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.
Planning to on going to MNSSHP at night and Magic Kingdom during the day as part of a honeymoon trip later this year. We’ve already got tickets, non complicated costumes, and meal reservations for breakfast (8:20am) and dinner (4:30pm).
We already know it’s going to be along day, but my question is what should we do about our costumes? Can we (or should we even bother) bringing them, keeping them in a locker in the morning and then change into them before the party starts? Or should we spend time in the park then head back to our hotel (Pop Century) to change into it (and possibly nap?) then return?
We are planning on doing the same thing only our flight gets in at noon. We have been several times and we are planning on going straight to the hotel and to the park at 4. 2 might be cutting it close but I would definitely not go the other two dates.
It’s really up to you but I will give an example of a little different plan we are doing for the transition to the party.
We are going to Epcot for the first part of the day. Then we are going to eat lunch/early dinner at 2:30 pm, go to the hotel (we are on property) to cool down/shower (if we feel the need), change and head to MK around 4:30-5:00 pm. We plan to do quick service or grab-and-go when we are hungry later. We aren’t really into character pics so if we do them it will be after 11 pm when it’s less crowded.
My 2 cents, eat earlier, go back nap/change, and head out when you are ready if you want to be there earlier to maximize your time there.
I hope y’all have an amazing time!!
I will be at WDW the last week of October. My options for the MNSSHP are 10/31 or 11/1. Even though it’s on a Friday, I was thinking 11/1 would be the better option because it’s after Halloween. What do you think?
Definitely 11/1.
Def 11/1
Love your comments and helpful hints about the parties.
Prefer the Christmas over Halloween – especially if lucky enough to go on a “cool” evening and it “feels like” Christmas.
Have no trouble skipping the Candy lines but I am a sucker for the Christmas cookies! The candy usually gets trashed but I’ll eat cookies for days ….
WalMart usually has a nice selection of Halloween / Christmas T-shirts which I have worn as festive “costumes” – Pumpkin Donald loved my Jack O’Lantern t-shirt!
I usually spend most of the Party time in Character lines … my wife loves Flynn and Naveen so can easily be convinced to see them … and as long as she can get some food at Cosmic Rays and watch the fireworks she is tolerant ….
question: Should you try to make a dinner reservation in the park during the halloween party? We have tickets to go on Friday Sept 19, and I tentatively made a dining reservation in the crystal palace at 7:15. Should we spend time with this, or not waste precious time eating?
I would not waste the time, either do a quick service meal at like Casey’s or eat at your resort or Disney springs before the party, or since you can get in starting at 4 eat dinner earlier, the party starts at 7 but they allow entry on the party ticket at 4
I’ve been several times & I usually feel like there’s barely enough time to do everything. Even getting there at 4 pm….
It’s so much fun, so I really would not recommend dinner during the Party. Enjoy!!!
As I look at the schedule for October 2019 for Disney World, it does not appear that there are any MNSSHP on any Saturdays. Does that sound right? No Saturday parties? Do you think they might be planning to offer some other sort of after hours events on Saturdays then?
They never offer the party on Saturday in fact they rarely if ever offer a ticket event for Saturday that requires the park to close early, Saturday is the busiest day at the park every week
Does anyone know if you purchase a ticket ahead of time for a certain date but then later on wish to change the date is that possible?
Are the tickets for Disneyland’s MNSSHP already released and soldout? I do not see them listed under Special Event Tickets. I do see the new Oogie Boogie Bash available for purchase.
Thanks in advance
Tom released an article recently that said Mickeys party in Disneyland was being replaced by the Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure due to Star Wars Land.
Hi we were told that if you go to Disney World on Halloween that the very next day you will have Christmas decorations, that the park is turned over night. I’m reading now that there are Halloween activities still going on November 1st.
Who is right
After the last Halloween party (regardless of the date) the transformation begins in the Magic Kingdom. The other parks and resorts will probably already be starting Christmas on Nov 1. DisneyParksBlog in the past has shown time lapsed videos of MK be changed over at night by an army of cast members – a very impressive feat indeed!
On MNSSHP nights, do they have the usual Fireworks at 9 as well, or just the later ones at 10:15?
Just the MNSSHP fireworks.
First time last August. Going again this August. As dvc I was in at 2p.m. I use the people in character lines as a way to go on lots of attractions, some twice. Before the park closes I do the ones that are closed during the party. It rained half the time I read there but on the plus it wasn’t raining the other half. Loads of candy. I love the lighting… that’s my favourite. Though I’m not a parade person this one is a must. I do it in place of a park pass as Tom suggests.
We will be going this year, but to Disneyland California. We live in AZ and are frequent visitors to Disneyland with it so close (1 week per year). With that, this will be the first for us and the kids going during Halloween. 10/21 – 10/28.
I’ve been attending every year for the past few years & it has gotten more crowded every year. I love it & recommend it for going alone or with another person, but for whole families it’s debatable whether a whole family will get their $’s worth. I’ve avoided the parties prior to late Sept. because it’s still very hot before then (consider that!); but this year I’ll try Labor Day. Last year I had such a good time I went a second time, & I live in South Carolina! One more thing-I highly recommend just attending the Party on a given day. You’ll feel better about justifying the cost, and you’ll have more energy for it by 4-7 p.m.
I have noticed there is no mention of the Hocus Pocus show on this years page on the park website, or in their promotional video. I’m getting a bit concerned! That’s my favorite part of the party! Any word on if it’s been discontinued?? Thanks Tom!
Is there any Hocus Pocus stuff this year?
Wonderful article; So helpful! Though after reading it and some of the comments, I’m second guessing going. We are planning to go this year (Husband and I plus 4 year old son) but am trying to make sure it’s worth the price. What I’m most nervous about is my son not being able to stay up long enough . CUrrent bedtime/crash time is about 8:30. So, opinion: should we wait until another year?
My daughter is 11 & normally goes to bed early. It’s a struggle for her at the Parties. But she’s too old to nap in a stroller! It’s late for the young ones to get enough out of it for the cost. If just the two of you can go, then that is the way to go. It’s a great time! Prepare for crowds & to be hot! Hope that helps!
I would definitely wait. If you’re going again in a few years, I’d say you’ll get a lot more for the money then. As you know, staying up late one nite before they’re able to, will affect the day as far as recovering from the lost sleep. I waited till my son was 8 because he was an early to bed, and by then he could really appreciate everything and also, it was something different from the regular parks to enjoy together.
Thank you for the great tips. We are going to the first party in August. I already had my trip planned when I found the schedule so I hope that the crowds are manageable. This is our first time going to this party.
Are the tickets for Mickey’s NOT So Scary Halloween Party on Sale?
where can I get them? Please help. Thank you
What are the party crowds like on the party held Labor Day night? And will the characters sign autographs?
I went on Labor Day last year and it was practically empty! We had the opportunity to do a ton of stuff because there were minimal waits and clear pathways around the park.
I was also wondering this. We are planning on going 8/31 to 9/7 and I’ve been torn on if we should let the Labor day traffic/dust settle and opt for MNSSH party on Friday the 6th. BUT then Star Wars was announced today to be opening now that same weekend (soft openings 8/28) and it sort of changes everything… potentially. So instead of just worrying about a holiday crowd, there is a new attraction coming (to HS but could effect crowds of all 4 parks.) As far as the holiday itself and without considering Star Wars I’m finding this weekend to be “less crowded” based on what I’ve read. And then, the Disney Resort reservations agent I spoke to on the phone today said last year she went on Labor day and walked on Space Mtn practically six times in a row… So curious to hear Tom’s take on this. Love the blog and all the amazing and helpful info! Thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing that! So far, I’ve been in late Sept. twice and Oct. a couple of times, and it has been moderately busy. Now I know when I’m going this year!!
Hi Tom, have you done a report on the different back stage tours that are available. We are coming over in September for our 20th anniversary and would love to do the keys to the Kingdom, is it worth it?
We’ve been twice (2015/2018) and we’re going again this fall. I did notice it was busier last year but that may have been Friday verses Sunday crowds. We enjoy the performance and fireworks but the parade is our favorite! The “spooky” atmosphere combined with the special decorations and lighting gives it that Disney magic that make it worth the price for us. We don’t spend time on many characters but instead enjoy the rides–there’s nothing better than Space Mountain in total darkness!!! If you haven’t been and you enjoy all things Halloween–it’s a must!!
The Halloween party is our favorite and we too ride as many rides as possible. Some of the comments seem like they are letting more and more people in and the ride lines are long. Did you experience that? We are planning on going mid Oct on a sunday night.
We attended last year on October 14th and it was extremely crowded and the waits to meet with characters, get candy and ride rides were significantly longer than our other non-party Park days. The parade, fireworks show and Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular were great, but the hub was wall to wall people and you could barely move. Our family will not be attending again anytime soon.
What are the crowds like on Halloween? Is it worth it?
Halloween night will sell out first and will be the most crowded. The festive atmosphere will be at a peak though if you want to experience that. MK is usually the most crowded park on any holiday, Christmas Day – all day – can be crazy!
FAIR WARNING: It is no longer worth going to the Halloween. Party. We went in 2016 with our granddaughter, it was amazing and so worth it! The candy colleting was at each land entrance and lines kept moving it. We went mid October and no lines jumped on and off rides. We roded everything, got bags of candy, saw all the entertainment, got the snacks and special pins etc… Last year we took our 2 teen grandsons, we stood in 3 candy lines about 15 min each. Rode maybe 3 rides, the lines were 30-45 min each. We missed all the parades and shows because we were trying to let them ride, rides. They were sold out by 8pm of all the Halloween desserts because they started selling them at 5 not 7. They were sold out of all of the special merchandise “30yr anniversary” of Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas because they started the season so early. They were sold out by October 1.
We left by 10:30. They were so packed it was unreal. We won’t go back for another. I was thinking about trying another type of party but I doubt it after that.