Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2019 Tips & D23 Announcements

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2019

• 🎃 Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2019 offered a vast amount of activities, making it impossible to do everything in one night, requiring strategic planning.
• 🎶 The Descendants dance party was a major hit, featuring on-screen characters and engaging DJs, with hosts encouraging even reluctant children to participate.
• 🎭 The Hocus Pocus show was a highlight, led by the Sanderson sisters, though some parts were noted as potentially spooky for very young children.
• 🍬 A significant improvement was the allergy-friendly treat program, offering a separate bag of specially prepared items, including gummy bears and cookies, which were considered better than the standard chocolate offerings.
• ⚠️ While efficient, the allergy token system had minor glitches on opening night, with some cast members occasionally defaulting to standard chocolate for allergy bags, necessitating careful monitoring by parents.
• 🛍️ Party-specific merchandise, including Sanderson Sister items and Haunted Mansion popcorn buckets, saw long lines, indicating high demand.
• 🌡️ The event experienced extremely hot weather, with temperatures in the mid-'90s, making cool costumes and strategic hydration (like free ice from Starbucks) essential.

D23 Announcements & Park Updates

• 🚀 Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge faced initial controversy with Coca-Cola bottles resembling "thermal detonators" being banned by the TSA, later reclassified as oversized liquid containers.
• 🗺️ Epcot's Future World is being redesigned into World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature, moving away from the "future" theme to create an evergreen section.
• 🚢 A new Mary Poppins attraction is planned for the UK pavilion in Epcot, evolving from a meet-and-greet to a potentially sizable dark ride.
• 🌊 The Journey of Water exploration area in Epcot will be Moana-themed, a late addition to a previously generic water play space.
• 💡 Spaceship Earth is shifting its theme from communication to storytelling, incorporating Disney characters like Moana.
• 📱 The Disney Genie app was announced, designed to provide custom, optimized park itineraries, a concept Disney has been developing for nearly 20 years.
• 🏨 The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel will offer a two-day immersive experience, with guests embarking and disembarking simultaneously, featuring interactive elements like lightsaber training.
• 🎶 The new Epcot nighttime spectacular replacing Illuminations will be called Harmonious, celebrating Disney animation music.
• 📺 A Lizzie McGuire show reboot starring Hillary Duff was announced, generating significant excitement.
• 🛒 Disney stores will be integrated into select Target locations, offering park merchandise and a new retail strategy under Bob Chapek's integrated consumer products and parks vision.