Starting off we decided to check in for the party at Philharmagic. There are several locations that you can check in besides Main Street U.S.A. Side note** If you check in at the Main Entrance you will be lead down a candy trail that is only there for a limited time until the party starts, this is where you will also get your treat bags and goodies and they also have Allergy Friendly bags/tokens that can be redeemed at various locations. Once we got our wristbands and bags we decided to wander around and dodge raindrops.
Going into the party we had an agenda of getting candy, meeting Jack and Sally and the Seven Dwarfs, and trying some of the newer ride overlays (Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Mad Tea Cups.) By now it is down pouring and since it was thundering Jack and Sally were not coming out until further notice so we made our way to the Seven Dwarfs...while taking some fun photos along the way. Once they finally let us inside out of the weather the waiting began. We met a really nice mom and daughter from Michigan and they made the time go by quickly. Fast forward to 4 hours later we FINALLY met the Seven Dwarfs, it was a lot of fun but had the weather been nice I would NOT have waited that long. I am pretty sure that this was the longest I have ever waited for a character meet and greet but it really was worth it. All of the Dwarfs hugged each of us and took the time to interact with each other and each of us individually. This added to the fun of it all! I can see why they are in such high demand because it truly was a fantastic character experience. I really hope they go through with the Snow White/Seven Dwarfs character breakfast like they are rumoring right now! Fingers crossed this comes true! 
After we came out from the Seven Dwarfs the rain seemed to have stopped some so we ambled over to Pirates of the Caribbean to see if we could find Gun Powder Pete. I am a HUGE Pirates of the Caribbean fan, so much so that it is tradition to do this ride FIRST anytime we come to Magic Kingdom, it does not matter how long we are there for it has to be done first so I was really excited to see this live actor overlay. Upon walking up there was one pirate walking around out front asking if we saw Gun Powder Peter. As we made our way through the line we came across another pirate in one of the cells and then there was another pirate asking us to keep an eye out for Pete as we boarded our boats. THAT WAS IT! There were no more live actors after that except for when you found Gun Powder Pete. Pete did a great job interacting with each boat and making sure we knew the "pirate ways of doing things..." for future reference, PIRATES DO NOT WAVE AT PEOPLE! All in all the characters where really into their roles but I was really really disappointed with the fact that there were only a few of them. I know it was their first year doing it so I am hoping that this gets expanded on and is better next year but I really felt that there could have been A LOT more actors than the four we saw. Even though there were only a few it did add a nice touch to the ride and in some ways seemed to really tie in the new refurbishment that happened with the auction scene. After we got off Pirates we happened to stumble into the line of our favorite swashbuckling captain, Captain Jack Sparrow.
Now to switch gears a little bit and talk about the one thing I was super excited and wanted to see more than anything else at MNSSHP...the Boo! to YOU Parade. I had really high expectations for this parade and I will say off the bat that this parade did NOT disappoint at all! I would have liked to have watched in a different area so I could see better but we happened to catch the beginning of it in Frontierland where it begins (I usually like to watch the parades on Main Street U.S.A. up by the train station bend, less crowded and you can usually sit on the curb and get a really great view!) I absolutely LOVED this parade from the catchy music, to the great costumes, it was AMAZING. I think my favorite part was the addition of the float with Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa, as well as the Haunted Mansion Grave Diggers, Dancing Ghost, and the Hitchhiking Ghosts. The Villains were also a super neat part (except I wished there was more of them!) The only disappointment I had with this parade was that the rain kept the Headless Horseman away. Due to the bad weather the Horseman does not ride because it is a safety issue for both horse and rider so that was a major bummer for me because that is my favorite Halloween story (don't worry I will catch him next time!)
Jack and Sally were by far one of the coolest Meet and Greets I have ever done. Although Sally was a little odd...it was a really fun time and we got in line during the Fireworks and the Hocus Pocus Show and the 2nd Boo! to YOU Parade so that was a help and we wound up waiting maybe an hour for them??? It was well worth is they were really great!
And last but not least I do have to mention my all time favorite attraction....The Haunted Mansion. In true Mansion fashion they went ALL out for Halloween. There was really awesome up lighting and a lot of spooky fog. The Mansion attendants looked as if they'd been decaying and dying to have you. Their make-up was superb and the cobwebs were a great touch. I LOVED the Mistress of the Mansion and her Butler out front telling jokes and stories. She was such a charming southern belle. I could have stayed and listened to them all night if I could. Sadly I forgot to take pictures but that means you will all just have to go check it out for yourselves!
All in all the party was a fun time...minus the rain! If I could go back and do it again...
1. Pack extra shoes like flip flops in case it rains. This way your sneakers and socks will stay dry and you can put them back once things clear up. Trust me this will save your feet BIG TIME!
2. I would probably dress up. Not so much as a full costume but I might consider Disney Bounding next time. I saw some really great costumes but I also loved our Halloween Shirts and Halloween ears too!
3. I would check out some more of the candy trails. We only did the one when we first got our bags and the one inside Mickey's Philharmagic (which also plays different Halloween cartoons throughout the night so you can sit and relax, enjoy the AC or escape the rain!)
4. Focus more on the parades, characters, shows, foods, fireworks, etc. You can ride the rides anytime (unless you are checking out the attractions specifically for the party) I would not really worry about doing the rides.
5. Get things done during the first parade. This is the time to get in line for hard to meet characters, a lot of people will leave because of the parade and fireworks.
6. Get your spot for the second parade closer to the exit if you want to leave afterwards. It is a made dash for the buses, boats, and monorails once that last parade is over (even though there is one last Hocus Pocus show at Midnight!) If you want to make a quick exit...sit up by the top of Main Street U.S.A. near the Train Station is where we like to sit. You will most likely always get a front row seat to sit there. Hopefully you will not get stuck in a huge crowd and will be able to be one of the first ones back to your resort after the parade.
7. If you want the Exclusive popcorn bucket for the party, make sure that is one of the first things you go do. They tend to sell out fast and can be hard to track down. I think I wound up going to 4 different popcorn stands to locate the Oogie Boogie bucket for the party (we finally found it at the popcorn stand located closet to castle on the Tomorrowland side of the HUB.) The cauldron bucket posted below is a different story, my friend and I went all over the park to track that down.
8. ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT! Halloween at the Magic Kingdom is AMAZING and almost as Magical Christmas!
See Ya Real Soon!!
