Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2023 Prices, Dates & Details at Disney World!
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party returns to Magic Kingdom with dates starting in August 2023. Here’s a sneak peak at the entertainment lineup and details for the hard ticket event, plus our commentary about the likely popularity of MNSSHP after every single night sold out last year for the first time-ever.
This announcement about the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party’s came as part of the Disney Parks “Halfway to Halloween” wicked celebration that features “shriek peeks,” recipes for dreadfully delicious dishes from the parks, not-so-spooky tips, and other random stuff. Above all else, though, Halfway to Halloween is now when announcements are made about the start of the spook season at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and aboard Disney Cruise Line. That’s the main event, and everything else is a distraction.
To that end, we know now that the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will be the longest version of the event ever (truly historic news), held on select nights in Magic Kingdom from mid-August through the start of November 2023. Here are the official details with dates, ticket prices, and more–followed by our commentary about crowds, pricing, etc…
Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party may be purchased online or by calling 407-939-4240 by the general public beginning May 2, 2023. Guests of all Walt Disney World resorts and other select hotels (see below) can begin purchasing tickets as early as April 27, 2023. Ticket prices will range from $109 to $199.
2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party dates are as follows:
- August 11, 2023
- August 15, 2023
- August 18, 2023
- August 22, 2023
- August 25, 2023
- September 1, 2023
- September 4, 2023
- September 8, 2023
- September 10, 2023
- September 12, 2023
- September 15, 2023
- September 17, 2023
- September 19, 2023
- September 22, 2023
- September 24, 2023
- September 26, 2023
- September 28, 2023
- September 29, 2023
- October 1, 2023
- October 3, 2023
- October 5, 2023
- October 6, 2023
- October 9, 2023
- October 10, 2023
- October 12, 2023
- October 13, 2023
- October 15, 2023
- October 17, 2023
- October 19, 2023
- October 20, 2023
- October 22, 2023
- October 24, 2023
- October 26, 2023
- October 27, 2023
- October 29, 2023
- October 31, 2023
- November 1, 2023
Throughout the evening during the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you can:
- Set your sights on the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! Watch 3 sinister sisters bewitch and bedazzle the residents of Magic Kingdom park.
- Witness Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular—a wickedly wild fireworks display featuring some of your favorite Disney Characters and hosted by Jack Skellington from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Boogie down at the Disney Junior Jam at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café—featuring some favorite friends from Disney Junior shows. It’s perfect for young partygoers!
- See beloved Disney Characters during Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade.
- Collect a bag full of candy as you roam the trick-or-treat trails in search of some of your favorite sweets.
- Revel in the extraordinarily enchanting atmosphere of Magic Kingdom park during this limited-capacity event.
During Mickey’s Boo to You Parade, it’s good to be bad! Your favorite Disney villains are back to stride down Main Street, U.S.A., alongside Disney heroes, the iconic Haunted Mansion graveyard diggers and other favorite characters.
You may even spot some ghoulish new faces this year…
Jack-o-lanterns aren’t the only ‘Jack’ at Walt Disney World this Halloween!
The Pumpkin King, a.k.a. Jack Skellington, will once again host the must-see nighttime spectacular, “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular.” Featuring projections, special effects and lighting paired with fireworks, music and iconic Disney characters, you won’t want to miss this!
The Sanderson Sisters, stars of the iconic “Hocus Pocus” films, will unite for an adventure and call on their comrades to summon the ultimate “Hocus Pocus” Party Potion during the “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” stage show at Cinderella Castle.
In Frontierland, you can encounter the ghostly group known as the Cadaver Dans, a Dapper Dans-style quartet will have you howling in laughter to a bone-rattling bevy of tunes.
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 current list of attractions that will be open during the 2023 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. Stay tuned for more details!
Walt Disney World also notes that select attractions will have “spellbinding surprises,” which probably means Halloween overlays. Expect Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Space Mountain, and Mad Tea Party all to have such overlays, and possibly Pirates of the Caribbean.
Last year, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was held on 37 select nights August 12 through October 31. So this year starts one night earlier, ends one night later, and has 1 more event.
For those keeping score at home, these are all records. August 11 is the earliest the event has ever started (technically Boo Bash beats it with an August 10 start date) and November 1 is tied for the latest that MNSSHP has been held, tied with 2019.
Not that anyone cares, but we attended the last Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party of the year on November 1, 2019 back when we had the Halloween Party Pass for unlimited admission to MNSSHP. After leaving the park at about 1 am that night/morning, we were back at Magic Kingdom only a few hours later for the last day of Extra, Extra Magic Hours…and also the first day of Christmas.
We’ve all seen those time lapse videos of Magic Kingdom’s overnight transformation for the holidays, but its was nonetheless surreal going from Halloween one night, and returning only hours later to be greeted by Christmas decorations the following morning. Surreal, joyous, and bittersweet all at once, actually. That feels like a lifetime ago, but I digress…
As always, the 2023 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will take place from 7:00 pm until midnight. Ticket holders will be admitted to Magic Kingdom as early as 4:00 pm on the valid date of their ticket–giving them even 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.
Below is date-by-date pricing, along with other additional details about the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party that Walt Disney World has released:
Discounts – Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, valid for select event nights.
Purchase Tickets Soon – Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels can begin purchasing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets as early as April 27, 2023. All other Guests may purchase tickets beginning on May 2, 2023.
In addition to guests of all hotels that are Disney-owned, this advance purchase window is available to guests of:
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort
Tickets are limited and may not be available for purchase on the day of the event (or earlier).
If you still have questions about what the event does and does not include, when tickets go on sale, eligibility to purchase, crowds, and much more, see our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party FAQ.
We wrote that MNSSHP FAQ in response to the most common questions in the comments to last year’s version of this post. If you have a question, there’s a strong probability that FAQ answers it. (As soon as I’m done with the rest of the Halfway to Halloween news, I’ll be revising that with new questions from this post.)
One thing we do want to caution up front is that you should go in with realistic expectations about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party if you’ve never attended or haven’t done MNSSHP since 2016. In the last few years that the event has been held, its attendance levels have absolutely exploded. See Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Too Crowded? for a look at what we mean. Or for a more comprehensive analysis, see Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Still Worth It?
If past precedent is any indication, attendance caps for hard ticket events only increase and never decrease. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party have gotten progressively busier over the years (save for the off-season or anomalies like hurricane-induced cancellations). That’ll likely be true once again in 2023.
Turning to commentary, let’s turn to the hottest topic: pricing.
To our surprise, the price range for the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party are exactly the same as last year ($109 to $199). This comes as a shock because last year’s event was more popular than ever, with all dates selling out. That was the first time that had happened, and it occurred despite the steepest price increases for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on record.
Now in fairness, although the price range for the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is identical to last year, the average price has increased. That’s due to fewer of the lowest priced nights and tickets costing more in mid-September through mid-October 2023.
In effect, those of you who visit Walt Disney World during the second half of the Halloween season (save for October 31, as it’s the same price) will likely be paying more than last year. Nevertheless, we were bracing ourselves for significantly higher prices. (My prediction to a friend was that ticket prices would be about $20 higher than this, so I view this as good news. YMMV, though!)
To that point, the price range for last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was $109 to $199, but the average event cost about $145. In fact, only one date during the month of October–the heart of Halloween season–was at or below that price point. Every single date after October 4 last year cost $159 to $199.
The previous time Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was held, back in 2019, the price range for the party was $79 to $135. That’s right, the highest price that year (Halloween night) was lower than the average last year. And the average back in 2019 was also under $100, or less than the starting point of tickets last year.
All in all, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party ticket prices increased by about 50% last year with the highest hikes coming in late September through October. That didn’t seem to put a dent in demand as, again, tickets sold out faster than ever.
Given the degree of unsatisfied demand, it’s impossible to say how much higher Walt Disney World could’ve priced last year’s MNSSHP tickets. One thing we do know is that the price range ($149 to $199) and average were both higher for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party last year, and that also sold out every night.
However, MVMCP is always more expensive and more popular than MNSSHP. That’s in large part due to none of those party nights occurring during the true off-season (mid-August through September) and in part because Christmas is simply the more popular holiday, making it conducive to spendy events like this.
Regardless, it would seem that Walt Disney World does NOT think that it can push prices higher for the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Our guess is that this is not a charitable move on Disney’s part, but a realization that last year was an anomaly due to pent-up demand and MNSSHP being on hiatus for the 2 previous years. But who knows.
Which brings us to the next common question or concern among readers: when will tickets to the 2023 MNSSHP sell out?
The bottom line is that you do not need to worry about 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets selling out…yet. If you’re reading this when the announcement is first being made during Halfway to Halloween, you have nothing to worry about.
Even with last year setting the record for sold out dates, nothing was gone until June 30. That’s when Halloween night sold out. It wasn’t until July 28 that the next date sold out, and no other nights running out of tickets until August. That all happened earlier than normal, too.
In other words, the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is not going to sell out within days of tickets going on sale. That applies to both the presale window and the general public window. Honestly, our expectation is that 2023 tickets will sell significantly slower than last year.
To both of these points–about 2023 prices and tickets selling out–there are a lot of potential ways to explain why MNSSHP sold so well and quickly last year. Pent-up demand is a big one; both for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party as an event (that hadn’t been held since 2019!) and for Walt Disney World in general. Many fans had postponed fall trips for several years, dating back to 2019 when the feared “crowd-pocalypse” caused many visitors to delay trips until 2020…and then cancel again.
There was also stimulus money, higher household savings, and a renewed emphasis on traveling or making up for lost time. Another underappreciated factor is the lack of new Annual Pass sales at the time, which means some locals likely purchased MNSSHP to get their Walt Disney World fix. (That’s a big contributor to Oogie Boogie Bash’s popularity at Disneyland Resort.) The lack of new Annual Pass sales is in the process of being rectified, but it remains to be seen whether those will still be sold come the 2023 party season.
With that said, the popularity of last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party should not be minimized as a relic of its time frame or an anomaly. Those parties sold out despite more of them, a significantly higher capacity cap than Boo Bash, and substantial price increases relative to the last Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party before that. Substantial Cast Members had also been ubiquitous in prior years to drive attendance (the holiday parties are particularly popular with College Program participants) and that was not the case last year.
In other words, there are explanations for the popularity of last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party that may not apply in 2023. However, it would be foolish to forecast significantly lower sales as a result; there were many factors driving the popularity of MNSSHP last year, and at least some of those will once again be present in 2023.
The bottom line is that Walt Disney World likely feels emboldened to raise average prices for tickets to the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party as a result of last year’s demand while maintaining the same range. Even if internal attendance forecasts are soft for late this summer and fall (and they probably are based on what we’ve heard), the event will still likely maintain a high degree of popularity–at least from late September through all of October 2023.
On the one hand, last year’s event sold incredibly well even as there was a slowdown in late summer travel due to higher gas prices. On the other hand, this year is already proving very different from last; more resort discounts have already been released, and they’ve come earlier and been better than historical norms. If there are internal concerns about softer numbers do to fizzling pent-up demand, it would behoove Disney to move faster and lock-in MNSSHP ticket sales ASAP.
Ultimately, we’re incredibly excited about this news that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is back again for 2023. Like so many Walt Disney World fans, attending MNSSHP is a fall tradition for us, and we were really excited to have the event back last year. It was nice to once again see the Boo to You Parade and Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, even if that did come at a much steeper cost.
Our hopes for the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party are two-fold. First, that not as many dates sell out and that there are more manageable crowd levels and breathing room as a result. Second, that more of the entertainment and character meet & greets are restored, and at least a few new things are added to the event roster this year. (Which, in theory, would also help with the first point.)
If you’re already planning ahead and thinking about when to do the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, your best bet from a low crowds perspective is attending on a Tuesday night. If you’re a local with even more flexible dates, attending one of the earlier events in August through mid-September (but not the very first night–that’s the “blogger bash” that’s attended by sites like this, vloggers, influencers, and every other diehard local who wants to be first, which is why it’s more expensive than the following nights) is your best bet for avoiding the crowds. Of course, that assumes not every date will sell out; if last year was any indication, that might be an overly bold assumption.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your thoughts about all of this? Excited for the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? Will your family be buying or sitting this Halloween event out? What are your thoughts on ticket prices, demand, crowd levels, or the likelihood of the 2023 MNSSHP selling out to the same extent as last year? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Would Sept. 4th or 8th be better for lesser crowds in your opinion?
I’m wondering the same thing (sort of). Which is the best – the Monday the 4th, Friday the 8th, or Sunday the 10th. I’m leaning towards Friday but afraid of the locals increasing the crowd level. But then I see Disney has it the same price, so they must not be expecting a higher crowd level or they’d be charging more. Maybe because it’s so early in September it won’t be as bad, especially coming right after a three-day holiday weekend the locals will be recovering from.
Do you need two tickets if you want to go to MK before 4 and to stay for the Halloween party?
Ann, the answer is Yes.
Do you think it will be busier to go on October 31st or November 1st? We are trying to decide which day to go and would like the least busy day.
October 31 will definitely, without a doubt, sell out.
November 1 probably will, but is less of a sure thing.
Yikes! I really don’t think I can justify paying >$150 a ticket for my family of 5. We are going 1st week of October. My question to you is, will we be disappointed going in the Fall and not doing the party? I’m wondering if I should reschedule our trip for our typical spring time dates. Thank you! Love following you guys!
Although MNSSHP is pretty much the extent of Halloween at Walt Disney World, I still think that’s a fun time to visit. You also have Food & Wine at EPCOT, and can still see the party fireworks (if you so desire) from outside the park.
The only other things to consider are getting Park Hopper tickets (to do Magic Kingdom on days of MNSSHP for lower crowds) and Happily Ever After (which will have much worse crowds since it’ll only be a few nights per week).
Amber, I would ask what your family is hoping to get out of the party. Meet & Greets have huge lines that extend past 60 minutes, so I would not plan to do more than one or two key characters if that is your goal. If it’s the entertainment, again, you lose some party time to parking in a “good” spot and waiting before the show starts. If it’s for short ride lines, look to see if there are other options like Early Entry. Sorry to be negative, but with my family of six, I cannot imagine the price being worthwhile.
Except. If you have great costumes for people who are older than 13 (meaning, Halloween parties are the only way they can enter the park in costumes) who are desperate for an in-park photo op, *maybe* it’s worth it. I have a friend who wants to make an Oogie Boogie costume, so waiting 2.5 hours in line to get a photo with Jack & Sally and her own photos outside Haunted Mansion would be worth it to her, paying just for herself. Maybe you guys are all going as the Fab Five and want a castle pic.
Just think of all the other ways you can spend $750 at WDW making magic.
Are the firework’s different and can you get a good view from outside the park if you don’t have tickets to the party event ?
Yes, they’re different but the show still has castle projections so any where you can see HEA outside of the park would be a suitable location to watch the Halloween fireworks
Thoughts on the Labor Day party in terms of crowd levels? It’s the only opportunity we have for our trip dates (3-8 of September.)
Labor Day is not bad crowd-wise, at least by holiday standards. I would not hesitate to visit then–September as a whole is a great month in terms of wait times. Weather, on the other hand…
Will the HEA fireworks run before MNSSHP?
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Unfortunately no, there’s a party-specific fireworks show with castle projections. My husband loves it but I prefer HEA.
Kelly,
Thanks! I too prefer HEA.
Thanks for the info! I love your blogs and find your predictions to be pretty spot on most of the time. And when they aren’t- you’re the first to call it. I appreciate the time you put into these. Thank you!
What firework show is shown at the MNSSHP?
I believe there is a special parade too?
Not So Spooky Spectacular, I believe it’s called; the parade is just Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parade.
How do you get the DVC discount? Does it apply automatically if logged in or is there a code?
August 11th, lol………………
Possible unpopular opinion:
I think it’s way to early to start in August. Personally I think they should wait until at least after Labor Day, and ideally not until actual “fall” around Sept. 20-21. I know it’s all because of demand, but maybe there could be a different incentive? A summer party? Why not have a “beach party” during June-August? Just my $.02
While I agree with you, I also can see the other side; Harvest Season seems to be the broader term and I’ve noticed that it’s acceptable for that to begin mid-August. From a retail and marketing perspective, I get it; especially if people getting their last vacations in before back to school can get a taste of Disney Halloween magic at a hefty price. 🙂
I agree that a summer party would be great for June through August, but no matter what the theme, it’s not going to hold as much appeal as the Halloween or Christmas parties. Demand is just way too high to justify shortening the schedule for this. And if they did, prices would shoot up (just like they’re higher for MVMCP because there are fewer possible dates for that).
Maybe what WDW really needs to do is start the Halloween parties in July and end them in September, then do MVMCP from October through January. Sound like a good plan?! 😉
Hi Tom! We’re going to be there 10/3-10/9. Do you think doing MNNSHP on 10/5 or 10/6 would be better for crowd control aka less people? Thanks so much, as always, for your update and blog!
Both dates will probably sell out and have more or less the same crowd levels as a result, but of the two, 10/5 is less likely to sell out.
Hard to swallow the prices for this event for my family of 6 for the last week of October. I can’t justify paying almost $1,200 for a single night event. I really want to see the parade in person, but it will have to wait for a year when we go in August, and perhaps with not the whole family as well.
Do you know if HEA fireworks will go off on MNSSHP party nights?
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No, HEA only happens on non party nights, making Wednesdays and Saturdays completely insane in Magic kingdom.
Larissa,
Thank you! Not the news I wanted but I get it. The party starts pretty early for fireworks.
If you are active duty, retired, or a dependent of an active duty or retired military member with a valid military ID card, please keep checking the Shades of Green website or your base’s IT office for prices and availability of MNSSHP tickets at a discounted price. Shades of Green will get the tickets first. You can order from them by downloading a ticket request form, then emailing the form to them. Just be patient since they don’t always have them to sell the same day as Disney does. But the discount is worth the wait.
Do you know if veterans are eligible? Also approximately how much has the discount been in the past? Debating between waiting for this or using DVC discount to purchase.
Regarding the questions about veterans using Shades of Green and getting a discount, I believe you have to have a disability rating if you are not retired. About 3 years ago, non-retiree vets with a disability rating were granted access to the Exchange, Commissary, and to MWR, I believe.
Veteran’s don’t get the discount. You must have a military ID card. The discount amount varies. Last year it was the smallest I’ve seen, at $3-5 dollars (depending on date). But that’s deceptive if (and only if) you buy the tickets via Shades of Green or your base’s IT office, because you’ll be required to pay sales tax buying it from Disney. Military installations (which includes Shades of Green) do not charge sales tax. That alone will save $8-13 on top of the discount of the ticket.
Hi, we are hoping to attend the event in October would you say Halloween is the busiest night please? Also can you go trick or treating in the park collecting the sweets on any of the dates specified or only on Halloween night please? Thanks Sarah x
hi Sarah, Trick or treat every MNSSHP night.
Hi Tom! Do you know if hotels as the Drury inn wich is partner of disney has the possibility to the presale of the Tickets for MNSSHP?
Thanks as always for the heads up. Now it’s which Tuesday? I suppose earlier than later in case it”s going to be a rainy night and we can switch. Last year we were able to ride Splash Mountain back to back without leaving our seats because it was 20 minutes before the first parade started. Could have done it a third time but wanted to catch the parade. Love MNSSHP!!!
I would love to do the party but it always starts so late and I have two younger kids. What time do they start this year?
7pm. With park access starting at 4pm.