A not-so-spooky Halloween themed event.
Recently, I had an opportunity to attend Disney After Hours Boo Bash even at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. I thought I'd share my experience and whether I felt it was worth the $129 cost.
The Tickets
Back in June, I went through a Boo Bash Long Wait to Purchase Tickets. I got two adult tickets for myself and my Dad, two odd people who happen to love Walt Disney World.
Our ticket day was set for 14 September 2021 from 9:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M. and had the following 'perks:'
Two-hour early access (7:00 P.M.)
Complimentary snacks and drinks (popcorn, popsicles, ice cream bars, water, soda)
Candy (Trick-or-Treat!)
Low guest capacity
Low wait times
Special Halloween-themed stuff (decor, Cadaver Dans, spooky cavalcades, sweet treats, drinks, etc.)
I'm pretty sure there were more 'perks,' but these are the only ones I recalled off-hand.
Boo Bash didn't require a separate theme park admission ticket into the park. My Dad and I had a five-day theme park ticket, but we didn't use any one of our tickets on the day of the Boo Bash.
The Two Hours Prior
My Dad and I decided to head to Magic Kingdom two hours early. Because we drove the RV to Fort Wilderness Campground without a car, we're dependent on Disney transportation. To go to Magic Kingdom from a Magic Kingdom resort meant catching a bus and ferry.
We headed to the bus stop and waited a half hour before deciding to walk to the docks. The walk from our RV loop was about fifteen minutes. We waited about another fifteen minutes for the boat to arrive.
The boat ride was about twelve minutes from the docks at Fort Wilderness to the docks at Magic Kingdom. Considering how long it took to get from point A to point B, I was happy to see the new security checkpoints where you just walk through without having to open my bag.
I was pulled aside because the metal detectors went off. After an extended search, security found that my battery charger pack, made of metal, triggered the alarms. Battery charger packs are allowed, but I was instructed to take them out of my backpack and hold it straight ahead when I walked through a security checkpoint.
We checked in at the main entrance where we scanned our Magic Bands and fingerprints. We then waited for a Cast Member to put on our wrist bands for the night.
Despite leaving the RV around 6:50 P.M., we didn't get into the park until around 8:15 P.M.
Things I Did and Saw
I didn't have a plan for what I wanted to do, see, or taste. I was just happy to be in Magic Kingdom. If you're one to plan, do that before you step into the park.
I decided to skip the Happily Ever After fireworks show. I've seen it many times in the past and hopefully I'll have another chance to see it before we leave WDW next week.
The first thing we did was head into Tomorrowland. I wanted to go to Star Traders to see what they had in stock, but we noticed Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin was only a five-minute wait. Before we knew it, we walked onto every ride without any wait time. It was the best night ever when it came to riding rides!
We also got to see Mickey’s PhilharMagic without the new Coco scene. I was a little bummed to not see the new scene, but I was happy to see a show. No other shows were operating during the Boo Bash.
I didn't see many characters outside of the cavalcades, but below were the ones I got to see:
Pirate Goofy (Adventureland-Tortuga Tavern)
Pirate Chip (Frontierland-Frontier Trading Post)
Vampire Dale (Frontierland-Frontier Trading Post)
Honest Jon (Fantasyland-Pinocchio Village Haus)
Gideon (Fantasyland-Pinocchio Village Haus)
Butterfly Piglet (The Crystal Palace)
Clown Eeyore (The Crystal Palace)
Miss Carlotta (Liberty Square-Haunted Mansion)
Piglet couldn't help but twirl for the camera after I complimented his costume. He was certainly proud of being a butterfly for the night.
The most entertaining character was Goofy. He was so full of energy! Goofy seemed to acknowledge everyone that stopped to see him. He also couldn't help but dance across the stage he was on. Goofy was so much fun to watch that night!
I missed most of the cavalcades, but I was fortunate to see Mickey's Happy Halloween Cavalcade and Jack's Nightmare Cavalcade. It was great to see Mickey and friends dressed in their Halloween costumes. It was also great to see Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie Boogie.
Personally, I would've preferred a full-length parade. It didn't seem right to hear part of the music for a few short minutes knowing there should've been much more to it. Had I not attended a past Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, I probably wouldn't feel as bitter about the cavalcades.
I also missed out on a lot of the candy spots. Young and old were handed treat bags for collecting candy. Dad and I stopped at a few candy spots in-between rides. We collected a variety of Mars, Inc. candies. It seemed like we got lots of Starbursts and Snickers. I've already finished the Milky Way mini bars while Dad finished the Snickers mini bars.
Things I Bought
We didn't take advantage of the complimentary snacks and drinks. Instead, I got the Mocha Chocolate Chip Frozen Drink from the Golden Oak Outpost in Frontierland. It's a thick caffeinated frozen slush-type drink topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with lots of mini chocolate chips. There was also a single sugar candy shaped as an acorn on top.
I loved the drink! It was refreshing for a ridiculously hot September night. It fulfilled my sweet tooth without being overly sweet. The drink was sweeter when all ingredients were mixed. It gave me a little kick of caffeine that helped me get through the night. If you're not used to caffeine, it may be a bit strong for you.
Dad got the Apple Ginger Dale Frozen Drink from the Golden Oak Outpost in Frontierland. It's a thin frozen drink with a mix of apple cider and ginger ale topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with Twix crumbs. There was also a single sugar candy shaped as a fall leaf on top.
He let me taste it first. I like ginger ale and apple cider as separate drinks, but I didn't like this combination mixed. Dad said it tasted like sugar-free apple cider and sugar-free ginger ale that left a little bit of a bitter aftertaste. He also didn't like it and ended up getting a Powerade to hydrate.
The only souvenir I purchased wasn't a Halloween-themed item. I was looking at Halloween-themed merchandise until I noticed the latest Stitch Crashes Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs plush. I didn't hesitate to buy the plush since Stitch is my favorite character. I'll eventually have an army of plush Stitch's in my house!
My Thoughts
As a simple adult, I felt the cost of the Boo Bash tickets were worth the cost. It was convenient and fun to walk onto a ride without any wait. Some rides allowed guests to remain seated if they wanted to ride it multiple times. As for my Dad and I, we rode the rides once.
It was fun to see different characters around the park. They interacted with guests and showed off to the guests that interacted with them. Then again, Eeyore didn't do much. I don't think he was that happy to be there.
Performers, merchandise, specialty treats, dance parties, and more were worth checking out, but the ability to go on rides without waiting was worth it to me.
The best part was the low crowd level. There were areas where guests seemed to congregate, like around Cinderella's castle before the Happily Ever After fireworks, but it was short lived and easy to avoid.
What's Next?
I'm here at Walt Disney World for several more days with my Dad and dogs. I may have a few more Disney stories to share over the next week or two.
Have you attended the old Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party or the new Disney After Hours Boo Bash? Login and Sign up to share which of the two events you liked best and why.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam