I’m headed to my 2nd Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) next week. Before my first trip and again before this one I have read a LOT of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tips and guides. There’s one glaring omission in all of them I want to share with you, and it’s a total no-brainer.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tips
Watch The Movie Hocus Pocus Before You Go.
The Sanderson Sisters are the stars of the 1993 cult classic film Hocus Pocus. I mention that it’s a cult classic because ninety percent of us have never seen it, and half of us probably haven’t even heard of it. If you don’t know who the Sanderson Sisters are, you will miss the context behind the main stage show at MNSSHP. The Sanderson Sisters, pictured above, are unofficial mascots of Halloween at Disney, and on my first visit to MNSSHP I didn’t have a clue who they were. Chances are neither do you. Here’s how to fix that:
I think that Disney produces events in a bubble sometimes and forgets that most people who visit are nowhere near as obsessive as the rabid Disney fan. Heck I’ve written a Disney World guidebook and still had never seen Hocus Pocus.
Let me put this into perspective: going to MNSSHP without seeing Hocus Pocus would be like attending a Rocky Horror Picture Show festival and not knowing what the Time Warp is.
Or going to a Better Off Dead party and not knowing why everyone wants two dollars. (Millennials, I’ll save you the time to look it up.)
Extra Credit
If you really want to get into the MNSSHP spirit, rent Disney’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow while you’re at it. I’d call this optional rather than a must-do as at least most people know who the headless horseman is.
The Sanderson Sisters, on the other hand, melt completely into cinematic obscurity unless you know to pull them out. I hope my warning will help you enjoy MNSSHP’s stage show the first time more than I did.
Looking for more Disney World tips and tricks? Check out my Disney World Hacks book on Amazon!
This is a good tip as it IS called the HOCUS POCUS Villain Spectacular.
Maybe it’s a generational thing, but I didn’t realize Hocus Pocus was such a cult classic. It isn’t new, but there aren’t THAT many kid friendly Halloween movies out there. This still gets a lot of air time on the tube.
But if you haven’t seen it, DEFINATELY do so before MNSSHP.
Hi Ainsley,
I do think it is generational- my millennial friends all thought it was heresy that Hocus Pocus had never crossed my radar, but my fellow Gen Xers also had no idea what it was.
Please correct your acronym throughout the article.
It is supposed to be: MNSSHP
Missing the N for NOT takes away your credibility on the subject.
LOL. Will do.