We’ve been fortunate enough to visit Mickey’s Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party twice now – once before having kids and once after. We learned a lot about how to do this event the right way and I want to share what we know with all of you so you can be confident about your visit, whether you’re going with friends or with kids! Make sure you check out the end of the post for all of my pro tips! Debating between the Halloween Party and the Very Merry Christmas Party? Check out my Christmas Party guide to decide which is right for your family!
The Costumes
This is my favorite part of the entire Party. I love seeing the creative costumes that people come up with, especially when they’re in a group. Last year my favorites were a group dressed up as the portraits in the Haunted Mansion “stretching room”. They were amazing. I also loved our costumes… but I might be a little biased. I made all of them except Graham’s and they were super cheap! You can definitely do the costume creation part of this event on a budget!
I’d definitely recommend dressing up. It’s so much more fun. I’ll be honest, the first time we went it was just me and Jon and we didn’t dress up. We didn’t even wear Halloween colors. It would have been way better if we did.
The Characters
We love that there are classic Disney characters throughout the park that are available for photo ops. They’re even dressed up in their Halloween costumes! It’s super cute and they seem to really have fun with it. When we met Minnie, she saw Graham’s costume and immediately went into a Buzz Lightyear pose. How cute is that?!
The Candy
And then, of course, there’s the most important part of Halloween: the candy. There’s so. much. candy. You definitely get your money’s worth. The cast members assigned to the candy stations give entire handfuls and everyone gets a bag (even babies who don’t pay admission!).
It’s a pretty simple process. You find a candy distribution location on the map and head over there. You’ll probably find a line, but they move quickly. If you find yourself with time on your hands, go through a line again. Nobody’s judging.
The Parade
There’s a special parade just for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party called “Boo to You”. It features Disney characters and the stars of the Haunted Mansion, and it’s led by the Headless Horseman!
The Fireworks
The fireworks for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are some of my favorites. They’re called “Happy Hallowishes” and they feature the Disney Villains. It’s fun, and not too scary for the little ones.
Other Awesome Features
There’s a Scream-O-Ween dance party featuring the characters from Monsters Inc. The “Dapper Dans” barbershop quartet becomes the “Cadaver Dans” for a little extra fun in Frontierland. And there’s even a stage show in front of Cinderella’s Castle featuring the Sanderson Sisters of Hocus Pocus and other Disney Villains!
Who is it right for?
- People who love seeing the Magic Kingdom all dolled up for Halloween.
- Families (even those with young kids!). Bonus points to those who do a group costume!
- Friends or couples – it’s a great group date!
- Adults who are vacationing and not super interested in spending an entire day at the Magic Kingdom.
Is there anyone who should skip it?
If you’re going to this event because you think the lines for the rides will all be super short, this probably isn’t the right event for you. But Disney does have one that is! It’s called Disney After Hours and I wrote a post all about it for you to check out!
The Basics
- Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs select nights from August 17 through October 31 from 7:00 PM to midnight.
- Tickets can be purchased through Disney’s website or at a Guest Services desk on property.
- Ages 3 and up need a ticket for the event, and children under 3 are allowed in without a ticket.
- The prices vary depending on when you go, but range from $75 to $125 per ticket. There are discounts for DVC Members and Annual Passholders, as well as a $10 per ticket discount for buying online at least a day in advance.
- Make sure you know the costume guidelines in case you’re planning to dress up!
Pro Tips
- Make sure you’re dressed comfortably. I highly recommend costumes that breathe because it’s almost 100% guaranteed to be hot, even if you go on Halloween.
- Go with a strategy. Do you want to get to all the candy stops? Ride a few of the most popular rides? Get pictures with the characters in their Halloween costumes? Make sure you know your priorities before you go.
- You’ll be provided with a small Mickey’s Not-So-Scary branded bag for candy, but that will fill up quickly. Bring your own candy container or, better yet, bring a backpack (I’m serious) to dump your group’s candy into and if you’ve got a stroller, stow it in there so you don’t have to carry it. Trust me.
- If you can make it happen, book a hotel room either on property or close. You’ll be SO glad you don’t have to spend a bunch of time getting home and to bed when it’s already a late night.
Happy Halloween!
