Credit: DisneyIt’s officially the start of the most wonderful time of the year at the Walt Disney World Resort. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) started last week, effectively marking the start of the Halloween and holiday season at the Disney Park.
MNSSHP runs after hours several days a week, allowing Guests who have purchased an event ticket to visit Magic Kingdom from 6pm to midnight, as well as access to a variety of special offerings. Guests, including adults, are allowed to wear full costumes, trick or treat throughout the Park, and catch the specially themed “Boo to You” parade, Halloween fireworks show, and the castle stage show.
On top of these major draws for Guests is the limited time ability to meet and greet several rare characters, including villains like BLANK AND BLANK, Mickey and Minnie in their Halloween costumes, CHARACTER AND CHARACTER, and, of course, Jack and Sally from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. The event has already sold out multiple nights, despite higher-than-normal ticket prices and lower-than-average daytime crowds.
Over in Disneyland, each year their version of the Haunted Mansion undergoes an extensive holiday overlay from September to February, themed after the iconic stop-motion Halloween movie. At Disney World, however, Guests don’t get the same experience, only able to meet and greet with Jack and Sally, bemoaning the lack of Nightmare-themed attractions.
According to users on social media, the line to meet with Jack and Sally was longer than the line to meet Mickey and Minnie, with one user waiting almost four hours for the interaction. Disney Guest @Mousesteps posted to X earlier this week, stating “The Jack and Sally line is officially 4 hours – we waited 3 hours 40 minutes.”
The Jack and Sally line is officially 4 hours – we waited 3 hours 40 minutes. #mnsshp #notsoscary pic.twitter.com/UUnC8NNl5Z
— Denise at Mousesteps (@Mousesteps) August 16, 2023
Several comments pointed out that the event itself only lasted around six hours, meaning many Guests spent most of their time–and nearly $200 ticket–standing in line for a 60 second interaction. “Imagine paying $120+ for a special event just to wait in line the entire time to see characters. They need a better system, like have two meet and greets for them in separate locations in the park since they’re so popular. This is so ridiculous,” said @Spaceysoka.
Others, like @PYIXIEE, pointed out the clear demand for more chances to meet and greet with these characters, stating, “There needs to be permanent nightmare before Christmas experiences on both coasts because this is not sustainable at all.”
Most of the comments called the wait “insane,” saying that nobody should have to wait that amount of time, especially considering the price point and limited time to enjoy the rest of the after-hours event. It just shows that demand for popular Disney characters that are rarely seen around the Parks is high.
Would you wait four hours to meet Jack and Sally? Or any Disney character? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!