Hi, all! I ended up being way too tired for a final post last night, but here’s the rest of my evening from when I was waiting in the hub for the first Sanderson Sisters show.
I LOVED the show - it was so well done! The sisters and Dr. Facilier were the best, and Oogie Boogie was so cool! I thought it was so neat how everyone cheered for every villain and sang along with every song. So good!
I then headed to Adventureland, grabbed a Dole Whip, and took it over to the little seating area in front of Pecos Bill’s where I ended up several rows back from the parade route (I got there around 20 minutes before the parade). I thought the headless horseman was very cool, but he went by more quickly than I thought he would. I loved the parade but I didn’t have a really good view. So after the last float went through, I cut back through Adventureland (I saw the Tarzan/Jane line and it was only around 20 deep then) and ended up catching parts of it again in front of the Emporium. This time, I got a much better view of the gravediggers, hitchhiking ghosts, and the ghost dancers. I loved them all! Then I followed it to the front side of the Emporium and watch the end floats with an even better view! Dr. Facilier and the evil stepsisters played with the crowd a lot, which was fun.
After that I did a little shopping on Main Street and sat down on a very empty curb around 10 to wait for the fireworks. I was surprised that Main Street was pretty empty until you got up to around Casey’s. I stayed back just to have some room. The fireworks ended up getting delayed and by then I was whipped from the heat, and still had to walk to the Contemporary, catch a bus to DS, and drive 75 minutes to Tampa... so I headed out. While I was waiting for the bus at the Contemporary, the fireworks started and I was able to watch the whole show from there, which worked out fine.
So... my overall impression is that the party is definitely fun, but it really depends on what your priorities are. I would not have wanted to wait in the long meet and greet lines, but that’s just me. The ToT lines, while they looked long, went fast and they were a nice break from the heat. The ride waits were low-to-walk-on except for 7DMT, so if you are a ride person, I think it’s worth it. I loved the show and the parade, and the fireworks were impressive. I felt the crowds were very manageable, and as long as you know going in that the parade route gets full, and the hub does as well, you can avoid the crowds if you want to. I enjoyed seeing everyone’s costumes and fun t-shirts, too. I will say that the over 100 degree heat index is oppressive, especially for a Northerner like me. But even with that, between DS and the party, I logged 22,499steps/9.3 miles... so it was a full, full day. Fall weather would make it much more enjoyable, in my opinion.
Will I do it again? Maybe with my sister someday... but I know my husband and teenage sons wouldn’t enjoy it that much. And if I ever do it again, I will wait until October in the hope for cooler weather. Your experience may vary!