2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide
Our guide to the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party offers tips & info for Magic Kingdom’s fall special event at Walt Disney World. This includes available & sold out dates, ticket prices & discounts, schedule & strategy for seeing the parade, fireworks, and characters, plus our review of MNSSHP and whether it’s worth your time & money.
For those unfamiliar with it, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is a special event that occurs after Magic Kingdom closes for the day. It is separately ticketed, meaning you have to pay extra for the party if you’re already in the park as a day guest and want to stay through MNSSHP.
If you’re already wanting to plan ahead for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the bad news is that Walt Disney World has yet to release dates, tickets, or other details. On a positive note, we do know that MNSSHP will return, with more info coming soon. If you want to be notified when dates & tickets for the 2024 party are released,, subscribe to our FREE email newsletter. For now, here’s everything you need to know about the event…
One of the most common questions we hear from readers is when will Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party dates be announced and tickets go on sale? Our expectation is sometime between now and May 2024. It could occur within the coming weeks or not for several more months. Historical precedent supports both.
Looking back, last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was announced in late April during “Halfway to Halloween” in each of the last two years. The three parties before that were announced in mid-February, mid-January, and mid-March, respectively. That’s quite the scattering of months, and it’s honestly difficult to say what’ll happen in 2024.
Walt Disney World has been seeing an exhaustion of pent-up demand, and concerns of that dying down further mean tickets go on sale earlier so there’s more time for them to sell out. Then again, every single date did sell out last year, and that was even as the parks were otherwise slowing down. There’s really no reason to believe MNSSHP tickets will sell slower in 2024, so there shouldn’t be a sense of urgency.
With all of that in mind, we’ll just make the very broad prediction that an announcement will come no later than April 20, 2024. Beyond that, it honestly wouldn’t surprise us if they went on sale as early as mid-January; even if there is no urgency, capturing that revenue as soon as possible and locking people into travel plans is win-win for the company.
As for the event itself, our prediction is that the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will start on or around August 9, 2024 and continue several nights per week until November 1, 2024. Last year, dates were August 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29; September 1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29; October 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31; and November 1.
Ticket prices for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will likely range from $125 to $225 depending upon the date. Costs have skyrocketed in the last several years, and it doesn’t help that all dates sold out last year. That alone was unprecedented, but the fact that it happened despite huge price increases could mean even more expensive tickets for the 2024 MNSSHP.
With that in mind, what follows is background and planning info for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, based on last year’s event. It’s unlikely that much will change for 2024…
Our tips and tricks for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) are based on our experiences attending the party over 30 times since 2007. You can read about our experience the first night last year in our Review & Photos: Mickey’s Scary HOT Halloween Party Report.
If you’ve already purchased MNSSHP tickets and want something that synthesizes all of the basic info about the event into a step-by-step plan, see our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Itinerary. That’s more concise, leaving out a lot of background and crowd info.
We also have a look at all of the food items in the Halloween Snack & Dessert Food Guide to Magic Kingdom. Finally, if you’re interested in ‘collecting’ all of the exclusive images during the event, see our Guide to ALL PhotoPass Magic Shots at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Now, let’s turn to a brief summary of what’s new at the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party season, just in case you don’t read our MNSSHP report above…
There have been a handful of recent additions to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. First, the Sanderson Sisters as Disney characters. This version of the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus appear in Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade. They are NOT meet & greet characters–so you’ll be able to see them, but not get your photos with them. There have also been other changes to the Boo To You Parade that repeat visitors will appreciate.
Additionally, Max Goof and his Powerline party pack will appear at new pop-up parties throughout Magic Kingdom before this popular crew dances onto Main Street U.S.A. ahead of Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade. This is a nice addition, and is a good way to see Powerline up close outside of the parade.
There’s also what’s essentially a “pirate takeover” of Adventureland, with the Rusty Cutlass singing sea shanties while their shipmates roam the land sharing tales of their explorations at sea. This adds atmospheric entertainment to Adventureland, similar to what’s already in Frontierland thanks to the Cadaver Dans and Country Bears.
The big character news is that the Seven Dwarfs have returned to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, appearing in their former meet & greet location back in Storybook Circus. See How to Waste the Least Time Meeting the Seven Dwarfs at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party if you plan on attending to do this meet & greet. It’s insanely popular and will take a ton of party time if you don’t plan properly.
If you’re visiting Walt Disney World and are hoping to purchase last-minute tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on sold out dates, you might be able to do so outside the park at the Guest Relations window or inside City Hall on Main Street.
On occasion, there are same-day tickets available as a result of cancellations or other circumstances. If so, instead of the ‘sorry folks, tonight’s event is sold out’ sign pictured above, you’ll likely see one advising that a limited number of tickets are available for purchase. For what it’s worth, we are not aware of any same-day MNSSHP tickets being sold recently. The most likely scenario for this to occur is when there are hurricane or other weather scares causing people to cancel their trips or plans. In other words, it’s a longshot–but worth trying, nevertheless!
Spanning portions of 4 different months, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party “season” is the longest special event at Walt Disney World. Last year, the event was held on 38 select nights August 11 through November 1. The 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is likely to start a couple of nights earlier, and have 1 more night over the course of party season. If that prediction is accurate, it’ll once again set another new record for duration and number of parties.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party takes place from 7 pm until midnight on evenings when it’s held. On MNSSHP dates, Magic Kingdom is open to regular guests from 8 am until 6 pm. (Despite the significantly shorter hours, these are good days to visit Magic Kingdom if you’re not attending the party. We explain why here.)
Ticket holders are admitted to Magic Kingdom as early as 4 pm on the valid date of their ticket–giving you more time to enjoy park favorites before the event begins. These date-specific event tickets do not require an additional day theme park ticket or theme park reservation.
Also during the party, you may have the opportunity to experience some of your favorite attractions, including the newly opened TRON Lightcycle Run. Here’s the list of attractions that will be open during the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:
Adventureland
- Jungle Cruise
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Swiss Family Treehouse
Frontierland
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Liberty Square
- Haunted Mansion
Fantasyland
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- “It’s a small world”
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mad Tea Party
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Storybook Circus
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- The Barnstormer
Tomorrowland
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Space Mountain
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
TRON Lightcycle Run will use a virtual queue during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, allowing guests to enjoy all the festivities while they wait to enter the Grid.
Not only have ticket prices skyrocketed, but crowd levels at the events have also gone up dramatically. With every single night of the event sold out, attendance levels absolutely exploded, and crowds were very bad at times. We would strongly recommend “Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Too Crowded?” for a look at what we mean.
At this point, it’s impossible to say whether the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will follow that pattern. It could, but it’s also possible that Walt Disney World lowered the attendance cap after complaints and price increases. Our anecdotal perception is that MNSSHP has been less overcrowded the last 2 years than it was in October 2019, but it’s still busier than years (or even the two months that year) prior to that.
We also believe that Disney typically increases the capacity cap in October each year when the earlier sunset allows extra entertainment to be added to the schedule. So it’s entirely possible that crowds will feel worse during the October parties than they d0 during the August and September ones. (On the plus side, the heat shouldn’t be nearly as bad!)
If you have questions about what the event does and does not include, crowds, and much more, see our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party FAQ. We wrote that in response to the most common questions in the comments to this post. If you have a question, there’s a strong probability that FAQ answers it.
As for entertainment, here’s the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party schedule:
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
- August & September: 8:35 pm, 10:45 pm, 12 am
- October: 7:40 pm, 8:35 pm, 10:45 pm, 12 am
Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular
- 10:15 pm
Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade
- 9:15 pm and 11:15 pm
Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet
- 7 pm, 7:45 pm, 8:30 pm, 9:50 pm, 10:30 pm
Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam
- 7 pm until midnight
Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Dance Ball
- 7 pm until midnight
Rusty Cutlass Pirate Band in Adventureland
- 7:15 pm, 8:15 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:20 pm
Max Goof’s Powerline Party Pack
- Unscheduled Appearances
The map does not list specific meet & greet locations, but we have you covered:
Main Street USA
- Sally & Jack Skellington – Town Square Theater (most popular meet & greet, line forms at 4 pm)
- Mickey Mouse – Town Square Theater
Fantasyland
- Ariel and Prince Eric – Prince Eric’s Village Market
- Belle and Gaston – Maurice’s Cottage
- Tigger, Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore – The Thotful Spot near the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Drizella and Anastasia – Fantasyland (roaming)
- Seven Dwarfs – Storybook Circus (second-most popular meet & greet; line forms at 4 pm)
- Timon – Storybook Circus
- Vamprinia – Storybook Circus
- Doc McStuffins – Storybook Circus
- Fancy Nancy – Storybook Circus
- Witch Minnie, Princess Daisy & Pumpkin Donald – Dumbo
- Pirate Goofy – Barnstormer
Adventureland
- Abu and Aladdin – Agrabah
- Genie – Agrabah
- Jafar – Near Agrabah
- Jack Sparrow – Near Pirates of the Caribbean
Frontierland
- Country Bears – Country Bear Theater (roaming)
Tommorrowland
- Elvis Stitch – Buzz Lightyear’s Star Command
As for the enhancements to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party from the past few years, the first is a replacement for Happy HalloWishes: the new “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular.” These fireworks feature projections, pyro, and Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas as host.
Jack’s ghost dog, Zero, flies off to start this trick-or-treating adventure, where four friends — Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy — find themselves drawn into a mysterious haunted house. The journey takes them from one room of the house to another, encountering dancing skeletons, waltzing ghosts, and a series of troublemaking Disney villains.
There are also several attractions across the park receive special enhancements just for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party…
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor – When you follow the treat trail into the Monster World at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, you’ll interact in spooky ways with the comic cast of monsters, as they learn about the curious Human World holiday we call Halloween.
Mad Tea Party – The teacups take you for a colorful ride with added lighting and effects providing a different nighttime atmosphere.
Space Mountain – Rocket ships hurtle through deep space as a special soundtrack and effects transform the adventure.
So you can prepare for the Halloween Party now, here is our analysis based upon the last several years to help you determine whether this expensive hard ticket event is worth it to you, and if so, what your “Plan of Attack” should be to efficiently conquer the various offerings. Between this party and Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, plus improving weather, the fall months at Walt Disney World are one of our favorite times of year to visit!
Also note that this guide covers Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, not Mickey’s Halloween Party (now Oogie Boogie Bash) at Disneyland Resort. For info about the latter, read our comprehensive Guide to Halloween Time at Disneyland!
Should You Attend?
Given the high cost of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you might be trying to determine, “is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party worth the money?”
Our opinion on this question has changed over the years. It used to be an unequivocal yes. Then, as prices for the event nearly doubled, it became “yes if you want to splurge.” Now, with prices up and Walt Disney World having raised the attendance cap, it’s harder and harder to justify.
We still love the event. We don’t love the crowds or prices, but we go anyway. Probably in part because of nostalgia and in part because we have a good time enjoying the experience at a more relaxed pace. We don’t follow our own itinerary in this post since we’ve seen/done 75% of these things in previous years, so the stakes aren’t as high for us, so to speak. It’s simply a fun, albeit overpriced event.
If you can approach it from the perspective of not having to accomplish it all and being willing to overpay a bit for a truly fun and spooky evening in Magic Kingdom, we say go for it. Just don’t expect to leave thinking, “that was really worth the money.” At this point, it’s hard to come to that conclusion.
Another question we often receive is whether we prefer the Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We are total suckers for Christmas, so we can’t answer that without bias. With that said, we prefer the Christmas Party, but probably two-thirds of people we know prefer the Halloween Party. Your mileage may vary.
Aside from the higher price, the biggest difference between the two parties is that the Halloween Party offers more special entertainment and character meet & greets. Personally, I enjoy the Christmas Party more, but I think it’s undeniable that there’s more to do at the Halloween Party.
There’s a lot of special entertainment including one of Disney’s best parades and a great fireworks show, a great ambiance to the party including special decorations and lighting, lots of unique character meet & greets, and even seeing other guests in Halloween costumes makes for a fun experience.
If you do decide to do the Halloween Party, make sure to buy your tickets in advance, and use any available discounts (Disney Vacation Club member, Annual Passholder, etc.). Tickets are more expensive on the day of the party, and several nights each year sell out completely. It’s wise to purchase party tickets early if you know you’re going. It would stink to wait until the last minute and have your dates sell out.
As for what you should do during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, here’s our guide to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party…
General Tips
The first important tip is to pick the best day on your trip for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Some nights are busier than others, and that post covers our tips for choosing the least-crowded dates. Disney prices these parties based on historical demand, so going on the cheapest party night you can is generally the best idea from both the perspective of saving money and avoiding crowds. Win-win!
In recent years, MNSSHP attendance has been, generally speaking, dramatically higher than previously. The last few years, every single night has sold out. Prior to that, it was common for only the first couple of nights plus most of October to sell out. It’ll be interesting to see whether this trend continues with the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We’d bet that it will.
The second most important tip is to arrive early to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The Party officially starts at 7 p.m., which is when all of the entertainment actually begins, but guests can enter with their Halloween Party tickets as early as 4 p.m. This is not something Walt Disney World advertises, but it absolutely is true, and you will see plenty of other guests arriving at 4 p.m., and Cast Members in their Halloween outfits at the turnstiles.
This earlier entry offers you potential savings to offset the cost of your tickets. Before we were Annual Passholders, we’d plan on doing Disney Springs or a water park the morning we went to the Halloween Party, which allowed us to purchase 1-day less on our park tickets. We highly recommend that you do the same! In other words, if you normally would buy a 5-day ticket for your trip, buy a 4-day ticket and do something besides one of the 4 theme parks before 4 p.m.
The additional day you’re not purchasing would have only added on ~$30 in cost to your total package, so we’re not talking a substantial amount here, but it makes the Halloween Party more economical. To save even more money on multi-day Walt Disney World tickets, we recommend buying from an authorized ticket broker selling cheaper tickets than you can buy directly from Disney.
Read our Tips for Buying Discount Walt Disney World Tickets Guide for more information about saving money on park tickets. You can’t buy Halloween Party tickets from these authorized ticket sellers, but the amount you save on your regular park tickets plus the savings on that extra day you’re not purchasing will help offset the added cost of the party tickets.
The next biggest tip is to wear a costume! Although Disney has had some tweaks to its security policy over the last few years, costumes are allowed for all guests.
Here’s Disney’s official word on costumes: “while costumed attire may be worn, guests ages 14 and older are strongly discouraged from wearing layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body as they may be subject to additional security screening. Additionally, costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.”
At least half of the Guests who attend the party wear costumes, and it’s a lot more fun if you do. You’re spending a fair chunk of change to attend one of these parties, make sure you get as much value for your money as possible by wearing a costume.
You don’t need to buy some expensive costume from the store–make one at home from items you buy at a thrift shop. Sarah and I attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party as the following: astronauts; an elf and princess; and “Cute Minnie” and a Toy Story Alien, among other things. Most of the time, our costumes are pretty lame as compared to other guests, but we still have a lot of fun!
For costumes, go inexpensive, simple, and most importantly…LIGHTWEIGHT. We have a Guide to Halloween Costumes for the Disney Parks that covers the nuts and bolts. Suffice to say, we have worn heavier costumes, and let me tell you what a mistake that was. It may be cooler at nighttime in the fall, but it’s still Florida, and it’s still humid and hot.
A final tip is to pass on the Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace. This is comparable to the regular fireworks dessert party, except with Halloween-decorated desserts. (Read more in Dining & Dessert Parties During Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.)
Beyond being a waste of money, the dessert party is a waste of time. There are just too many other great things to do at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (it’s unlikely you can do all of the regular entertainment in a single night) to justify attending a dessert party. It’s just not worth taking the time from the regular awesome entertainment of the Halloween party to do this. Plus, the idea of another upcharge event within an upcharge event just makes us cringe.
With that said, let’s start to get into the details of arriving at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party with a plan for how you should approach the evening entertainment and characters. We have a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Itinerary on Page 2.
Arrive at 4 p.m., grab an event map for a refresher as to what is located where and entertainment showtimes, eat an early dinner, do an attraction or two, and knock out a couple of daytime PhotoPass Magic Shots for Halloween. Once 6 pm hits, it’s time to get ready to party, and time to initiate your Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party attack-plan to do and see as much as you can.
If at all possible, find a way to avoid trick or treating or save it until the end of the night. It is a major time drain, and you could buy a bag of candy yourself for like $3. It may be difficult to convince kids not to trick or treat, but if you can, find a way. There is so much entertainment during the Halloween Party that you won’t get everything done even if you don’t trick or treat and don’t do any attractions.
Bring a Halloween bag to the party for trick or treating. The bag Disney provides is small and by the end of the night you will have a lot of candy.
Agreed. We filled a very large backpack with all the candy we got. My kids just kept emptying their small bags into my backpack. By the end of the night it weighed more than my 5 year old! 🙂
Hi Kelli, where can I also find this info? We’re going too for the first time and I’m feeling overwhelmed! lol
https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/tips-mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party-with-kids/
This website posts a guide plus 2018 map
HI! Going for the first time this year. I have a BIG question though, before getting our tickets we want to also see the rest of the Magical Kingdom the day we’re going to the Mickey’s not so scary party. Is it worth buying the 2 separate tickets for?? I assume they actually restrict part of the park for the Mickey’s not so scary party? A reply asap would be so appreciated as I’d like to get our tickets today!!
Thank you!
Hey Wendy,
I’ve done both, and my view i that buying two separate tickets is not a waste. At the end of the day, it’s merely a matter of personal preference. No matter what you decide, I am sure you will have a blast.
Good luck!
Thanks, Zachary!
Also, to answer your second question about access to the park, your normal park ticket will give you complete access to the entire park. If you don’t have a ticket to the Halloween party, you’ll have to leave the park early (I think by 6:00 pm).
Hope this helps!
I’ve done the Christmas Party the last three years on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and here’s what I observed…
First off, I guess if you want to relax and not rush through the Magic Kingdom it’s okay to pay extra for the “day” time hours but to me personally it’s a waste of money.
If you are diligent and make sure you enter the park at 4pm on the day of the party it stays open until midnight, which means you get 8 hours in the park. You can use FastPass the first two hours until 6pm and after that the park really does empty out which makes waiting in lines almost non existent. Also, if you’re going to the Halloween party remember it usually sells less tickets than the Christmas party which means the park will be even less crowded. If your party day is a weekday then it will be even LESS crowded!
The past 3 years we have made it on every ride we wanted to with no problem. We start in Frontierland and work our way around to Tomorrowland. By time we get to Space Mountain late in the evening the wait time is less than 10 minutes. My son and I rode Space Mountain back to back to back last year with no wait time!
Now if you plan on eating, stopping for parades/fireworks/shows then buying the day pass may be something you’ll want to consider but to me it’s a lot of money for one day in ONE park.
FYI they must’ve changed the normal times for this year. I just checked for when we go (Oct 28th 2018) and the hocus pocus spelltacular show is at 7:40pm, 8:35pm, 10:45pm, and 12:00am. Boo-to-you parade is at 9:15pm and 11:15pm. Lastly Hallowishes fireworks are at 10:15pm. I’m surprised at how late everything is starting this year. But I figured I would let you know as you mention wrong times for the shows and gave a basic plan of attack based on the old times, which wouldn’t work with the new times.
Hi Kelli, where can I also find this info? We’re going too for the first time and I’m feeling overwhelmed! lol
Hi just wondering if that’s the date you usually go ? My bday is the 27th so I’m thinking about going the 26th but I’m hearing Friday’s are to busy. What’s your experience ?
I’m trying to figure out how the admission works, does that mean that on the days of this event the park is closed and only those with the special tickets are allowed to enter? If I have hppper passes do you pay additional on that day? I’m just trying to understand how this all works
Thanks
Magic Kingdom will be open to guests with regular admission tickets until 6:00pm. At that time you would need to have a separate ticket purchased just for that particular party to remain in the park or gain access to the park. Tickets range from $75 to $125 per person for the party. Park hopper tickets do not grant you access to this party.
They give the party holders a special wristband when you enter the party. The park officially closes for day guests at the start of the party. Then they post cast members at strategic positions to verify people have the wristbands and point others to the exits.
Tom, do you know anything about the “Return to Sleepy Hollow” event at Fort Wilderness? It sounds pretty cool, but I haven’t been able to find a first-hand account recap from an attendee. Have you been?
We are seeing rumor’s all over FB groups stating that DVC members will be allowed entry at 2 pm for MNNSHP. Have you heard anything about this? Sounds a bit early to me but wasn’t sure.
I’ve contacted DVC and several reps have confirmed this.
Although Tom’s schedule is great for those that want to see the special parades/activities and characters the party is also a great way to get onto rides with very little wait times! I haven’t done the Halloween party since 2006 (pre-kids) but now that I have two kids (11 & 8) we plan on hitting up the rides. We plan on using Fast-pass until 6pm (Seven Dwarfs if possible) then the day crowd gets booted which drops the wait times way down on most rides (I’m basing this guess on attending the Xmas party the past 3 straight years).
As I just said, I’ve gone to the Christmas party the last three years running the week after Thanksgiving this strategy has worked well. This year we’re hitting the Halloween party on Aug28th and plan on doing the same hoping the crowds will be smaller than the Xmas party.
Our strategy is simple. We eat a big meal at 3pm at the Wilderness Lodge (we park there if we aren’t staying there which we happen to be this year), then jump on the ferry to hit the park exactly at 3:55pm to go through security. We enter the park at exactly 4pm (maximizing our ticket value), hit the railroad and jump off in Frontierland to start. We only use the special stations as rest spots for snacks. Sitting down to eat costs too much time on a special event hence the big meal before entering. Then we simply work are way around the park clockwise ending in Tomorrowland. After that we work our way back to see the late parade somewhere near Main Street/Castle and watch the final show. If you move fast enough you can hit almost every ride with very little wait time.
Pirates and the Haunted Mansion are probably the coolest places during this party so we may dwell there a little longer to watch!
No matter what you do the later the party goes the more rides open up. By the end of the night you will be hitting Space Mountain with 5 minute wait times!
“This year we’re hitting the Halloween party on Aug28th and plan on doing the same hoping the crowds will be smaller than the Xmas party.”
They should be. MNSSHP has been considerably less crowded–especially the earlier dates–than MVMCP the last 3 years. Have fun and thanks for sharing your personal strategy! 🙂
Hi!
I am debating between going to the party on Friday, 10/26, and Sunday, 10/28. Ideally, I would prefer Friday, but I fear the Friday before Halloween would be pretty crazy. Do you think I would be much better off going on Sunday? Or would the difference be negligible?
Thanks!
Gracias por la respuesta, tengo entradas para MK el domingo en la mañana porque en la noche hay fiesta y pensé que habrÃa poca gente y el martes si tengo entrada a la fiesta y en la mañana querÃa descansar en el hotel, serÃa mejor juntarlo en un solo dÃa?????
Hi! I’ll be attending the MNSSHP in early September. I have heard that you can book fast pass reservations from 4-6 PM with just the MNSSHP ticket (not a full day ticket). Is this true and do I have to have a magic band to utilize the fast pass or is just my printed ticket okay?
Yes, you can!
We have 4 tickets to the Aug 17th Not So Scary Halloween that we are trying to sell. 4 people in our party are unable to stay and we already purchased the tickets before we found out. 2 Adults and 2 kids 3-9 willing to negotiate price. We have done this party in Disneyland but never WDW, so very excited!
Aren’t the Halloween party tickets non transferable and non refundable?
They aren’t refundable but can be transferred. I contacted DisneyWorld to confirm that. We haven’t linked the tickets to anyone yet so it is easy to do.
Can the date be changed to tickets
We have 4 tickets to the Aug 17th Not So Scary Halloween that we are trying to sell. 4 people in our party are unable to stay and we already purchased the tickets before we found out. 2 Adults and 2 kids 3-9 willing to negotiate price. We have done this party in Disneyland but never WDW, so very excited!
Anne Marie Rollins The tickets are non-refundable but are transferable. They have not been linked to our party. I did call DisneyWorld and confirmed this.
We are headed to Disneyworld the last week of August and attending the Halloween party on the 28th -Can one book fast passes from 4pm-6pm if you only have tickets for the party? What kind of crowd levels are we looking at entering at 4pm? I have also read somewhere there is a bypass for entry into the park at 4pm – is this recommended? We have some first time visitors to the Magic Kingdom that day with us….Any help and advice is appreciated 🙂
YES! We start booking the first fastpass from 3:15-4:15 and are able to get 3 total in before the party starts! Last year they let us into the park at 3:30 p.m.!
Sorry no
I consider the 4pm to 12am time frame to be equivalent to a full day in the park, and with the price being less than a one-day, one-park ticket I think it is a bonus. The added entertainment and manageable lines for every attraction make the party a must every year. We always go mid-week in mid-October and find that the crowds are not bad.
I had never been to WDW and am a senior. On Oct 30, 2016, I arrived and that evening went to MNSSHP. It was wonderful! I was in total awe. Came back from my trip and asked my kids if they would consider saving up to go last fall. My 5 yr old granddaughter had been there about 1 1/2 before, my 11 yr old granddaughter had been there when she was about 3 and had no real memory and my 9 yr old granddaughter had never been. We ended up going the middle of October 2017 and when to MNSSHP. Everybody loved It! I did know that rain affected the party so I waited till we got down there and paying attention to the weather forecast bought the tickets for the next night. We did avoid going on the weekend because of the crowds. So thankful we were able to go. These are lifetime memories.
We just became Annual pass holders this week for the first time so I’m not sure how everything works. Do we get a discounted rate on the Not So Scary Halloween tickets?
Yes, there is an AP discount for MNSSHP. Check the Annual Passholder section of the Disney World website for more info.
We are going to the party on August 24th this year and have dinner at castle, any tips would be wonderful? Is this a typical busy party night?
Thank you so much for this awesome write up. Just purchased tickets for October when I take my boyfriend to Disney for the first time!! I have never attended this party, but I have been to Disney. Very excited.
Our family went to MNSSHP last year. It was our first trip to Disney World in 20 years. I didn’t know if we would go back so I wanted to take advantage of everything. For us as novice Disney travellers, it was not worth the expense. It was all so new and exciting to us that this was definitely Not worth while. We didn’t really appreciate the different characters because they were all New to us. We also had a thunderstorm that night so we didn’t get to see the parade. I also made the mistake of going in the morning because I read somewhere it would be less busy, it was still busy. If you go to MNSSHP, definitely spend the morning resting at the resort. I thought I would get 3 additional fast passes but because I had three booked for the morning I did not get three more. I was also disappointed with how little candy my son got” he has a nut allergy so he collected tokens then traded it for candy. It was nice candy but a very Å›mall amount.