The Ultimate Guide to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Halloween starts EARLY in Walt Disney World, but that’s a great perk for you! The first Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party starts mid August and runs through November 1st this year!
What is it?
This is a special ticketed event in Magic Kingdom full of spooky fun! There are loads of special offerings like fireworks, characters, and shows and it’s a great way to see the park in a little different way. Tickets run from $109-$199 per adult and $99-$189 per child (ages 3-9) depending on the night. Weekends and popular dates like Halloween & Friday the 13th are going to run more expensive while most dates in August are going to run on the lower end.
You do NOT need a normal park ticket to attend this party, but you MUST have a party ticket. Guests without a park ticket can enter the parks as early as 4pm and the party officially starts at 7pm after normal closing time!
If you are planning on going to the parks as a normal day guest on these days, just be aware that the park closes at 6pm and ONLY does fireworks for the party. If you do not have a party ticket, crowds can be a little lower during the day, but you will miss out on fireworks, so plan accordingly.
Check out our full video where we show you all there is to do at Mickey’s Not So Scary!
Check-In
If you are already in the parks for the day, you can check-in starting at 4pm at one of the stations around the park. Typically these will be in Adventureland across from Pirates of the Caribbean or in Tomorrowland to the left across from Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor.
If you are NOT already in the park, you will do your check-in at the front of the park. Make sure to look for the signs for the party and the cast members wearing the yellow, green, and purple costumes!
You will receive a wristband and party guide. DO NOT LOOSE YOUR WRISTBAND! Once the park closes, this is what will allow you to stay in the park and participate in the party activities including riding attractions. (so no, you cannot sneak into a party lol)
Your party guide is also very valuable as it will show you where treat trails are, showtimes, locations for specialty treats and characters, and more.
Trick or Treating
Special to this party is the ability to go trick-or-treating! And even better, it’s not just for kids! You’ll receive a treat bag to get you started, but I will be honest that you should plan to bring a bigger bag because you will get a TON of candy! WAAAAAY more than what will fit in the tiny treat bag.
If you have allergies, no worries! Simply tell the cast members and they will give you a teal allergy bag and you will receive allergy tokens that you can redeem for allergy friendly treats. (you can find info on where those are in your party guide)
You can find the treat trails at various locations around the parks. Typical locations are Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor, Pinnochio’s Village Haus, Diamond Horseshoe, and Tortuga Tavern. Just look for the big blow up Treat Trail Signs!
Dressing Up
YES! Even the adults get their ONE CHANCE to actually wear a costume to the parks! Keep in mind if you are coming in August or September, it is CRAZY hot! Plan your costumes accordingly. You are encouraged to dress as your favorite Disney character, but honestly, you can do whatever you like! There are some costume guidelines like nothing can drag on the ground and no facemasks or weapons. You can find the full costume guidelines HERE.
Specialty Treats
Most everything at the party is included with your ticket, however there are some specialty treats that you can get for an additional price! Be warned, this is usually alot of sweets and the restaurants don’t do mobile order for the party, so make sure to eat a good dinner before the park closes at 6pm!
You can find locations for available treats in our Foodie Guide HERE.
Characters
One of the most popular things at this event are the characters! This is a great time to meet some of your favorites dressed in their Halloween Costumes like Elvis Stitch, Butterfly Piglet, and Spooky Minnie & Mickey! This is also a great time to meet some more rare characters like the super popular Jack Skellington.
These lines can get insanely long and they may not be out through the end of the night. The best way to take advantage of these is to get in line around 6-7pm right before the party starts so that you can hopefully get a jump on the line. The line for Jack & Sally as well as Mickey, Minnie & the gang tend to be longest, so I would prioritize those first if that is important to you.
Live Entertainment
If you are a Hocus Pocus fan, you do NOT want to miss this show! Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular is a live stage show right on the castle stage. It performs usually a few times throughout the night, so I recommend going to the later ones if you can to avoid the biggest crowds! This features the Sanderson sisters of course and is full of singing, dancing, villains, and a ton of fun.
This is a family friendly show, so unless your kiddos are afraid of Disney villains, this is a great show to watch together. (the performers really nail the Sanderson Sisters, so it’s super cool to see!)
You can also find some other live entertainment throughout the parks like the Cadaver Dans! These are the Dapper Dans spooky counterparts and will sing you some halloween themed songs barbershop quartet style. You can find them in Frontierland right over the walkway shortcut between Adventureland & Frontierland.
New this year is the Pirate Band! Over in Adventureland across from Pirates of the Caribbean you can jam with some pirates! This appears to have replaced the live pirates in the attraction, but this is a super fun one to get some energy out with the kiddos.
At Haunted Mansion, you will find some ghoulish guests in the queue right before you enter the mansion. Madame Carlotta and other friends will interact with guests and this is probably my favorite live element of the whole party! The improv is excellent, hilarious, and truly a must do!
Boo to You Parade
Probably the most memorable part of Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party is the Boo to You Parade! This is a parade filled with all your favorite characters with an added holiday flair. Beforehand, you can watch the headless horseman ride his way down to start off the parade. My favorite part is definitely the grave diggers! They do a dance with shovels and you can literally see sparks fly and they come creeping down the street.
Don’t worry! This is still a very family friendly parade, so it shouldn’t be too scary for kids. There are a few goulish creatures, but Disney does a pretty good job of taming them down. If your kiddos do fine in Haunted Mansion, then this will be a piece of cake!
There are usually two parades, so I recommend going to the later one to avoid crowds! The route starts in Frontierland and goes through Liberty Square, past the Castle, and down Main Street USA to finish. My favorite spot to watch is in front of the castle, but if you watch in Frontierland, you won’t be waiting as long and you can get back to the other activities much quicker!
Mickey’s Not So Spooky Spectacular
What is a party without fireworks? This is a fantastic show that features tons of your favorite characters, fireworks, and even a larger than life Jack Skellington Puppet! Seriously, this puppet is crazy cool, so if you can be closer to the hub for this one, I recommend it.
If you are looking for something a little extra, there are TWO dessert parties that you can purchase. One at Tomorroland Terrace with special seating during the fireworks, and the other will also had desserts at Tomorrowland Terrace and your viewing area is on the hub grass. If you are wanting to avoid the crowds, this might be a great option! Just be aware that viewing is further back, so you might not be able to see the Jack Skellington Puppet as well.
Ride Overlays
I don’t really recommend using the party for rides since there are so many other things to experience, BUT there are a few attractions that have overlays that can be a super fun way to experience them! Mad Tea Party has some fun spooky music and a special lighting package and Space Mountain is COMPLETELY in the dark and also has some spooky musical soundtracks!
Also, if your dream is to ride TRON at night, you can join the virtual queue during the party! A special virtual queue opens just for party guests at 6pm. Remember, Genie+ and Lightning Lanes are NOT available during the party.
If rides are something you want to do, I recommend doing party specific things first and then towards the end of the night once crowds die down, you can hit up those attractions with little to no wait!
Dance Parties
Another great way to jump, shake, and get out that energy is the Disney Junior Jam in Cosmic Ray’s! This is a family friendly dance party inside the restaurant and is come & go, so you can spend as little or as much time as you like.
Merchandise
Disney has FINALLY brought back party specific merchandise! You can find shirts, mugs, pins, and lots more JUST for guests attending the party! Items like pins can sell out, so it might be a good idea to make this your first stop and then you can always store it in a locker while you enjoy the party.
Memory Maker
This is Disney’s photopass system where you can collect photos all around the park. one thing that makes this way better than your typical castle selfie are the specialty props and Magic Shots! This is essentially where special character or other elements are photoshopped into your photos and can make for some super cute memories!
If you are planning on visiting the other parks and purchase Memory Maker with your package, it will work for the party too. If you are just there for the party, you can get a single day Memory Maker at a reduced price so that you can still take advantage of those special shots. There are a TON of options available for this event and you can find a list of locations HERE.
Remember! Memory Maker is $169 for the length of your vacation when you purchase ahead of time and $199 if you wait, so be sure to purchase early!
There is so much to experience, see, and do at this year’s party and it isn’t too late to plan a trip! Let me know in the comments what you are MOST excited to experience at this year’s Halloween Party!
