Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is one of the most popular events at the Magic Kingdom, so it’s not-so-surprising that there are lots of questions about what goes on during the celebration. Here’s our take on the best ways to experience the party and how to get the most out of the cost of your ticket.
The Basics
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP for short) is a hard-ticket event. This means that you must purchase a special ticket in order to attend. Tickets can be purchased via the website or over the phone. If you’re an annual passholder or DVC member, be sure to link your affiliation in your My Disney Experience account or let your phone representative know so that you have access to the special discounts offered.
Party Hours are 7 p.m. to Midnight, but guests with MNSSHP tickets may enter the Magic Kingdom 4 p.m. You’ll be given a plastic wristband when you enter to show that you’re a ticketed party guest. If you’re already inside on a day pass, you can pick up a party wristband to stay for the party by showing your party ticket at a designated wristband distribution spot starting at 4 p.m.
Costumes are allowed and encouraged and Disney’s costume rules are here:
Halloween costumes should NOT: Obstruct the guest’s view or interfere with their ability to board/unload from attractions and/or the Walt Disney World Resort transportation system (including monorails, ferry boats and motorcoaches); should not drag on the ground; should not contain sharp or pointed objects or material that may accidentally stike another guest; should not be offensive to other guests; and should not contain any weapons which resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
FastPass+ is not available during the parties. Most, but not all, attractions are open. Many of the restaurants close early.
What’s To Do?
There are lots of special things to see and do at MNSSHPÂ including special character meet and greets, an exclusive parade and fireworks show, trick-or-treating, and special dance parties, snacks, and party-exclusive merchandise. You can’t do it all in one night (Promise. We’ve tried.), so the best plan of attack is to figure out what you want to do most. No matter what, don’t miss the parade (there are two showings) and the fireworks, as they’re party-exclusive and really fantastic.
Helpful Hints
Mickey’s Boo to You Parade runs twice a night during the party at 8:15 and 10:30. The second parade is generally less crowded than the first, though that hasn’t been the case when we’ve attended this year. While the parade begins at 8:30, the Headless Horseman rides between 20 and 30 minutes before the parade kicks off and the Creepa Crew hands out candy before the official beginning as well, so get your spots early. The parade begins in Frontierland at Splash Mountain and travels through Liberty Square, in front of Cinderella Castle and down Main Street, U.S.A.
Hallowishes fireworks are some of the best fireworks all year! Because they include lower firework bursts and bursts outside the normal behind-the-castle set, setting up further down Main Street, U.S.A., is actually better than being closer to the castle.
Some character meet and greets, especially those for characters you can only see at the party like Jack and Sally (Nightmare Before Christmas) and the old hag from Snow White command long lines. Often lines begin forming before 7 p.m. so if you have to meet and greet these characters to make your party experience complete, jump in line early! For characters that meet in groups like Jane, Tarzan, and Terk, be sure to ask the character attendants when all three will be meeting and greeting as occasionally one character or even two will take a break. Even if you lined up when they were all out, if your turn comes when one is absent, you’ll have to line up again to meet them all.
Remember that all through the party and even sometimes right up through Halloween, it’s hot here. The best costume in the world can become a torture chamber if it wasn’t made for 90 degrees with 80% humidity. Keep your costumes as simple as possible and for smaller children be sure to bring a change of clothes if they’re wearing costumes with layers or long sleeves.
Unless you’re a huge fan of quick service meals, it may be difficult to eat a meal in the park once the party starts. Use your time before the party wisely and grab dinner in the Kingdom or even at one of the hotels on the monorail so you’ll be ready to enjoy tons of candy and specially themed treats.
Last, but certainly not least, have fun. The atmosphere at the party can’t be matched and the entertainment is awesome too. So go get your ghoul on!
We were just in WDW, and were heading out on a MNSSHP night (we did not have tickets), and saw that a family had rented a locker to store their costumes – the idea was to change into them once the sun went down and it got a bit cooler. What a great idea!