TRIP REPORT FOR OBB THURSDAY 10/19
This was the first (and probably last) OBB for my partner and I. While the atmosphere and actual party was a lot of fun, I didn't really love the experience enough to justify the cost. With that said, I'll go into how our trip went.
This was actually a big milestone event for us, as we just became DVC members and used OBB as the main reason for our Welcome Home trip at the new Villas at the DL Hotel. First off, let me say how amazing the new rooms are and the immense difference it makes in your overall trip to Disney. As Orange County locals, our trips are usually just a few hours over the weekend and we swing by the parks a few times a week. Actually, the bash was our 100th trip this year using our Magic Keys (starting on Nov 18th, Mickey & Minnie's birthday).
Staying INSIDE the bubble is so much more magical than I could have imagined. It's going to be really hard to go back to just single-day visits. Of course, being MK holders, it makes our park days less important since we can go at anytime, but there's something amazing about rope-dropping early entry, leaving by 11AM to relax at the pool/nap, grab a nice dinner, and then had back into the parks right before or after the fireworks in super comfy clothes. Anyways I digress...
We checked-in around 2pm on Thursday and after getting to our room to unpack/change into our costumes, we were in DCA by 4:30pm. We knew we wanted to eat the special pizza at Pym's at the end of the night, so we got ourselves a cocktail (or two) and munched on carrots/apples throughout the night until closing time.
I am a big Disney planner, where as my partner just goes along with what I plan, so I had an itinerary and a game plan for the party. I knew Sid was very popular and the ONLY M&G I really wanted was Lotso, we made our way to Pixar Pier around 5:30pm. After riding Incredicoaster twice (walk-on at 6pm), we met Lotso. We had a bit of a wait as he took a quick 10 minute break while queuing, but it was nice to look at how much the atmosphere changes at the pier during the party. The music seems to be louder? And everyone is super friendly, admiring costumes, and generally jovial behavior all around. PS: Lotso unfortunately did not really smell like Strawberries.... But he gave us my favorite photo of the night.
After Lotso, we went to the Treat Trail line for Sid. This was the longest line of the night, with at least 5 switch-backs, but the line consistently kept moving. And Sid was by far the most talkative villain of the night. Brilliant casting, because he's near perfect. I think a lot of people just ended up being intimated to say anything by the time they were in front of him. I had enough liquid courage in me to ask him to "Play Nice," to which he scoffed and said I wasted my time in line if he expected me to play nice.
After Sid, we continued along the pier and collected treats along the way. The Kingdom Hearts line was super backed-up at this point, so we shuffled over to Bruno, who had about a 10 minute line. After Bruno, we went through Villain's Grove with ZERO line. I was nervous about this one, 'since I had read that the lines can get super busy, but was shocked at how empty it was when we got there.
Being a light designer in college, I had high hopes and expectations for Villain's Grove. And while not exceeding them, my admittedly lofty expectations were met. What a great and unique attraction this is. I really do wish that they put this on during non-party nights, since I don't think it would be too difficult to staff. Or, if they make this party-exclusive, that they add a character (or 4) to the attraction. Not as M&G, but kind of like the treat trails.
After Villain's Grove, I unsuccessfully suggested GRR, but in retrospect, that was a good decision. Walking around with wet clothes at the end of the night would've made the experience MUCH more difficult. We went through Judge Doom's trail twice. The first time, he wasn't on his stage. The second time, I asked if he caught and liked the "freeways" and "billboards" they built in LA, but I don't think the actor caught the reference and just gave a confused, "I guess they're fine."
At this point, we found ourselves back at Carthay Circle. There were a bunch of characters around, but the lines were kind of long and the parade was going to start in like 15 minutes, so we went to take advantage of the lower wait times and knocked out Cruella and Oogie Boogie's treat trails. Checked out Sanderson Sisters, but that would've been an hour-long line. Passing them, we headed to Ernesto...
Second to Sid, Ernesto was the best character of the night. He was super chatty with the guests in line and even made a few bi-lingual jokes that brought the house bell down. The make-up and costumes were movie-level production and gave such good life to a normally empty corner of the park.
At this point, we were forced to walk by Guardians, and noticed that there was no line. Zero. So we jumped at the chance and rode that. Even with the pre-show, we were on and off in 13 minutes. At this point, the parade was happening, so we glanced at it while walking to our next trail, Agatha. Then Madam Mim: who doesn't give compliments, only accepts them.
After Madam Mim, I realized we accomplished all but one villain and we were only half-way through the party. We decided we had enough time to rest and recharge a bit before tackling the rest of the night, so we grabbed a beer and sat at Flo's for a few minutes. Rode single-rider RSR in 10 minutes, and then finished the treat trails by Cars Land and Yokai in San Fransokyo.
At this point, we finished pretty much everything unique about the party except certain Meet and Greets, Disney Junior Party, and a full sit-down of the parade. I realized at this point, I've been in such a go-go-go mode that I didn't really take the time to enjoy myself at the party. So... we did all the trails again. And you know what? It was just okay. The candy/snacks were a nice bonus, but in reality, you're coming for the party, and there just wasn't a "party" atmosphere. After spending so much time and money to secure tickets, I wanted to "have a blast" and "enjoy myself," but I found myself trying to squeeze every second out of the party, that I didn't have a good time. Perhaps that's my own doing, but it's hard to swallow that $160 for only 5 hours of rushed trick-or-treating.
Overall, I think OBB can be a fun event for the right crowd. I think if you have young children (aged 9 or younger), this would be a great alternative to a scarier/more intense Halloween party, but unless you are desperate to meet a certain character, I would save your money and apply it towards another regular park day, Scary Farm/Halloween Horror Nights, or another Halloween event.
PS: The walk-back to the Villas with 10lbs of candy was worth the price of DVC. (jk, but it was so nice)
PPS: You'll want to bring your own candy bag. We brought the Magic Key holiday tote bag... We should've brought two.