I bet you’re thinking “Halloween in August?!” and the answer is YES! This separately ticketed event is held at the Magic Kingdom on select nights August through October. I went on August 16, 2022, and the party was SOLD OUT!
I’ll be sharing tips and tricks that could help you on your next Disney vacation – especially if you plan on attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
On party nights the Magic Kingdom closes to day guests at 6:00 pm and Enchantment – the nightly firework show – is not shown. If you’ve got valid theme park admission to the Magic Kingdom and a MNSSHP ticket, you can get your wristband and trick-or-treat bag at various locations around the park. Guests with a valid party ticket can enter the Magic Kingdom at 4:00 pm - hours BEFORE the party officially starts at 7:00 pm.
I arrived around 4:00 pm and got my wristband after scanning in at the front gate. I grabbed a party guide and followed the signs to pick up my trick-or-treat bag. I was able to watch the Adventure Friends Cavalcade featuring characters from Coco, Encanto, and Zootopia!
I took advantage of my extra time in the park and headed to Tomorrowland to experience one my favorite attractions – the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. I had great views of Cinderella Castle and the TRON Lightcycle Run construction – I even got to see trains being tested on the upcoming coaster!
I mobile ordered corn dog nuggets and a frozen mint julep lemonade from Casey’s Corner on Main Street U.S.A. around 5:30 pm. There are several specialty food and beverage options available during the party; from savory to sweet options there’s something for almost everyone. I would like to point out that plant-based options were seriously lacking as far as party exclusive offerings go!
Pirates of the Caribbean has a Halloween twist, which includes a fun lighting package on the façade, and real, live pirates in the queue and throughout the attraction! Keep in mind that wait times can get a little high for the attractions with Halloween twists. Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarves Mine Train are also open during the party, and their wait times can get a little high, but will typically be shorter than during a regular day in the parks!
Here's the full list of the event entertainment, trick-or-treat locations, attractions, food & beverage locations, and merchandise locations available during the party!
After riding Pirates, I headed to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe to try the Almond Sweet Corn Cake – an almond vanilla cake shaped like corn on the cob! I absolutely loved this treat! It wasn’t too sweet, even with the icing. What really stood out to me was how dense and moist this cake was! I would definitely get this party exclusive treat again.
I made my way to Fantasyland to ride it’s a small world; I love this attraction, and ride it every chance I get! There are no Halloween overlays, but the line is never too long during parties. When I disembarked from the happiest cruise that ever sailed, the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party had officially started!
I headed to the trick-or-treat location at Mickey’s PhilharMagic to start filling up my bag with candy! Cast Members were passing out small handfuls of candy at the entrance and exit, and there were cute Halloween cartoons playing inside the theater. I trick-or-treated around Fantasyland before heading into Tomorrowland to ride Space Mountain. The Halloween twist on this attraction is pitch darkness and pulse-pounding music, which completely transforms the experience.
I joined Mike Wazowski and Sulley at the Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball in Tomorrowland. This dance party is geared towards kiddos, but it was fun to watch Mike and Sulley do the limbo! Be sure to stop and take a break in the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor theater to laugh with the monsters of Monstropolis, as they tell jokes all throughout the party. Cast Members hand out candy at both the entrance and exit of this attraction! I’d had my fill of trick-or-treating even though I skipped most of Adventureland and Frontierland.
I stopped by the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor to try the party exclusive Monster Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. This was good, but not great – vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two sugar cookies, one of which was decorated with Halloween sprinkles and candy eyeballs. It melted very fast. I was a MESS after eating most of it. There are better ice cream cookie sandwiches in other parks, and much better party exclusive treats, so I would not get this again.
I made my way down Main Street U.S.A. to the Emporium to look at the event specific merchandise. There was a lot, from specialty Crocs to themed Spirit Jerseys, and everything in between. A few days after my party even more merch was released so be aware that some items may not be available due to popularity or other unforeseen issues.
I was surprised at how few people there were up by City Hall and Town Square Theater around 8:45 pm. Jack and Sally were meeting in Town Square Theater but I chose to meet Mickey – he’s dressed as a vampire. PhotoPass photos are taken during these Meet and Greets; I did not pay for Memory Maker, so I don’t have my pictures with Mickey to share, but he LOVED that I was dressed as Minnie.
I had about an hour and a half until the Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks show, and I made it to the hub around 9:35 pm – during the first run of the parade. There were other character Meet and Greets throughout the park, including Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Gaston, Winnie the Pooh, and Stitch to name a few, but I was more interested in the entertainment.
For the fireworks I stood directly to the left of the Partners statue, which is a prime viewing spot! Not only did I have a full view of the castle, I was close enough to see the Jack Skellington puppet open the show! I was far enough away to see the projections on Cinderella Castle, and most importantly all of the spectacular fireworks. If you have little kiddos who may find it hard to see everything going on during this show, I recommend holding them so their face is level with yours, rather than on your shoulders.
I originally planned to make my way into Frontierland to get a spot for the 11:15 pm parade, but I decided to stay in the hub instead. The 10:45 pm performance of Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacualr was abruptly canceled, and many guests left the area as a result. I was able to secure a front row spot for the 11:15 pm Mickey’s “Boo to You” Halloween Parade, with Cinderella Castle as the backdrop. It’s important to note that the parade starts at 11:15 pm in Frontierland but does not reach the hub until 11:30 pm; the whole parade lasted about 15 minutes! The Headless Horseman preceded the parade and was a great sight to see!
I made my way closer to the stage to watch the midnight performance of Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacualr. The Sanderson Sisters took to the stage, and this instantly became my favorite stage show in all of Walt Disney World - it shouldn't be missed! Many infamous friends joined Mary, Sarah, and Winifred on stage to help brew a potion, and the performance ended with a villainous dance party. Winifred, her sisters, and all the villains sang “I Put a Spell on You” and they really did. I’ll be back year after year for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for the entertainment alone!
Here are my top tips and tricks to have a ghoulishly good time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
PRIORITIZE - before you arrive pick your most important must-do activities – anything else you get to do is the cherry on top
Get in line around 4:00pm to meet Jack and Sally - you’ll likely be done before the party officially starts
If Meet and Greets are your priority, get in line as early as possible – there is a chance the Meet and Greet may end before the party does
If a party exclusive snack is on your must-try list, get it as you walk by – there is so much going on, you may forget to go back for something
There is no Genie+ or Individual Lighting Lanes available during the party – the attractions with Halloween twists, as well as Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarves Mine Train, can have longer wait times
Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular only has one show time at 10:15 pm - views are great from the hub
Mickey’s “Boo to You” Halloween Parade runs twice at 9:15 and 11:15 pm - the later parade is typically less crowded AND there are no bad spots to watch the parade, but some floats look better when they come at you head on
If you can make it until midnight starting with Jack and Sally and ending with Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacualr is the best way to get the most BOO for your bucks!
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