2018 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Report & Photos
Last week, we headed to Magic Kingdom to attend the second Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party of 2018. This post features our impressions of Walt Disney World’s “fall” hard ticket event, photos, and other thoughts on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP).
The MNSSHP we attended was incredibly busy, which makes complete sense given that August is the heart of spooky season. I know nothing makes me want to don a thick costume, elaborate hat, and face paint like the prospect of August humidity in Florida. On the plus side, Halloween is probably the sole buttress preventing ‘Christmas in July’ from becoming an earnest thing at Walt Disney World, so I retract my tongue-in-cheek criticism.
The crowds at this MNSSHP were quite a change of pace as compared to the September parties we’ve done the last couple of years. As such, we’re going to take a renewed look at whether Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is worth the money when the event is that crowded.
Think of this as a trip report…but exclusively for the Halloween Party. We’re still in Florida and will have similar topical recaps and reports from Walt Disney World in the coming weeks. If you’re looking for step-by-step strategy for the event, consult our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tips post instead.
Also, if you’re looking for the more interesting portion of this post, consider skipping directly to page 2 where our analysis comes into play. This first page is mostly photos and a play-by-play of what Sarah and I did during the party. I’ll try to come up with some witty photo captions, but my version of “witty” plays fast and loose with the term, so no promises.
After checking into MNSSHP around 4 p.m. in Tomorrowland, we did a couple loops on the PeopleMover before focusing on the important stuff: food. Sarah and I were also joined around this time by blog-less Disney blogger Mark Willard, who has made past appearances on the blog and is best known for attending ~27 parties per year dressed as Captain America.
If you saw our 2018 Halloween Snacks Guide to Magic Kingdom post, you’ve already read about our top priority for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. No joke. As much as we bellyache about the ‘upcharge within upcharge’ dessert parties at these events, we dropped about a dessert party’s worth of money on special food during the event.
On the plus side, can you really put a price tag on the prestige that comes with being the first person of the night to order the Muenster Smash Burger at Cosmic Ray’s?!
Our next-highest priority for this Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was meeting “Elvis Stitch.” I had looked at wait time reports on Twitter to get an indication of his popularity during the first MNSSHP, and it seemed pretty low.
Accordingly, I figured we could eat first, then line up for him just before 7 p.m. That turned out to be a terrible idea, as his line was already quoted as being 90 minutes long. Unfortunately, by the time we returned just after 11:30 p.m., his line had already been cut.
After that, we spent a lot of time wandering around, checking out wait times for meet & greets, seeing what was busy and what wasn’t, and creeping on dance parties.
Not exactly exciting stuff, but it’s important for us to keep apprised of this sort of stuff for posts about MNSSHP strategy.
At some point during this, I got distracted by the sunset, and instead focused my energies on that.
It was stunning, with epic Florida storm clouds lighting up perfectly. Of course, this also meant that rain was on the way, but a fair tradeoff for some beautiful light.
I have a ton more unedited sunrise, night, parade, and fireworks photos that I’ll sprinkle in other posts between now and Halloween. As mentioned above, we’re still traveling and I didn’t want to spend an inordinate amount of time on this post that’s better spent watching Country Bear Jamboree.
It rained for a bit after sunset, so we bailed on getting spots for the first Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular and instead wandered around more. We were going to do Pirates of the Caribbean, but the line was out the entrance, so we opted to check back later.
Instead, we spent time in Frontierland listening to the Cadaver Dans, watching Brer Bear roam around and mess with guests, and trying more food.
After that, we grabbed spots in Town Square for the first Boo to You parade. The crowd here was not bad, especially as compared to Main Street and the hub, which were both several rows deep at that point. While Sarah held down our spots, I wandered Town Square and took some photos of the pumpkin citizens.
Our itinerary for the later portion of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party went pretty much as normal: Boo to You, HalloWishes fireworks, Hocus Pocus, and Boo to You all back to back. Here are some photos in no particular order:
I like the spot directly in front of Cinderella Castle, but the lighting is poor and this area gets really crowded. It’s also a tough angle if you’re using anything except an ultra wide angle lens to photograph it.
Basically, I don’t recommend this spot.
Some minor tweaks to Boo to You this year, most of which I don’t think are too noticeable.
I do like Clarabelle’s new dress. A good fit for this unit of the parade.
Dramatic lighting for a larger than life rockstar.
I would say the entire Boo to You parade should be replaced with Country Bears floats, but I don’t want to have to camp out 4 hours just for a decent view of that epic parade.
Normally, getting clubbed upside the head with a mop by a man in a puffy shirt and pirate bandana is a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party upcharge offering, but I lucked out and received this magical moment free of charge.
Since this is the internet and even blatant sarcasm often goes undetected–and that Cast Member’s face is clearly identifiable–I want to be clear: no heads were actually clubbed with a mop in the making of this photo.
Bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwwwwwwaaaaaak. Bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwak bwwwwwwaaaaaak.
Now you’ll have that stuck in your head for the rest of your day, too. You’re welcome.
Now I know what Delacroix meant when he said, “the artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.” While my chef-d’Å“uvre is poorly composed and out of focus, let’s just call that artistic expression rather than technical imperfections.
Generations from now, I foresee art students spending an entire semester unpacking the deep metaphors and social commentary of Shaker shaking a wooden spoon in this photo. Is this critique of late capitalism? Does he symbolize the average millennial’s never-ending quest to spoon things to death? Or, perhaps, there is no spoon. You be the judge.
As always, photographing Boo to You is about the most humbling experience a photographer can have. I’ve been shooting this parade annually for a decade, upgrading my camera gear during that time, and my keeper rate is still around 5% at best.
This parade remains the most challenging Disney photography scenario, and is fun but frustrating.
It’s also one of the rare situations where gear really does make a difference in getting the shot. Improvements in autofocus accuracy and speed have made it easier to shoot, but that’s relative.
You’re still going to walk away with mostly out-of-focus garbage. And even when you do nail a shot, there’s a good chance that a performer will be blinking or have their back turned to you. (Meanwhile, all of your out of focus or poorly composed shots will feature performers hamming it up for the camera or with the perfect poses. Happens every time.)
After the second Boo to You, we rushed over to Tomorrowland hoping to catch Elvis Stitch. When that failed, we lined up for Lotso, whose wait was under 10 minutes at that point.
It was over an hour earlier in the night, so this worked out well. It had been ~5 years since our last encounter with him, and Sarah wanted a new photo.
The final Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular starts at midnight, which gives you a “bonus” 20 minutes at the end of the party. This is a nice way to extend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, but even this final showing is crowded.
Even with this extra time, there’s so much we didn’t have a chance to do: PhotoPass exclusive special shots, attraction overlays, dance parties, and the vast majority of character meet & greets.
We could’ve accomplished a few of these things had we skipped one of the parades or Hocus Pocus shows, but not all of it. That would’ve allowed us to meet 3-4 additional characters, but not headliners like Jack & Sally or Seven Dwarfs. Plus, given that those are among our favorite Walt Disney World entertainment offerings of the entire year, skipping one of the Boo to You parades or Hocus Pocus was a non-starter. Your mileage may vary.
After the final Hocus Pocus, we lingered around Liberty Square and Main Street for as long as possible. Magic Kingdom was still pretty busy until about 12:45 a.m. With a slow trickle of guests still exiting meet & greets long after the party ended, security is in no rush to push people towards the exit.
We were the last guests out and I managed to capture the above photo of Main Street with no one in it (well, almost no one). For me, this “bonus” hour-plus is as much a chance to capture photos with unique lighting as it is a chance to embrace the ominous party ambiance.
I love the background music, fog effects, lighting, and Magic Kingdom’s dramatically different of a vibe. As someone who likes the experience of “being there” as much as any of the substantive offerings of the theme parks, this is my favorite part of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Again, your mileage may vary.
WE’LL COVER WHETHER MICKEY’S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY IS STILL WORTH THE MONEY, AND MY OVERALL FEELINGS ABOUT THIS YEAR’S MNSSHP ON PAGE 2…
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IMPORTANT QUESTION!
If we go to the Party at 4 (Sept. 11th, gonna still be ridiculous hot)-will the candy melt? Seiously! Any suggestions?
Candy doesn’t start being given out (after the initial bags in the “line up” when you first go in, until 7. Definitely cool enough in the evening. Take a separate bag to fill up.
I’m also getting worried. First time on MNSSHP, taking my 5 year old daughter who is hoping to meet Jack and Sally more than anything. Reading these posts I guess I’ll have to lower her expectations (and mine).
I know there are plenty of ways to decrease the cost of a day at Disney, but a single day MK ticket with tax is going to cost upward of $125 in August. If you take advantage of the 4 p.m. entry, you get eight hours inside for $85… A bargain WITHOUT the special theming. I think a lot of folks have recognized this, and that’s what’s behind the crowds.
I’m going tonight for the first time. Are you saying they will let us in at 4pm? (Instead of 5)
We went to the second party last year and the first this year. I think the biggest problem this year was large crowds and outrageous heat. It’s such a large expense to stand around and wait. I stayed for the midnight showing of Hocus Pocus and I felt trapped in the crowd there were so many people. I would’ve liked to stay and shop or take pics but it was still so crowded we left with our two little ones and then had to wait an hour for a bus.
MY REVIEW of AUGUST 28th PARTY!
We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and after attending the Christmas party the last three years (always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) we decided to take our kids (11 and 5) to the Halloween party instead.
Well we checked into the WL and get all set, down to the pool at about 1pm and as we put our stuff down they literally call the “OUT OF THE POOL” weather warning!
THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SIGN.
Its 95 degrees, sunny and a travel day. I just wanted to cool off. I understand why they have to do it because of lightning but it still is frustrating. But hey it’s the “happiest place on earth” so we make the best of it.
So we head up to the room to get ready to grab a boat (the whole reason we stayed this close) to the MK so we can make the 4pm entry time. I’m lying on the bed waiting for the wife to finish up the makeup and boom it’s raining like we need an ark outside! Ugh #1!
But we knew what we were getting into this time of year so I head to the luggage to get the rain gear (ponchos). Mine … CHECK. Wife … CHECK. Son’s … CHECK. 5 year old daughter … Nope. We grabbed a hair cutting gown instead of her poncho! Ugh #2!
My wife (being the best mother in the world) goes to work on it MacGyver style. She somehow makes a rain poncho out of this gown and my son gives up his baseball cap from his referee costume and my ballerina now is sporting a baseball cap to stay dry.
We head down to boat, and my fears come true. They aren’t running the boats because of weather! Ugh #3!
So we head over the bus stop. Disney not expecting this isn’t running buses here fast enough and we get caught in a huge line. Our 4pm park arrival time is now shot! Ugh #4!
We finally make the MK at about 5pm and it’s still pouring. Oh well, my kids are really making the best of it and not one peep of complaining. Wow (I might take away and Ugh at his point!)
We get our candy bags and they funnel us right to Tomorrowland so we hit the Laugh Floor (small wait), Carousel of Progress (no wait), Buzz (short wait) and then the People Mover (short wait) all to stay out of the rain (Space Mountain is closed and we get to see all the tracks with the lights on while they fix it which was kind of cool). By now the Trick or Treat stations open and they are packed. I’m actually surprised how crowded the party is considering the rain.
By time we head out of Tomorrowland the rain is waning and my kids are still happy. We skip the early parade and hit up all the rides working our way counter clock wise across the park.
The Haunted Mansion was cool (with the barkers out front) and Pirates is cool with the actors on the ride!
We do catch the late parade from Frontier land and finish the night with a backpack full of candy (I think it weighs more than my 5 year old daughter at his point)!
All and all it turns out of be a great night that started bad but ended well!
I will say this. I’d rather pull my kids out of school for a few days and visit in October when the oppressive heat and rain are gone if we ever do the Halloween party again!
We were there that night too, but we had made a day of the park. We were really hoping the rain/threat of rain would keep some people from attending, but found it just as packed as a Sept/ early Oct party. Plus miserable rain and heat. Luckily, a lot of the rides that had closed early during regular hours were open once the rain slowed down and we were able to get on them. Overall, I wish we had just waited until 4pm to go to the park, but that wasn’t something that could have been predicted first thing in the morning.
I attended the August 28 Halloween party, on a Tuesday night. It definitely felt more crowded and busier than the Tuesday night we went in mid October of 2017. Even the rain didn’t keep people away. Schools are still out for much of the US. Also, we noticed a lot of British accents. Plus, it’s cheaper. Having said that, we still had a good time. We’re all about the rides so we skipped the characters and the parades and shows. Our longest wait for a ride was 30 minutes all night. After the fireworks the park really cleared out and we got to walk on several rides, get in candy lines and I was even the last person in line to meet Ariel and Prince Eric. With no wait. You just need to pick what’s important to you, and focus on that.
I am really hoping that the party we go to in late October isn’t as crowded. I’m counting on kids/parents being home for school.
My first party EVER is Halloween night. I’m nervous (about the crowds) but through reading this and doing other research online I’ve created somewhat of a plan and I feel more prepared. Biggest thing to keep in mind: Lower your expectations. Basically, as any time at Disney, your group is not the only ones there (wanting to have a happy Halloween).
Ours too!! I specifically wanted to take out daughter on Halloween so she could trick or treat there! Our fastpass for Haunted Mansion is literally right before party time, so we just want to enjoy the shows and parade ( plus, I’ll need some villian swag !). Good attitude to have!
Tom, my hubby loves your photos- keep posting them! Absolutely fabulous.
Our 1st Party will also fall on Halloween. I’ve read lots of reviews and they all seem to say the same thing, have a plan, work your plan. You won’t do it all but if we hit a few rides and get a few character photos, I’ll consider it a success. Food and treats not so much a big deal for us.
Looking for a parade spot or show spot too. That will be success.
From a long time park visitor, first time Event participant.
dd
I cannot tell you how much I enjoy and appreciate your posts! You are Sarah are magical in every sense of the word! Now for the questions: It sounds like you are planning on updating some more. I’m anxious to know whether you rode any of the rides w/ special overlays and, if so, how the wait times were. I don’t care about the Tea Party, but I’m excited to experience Space Mountain and Pirates. Also, how were the lines at the Haunted Mansion? As always, a big THANK YOU to both of you!
We found the lines at Space Mountain and Pirates not too bad at MNSSHP. We rode Space Mountain a couple of times but the with the ride posted as closed at the beginning of the party by the time our family made it over there to ride we waited around 30 minutes to ride. We hit Pirates after the 2nd Boo Parade and walked right on the ride! We skipped the Haunted Mansion as we rode it earlier in the evening before the party officially we passed the area multiple times during the evening and posted wait times were around an hour with the lines extending way past the gated entrance to the queue lines.
We found the lines at Space Mountain and Pirates not too bad at MNSSHP. We rode Space Mountain a couple of times but the with the ride posted as closed at the beginning of the party by the time our family made it over there to ride we waited around 30 minutes to ride. We hit Pirates after the 2nd Boo Parade and walked right on the ride! We skipped the Haunted Mansion as we rode it earlier in the evening before the party officially we passed the area multiple times during the evening and posted wait times were around an hour with the lines extending way past the gated entrance to the queue lines.
Do you believe wdw will have an early start to Halloween in coming years?
If Disney can make money on something, they will do it. So Halloween will start at the beginning of August next year.
sarah where did you get your costume ? great info going in Oct.!!
thx .
we were at the August 24th party this year. (last one was years ago, and also in August, or early Sept.) it was definitely more crowded than our first visit. Lines for characters were long enough, we skipped pretty much all of them. Only waiting for the photo pass opportunities near the haunted mansion. those were worth the wait. the most annoying thing, Space Mountain was down for well over an hour, and since this was one of the “modified” rides, we hung around waiting for it to come back up. then when we finally got through that long line for that, once it was running, we get to the haunted house to find out, it was having technical difficulties and wasn’t running. they had a meet and greet with a ghost instead, but when we went to go meet her, she left, and they reopened the ride. so now the ride line is running at least a 30 minute wait. we ended up not going on, pirates later in the evening shortened nicely, and my daughter was able to ride and interact with the characters there multiple times, which she loved. overall, we had fun, but we felt we couldn’t get as much stuff packed in, as we had in the past. would we do it again? maybe.
We are returning in early October for our second party. As a family that *GASP* does not care about meeting characters, we find plenty of value in the atmosphere and my 6 year old values the candy. LOL. It is so fun to dress up and enjoy the park with other festive folks. I will remind myself of this if lines are outlandish. 🙂
This is all very distressing to hear. Attending with my family to commemorate a very special event for us on 10/30. We most certainly expected it to be packed but the post makes it sound almost unbearable. Praying that we are able to actually enjoy our attendance. I’ve put a ton of time into planning our trip for my family and would hate for it to be a bust.
You might have decent luck if you go on 10/30 since it’s a weeknight. I would think the larger crowds during the school year will be on the weekends and Halloween night. But maybe I am wrong.
Let’s hope I am not…
I went 2 years ago on 10/30… *sigh* I definitely thought it was too busy. I hope you have a better time. I wish Disney would really make it more special by cutting the number of passes sold.
Why such long lines for characters, you ask? [Begin curmudgeon-y voice] these days them young-uns have to have their instagram and snapchat photos. I imagine the crowds are also enhanced because it is still summer break for a lot of schools and colleges, and for the locals, there are cheaper tickets in August compared to October.
Man, missing Elvis Stitch is disappointing. He’s my #1 character meet and greet for MNSSHP. Hopefully Sept 11th will have shorter lines for him. If not, I’ll still enjoy the hell out of the party.
Your suggestions and warnings in case the party’s a sell out when I go are great and greatly appreciated. This is my first visit to the parks since 1993 and your plans, and tips have been a great help getting ready for my wife and I’s trip.
That’s when I am going sept 11
Please let us know if it was super packed or ok, going on the 18th 🙂
It was far busier than a Sunday night party in October 2016 when we last went. Impossible for meets when your kid wanted to trick or treat and see the major shows/parades. We had to do fri the 24th as it was our last day there and the first party I knew would be awful busy. Hoping for others the crowd thins as even trick or treating hadlonger lines and we ended up with less candy than previous parties but there were more stops that were far too time consuming to do again!
Thanks for the post. We’re going in October and I’m taking friends who’ve never been to MNSSHP – hoping it will be a good experience for them. By any chance do you have a map of where the various characters will be for meet & greets?
Of you sign up for http://www.characterlocator.com
It will give you location and times of all characters for this event and daily for all the parks and even curtent wait times. We found it to be a life saver for meet and greets.
It costs money, but it was well worth it, in my opinion. My daughter wanted to get all kinds of signatures this year, so it was used daily.
My sons were there on the 24th–WDW vets of 35 years and local. They said, “Never again!” Unbelievable crowds. They do HHN all of September and love it.
Thank you for the report! I must say I’m really starting to worry I’ve made a terrible decision though reading all these reports about crowd levels. I am taking my children for their first Disney trip ever this October and I’ve already bought tickets for the party. I’m starting to regret dropping that much money for something they’re not going to get much out of. I expected crowds because it was October but now I’m even more concerned. Fingers crossed!
I feel the same. This party has been on my wish list for years, but if it’s THAT crowded in August… doesn’t sound appealing at all! I hope Disney figures out a solution for future years.
P.S. For those whose greatest desire is to meet Jack and Sally, I would suggest Disney Cruise – Halloween on the High Seas! The wait wouldn’t be nearly as long 🙂
I am going next week and also getting worried about it.
I have wanted to do this for ages, but everyone that I have heard from says that the crowds & lines are much worse than they have been in the past.
The first party was sold out & a lot of reports indicated that Disney has probably increased the number of tickets sold for a given party.
As always the only way anything will change is if people stop going or they get a TON of complaints.
I doubt either of those things is going to happen – so I am trying to reduce my expectations and find some things to ‘cut’ from my plan.
I took my children ages 13 and 15 to the opening night of this year. My daughter informed me that it was sold out. The crowds were heavy, but we focused on trick or treating, the shows, fireworks and parade. We got some signatures but only if the line was short. We had already covered the rides earlier in the week. We did thunder mountain, splash mountain at night, seven dwarfs with fast pass prior to the event. We also did barn stormer and my husband and son did buzzlightyear. Not many but we where there mostly for the entertainment. If there is a special character meet you want to do, I would suggest lining up by 6:30 at the latest. I think the queen of hearts was an hour wait already by 7 pm….we skipped a few due to the fact we didn’t want to spend all our time in line!!!
Did you get much candy trick or treating? I’m going for the first time in September 🙂
I just want to say that I always look forward to your outstanding photos. Thank you for sharing them along with your insights and experiences.