Episode 63: Spooky Season at Orlando Theme Parks

It's August . . . and you know what that means. It's spooky season at Orlando theme parks. This week, Krystle and Julie's friend and fellow travel agent, Margie, joins in on the discussion of all the Halloween happenings at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to Wanderlust and Wishes, the podcast where we explore the world one destination at a time. I'm Julie. And I'm Crystal. As travel agents with Fantastical Vacations, we are here to share our passion for travel and help you turn your wanderlust into reality. From hidden gems to bucket list adventures, join us as we dive into the sights, sounds, and stories of our favorite destinations. So grab your passport, pack your bags, and let's embark on this journey together. Hi everybody, welcome to episode 63 of Wanderlust and Wishes. Today we're going to talk about all of the Halloween offerings at three of the Orlando theme parks, SeaWorld, Disney World, and Universal Orlando. We also have our friend and fellow agent Margie Reynolds on today to help us get through this episode with all the fun things. But first, we have a little bit of news. You've heard us talk before that Disney Cruise Line does not offer any real discounts. And when they do, they're half fake discounts. They're not really discounts. They're basically letting you pay fewer dollars up front. Yeah. So they kind of surprised us. They are doing a limited time offer, 50% off your third and fourth guests on select sailings. Some things of note. This is available for the Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy, and Wish. between October 3rd and March 30th of 2026. So no treasure, no destiny, no adventure. Must be booked by October 12th of this year. It excludes any discounted rooms already. It also does not include concierge staterooms or suites. We can stack our onboard credit with this. So this is a great time to cruise. It does not include every single sailing on all these ships, but most of them. It's a fantastic offer. It really is. I'm out there scrolling, looking. Yes. Well, and basically, you're getting that fourth guest free. So, yes. Find me on a cruise soon, hopefully. Are you ready to get started? Let's do it. Just a quick little disclaimer before we dive in. Most times mentioned, we've tried to update as best we could, but they might be from last year, so... And they are subject to change. So just double check your apps and maps and get the most accurate up to date info the day of your trip day before. All right. Let's start with Universal Orlando Resort. Their offering is Halloween Horror Nights. You might also see it as HHN just because it's a mouthful. Horror has always been at the very core of Universal's DNA, so Halloween Horror Nights brings that legacy to life, placing you inside your favorite scary movies, twisted original stories, and nightmarish worlds. These are specialty after-hours tickets are needed for Halloween Horror Nights. So if you purchase your daytime tickets like you typically would to go to Universal Orlando and you want to do this, you would have to purchase separate tickets for this event. The Nights are from August 29th through November 2nd. It starts at 6.30 and goes to 2 a.m. The pricing ranges from$83 to$123 per person, with the most expensive being the Saturday before Halloween. This is at Universal Studios Florida. And this year they've got several houses that they've already told us about. We've got Fallout and just a brief description of all these. You've got Face Your Fears in a post-apocalyptic LA devastated by nuclear war based on the hit show Fallout. You'll travel into the vaults and be attacked by raiders alongside Lucy. You'll escape the wasteland of Philly and confront the formidable bounty hunter, the Ghoul. You'll even encounter Maximus with the Brotherhood of Steel and see T-60 Power Armor. I don't know any of that. I don't know what any of that is. Right over my head. We watched the first season, so I know kind of. Yeah, if you watch the show, you'll know what that means. Yep. All right, the next one is Jason's Universe, in where you come face-to-face with the iconic horror villain, Jason Voorhees, and you step into the terrifying world of this silent killer, flee through the woods and into his sinister shack, enter the summer camp where his gruesome legend began. Jason is back, and nothing can save you now. Is this Universal's, like, one of their characters? that is only for Halloween Horror Nights, or is this a different Jason? Isn't this Jason from Jason the 13th, Friday the 13th? Yeah, it's Jason. Yes, it's Jason Voorhees. He's the one that wears the ski mask. Ski mask. Who was actually not the original killer on the first one. Great. I don't remember that. But yeah, he has a ski mask and carries around a machete. Next, we have Terrifier. Nothing can prepare you for this grisly haunted house based on all three of Damien Leon's Terrifier films. Try your luck against sadistic Art the Clown, So I think Halloween and clowns, like scary Halloween clowns, they're terrifying. So this would probably like scare the crap out of me. Yeah, I agree. I do not like clowns in a Halloween setting. Oh, Terry. Oh, Artista, A Spanish Haunting. In 19th century Spain, a tortured artist moves to an isolated country manor to seek inspiration. Instead, as he wanders the ghostly hallways and haunted conservatory, malevolent spirits break into our realm through his paintings. He tries to resist, but the art comes to life and possesses him. Now you're about to be part of the permanent. That seems terrifying as well. Well, I don't go to Halloween. I would love it. I mean, I would love it, but that sounds terrifying that art comes to life and basically comes to kill you. Okay, the next is Hatchet and Chains, Demon Bounty Hunters. In this Old West town, all hell is breaking loose. Masses of red-hot lava demons are crawling out of hell's well and trying to possess everyone, melting everything in their path. As you flee from the post office to the bank, the prison to the graveyard, your only hope is Hatchet and Chains with their arsenal of mystical weapons. I might be able to handle this one. Yeah, that one doesn't sound as bad, although... This one, uh-uh. Yeah, the next one, Dolls, Let's Play Dead. You're about to become doll-sized and witness the unnatural creations of a twisted little girl. You'll be hunted by fashion dolls. She's melded and burned. Then you'll go under her bed and be stalked by toys she stitched together. You'll end in her creepy Victorian dollhouse where undead whores await you. That sounds so scary. That sounds terrible also. I'm going to die. I'm literally going to die. Aren't you so excited you get to do all of these, Crystal? No, I've never been. And I'm going. We'll talk about that in a minute. But I'm I'm like shaking over here. I don't know. But the next one is the grave of flesh. Welcome to your funeral where things are about to go from bad to worse. You'll enter your grave and then pass through the gates of the underworld where flesh eaters who feed on the dead will be waiting for you. Get lost in their cavernous underground world where an endless gauntlet of flesh eating creatures will hunt you mercilessly for all eternity. Sounds a little bit like the mummy there. Yeah, it does. Yeah. The next one is Gaelkin, Monsters of the North. In a remote northern village, a wicked being rises from the dead, bringing a horde of monsters and demons from the fjords to wreak havoc on the townspeople. You'll fare icy, horned, winged, and wolfish fiends that gradually merge into one giant horror. Then you'll try to escape the belly of the beast. None of these sound super fun. That one sounds kind of cool. That one sounds more interesting to me. So the other thing that Halloween Horror Nights has. So it has the haunted houses, which are, of course, like a huge thing. And you walk through and you get the life scared out of you. But in a fun way, right? But they also have what's called scare zones. So the streets of Universal Studios turn into scare zones. They turn them into scare zones. They're open-air terror arenas where creatures roam freely, waiting to scare the soul out of you. Think demons, mutants, and those lovely chainsaw-wielding maniacs. So this is where they might chase you with a chainsaw. And to me, that's scarier than the house, if somebody's running after me with a chainsaw. And everyone needs to keep in mind that these scare actors do not touch you. So please don't touch them back, but do not hit them. They are just there to scare you, and it's all in good fun. So don't worry. They're not going to grab you. They're not going to touch you. That's good to know. The first one is The Origins of Horror, entering a decaying conservatory of twisted vines where artists carve tributes to Halloween Horror Nights 34. You'll encounter monstrous crows, gargoyles, and more. Another one is Masquerade Dance with Death. You're invited to a masquerade ball where bloodthirsty vampires lurk behind ornate disguises. When their masks fall, you become their prey. A couple others. You've got The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane. I can see all these cats. It says you'll travel down a spooky winding path to a mysterious home where trick-or-treaters are transformed into feral felines. Be careful or you'll be next. That just sounds really interesting. Yeah. And then you've got mutations. Toxic 20s. In a bustling 1920s neighborhood, a buzzcon truck with radioactive cargo crashes into a mobster getaway car, sending the city into toxic pandemonium. It mutates everyone in its path, including you. Yikes. In addition to the scare zones and houses, they have live entertainment throughout the night. So if you need a little bit of a break from getting jump scares and things like, you know, jumping out at you, they have some live shows that deliver high energy performances with fire stunts, dark humor, and jaw dropping effects. So a couple of those are the Nightmare Fuel Circus of Decay. This once vibrant circus has festered into an unending nightmare. It's a sinister spectacle of pyro aerialist and illusions. Secondly, they have Hauntophonic, A Ghoulish Journey. A ghost story is rising from its watery grave to haunt the Universal Studios Lagoon, featuring towering water screens and eerie music. That sounds really cool if they're doing it on the water. That sounds really fun to me. That sounds neat. We saw The Nightmare Fuel last year. That's the only reason I went to the Halloween Horror Nights. And it is just an absolutely fantastic show. Those performers are truly amazing. The skill set is just this world. That's awesome. They also have some street experiences. So basically, that'll just be zombie car hops, undead DJs, and more. They don't have all the details out about these. So those will be released soon as it's starting within, I think, about the next month. And it's not specifically advertised as part of Halloween Horror Nights, but you do typically see Death Eaters in Diagon Alley during the HHN events. And that, to me, is... terrifying as well, because I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. And if you all know Death Eaters, they're so evil and horrible, horrible people. And so having them out with their mask on is terrifying to me. We didn't specify this, but if you can't tell, they recommend 13 and older for this event. If you have brave younger kids and know that they can handle it, great, go for it. There'll be younger kids there. But And if you have kids over 13 and you don't think they can handle it, 13 is not a magical number. Don't take them if you don't think they're going to enjoy this. Yeah, true. But they have a huge disclaimer on their site. Pretty much every page that has anything about Halloween Horror Nights has that disclaimer because I'm sure that they've had people bring their kids before not realizing it. Maybe they went to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and came over to Halloween Horror Nights thinking it was going to be something similar and it's completely different. It's You know, it's just a total different vibe. All right, let's talk about some add-ons that you can get. There is one called the Premium Scream Night. So one night only, Thursday, August 28th, 2025. It's$415 per person. Be one of the first to scream at Halloween Horror Nights at this exclusive event. So you enjoy access to haunted houses with shorter wait times and entry to haunted houses staggered by group. You can treat yourself to all you care to enjoy select food and non-alcoholic beverages. New for this year, take advantage of the only opportunity to wear costumes during HHN. No mask allowed. One souvenir credential and lanyard per guest and complimentary self-parking must show valid Scream Night admission for that. They also offer an express pass for Halloween Horror Nights. This starts at$159.99 per person. And this is over and above the cost of your ticket. You still have to have a ticket, but you can start using it right away or you can come back to houses later if you want to repeat houses. The lines do go down between midnight and 2 a.m. So like if you wanted to use it early when there are a lot of lines and then come back and do it, but you can go to each house one time. Now they also offer a Behind the Screams Unmasking the Terror Tour. This is a daytime tour without the scare actors. And this starts at$99.99 a person. And I did this two years ago. I'm a little chicken, and so we wanted to see all the houses. And the kids, I think, were hoping that if they got me there during the day, that I would be more likely to go with them at night because they do love going to the Halloween Horror Nights. And the Behind the Screams is a daytime guided tour that allows guests to explore the haunted houses with the lights on. This provides a behind-the-scenes look at the intricate details, storylines, and scare tactics used in the houses. Now, these tours are offered in both three-house or six-house options. And of course, the price is going to depend on the day and the tour chosen. And then the theme park admission is not required for this tour. They actually walk you in through the old Blue Man group tour so that you can come in without a daytime ticket. They will tell you when you can take pictures during this tour. You can take photographs during select haunted houses, but they will also tell you when to put your cameras away. You're not allowed to take pictures. You do get an exclusive commemorative pin. for each guest, and it includes a buffet lunch with the six-house tour. That's pretty cool that they're including lunch now. Yeah. It's a long time. I mean, they do a good job of walking you through and explaining everything at these houses. We did the three-house tour, and it was easily three hours. Wow. So you do six, you're going to get hungry in there. Yeah, for sure. They must go through a lot of detail. They really do. They're walking you through the setup, the attention to detail that they put in these houses. And remember, most people are going through at night in the dark, but the attention to detail that they put in these houses is just over the top incredible. This is just, that's one of the reasons it's been so successful is because they don't spare a single thing. Even if you can't really see it all the time, that one person's going to catch it and they're going to make sure that the details are correct. Yeah. I mean, I think that one of the first things when Crystal was describing the the event itself is it puts you in that story. It puts you in that like horror movie, you know, I mean, it puts you in the story itself and you have to have all the details to make that seem real. Something else that they offer is the RIP tour. So similar to a VIP tour, this is actually what I'm going to do. And I'm, I'm freaking out already. I really wish that you could have a GoPro on like the entire time, but I know you can't.

UNKNOWN: 15:31

Yeah.

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You wouldn't be able to hear anything. I'm not going to have a voice left. I want the person in front of her to have a GoPro turned around so we can look at Crystal's face. I'm going with enough agents that I'm sure they'll have a huge recap of how just freaked out Crystal was the whole time. I asked someone to bring me an adult diaper and make sure to drop it off for me that date. So we'll see if that happens. This starts at$389.99 per person. There are a couple different options, but you basically get front of line access with guide. You skip the regular and express pass lines, gaining immediate entry of haunted houses and select attractions. And then some of the benefits are you, so you're saving time, the guided tour, like I said, so you have a dedicated guide that leads your group, providing insights, tips, and behind the scenes info about the houses and scare zones. You get reserved seating for the live shows. You get a specialty food and drink. Some include a pre-tour reception with the food and drink, then this is where it kind of varies. There's private or shared tours. So private, you gather your group and you guys get to choose exactly what you do. And a shared, you could have a group of two or three or four and meet up with another group of four or however. And then your tour guide kind of dictates based on everybody's wants and needs. Valid parking, exclusive access to... You gain exclusive access to areas not available to regular guests, like backstage tours, exclusive VIP areas. And then it's just an enhanced experience and you have a flexibility. So it can be a great way to revisit your favorite houses. Great way to hit all the houses in a night. I've heard that a lot of times, like if you go just like on a typical night and you don't have Express Pass or you don't have an RIP tour, it can be hard to visit all the houses. Like there's no way you're going to visit all of them. So you kind of have to decide which ones you want to go to. So like Crystal was saying, this is a good option where you actually would get to go to all of the houses. It's more expensive, but if you look at it as you're going to have to visit multiple times with a regular ticket to be able to get to all the houses, this actually probably doesn't end up being that overly expensive. You're able to hit all the houses and you also get food and drink. that you don't get with the regular ticket. So this is a really fantastic option for anybody that wants to go and make the most out of it. With the VIP, if you love one house and want to go through it five times, you can go through it five times. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And I think like Julie, like you were saying, if you went twice and got Express Pass both nights, I think it would easily pay for it. Oh, absolutely. Agree. Another option that you can purchase, another add-on, is the Scream Early ticket. park entry starts at 3 p.m. This starts from$55 per person and it is an add-on to your regular ticket. So you'd have to purchase a regular HHN ticket and then you would add this$55 ticket on top of it. The Scream Early Ticket allows early entry So this is just, yeah, this is just an easy way to kind of get in early and make the most of your time. The nice part of this, we've done this because we have annual passes. So we don't have to pay for it. If you actually have a ticket for that day, you're already in. This is for people that didn't want to buy a full ticket, just wanted to come in early. It's great because you can get in that line and you can knock out two, sometimes even three houses before they open up the front to let everybody else in. Because you're at the very front of the line of the first house that you're going to do with the stay in stream. So if you don't really want to spend the money for a full express pass, this is kind of a little bit cheaper way to get those first couple of houses done very inexpensively. Yeah, this is kind of like a paid for like early drop. Exactly, exactly. So like Margie was saying, you get priority access into these holding areas where they put guests that have this ticket to wait on the haunted houses. And it's just a good way to get a head start on the night. So there's a couple of passes that kind of like season passes or like an annual pass type scenario for those that want to go a lot to Halloween Horror Nights. Right now, there are two passes that are still available. There are actually additional passes that are already sold out. So these passes are Knights Rush of Fear Pass. It starts at$1.99 per person. This allows you up to 18 visits to Halloween Horror Nights. Obviously, this depends on when you purchase it because there are selected nights that you're allowed to use it. So if you purchase it later in the season, you may not actually get 18 visits. The frequent fear pass, this starts at$249.99 per person. And this allows you up to 30 visits per season, so per HHN season. And again, this is going to depend on when you purchase the ticket or when you purchase the pass, you may not get in 30 visits. The other two that were offered are There was a frequent fear plus pass that was 40 nights and an ultimate frequent fear pass that was 48 nights. But they're both, as I was saying, already sold out for the season. So that kind of gives you an idea of how popular this event is, that if they've already sold out of those passes, that there are a lot of people that love this event. They have a lot of specialty food here, and you're going to get themed booths like the pizza fries and the twisted taters and the Blumhouse specialty cocktails and, you know, Stranger Things and Chucky IP-themed snacks. You're also going to have the tribute store with merchandise that's exclusive to Halloween Horror Nights. So you could do this, you know, with your Scream Early Pass. Just a couple of pro tips for when you're going to the houses. If you really would rather not get super scared, go with a group. Getting the daylight scared out of you is a lot more fun when you're with your friends. And like universal visits during the day, use a lanyard to hold your ticket and keep just a small bag like a crossbody or fanny pack. That makes it much easier going through. If you want the lower crowds and the cheaper pricing, go early in the season. Late August, early September is usually your best bet. eat before the event and then take a snack break when the times are really high. A lot of people don't get there super early and they might not stay super late. So that's when it's the busiest. So if you can get that early screen pass, get there early into a couple of houses, stop, take a break, get something to eat or drink, and then go back after about 11, 30, 12 o'clock. Last year, my daughter was able to walk into pretty much every single house after 12, 30 and got all 10 done without a pass. So keep that in mind. When did she go? Was it in September? It was in September. Yep. And something fun to do is if you know you're going, you know the themes of the houses, watch the movies that are featured in these haunted houses so you kind of know the storylines before you go in. And if it rains, you're going through haunted houses. Just run to the next house. You won't get too drenched. They don't shut them down. They don't shut them down for bad weather, do they? They do not. And actually, the lines go down significantly. So it's a great time to get lower lines. You might walk through the houses a little wet, but it's a nice way to get the lines lowered. And then make a plan. Don't just go... house to house to house to house and then miss the one that you really, really wanted to see. It's not that bad walking across the park. Maybe get a map ahead of time of where the houses are and your plan of attack. The least busy restrooms are the ones by Animal Actors and Transformers because if you're enjoying all those adult beverages, you're going to definitely need those restrooms. And then they have a blinky cup. What this is, is it does light up. It comes in two different sizes. And if you get the cup, every time you get a refill, you get a a discount on it. And then you have a souvenir to take home at the end of the show. But do not, like Crystal was saying earlier, do not show up in a costume. You are not allowed to wear a costume. Absolutely no masks. There will be people with some makeup a little bit, but again, they have the right to deny entrance. So if you're pushing the line, be aware. You don't want it to ruin your night. The only exception is that very first night, premium spring night, they do allow costumes. Again, no masks. All right, this next section is all for me. Tips for those nervous about HHN. Start as early as possible. Daylight makes everything seem less scary. Start with less scary houses. I don't think I get an option on that. Walk in the middle of your party, which will be me. I'll be like clenched onto everybody around me. Wear ear protection. I've heard this helps. Don't look at your phone in scare zones. This makes you a target. If you walk on the side of the scare zones versus the middle, that's also a good way to kind of skirt the scary and then consider doing behind the screens like Margie. So we talked about the details for that earlier. And then one other little thing is for CityWalk. They turn the Red Coconut Club into the Dead Coconut Club. And it's just fun themed for HHN with cool photo ops inside. So it's a fun little hangout in CityWalk if you are around and you don't necessarily need a ticket to go there. So it's a really good tip to wear ear protection because that can really help with the overstimulation you know all the noise can definitely at least you know for I think for most people it can overstimulate you and not having it be so loud can maybe help a little bit my only worry with that is that would be very that somebody would sneak up on me but yeah otherwise I can see where that could be helpful oh boy I need all the prayers that you're willing to send me. We are eager to hear all about your, your RIP tour, Crystal. I know I am. I'm so, I'm so excited. I'm so jealous and excited. This is definitely something I want to do, but I'm, I'm kind of, I'm waiting. I really honestly, like seriously thought about like, you know, jumping in on Crystal's trip, but I think I'm, I'm waiting on Ella to turn to, to get like one more year under her belt. Cause she'll be 13 next year. And I know they don't, They don't necessarily restrict it, but I think that it would be, I think, giving her one more year and make sure that she's ready before we go. I think she would love it. Okay, so we're going to completely switch gears now because we're going to head over to Walt Disney World where everything is, you know, magical and fun and it's not so scary. It's all about Halloween, but it's not a very scary Halloween. So if you have kiddos or even not kiddos, like Margie said, if you have just people in general that don't enjoy getting the life scared out of them, this is a way to enjoy Halloween and all the fun things without it being super scary. So this event is called Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It is a specialty after hours event. So similarly to HHN, if you go to the park during the day, if you have a day ticket after Halloween, seven o'clock. I think it's around 630. I think they start kicking people out of the parks if you don't have a ticket to the Not So Scary Halloween Party. And then this is at Magic Kingdom. There are some things that you can, we'll talk through some of these things probably in more detail, but there are some things that you can add on. You can add on PhotoPass Magic Shot. So if you have your Memory Maker, there's tons of options throughout the parks for this party that are specific to the Halloween Party. There's obviously going to be party exclusive merch. And there's also just in general, there's all the Halloween merch, which they are already starting to release and has me wanting to get in my car and drive eight hours down to Orlando to buy the pumpkin shaped Squishmallow, the Mickey pumpkin head shape. Yeah. Yeah. When I was looking through doing notes yesterday and I saw it and I was like, I need that.

UNKNOWN: 27:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 27:39

And so, of course, this includes apparel, pens, cups, just pretty much any kind of collectibles. They always have popcorn buckets, the specialty popcorn buckets. This is not specific to the party, but they'll have those as well. And then you can also add on the dessert party to your Halloween party ticket as well. And then they, of course, have a foodie guide because it wouldn't be Walt Disney World without a foodie guide. And they do highlight the food. So they've got specialty treats like Jack Skellington mousse and Hades hot dog, pumpkin cheesecake and funnel cake. You can experience Prefix Party exclusive menu at some locations like Be Our Guest or Cinderella's Royal Table. Like Julie mentioned, a fireworks dessert party. This is a great way to get great viewing and a little bit of treats. You can do before, after, or during. And they'll have some sweet and a few savory snacks. But I always kind of recommend eat beforehand. You're paying for this party. There's great low wait times. I hate to waste a good meal when I paid for a specialty meal. So we eat beforehand and then just go straight through and enjoy the snacks. And speaking of snacks, they also have Trick-or-treat trails. Oh my goodness. Bring your backpack. Bring a pillowcase. Bring a ice chuck because they will give you so much candy, you will go crazy. We brought in a frozen water bottle last Halloween party and kept it in our backpack to keep the candy cool because we got so much. And they have the good candy. They have the M&Ms and the chocolate bars. But they also have special treat bags that are allergy-friendly. And you just get tokens and you can redeem that for all these wonderful allergy friendly treats as well. And those treat centers are on Liberty Square and on Main Street. It's not a Disney Halloween party without a fun parade. So they have the Boo to You Parade featuring the Headless Horseman, Making Friends in Costume, the Waltzing Ghosts, Disney Princesses, and of course, the villains. It's also where you'll see the iconic gravediggers with the shovels sparking on the road. You can get into the spirit when you attend this frightfully fun parade. Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade begins in Frontierland at 8.15 and 11.15 and ends on Main Street, USA. So it just follows the regular parade route. It will fill up. Our favorite spots are usually near like the wall statue in front of the castle or down Main Street because there'll be projections beforehand and stuff going on in front of the castle. So if you want to do both and just kind of camp and set up you can do that max power line will appear before around town square and main street so he's usually a good chunk ahead of the actual parade so if you want to see power line make sure you're paying attention and the second parade is usually less crowded especially for you'll have like all the little kids do the first one and then they're usually done and head out by 11 15 something else you're going to see along main street the cadaver dance do their barbershop quartet, that's always neat to see. You also have special character meet and greets. In the past, they've had Pooh and Friends and Special Costume. For popular characters like Jack and Sally, they're at the front of the park and they have a huge following and a very long wait time. If this is something that you want to see, you really need to go there as soon as possible, like get there first as soon as you can. because once the party kicks off, the line will get really, really long. I suspect it's going to be worse this year because Jack is new and improved. Yes, he has a new face. Yeah. Something else that's new this year is that Minnie and Mickey are meeting together and they're going to be in their Halloween costumes at Town Square Theater. Minnie used to be at the back of the park in the Oh, what's it called? I always get this. I always say this wrong. The circus, the storybook circus area. She's usually back there, but now she's going to be up front with Mickey. So that also might turn into. Yeah. And I'm thinking that also might turn into a complete craziness if having them together in their Halloween costumes. That line might get a little ridiculous as well. And then we have the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular. That is a live stage show in front of Cinderella's Castle starring the, of course, the infamous. Sanderson sisters and other Disney villains like Hades, Cruella, Jafar, Dr. Facilier, and the Evil Queen. The performance schedule during August and September is 9.05 p.m. and 10.35 p.m. and midnight. October, they will add an additional time for the show at 7.35. It wouldn't be Magic Kingdom without fireworks. So they do a Disney's Not So Spooky Spectacular. And this is fireworks and castle projections hosted by Jack Skellington himself. And Mickey and friends are going to explore a haunted house led by Zero, the ghost dog, and be on the lookout for Ursula and the Queen of Hearts and even Oogie Boogie. Now, this is scheduled nightly at 10 p.m. But keep in mind, if you're going to Magic Kingdom during the day, because they are doing this Not So Spooky Spectacular, you will not get to see a fireworks show if it is a party night and you do not have party tickets. So I'm going to throw that in there. Some other things that they have going on around, they have a Disney Junior Jam over at Cosmic Rays. They're going to have a dance party for some of the younger guests, and this is going to go from 7 p.m. to midnight. So you get a lot of kids getting their dance on and meeting some of the Disney Junior people. And then last year, they had some grim grinning ghosts singing in Frontierland. So maybe we'll see some of those as well as, like Julie mentioned, Mickey and Minnie together. You've got Storybook Circus is transformed into a happy haunt for younger children. Again, very, very not so scary, as the title says. And then you're going to have another fun dance party based on the film Zombies 4, Dawn of the Vampires. So look for that dance party as well. I will say that the Disney Junior Jam would probably be the only time that I would ever go into Cosmic Ray. Poor Cosmic Ray, such a bad rap. It'd probably be the only time I'd willingly go in there. And I've been unfortunately forced, sorry, sorry, Disney, but I've been forced to watch Zombies 4. So if you have any preteens or tweens, they'll be very interested in that. I watched it with my grandson who loves the zombies. So we've seen all the zombie movies. Yeah. Yeah. My preteen was very interested in whoever the new character is. I think she thinks he's very cute. So I think that's the only reason she was watching it. Just a couple of tips as we round out Disney World. Choose your date strategically. August and September offer lower prices and lighter crowds, but be extremely hot and you can wear a costume to this party. So be strategic about your costume. Late October is more expensive and the busiest because you're nearing the season. Arrive, I would say before 4 p.m. So you're in the park by 4 to maximize park time. You pick up your event wristband, your trick-or-treat bag and your map. And then just kind of make a priority list of what you want to do. Focus on your entertainment first. Flying keys for candy can consume a lot of time. So save trick-or-treating toward the end if you need to maximize shows and rides. There are a couple of rides that usually don't stay open too late, but most of them will and they'll be shorter wait times because you cannot use Lightning Lane Multipass during the party. I also wanted to make a note that Margie said that they took a frozen water bottle to keep their candy cool because if you go, especially in August or September, your candy's probably going to melt because it's so hot even in the evening hours. Well, Disney keeps it in the freezer before they even bring it out to serve. That's how hot it is. So when you get it, it is frozen, but if it is August, it will start to melt. I don't care how it started out. Yeah, exactly. So that kind of wraps up the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. We're going to move over to SeaWorld. They have something as well. It's called Hallowscreen, which is an evening event, and then they have something called Spooktacular that is during the day. Margie has been to the Spooktacular event, so I definitely want to hear a little bit about her experience with that. We love SeaWorld. It's tough to compare when you've got two amazing parks, Universal and Disney, but I think SeaWorld often gets overlooked, but we went, I believe it was three years ago, and didn't even know we were going to the Spooktacular. And all kinds of fun things. They had festival booths up, and you could get a lanyard and get discounted pricing to all the food. You could sample different foods and different drinks, and they had entertainment everywhere you turned around. Plus, you could still walk through all the aquariums and see it. So it was a lot of fun. We didn't do the trick-or-treat trails because my kids were a and their costumes going through the trick-or-treat trails, getting lots of candy. And it was definitely decorated for the spooky season. But it is similar to Mickey's Not So Scary. It is very kid-friendly. It's decorated more fall than horror. They save that for the Hallow Scream. And they do hide the stuff that will scare children. So the Spooktacular is a very family-friendly game. event that goes on, and that's included. All of that is included with your daytime pass to SeaWorld Orlando. I was going to say that since you went and you didn't realize it, you must have purchased a typical day ticket, and it was already included, so you didn't have to do anything extra with it. Yep, that's correct. The evening event is Hello Scream. So like we said, this is after hours. This is intense. It's PG-13. It actually started in Williamsburg in 2000. San Antonio joined and the chills in 2013, and then Orlando in 2021. In Orlando, an entire park with no respite from thrills and haunts. Orlando has five haunted houses, six scare zones, two roaming hordes, five themed bars, electrifying live show, plus never-before-seen surprises. There's a lot going on. I know. Some of the houses. The first one is the Rave Yard. What looks like an abandoned cemetery is anything but quiet. The undead have taken over, turning crumbling tombstones into dance floors and mausoleums into neon-lit party zones. As the bass drops and the graveyard pulses with light, the dead rise for one reason only, to party forever. The music never stops, the dead never sleep, and if you're not careful, you'll be the next to join their eternal rave. I might be able to handle that. That's hilarious that it's called the rave yard. That made me giggle. That's funny. The next house is the collector's curse. Ooh, creepy. The next one is Farm 51. That one seems pretty creepy. Now, they did not give us descriptions on all of them, so I'm going to finish up with number four, Water's Edge Wellness Center. That kind of sets the tone. Once a haven of serenity and rejuvenation nestled along the mist-shrouded shores of Central Lake, the Water's Edge Wellness Center now stands abandoned, its tranquil promise replaced by unspeakable terror. What was once a sanctuary has become a place of unspeakable terror where the boundary between the living and the dead is disturbingly thinned. Scare zone number one, Cannibal Harbor. Once a bustling port, it has transformed into a realm of primal fear with cannibalistic mariners proud for new victims. Gross. The next one is Bloodlight District. Beware of those who walk the streets of this borough. They are out for blood and ready to paint town red. They also have, as mentioned before, they have lots of different themed bar experiences. And then they have this show that's called the Monster Stomp. Yeah, that seems a little... Jack the Ripper being the rocker and singing. Yeah, that definitely seems a little off-kilter there. Yeah. They don't keep all the rides open during this, but this is a great way. If you're not sure you want to do Halloween Horror Nights, it's a much smaller version. They have the five houses versus the ten over at Halloween Horror Nights, but also the price for this is much lower. It starts at just$34, and you can really add multiples to that and save a ton of money. So, you know, doing that, just like Halloween Horror Nights, no costumes are allowed, but If you're not sure, it's a great way instead of spending a little bit more money and getting there and realizing you're only going to do one house at Halloween Horror Nights and call it a day. Now, they are a sister park with Busch Gardens who does very similar activities at their park over in Tampa. And you can actually bundle tickets and get Busch Garden tickets. You can get daytime tickets that include this and even resort stay options. They do bundle a lot of this stuff so that you can check it all out there at SeaWorld and even at Busch Gardens. I know they don't have any hotels specifically that are SeaWorld hotels, but do they have resorts or hotels in that area that you've stayed in that do kind of where you can bundle that a little bit? They do. They have partnerships with Hilton. I know Hilton has a vacation, grand vacation resort that is usually part of the resorts that they couple it with, also the double tree that is basically in their parking lot. And I believe the residence inn is a Marriott property, and I think they also have packages. So you could even use your loyalty points to stay really, really close to the fund if you didn't want to bundle it up as a part of a package. Yeah, I think we actually, last year, whenever... We went to Universal. We actually ended up going to Universal, but we probably should have just decided to do SeaWorld because my parents have Hilton vacation points and we stayed at the vacation club that's there, the SeaWorld one. We stayed in that property and it's really nice. It's a really nice, really nice place. Margie also mentioned she kind of went into the Spooktacular. So as she mentioned, that is included with park admissions. I think that's a really nice benefit. But then the Hallow Scream, it is an after hours separated ticket event. There are several add-ons. Hallow Scream Express Pass, you can do behind the scene tours, and then there are spectacular candy trails and character meet and greets as well. Now, like I mentioned, they do have a lot of food highlights. They're going to have festival booths as well as bloody cocktails, zombie themed sliders, spooky cupcakes, and clove cocktails at the Hallow Scream. But During the Spooktacular, again included with your admission, you can get pumpkin cookies and fall-themed snacks. So again, not near as scary of snacks. Do you guys have any final thoughts? Which is the one that would be your preference? I think we know what Crystal's response is going to be. I'm going to Mickey's every time. I, too, am a Mickey's girl. I love Mickey's. Not so scary. Give me the Sanderson sisters. Let them keep their scary houses. I'm torn because I love, obviously, I love Disney World and I love Magic Kingdom and I love Halloween. Margie, if you didn't realize, I'm a Halloween baby, so I grew up loving all things Halloween and I love, it's definitely my favorite holiday of the year. I definitely want to try Halloween Horror Nights, but I feel like And once I experience it, it's something that I wouldn't want to do again. But if I had to pick between the two, I'm probably going to lean towards Not So Scary Halloween Party. It's because I can't help myself. I'm such a Disney person. And the funny thing is, is I'm a Universal person all day long. But give me Disney Halloween over Universals all day long. Yeah. Well, I mean, if you don't like to be scared, Halloween Horror Nights is not, you definitely want to stay away. And again, SeaWorld, poor thing, it's a bad rap. It's just out there, but it's fun. It's a great way to dip your toe in if you're not sure you're going to like Halloween Horror Nights. And we always like to seem to always add SeaWorld. It's a fun place to go. Awesome. I just love that there's so many options because there's no one size fits all. So you could do a combo of any of these and make it work for you if you're down there too. Absolutely. Thank you so much for joining us today, Margie. We can't wait to have you on more episodes. I enjoyed it. Thanks for having me. And we hope everyone enjoyed the episode and the rundown of the different Halloween options. Hope you all have a fantastic week. Bye. Bye. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Wonderlust and Wishes. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. And remember, the world is full of wonders waiting to be explored. Until next time, happy travels. Bye for now.