Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide
We weren’t going to go to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year but when the final party of the season was also when we were going to be there for the RunDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend, we couldn’t resist.
The party is at Magic Kingdom and advertised as ‘Not So Scary’ for an alternative to Halloween Horror Nights at nearby Universal Studios which is definitely scary and not ideal for little kids. But I’m 42 and I don’t even want to go. I definitely prefer the not-so-scary 😂
The Halloween Party is a hard ticketed ‘after-hours’ event meaning you have to buy a separate ticket to go - even if you have an annual pass (passholders do get a discount on tickets). If you aren’t an annual passholder, you do not need a park ticket in addition to the party ticket to get in, just the party ticket. Prices for the party vary based off the day of the week it’s held on and how soon into the season it is. This year they started in August (!) and were around $75. Halloween night in 2019 set you back $135. In 2019 they first released a Halloween Party ‘pass.’ It cost $299 but you were able to go every single Halloween party except the one ON Halloween. There were 35 parties so that equated to be less than $10 a party. An awesome deal if you could go to at least a few but a really good deal for locals who love this party.
The party ticket gets you into Magic Kingdom at 4:00 pm. If you are there visiting the parks that week and not coming just for the party, take it easy that morning. A party day is not an ideal day to rope drop a park because the party goes until midnight.
The official party starts at 7:00 pm so take advantage of the 4:00 pm-7:00 pm time period to ride some rides and eat some dinner. Be sure to pick up a Halloween Party park map so you know where all the special activities are! Skip the rides that have special party overlays and wait until after 7 to ride those (reference the party map to see which ones are ‘special’). Once the party starts is when you can start in on all the fun extras. You’ll get a wristband upon entry to show that you can stay in the park after 7:00 pm. Everyone else gets kicked out. You’re also provided a Trick-or-Treat bag but you can bring your own if you like.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
COSTUMES
My favorite part of the party is that adults can dress up in costumes. Any other time Disney only allows kids to wear costumes so being Disney obsessed, we take full advantage of this option. When else can you be a princess and stand in front of a castle? When planning costumes, keep something in mind - it’s still really hot in Florida in August and September and can be even at Halloween. While dressing up is fun, you don’t want to be uncomfortably hot and sweaty the whole time you are at the party. I made my Doctor Strange outfit below with a tank top instead of long sleeves and my husband utilized shorts instead of pants for Winter Soldier. Neither take away from the costume but both kept us a lot cooler.
Avengers Assemble!
CANDY/SPECIAL TREATS
Trick-or-Treat Spots will be designated on the map but also with large signs so they are hard to miss. If anyone has food allergies let the cast members passing out the bags know and you can get a special bag and go to an allergy friendly treat location.
While the candy is free there are also all sorts of special party time treats you can buy. There will be Halloween treats offered all day but special treats are put out once the party starts. 2019 saw simple things like a caramel stuffed soft pretzel and cinnamon donuts to more elaborate options like the Headless Horseman Cheesecake and the Constance’s For Better or For Worse Wedding Cake (of Haunted Mansion fame). They’ll have special drinks as well but remember, Magic Kingdom doesn’t serve alcohol (except for a couple sit down restaurants) so all of them will be non-alcoholic versions.
Chocolate Mickey Waffles with pumpkin ice cream from Sleepy Hollow
CHARACTER MEET & GREETS/PHOTO OPS
Special characters are always out for the parties. They are ones not normally seen on regular park days but can be some you see during RunDisney events. We saw Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum last year and then again during the Walt Disney World Marathon. However, there are some that this will NOT happen with. That is the case with Jack and Sally from my all time favorite Halloween movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack and Sally can be regularly met in New Orleans Square in Disneyland but never at Walt Disney World EXCEPT for the Halloween and Christmas Parties. Their line will start forming well before the party actually starts but they won’t come out until 7:00 pm. As for other characters, expect lots of villains and classic characters in Halloween costumes. Be on the lookout for other photo ops that go with your character you’ve dressed as. When I was Pooh I went over to the Pooh ride for a photo and when my sister was Merida we did some pictures in the spot where Merida does meet and greets.
SPECIAL PHOTOPASS
In addition to photos with characters during the party you’ll find special Photopass ‘Magic Shots’ where they’ll take the photo and ask you to do something (likely ‘look surprised’) and afterwards they’ll edit something in like the Headless Horseman. Just ask the Photopass Photographers about them!
Headless Horseman Photopass available only during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
DANCE PARTIES
You’ll find a few family/kid focused Dance Parties around Magic Kingdom that includes character interactions like Monster’s Inc and Disney Junior characters. Check the party map for locations.
SPECIAL RIDE ADDITIONS
While Haunted Mansion is always fun to ride during the Halloween Party, a few rides will have special additions during the party. In 2019 Pirates of the Caribbean had live pirates added to it and Space Mountain was ridden in complete darkness. Check the party map for your options. For the most part, all the rides should have significantly shorter wait times than a regular park evening.
Madame Leota interacting with guests outside the Haunted Mansion
HOCUS POCUS VILLAIN SPELLTACULAR SHOW
As the title suggests, the witches from Hocus Pocus will make an appearance on the stage in front of Cinderella’s Castle a few times each evening. The show includes singing, dancing, special effects and, of course, tons of villains.
The Sanderson Sisters host the Villain show multiple times throughout the evening
BOO-TO-YOU PARADE
The Halloween parade is one of my absolute favorites. The parade will be held two times a night starting in Adventureland and ending on Main Street. People stake out spots a long time before the actual parade start time. And, if you’re on Main Street, while it’s a quite scenic view with the castle in the background, you’ll be waiting even longer since it takes about 15-20 minutes for the parade to get there. If you aren’t worried about the background, head to Adventureland and you’ll see it as soon as it starts. With that said, the 2nd showing of the parade is always less crowded than the first because the fireworks are before the 2nd showing and a lot of people will leave after them.
Hitchhiking ghost on the Haunted Mansion float during the Boo To You Parade
NOT SO SCARY SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS
Like the parade, the most scenic view of the fireworks is on Main Street but they can be seen from anywhere in the park. Also like the parade, people will find spots to watch well before. A lot of people who see the first parade stay in their spot for the fireworks. In 2019 the first parade was at 9:15 and the fireworks at 10:15pm.
The castle projections and fireworks make for an awesome show during the party
EXTRA FUN
If you’re interested in a more special (aka additional cost) experience you can reserve tickets for a dessert party at Tomorrowland Terrace or the Plaza Garden that gets you dessert and reserved seating for viewing of the fireworks. You can also partake in Cruella’s Halloween Hide-A-Way where you can meet Cruella, have reserved parade viewing and food at Tony’s Town Square restaurant.