows, join their groups, and then find us on the other side for a review. M&Ms, if you are from Canada, we have a group for you on Facebook. You have to join our friend Kim at Canadians Talk Disney World Vacations. They talk about things that maybe people here in the States don't have to think about like

[01:22:14] exchange rate and how to fly from Canadian airports or make that decision to drive across the border. This is not a generic Disney group. It's a Canadian sharing real life experience group from flight routes to travel hacks and more. You can make the trip to Disney World happen from Canada. And Kim in her group, Canadians Talk Disney World Vacations can make it happen. You can join by clicking the link in today's show notes. Okay, friends. I want you to follow our friend Monica at House of Mouse and Beyond on Instagram.

[01:22:42] She is helping families use their tax refunds strategically. And if it's for last minute trips or deposit for next year's spring break, she can give you the best tips. She's a boy mom of two navigating a neurodivergent elementary age child and a rambunctious toddler. She specializes in Disney Universal and cruising. And the best part, she speaks both English and Spanish and creates content in both languages,

[01:23:07] making your feed more diverse and making travel planning comfortable for Spanish-speaking families. House of Mouse and Beyond on Instagram. Okay, I'm going to do a quick review here on our draft. We drafted Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. And honestly, there are so many good things. It's going to be fun to see how this shakes out, but nobody could win every category. In snack, Becky took Madame Leota's candle to cake pop. Katie took the mini peanut butter witch hat over at Cosmic Rays.

[01:23:37] And I took the Cajun boutine, a savory snack from the Golden Oak Outpost. For character interaction or greet, Becky took the hitchhiking ghosts. Katie took the Stitch Lilo and Angel Masquerade. And I took Jack and Sally. For must ride, Becky took Haunted Mansion. Katie took Hyperspace Mountain. And I took the teacups. For show and entertainment, Becky got the Boo to You Parade. Katie got the Hocus Pocus Spelltacular. And I got the Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Firework Show.

[01:24:07] For candy stop, Becky took Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. Katie took the backstage party entrance. And I took the Country Bear Jamboree. For resort, Becky took Contemporary. Katie took Wilderness Lodge. And I took the Polynesian. And in wild card, Becky took the Party Popcorn Bucket. Katie took Dancing with Powerline Max. And I took the Headless Horseman's Ride. All great things. All must-do, see and experience at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. If you hit all of these things, you have done the party right. You've done the right thing.

[01:24:36] You had your sweet. You had your savory. You trick-or-treated. You rode. You saw. You conquered. You met. And you had a great time. And it was worth the price of your party ticket. Things we didn't talk about, I want to make sure I just say, again, you can get into the party early. We did talk about it, but I just want to drive that point home. Poo and Friends. There is a world out there where people love him. And they're all in costume. It's actually Eeyore that's a clown, I think. They are cute. Eeyore's a clown. Poo is a bumblebee. Yeah, there you go. Tigger. Somebody's a butterfly. Tigger is a pirate. Oh my gosh, he's the cutest. Piglet's a butterfly. Yeah.

[01:25:06] It was a consideration for me. I truly do love them. And the line is long to meet them. Yeah, they're very cute. Fun time. Anything else you want to mention before we do our lightning lane? Yeah, I had hinted at another candy stop that I think gets overlooked for lots of reasons. But inside of PhilharMagic, you can walk through and they are playing Ichabod Crane kind of movies in there. And if you happen to be like a nursing mom and need to get yourself out in a more quiet space,

[01:25:36] going in and sitting and watching that could be a really, really great place that is much, much more mellow than it's going to be over in the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, for example. Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know that one. Good, good, good tip. Yeah, this party is amazing. So many things to see. You probably can't do it all. That's what's true. But you can do most of it if you strategize well. Like go ahead and decide which parade you're going to go to. Map out your time. Be a little bit more strict with your agenda than you are maybe in a normal park day.

[01:26:05] Because you might miss something if you're not. And you definitely don't want to. All right, here we go. Lightning Landing. We have to go fast because you all have places to be. Okay, would you rather front row parade view or front row fireworks? Front row parade view. Yeah, front row parade view for me right by Casey's corner. Perfect. Yeah, parade view with castle in the background for sure. Five quick rides or one rare character meet and greet. I'm probably going to be the outlier, but I'm going to pick five quick rides over one rare character meet and greet. Because, I mean, I've seen Jack and Sally be like four hours.

[01:26:35] Forget that. I'm riding the rides. I'm going to choose a rare character meet and greet, but maybe not the ones that are so obvious. Like Anastasia Drizella and Madame Tremaine would be a really, really good one. And the line is often lots shorter than those higher demand ones. Yeah, and I think Jafar was meeting last year as well. There are definitely opportunities. So I would do a rare character as well, but I would never wait four hours for one. Okay, trick-or-treating or an exclusive snack? I would pick trick-or-treating just because my kids love it.

[01:27:02] And that's like, that's where our heart is, is trick-or-treating at the castle. And trick-or-treating for me too. Like it is our family's highlight. We see how many or how much candy we can get and then we distribute it, donate it to the school or whatever. I would actually say probably a party exclusive snack just because we love to take those pictures, try those things. And we're trick-or-treating at home too. So I don't know, the candy we're getting rid of, the snack we're enjoying and making a moment of. Okay, would you rather have a rainy party or an extremely hot party?

[01:27:32] I'm going to pick a rainy party, but I will say if you're there on a muggy night, the fog that settles in is really cool. I'm going to choose an extremely hot party. Even though I love the memories we have at rainy parties, things tend to get canceled with rainy parties. And I would rather take some layers off and get the cute picture and then take everything else off and just deal with the heat to get to experience everything. Yeah, I was going to say hot party for similar reasons. I don't want anything canceled when I'm paying that price for the ticket.

[01:28:01] With the hot party, this is when you get to dress in costumes. You can look at that weather and if it's going to be hot, like pick a costume that's lightweight and not a lot of clothes. And do some Disney bounding or something. Yeah, do some Disney bounding that's going to be conducive to the heat. Would you rather do the party on a rest day or extend your park day? I'm going to do it on a park day because the weights are just so low. You're kind of crazy not to take advantage of it. I'm going to say an otherwise rest day that the party is the only thing I'm doing that day.

[01:28:27] I might do a dining reservation, but rest up because I want to get the most out of my hours in the nighttime. Me too. And I also want to go all out for the costume. And I want to be at my resort to get totally in costume if that's hair, if that's makeup, whatever it is. I want to have the time to really prep for the party and look the part and then go to the party and be able to stay as long as we want. Okay, eat before the party or snack all night. You literally have to eat before the party because the party is quite long.

[01:28:55] Like make a dining reservation before the party starts. You're going to thank yourself for doing that. I agree. Make a reservation or grab something quick service and spend your time getting ready for the party, but definitely go to the party with a full belly. I would say definitely get a reservation not in the park. Don't use those early entry hours in the park even eating. Eat at one of the resorts right there on the monorail line or at Wilderness Lodge and then head into the party. And, you know, that's why I picked the boutine, right?

[01:29:24] You're going to need something savory to balance the sugar later. You can get a savory snack or a quick service, but don't waste a lot of time eating. And you're going to be snacking all night, so I guess the answer is really both. I deleted the last lightning lane because it's two of our picks, and I don't want to lead anybody into what they should pick when they vote. So that's going to do it for our draft. We have successfully drafted Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Nobody can win the whole thing, right? Nobody can win every category. It's all too good, but I'm excited to see how it shakes out.

[01:29:51] And at the very least, I hope you all learned something about the offerings, the cadaver dance even, just being this awesome little tip of things that you may not have known about. The whole park is transformed. The whole experience at Magic Kingdom is transformed, and you are having a completely unique experience that is absolutely worth the price of the party ticket. So I feel good about it. What's your favorite costume you guys have ever worn to the party? I have worn, like, you know the Mickey Mouse Club, like the Mouseketeers from, like, the 90s, the 80s and 90s?

[01:30:21] I have worn that. So that's my best. But I have to give a shout out to Stacey because the same year that I wore that, she was dressed up as the grandma in the last scene of Carousel Progress. And she got so many compliments from the cast members. It was incredible. That was the best costume of all time. Yes, it really, really was. Last year I did the Poison Apple from Snow White, and it was cute. I had so many fun interactions from people in the parade talking to me about it. It was fun. It was fun. Mm-hmm.

[01:30:49] I know this is cliche, but we did Toy Story when we went with a group of, like, 20 plus. And the reason we did is because there are so many characters, and it's just the best thing you can do. And my son was PartySaurus Rex from the Disney short, and he looked just like him, and it was hilarious. And we all got to really just channel the character. It was so, so fun. So we did it, and it was cliche, but it was awesome. And for any of you listening out there, our magic word today will be costume. All right, pick your costume. Enjoy your party.

[01:31:19] Definitely go to the party. If you're there from August to October and you don't buy tickets, you are going to have FOMO. You will. It's going to happen, and the party's going to be sold out. So just get the tickets, commit, and do it. It's worth it. And, of course, reach out to us if you have not yet secured your tickets. We can help strategize, get those tickets, help you plan all of the things. For us on another episode of The Moms Behind the Magic. Make sure you are following along in all of our spaces. You're joining us in our community. Share what you're wearing to the party. Share your experiences and pictures.

[01:31:49] Let us know what questions you have that we may not have answered, or if we sparked something exciting. Make sure you follow up and ask us more because we're happy to share. And until next time, we're sending you fun, love, and joy, and we'll see you real soon. Carla, I did it. I feel like I nailed the wild card. Hey there, everyone. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Right. No, I got you. I got you. I got you. I'm sorry. I was thinking. Okay. Let me, let me count us in because it's going to sound on my recording. Okay. Am I clapping? Yeah, we all clap too.

[01:32:18] We're going to go one, two, three, clap. Okay. One, two, three. Allie is delayed. I'm not though. I was right on. I know. I was right on with all of you. I was just kidding. Okay. No, it's wild that your voices are like moving in real time, but for whatever reason, the clap does not. Yeah. The images are slow. It's sound too. I don't know. All right. Well, that's your clap, Stace. We're going to head into the episode now. Rebecca. Rebecca. Oh, that's, that's like stabbed me in the heart. Sorry.

[01:32:48] Oh, hold on. Do we need to take a break before I take my next pick? Um, no. So you'll have another turn to come back to you. Oh, we all have four left. So we're going to take a break now. Okay. I forgot to explain. I forgot to explain that we do snake style. You think it's fine? Yeah, I think it's fine. Okay. Sorry. I had it. Becky, do you find that you pick the savory choices often whenever you go to the party? Do you go out of your way for the savory snacks? Most savory things. I don't really consider snacks, which is an interesting. Okay. I don't know if that's just a me thing. Yeah. Yeah.

[01:33:17] Wait, what for, oh, at Fort Wilderness. Yeah. I mean, I was going to say, I have those skeletons at my house. I have a couple of, we have a one big one and we have the great Dane dog skeleton that goes in our yard. You would. Yes, you would. And we do. I drove by my kid's school and somebody, it's May 13th. Somebody had three of those giant skeletons in front of their house and they were dressed up in like Hawaiian shirts and stuff. Yeah, exactly. My HOA would be like, uh, no, that's not happening. Yeah.