Disney Hour Express

Our 2026 Walt Disney World vacation continues with Part 3 as we head to Magic Kingdom for the 30th anniversary of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! After a relaxing morning at Art of Animation, we head to Magic Kingdom for lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern before spending the rest of the day and night inside the park. We talk about whether using a regular park ticket before MNSSHP made sense for our trip and what Magic Kingdom crowds and wait times were like on a Halloween party day. Once the party begins, we take on Space Mountain in complete darkness, check out the new Grave Digger photo experience, meet rarely seen Disney characters, trick-or-treat around Magic Kingdom, catch Powerline Max, ride Haunted Mansion late at night, and watch Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular. We also break down our strategy for Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, including where we watched in Frontierland, how early we arrived, and where we’d go if our favorite spot wasn’t available. Along the way, we share what felt new for 2026, what we thought of the party’s entertainment and character experiences, and one of our biggest takeaways from MNSSHP: you cannot do everything in one night. We explain why choosing the rides, characters, food, trick-or-treating, and entertainment that matter most to your family can make for a much better night. And after spending the evening collecting candy around Magic Kingdom, we finally reveal just how much made it home with us   Planning your next magical getaway? Connect with Family Travel Planner for expert tips, booking help, and all things Disney and Universal. 🌐 Website: www.familytravelplanner.com 📸 Instagram: @disneyfamilytravelplanner 🎥 TikTok: @familytravelplanner ▶️ YouTube: Family Travel Planner Channel 👍 Facebook: Disney Family Travel Planner Whether you’re dreaming of a Disney World vacation, Universal thrills, or need help with dining plans, we’ve got the tools and tips to make your trip stress-free and unforgettable.   00:00 Disney Hour Express Intro 00:54 Walt Disney World Trip Day 3 & Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 03:52 Is a Magic Kingdom Park Ticket Worth It on a Halloween Party Day? 08:34 Art of Animation Morning & Getting Ready for Magic Kingdom 11:06 Getting to Magic Kingdom & Our Liberty Tree Tavern Reservation 16:42 Liberty Tree Tavern Review 23:08 Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean & Magic Kingdom Before the Party 32:57 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Check-In & Haunted Mansion Ghosts 40:04 Magic Kingdom Closes & Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Begins 43:01 Space Mountain Halloween Overlay 48:03 Stitch’s Tomorrowland Dance Party & Our Boo-to-You Parade Strategy 53:24 Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade 01:00:25 Trick-or-Treating & Rare Disney Villain Characters 01:06:56 Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Fireworks 01:10:25 Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor & Powerline Max 01:13:58 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & Late-Night Haunted Mansion 01:16:28 Our Final Trick-or-Treat Candy Haul 01:18:43 Was Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Worth It? 01:21:23 Our Advice for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 01:23:05 How Much Halloween Candy Did We Bring Home?

Our 2026 Walt Disney World vacation recap continues! In Part 2, we head to EPCOT for a full family day—but this time, we intentionally skip rope drop and try to experience the park at a slower pace. After taking the Disney Skyliner from Art of Animation, we meet Stitch near the International Gateway and quickly discover a problem with our Lightning Lane plans. We share our actual wait times and honest reactions to Soarin’ Across America, Test Track 3.0 and the updated version of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. We also discuss the upcoming changes to Spaceship Earth and Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Along the way, we try Sunshine Seasons for the first time, explore some frequently overlooked EPCOT attractions and enjoy a relaxed walk around World Showcase before dinner at San Angel Inn. The evening ends with a missing hat, a second ride on Soarin’ Across America and a last-minute dash to Remy’s just before EPCOT closes. Did skipping rope drop finally give our family the slower EPCOT day we wanted—or did Lightning Lane planning add another kind of stress? Planning your next magical getaway? Connect with Family Travel Planner for expert tips, booking help, and all things Disney and Universal. 🌐 Website: www.familytravelplanner.com 📸 Instagram: @disneyfamilytravelplanner 🎥 TikTok: @familytravelplanner ▶️ YouTube: Family Travel Planner Channel 👍 Facebook: Disney Family Travel Planner Whether you’re dreaming of a Disney World vacation, Universal thrills, or need help with dining plans, we’ve got the tools and tips to make your trip stress-free and unforgettable. 00:00 Welcome and Our Disney World Recap Continues 03:00 Planning a Slower Day at EPCOT 07:34 Skipping Rope Drop and Taking the Skyliner 10:41 A Surprise Character Encounter at EPCOT 12:34 Our Lightning Lane Mistake and Spaceship Earth 19:54 Soarin’ Across America First Impressions 23:05 Sunshine Seasons and Living with the Land 33:06 Test Track 3.0 and Lightning Lane Timing 38:27 The Seas, Figment and Overlooked EPCOT Attractions 47:49 A Relaxed Walk Around World Showcase 51:40 San Angel Inn Dinner Review 55:11 Three Caballeros and the Missing Hat 58:45 Our Final Soarin’ Across America Verdict 1:02:12 Riding Remy’s at EPCOT Closing Time 1:06:41 Did Skipping Rope Drop Work?

Our long-awaited 2026 Walt Disney World vacation recap is finally here! In Part 1, we cover our arrival day, our first impressions of the Finding Nemo Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and a chaotic dinner that wasn’t exactly the magical start we had envisioned. The next morning, we rope drop Magic Kingdom and put a popular Disney planning theory to the test: Is Magic Kingdom really less crowded on a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party day? We share our actual wait times, how we used Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and our thoughts on the reopened Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and updated Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Despite a torrential downpour, we make it through most of Magic Kingdom before park hopping to Hollywood Studios for more attractions, character dining at Hollywood & Vine, and Fantasmic! By the end of the day, we had completed 17 rides and shows—but the weather had already set something in motion that would affect the rest of our trip. Planning your next magical getaway? Connect with Family Travel Planner for expert tips, booking help, and all things Disney and Universal. 🌐 Website: www.familytravelplanner.com 📸 Instagram: @disneyfamilytravelplanner 🎥 TikTok: @familytravelplanner ▶️ YouTube: Family Travel Planner Channel 👍 Facebook: Disney Family Travel Planner Whether you’re dreaming of a Disney World vacation, Universal thrills, or need help with dining plans, we’ve got the tools and tips to make your trip stress-free and unforgettable. 00:00 Welcome to the Disney Hour Express 00:55 Our 2026 Walt Disney World trip report begins 03:02 Why we visited during the final week of August 06:00 Arriving at Art of Animation Resort 10:58 Our honest family-suite review and chaotic first dinner 21:54 Magic Kingdom rope drop without Abbie 26:42 Early Entry strategy, Mine Train and Peter Pan 35:18 Testing Magic Kingdom crowds on a party day 36:43 Jungle Cruise, Pirates and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure 43:09 Big Thunder Mountain and Lightning Lane timing 49:04 Fantasyland attractions and a break at Gaston’s Tavern 58:10 A major storm hits Tomorrowland 01:01:04 Space Mountain, TRON and racing through the rain 01:06:33 Lunch and park hopping to Hollywood Studios 01:09:10 Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Toy Story Mania 01:12:23 Exploring an unusually empty Galaxy’s Edge 01:16:32 Fantasmic Dining Package and Hollywood & Vine 01:24:14 Rise of the Resistance and The Little Mermaid 01:29:12 Ending the night with Fantasmic! 01:32:55 How we completed 17 attractions and shows

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is officially back for 2026, and opening night gave us plenty to talk about. We break down what looked new and different this year, including the Haunted Mansion-inspired Market Street entrance, the Stitch masquerade, new pirate entertainment, Powerline Max, character waits, Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, ride overlays, trick-or-treating and more. We also discuss what hasn’t changed much at MNSSHP and whether the familiar entertainment is part of the charm—or if Disney needs to do more with the event. Then we turn to our own Walt Disney World vacation, which is getting very close. What should you actually be doing about two weeks before a Disney trip? We go through our real pre-trip checklist, including My Disney Experience, tickets, flights, park hours, attraction closures, Lightning Lanes, must-do rides, MagicBands, payment methods, packing, shoes, park bags, Florida weather and making time to rest. Whether you’re heading to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or counting down the final days before your own Walt Disney World vacation, this episode will help you know what to check, what to prepare and what not to over-plan. 🔗 Follow Family Travel Planner – Your Go-To Disney & Universal Vacation Experts! Planning your next magical getaway? Connect with Family Travel Planner for expert tips, booking help, and all things Disney and Universal. 🌐 Website: www.familytravelplanner.com 📸 Instagram: @disneyfamilytravelplanner 🎥 TikTok: @familytravelplanner ▶️ YouTube: Family Travel Planner Channel 👍 Facebook: Disney Family Travel Planner Whether you’re dreaming of a Disney World vacation, Universal thrills, or need help with dining plans, we’ve got the tools and tips to make your trip stress-free and unforgettable. 00:00 Welcome to Disney Hour Express 02:56 MNSSHP 2026 Opening Night Reactions 05:19 Market Street & the Haunted Mansion Welcome 14:20 New Entertainment & Character Strategy 23:48 Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade 30:20 Hocus Pocus, Fireworks & Ride Overlays 35:01 Trick-or-Treating, Merch & Allergy-Friendly Changes 41:13 Your Disney World Two-Week Checklist 44:56 Park Hours, Closures, Lightning Lanes & Priorities 52:06 Nighttime Shows, MagicBands, the App & Payments 57:32 Packing, Shoes, Park Bags, Weather & Rest

Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is celebrating 35 years of fear at Universal Orlando. With 10 haunted houses, several ticket options, an expanded Stay & Scream experience and major changes to Express Pass options, planning a night at HHN 35 can quickly become confusing. In this episode, Abbie and Rob break down what first-time visitors should know before entering Universal Studios Florida after dark. We explore the history of Halloween Horror Nights and preview the announced HHN 35 houses, including Sinners, Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser and Evil Dead Burn. We also discuss the scare zones, live entertainment, attractions and food confirmed so far. Then, we compare single-night tickets, Rush of Fear, Frequent Fear, Frequent Fear Plus and Ultimate Frequent Fear passes. We examine Universal’s decision to discontinue its separate multi-night Fear Pass + Express products, why longtime HHN fans are frustrated and how the change could affect the way repeat visitors experience the event. We also look back at complaints surrounding the 2025 Premium Scream Night and what Universal is changing for 2026. You’ll learn the difference between Scream Early and Stay & Scream, what to expect from the scareactors, whether HHN is appropriate for your family and where to stay when Halloween Horror Nights is the focus of your trip. Whether you’re attending for one night or considering a multi-night pass, this first-timer guide will help you understand the costs, compare your ticket options and prepare for Halloween Horror Nights 2026. Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event. Universal warns that the event may be too intense for young children and does not recommend it for children under 13. Planning your next magical getaway? Connect with Family Travel Planner for expert tips, booking help, and all things Disney and Universal. 🌐 Website: www.familytravelplanner.com 📸 Instagram: @disneyfamilytravelplanner 🎥 TikTok: @familytravelplanner ▶️ YouTube: Family Travel Planner Channel 👍 Facebook: Disney Family Travel Planner Whether you’re dreaming of a Disney World vacation, Universal thrills, or need help with dining plans, we’ve got the tools and tips to make your trip stress-free and unforgettable. 00:00 Welcome to the Disney Hour Express 00:54 Is HHN the world’s biggest Halloween event? 04:10 Date night and 10,000 podcast downloads 09:15 HHN 35 dates and what to expect 13:00 The history of Halloween Horror Nights 19:05 Premium Scream Night and the 2025 complaints 23:34 The HHN 35 haunted houses 30:26 Scare zones and live entertainment 37:12 Rides and food available during HHN 44:33 Single-night tickets and Frequent Fear passes 49:02 Express Pass, Premium Scream Night and R.I.P. Tours 51:19 Frequent Fear rules and the Express controversy 56:20 Scream Early and the new Stay & Scream experience 59:16 Scare actors and advice for first-time visitors 01:05:39 Final thoughts and upcoming Disney episodes