Christine
09-15-2012, 07:24 PM
I've gotten my thoughts and notes together from last night's MNSSHP, and DH has culled through the pictures and videos he shot, so here we go!
I'd like to first say a big thank you to Disney and INTERCOT for allowing me to attend Media Night on INTERCOT's behalf. We had a BLAST trying to find the new & familiar, both big and small, and bring it all back to INTERCOT's members. We put some serious mileage on our shoes last night covering as much as we possibly could LIVE through Twitter and Facebook...isn't technology amazing? Anyway, it was a labor of love and we hope you enjoyed coming along.
DH and I tried to think of how many times we have attended MNSSHP over the years. We are POSITIVE of 8, but I think it could be 10.
We do know for sure that we have never had a bad time at a MNSSHP. This year proved no different. The ONLY complaint we have had over the years is the one year they gave out generic dollar store candy- that was AWFUL! But it hasn't happened again since, and all is well. M&Ms, Nestle Crunch, Heath Bars, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Now and Laters, Milk Duds, Smarties...it's ALL good! TOO good, as I'm having to hide it from myself. :blush:
Anyway, I digress (candy is a WEAK spot for me :D ).
Candy: See here http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=194563
The CMs: Fun as ever. They really get into the party mood and we enjoy that so much!
The Merchandise: The shirts this year are pretty cute! Nice to see Mickey and the gang looking a little friendlier instead of the evil monster Mickey werewolf of last year and the (as I've previously called it) Fredrick's of Hollywood Minnie. Lots of pins & event vinylmation...no photo frames as in previous years, but then again, who really keeps a dated cartoon Halloween frame out year round?
Boo to You Parade:: A few subtle changes this year. For example, there was a pirate flag line leading the POTC float which was ... interesting? Not bad, but an odd fit...I think of flag routine mostly in marching bands, but it neither added nor took away from my experience. Barbosa was riding on the float vs. the past few years that he walked around greeting the crowds. That made me a little sad. I really like seeing Barbosa and he has kissed my hand the last two years, so I missed that little tradition of ours. ;)
The ballroom dancers and grave diggers still steal the show. As well as the headless horseman of course! It seemed to me he rode through much slower this year which is nice for photos. But I'm not sure if he really was or if it's just because we now know WHEN he is coming & which direction he's coming so we're uber prepared?
Must mention the dancing cowboys. Kinda had some Magic Mike moves going on there! And it was not going unnoticed by the ladies in the audience! There was screaming and hooting and hollering moreso for them than even Capt Jack! And the cowboys were lapping it up too, tipping hats, greeting women in the crowds with a wink and a "ma'am". Cute, harmless fun. (I was the soul of discretion! Not so much as a "yeehaw" from me) :angel:
Happy Hallowishes:
Gorgeous. Fun. Goose-bump inducing. Just hands down the best Disney nighttime show ever IMHO. We know that show backwards and forwards and they never skip a beat. Perfection. Someday we hope to see MM&Y effects brought into it...that would just make it out of this world!
Villians Mix and Mingle: When this show first changed and became centrally focused on Dr. Facilier, we didn't quite know what to think. Now that we've seen it several times, we have decided we really like it. The CM who portrays him is fantastic and the music is great. Now, my DH misses the red and black devil costumes that the backup girls used to wear, but that is a conversation best left unstarted. :)
When the other villians take the stage, they just do the one short number and it's over. But I feel like it is enough. Still a cute little show. The meet and greet lines afterwards are quite thick and chaotic, so our recomended strategy is to watch the first show, see where the characters go afterwards for their meet, pick whom you REALLY must see, and be in that area for one of the later shows so you have the best chance.
Characters:
We saw Lotso Huggin Bear by Crystal Palace (it's like Pooh gone BAD! )
Tarzan and friends as well as Capt Jack in Adventureland, Daisy and Donald at the Carousel in Fantasyland (missed seeing Cinderella's coach by Small World as that area is under construction) and Pooh and Friends in their halloween attire by the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Gaston, Lady Tremain and the Stepsisters, Jafar at the hub...we didn't get to see Mickey (the time FLIES at these things! Camping out for parade, fireworks, and Villain show eats a good chunk of time!). Phineas and Ferb are by City Hall. Lots of fun to be had. Lots of lines to stand in too...WHEW! We couldn't have done that...we took shots from the sidelines.
Ride Lines: We didn't ride anything. We did photograph outside the Haunted Mansion in all it's Halloween splendor, but we didn't ride. 1) We had a LOT of gear on us, 2) we had so much we wanted to see and report on, and 3) CANDY! But we noted VERY reasonable lines on everything; 20-30 min on the "hot items" like Peter Pan and Space.
Dance Parties: I'm not allowed to go bc my DD 12 would kill me! She does NOT appreciate that I've got the moves like Jagger. :blush: When I did the Cupid Shuffle on our Disney Cruise sailaway party, she made me promise not to dance in public again.
Crowds: Very manageable, but more than I expected so early in the season. SO many cute and clever costumes. My faves: Duffy Bear dude and the Fast Pass People.
Saw two girls with rain panchos and painted hair...heard them tell a CM they were "world of color" hmmmm.... Saw a guy with full mask and "scarier" costume. I was stunned he was allowed...I thought full mask was against the rules? He had three heads and a boom box SOMEWHERE on him bc he played Thriller and other music wherever he went. We rode the tram from the TTC to the parking lot with him. He was something else, but he had a good beat! Of course, I was not allowed to dance. *sigh*
General Observations:: I find it strange that with BAGS of candy in their possesion, people are still in the Bakery and Confectionery buying up more bags of sugary treats? I think I lost 4 teeth just gnoshing around the park last night, and I'm pretty sure I didn't go to sleep, but rather slipped into some sort of diabetic coma after we got home. To go buy a candied apple or one of their special holiday cupcakes/cookies would have flat-lined me, right there on the spot!
The background music was the ONLY remotely negative word I have to say about the whole evening. I was so happy to walk onto Main Street USA and see the pumpkins flickering and hear the Haunted Mansion and Boo to You parade background music. Then BAM! Disney pop versions of Stevie Wonder's Superstitious, Thriller, etc. I could have done VERY nicely without any of that. It sounded like, I don't know: Selena Gomez? Jonas Brothers? I'm thinking probably Jonas Brothers...If there's ever any bad music that gets my attention it's most likely the Jonas Brothers. ;)
So there you have it! Pics will be up here in within the hour.
The long and short of it all: If you are planning on attending MNSSHP this year, you're in for a super time. ENJOY! If you are attending MNSSHP AND are a Jonas Brothers fan, man, you're gonna be in HEAVEN!!! :cloud9:
I'd like to first say a big thank you to Disney and INTERCOT for allowing me to attend Media Night on INTERCOT's behalf. We had a BLAST trying to find the new & familiar, both big and small, and bring it all back to INTERCOT's members. We put some serious mileage on our shoes last night covering as much as we possibly could LIVE through Twitter and Facebook...isn't technology amazing? Anyway, it was a labor of love and we hope you enjoyed coming along.
DH and I tried to think of how many times we have attended MNSSHP over the years. We are POSITIVE of 8, but I think it could be 10.
We do know for sure that we have never had a bad time at a MNSSHP. This year proved no different. The ONLY complaint we have had over the years is the one year they gave out generic dollar store candy- that was AWFUL! But it hasn't happened again since, and all is well. M&Ms, Nestle Crunch, Heath Bars, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Now and Laters, Milk Duds, Smarties...it's ALL good! TOO good, as I'm having to hide it from myself. :blush:
Anyway, I digress (candy is a WEAK spot for me :D ).
Candy: See here http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=194563
The CMs: Fun as ever. They really get into the party mood and we enjoy that so much!
The Merchandise: The shirts this year are pretty cute! Nice to see Mickey and the gang looking a little friendlier instead of the evil monster Mickey werewolf of last year and the (as I've previously called it) Fredrick's of Hollywood Minnie. Lots of pins & event vinylmation...no photo frames as in previous years, but then again, who really keeps a dated cartoon Halloween frame out year round?
Boo to You Parade:: A few subtle changes this year. For example, there was a pirate flag line leading the POTC float which was ... interesting? Not bad, but an odd fit...I think of flag routine mostly in marching bands, but it neither added nor took away from my experience. Barbosa was riding on the float vs. the past few years that he walked around greeting the crowds. That made me a little sad. I really like seeing Barbosa and he has kissed my hand the last two years, so I missed that little tradition of ours. ;)
The ballroom dancers and grave diggers still steal the show. As well as the headless horseman of course! It seemed to me he rode through much slower this year which is nice for photos. But I'm not sure if he really was or if it's just because we now know WHEN he is coming & which direction he's coming so we're uber prepared?
Must mention the dancing cowboys. Kinda had some Magic Mike moves going on there! And it was not going unnoticed by the ladies in the audience! There was screaming and hooting and hollering moreso for them than even Capt Jack! And the cowboys were lapping it up too, tipping hats, greeting women in the crowds with a wink and a "ma'am". Cute, harmless fun. (I was the soul of discretion! Not so much as a "yeehaw" from me) :angel:
Happy Hallowishes:
Gorgeous. Fun. Goose-bump inducing. Just hands down the best Disney nighttime show ever IMHO. We know that show backwards and forwards and they never skip a beat. Perfection. Someday we hope to see MM&Y effects brought into it...that would just make it out of this world!
Villians Mix and Mingle: When this show first changed and became centrally focused on Dr. Facilier, we didn't quite know what to think. Now that we've seen it several times, we have decided we really like it. The CM who portrays him is fantastic and the music is great. Now, my DH misses the red and black devil costumes that the backup girls used to wear, but that is a conversation best left unstarted. :)
When the other villians take the stage, they just do the one short number and it's over. But I feel like it is enough. Still a cute little show. The meet and greet lines afterwards are quite thick and chaotic, so our recomended strategy is to watch the first show, see where the characters go afterwards for their meet, pick whom you REALLY must see, and be in that area for one of the later shows so you have the best chance.
Characters:
We saw Lotso Huggin Bear by Crystal Palace (it's like Pooh gone BAD! )
Tarzan and friends as well as Capt Jack in Adventureland, Daisy and Donald at the Carousel in Fantasyland (missed seeing Cinderella's coach by Small World as that area is under construction) and Pooh and Friends in their halloween attire by the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Gaston, Lady Tremain and the Stepsisters, Jafar at the hub...we didn't get to see Mickey (the time FLIES at these things! Camping out for parade, fireworks, and Villain show eats a good chunk of time!). Phineas and Ferb are by City Hall. Lots of fun to be had. Lots of lines to stand in too...WHEW! We couldn't have done that...we took shots from the sidelines.
Ride Lines: We didn't ride anything. We did photograph outside the Haunted Mansion in all it's Halloween splendor, but we didn't ride. 1) We had a LOT of gear on us, 2) we had so much we wanted to see and report on, and 3) CANDY! But we noted VERY reasonable lines on everything; 20-30 min on the "hot items" like Peter Pan and Space.
Dance Parties: I'm not allowed to go bc my DD 12 would kill me! She does NOT appreciate that I've got the moves like Jagger. :blush: When I did the Cupid Shuffle on our Disney Cruise sailaway party, she made me promise not to dance in public again.
Crowds: Very manageable, but more than I expected so early in the season. SO many cute and clever costumes. My faves: Duffy Bear dude and the Fast Pass People.
Saw two girls with rain panchos and painted hair...heard them tell a CM they were "world of color" hmmmm.... Saw a guy with full mask and "scarier" costume. I was stunned he was allowed...I thought full mask was against the rules? He had three heads and a boom box SOMEWHERE on him bc he played Thriller and other music wherever he went. We rode the tram from the TTC to the parking lot with him. He was something else, but he had a good beat! Of course, I was not allowed to dance. *sigh*
General Observations:: I find it strange that with BAGS of candy in their possesion, people are still in the Bakery and Confectionery buying up more bags of sugary treats? I think I lost 4 teeth just gnoshing around the park last night, and I'm pretty sure I didn't go to sleep, but rather slipped into some sort of diabetic coma after we got home. To go buy a candied apple or one of their special holiday cupcakes/cookies would have flat-lined me, right there on the spot!
The background music was the ONLY remotely negative word I have to say about the whole evening. I was so happy to walk onto Main Street USA and see the pumpkins flickering and hear the Haunted Mansion and Boo to You parade background music. Then BAM! Disney pop versions of Stevie Wonder's Superstitious, Thriller, etc. I could have done VERY nicely without any of that. It sounded like, I don't know: Selena Gomez? Jonas Brothers? I'm thinking probably Jonas Brothers...If there's ever any bad music that gets my attention it's most likely the Jonas Brothers. ;)
So there you have it! Pics will be up here in within the hour.
The long and short of it all: If you are planning on attending MNSSHP this year, you're in for a super time. ENJOY! If you are attending MNSSHP AND are a Jonas Brothers fan, man, you're gonna be in HEAVEN!!! :cloud9: