Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Returns for 2022!
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party returns to Magic Kingdom beginning in August 2022. This post takes a sneak peak at the entertainment lineup and dates for the hard ticket event, plus our commentary, including why Walt Disney World is retiring After Hours Boo Bash and bring back the fan favorite MNSSHP. (Updated April 29, 2022.)
This announcement of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party’s triumphant return occurred as part of the Disney Parks “Halfway to Halloween” wicked celebration that features special announcements, a few “shriek peeks,” recipes for dreadfully delicious dishes from the parks, not-so-spooky tips, and about a million notifications on my phone during the live tweeting of a Hocus Pocus virtual watch party.
Before we dig into the details, let’s start with the basics. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will be held on select nights in Magic Kingdom from mid-August through the end of October 2022. This is the first time that fan-favorite MNSSHP will be held since 2019. Here’s the full text of the announcement from Walt Disney World, followed by our commentary…
This fall, ghosts and ghouls of all ages are invited to don their favorite costumes and celebrate all things haunted during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Taking place on 37 select nights August 12, 2022 through October 31, 2022, this special event haunts Magic Kingdom after normal park operating hours from 7 p.m. to midnight.
As a part of this limited-capacity event, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party attendees will encounter event-exclusive entertainment, notorious Disney villains, frightfully delicious menu items and more!
Here’s some of what’s in store at the 2022 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:
- The Headless Horseman will ride his ghostly steed down Main Street, U.S.A. as a prelude to Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade, which features floats filled with Disney Characters dressed in their Halloween best, Disney villains and the Haunted Mansion graveyard diggers.
- Collect a bag full of candy as you roam the trick-or-treat trails in search of some of your favorite sweets from Mars Wrigley brands. (Special allergy-friendly options are available, too.)
- Join the Sanderson Sisters during the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular stage show at Cinderella Castle as they call upon their frightening colleagues to conjure the ultimate “Hocus Pocus” Party Potion.
- Celebrate the season alongside favorite Disney characters as they take over the park for their favorite party of the year.
- Overlays themed for the occasion will return to several popular Magic Kingdom attractions: Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party, Pirates of the Caribbean and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.
- Boogie down at the Disney Junior Jam at Storybook Circus—featuring some favorite friends from Disney Junior shows. It’s perfect for young partygoers.
- The Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington, will host “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular.” This can’t-miss nighttime extravaganza features projections, special effects and lighting mixed with fireworks, music and Disney characters.
- Discover sweet and savory menu items inspired by fall flavors and the Halloween season.
New additions to commemorate the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary, the World’s Most Magical Celebration include:
- New 3D photo backdrops throughout Magic Kingdom that you can step-into for a picture-perfect three-dimensional photo effect.
- A reusable treat bag that you can fill with candy and take home—featuring a design inspired by Halloween and the 50th Anniversary celebration
- A commemorative print to take home—a keepsake themed to Halloween and the 50th Anniversary celebration
Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party may be purchased online or by calling 407-939-4240 beginning May 18, 2022. Guests of all Walt Disney World resorts and other select hotels (see below) can begin purchasing tickets as early as May 12, 2022. Ticket prices will range from $109 – $199. The event dates are:
- August 2022: 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30
- September 2022: 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30
- October 2022: 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will take place from 7:00 PM to midnight. Ticket holders will be admitted to Magic Kingdom park 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 2022 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party that Walt Disney World has released since we first published this:
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 hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort can begin purchasing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets as early as May 12, 2022. The advance purchase window is available to guests of ALL Disney-owned resort hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin (including Swan Reserve), as well as Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort. All other guests may purchase tickets beginning on May 18, 2022.
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 2022 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party FAQ.
We wrote that MNSSHP FAQ 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.
So there you have it: the full Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party returns for 2022, with pretty much all of the entertainment from the last time it ran in 2019.
Despite featuring a parade, stage show, and event-exclusive fireworks, the 2022 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will have a starting price that’s $20 lower than Disney After Hours Boo Bash. Does this all sound a little too good to be true? Wondering what gives? Here’s our best effort at an explanation…
As for why Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is returning, there are several reasons. One is undoubtedly guest satisfaction. Although there have been complaints about it in more recent years (we’ll get to those below), MNSSHP is a fan favorite. Bringing it back is a huge win for Walt Disney World at a time when the place could really use a W.
For its part, Boo Bash was reasonably well-received by those who attended, but also garnered a lot of criticism. For one, there was the threshold matter of cost, as it was priced as an After Hours event ($129 to $199). For another, Boo Bash was a non-starter for many parents with small children due to its later hours and shorter runtime.
Despite the lower ticket price and added entertainment, I pretty am confident that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is more lucrative for Disney than the After Hours events. You may think that’s some “fuzzy math” on my part, but it’s pretty easily explained.
In the past, Walt Disney World has capped capacity at a significantly lower level for the After Hours events than for the Halloween and Christmas parties. We’re talking less than half. Part of this is that there’s more to absorb crowds during MNSSHP–everything from entertainment to attraction overlays.
There’s also the reality that there are usually far more MNSSHP nights. In an average recent year, there have been around 33-36 Halloween Parties. For 2022, that number is a record 37 event dates.
After Hours usually has far fewer dates per “season,” which is reflective of lower demand. To that point, Disney After Hours Boo Bash had only 23 nights last fall.
Some quick back-of-the-envelope math should thus make pretty clear that Disney After Hours Boo Bash will generate far less revenue for Walt Disney World than Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Even assuming higher costs for the latter (due to labor for more entertainment), After Hours is still significantly less profitable. It’s not even close.
It should go without saying, but cost to the consumer is not the only relevant factor in revenue and profits. If it were, Club 33 memberships and VIP tours would be more lucrative than single day tickets for Walt Disney World. In reality, the latter is significant and the former are a drop in the bucket.
If all of this is true, why did Walt Disney World hold Boo Bash last year instead of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? While the assumption was that it was because of health safety protocol and modifications, that’s not fully accurate. While it is true that entertainment had not (and still has not) fully returned, Walt Disney World could’ve put on a parade, stage show, and fireworks by last October–they did for the Christmas After Hours event!
The real, primary issue was the World’s Most Magical Celebration. Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration kicked off last year on October 1 and much of that centered around Magic Kingdom, which also hosts these Halloween events.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party requires closing Magic Kingdom at 7 pm on 3-4 nights per week. Even in a normal year, this creates a logistical nightmare. That early closing is enough to push crowds away from Magic Kingdom on those dates–and to Magic Kingdom on non-party nights. Suffice to say, that event artificially manipulates attendance patterns to an extreme and almost unmanageable degree.
In fact, our October Crowd Calendar for Walt Disney World explains why you should do your daytime Magic Kingdom visit on a party night even though you’ll have significantly fewer hours in the park. It’s because the crowds are super low on party days but crushing on non-party nights.
When Boo Bash was announced last spring, Walt Disney World was internally forecasting massive crowds, attendance, and occupancy numbers for the 50th kick-off. That’s why there were no resort discounts released for fall, and Disney After Hours Boo Bash did not run at all from September 24 to October 4.
The expectation was that normal park hours needed to be much longer due to attendance projections during the kick-off week of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, and throughout last October. Walt Disney World leadership was operating under the (pretty safe, at the time) assumption that many fans were planning homecoming trips, and the parks would be inundated with people.
Then Delta happened–and I don’t mean the one-time official airline of Walt Disney World. That variant coupled with reinstated mask rules resulted in a veritable tsunami of cancellations.
August through October ended up being blissfully uncrowded. The start of Walt Disney World’s much-hyped 50th Anniversary was downright anticlimactic. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party could have occurred without wreaking havoc on operational logistics or crowd dynamics. Of course, we only know that now with the benefit of hindsight. No one thought that’s how things would play out last spring.
With that said, you should go in with realistic expectations about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party if you’ve never attended, only done Boo Bash, or haven’t done MNSSHP since 2016. In the last two years the party ran, its attendance levels absolutely exploded in October. See “Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Too Crowded?” for a look at what we mean.
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 undoubtedly be true once again in 2022.
Higher crowds than Disney After Hours Boo Bash is not the only downside of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Due to the earlier start time of the latter, there’s suddenly a paywall around fireworks, other entertainment, and evenings in general at Magic Kingdom several nights per week.
From the perspective of a non-attendee, which you almost certainly would be some other day during your trip, Boo Bash is inarguably the better option. On Disney After Hours Boo Bash evenings, Magic Kingdom would have normal fireworks and nighttime entertainment for day guests, the park would close at 9 pm, and it wouldn’t screw with crowd distribution over the course of the entire week.
On a MNSSHP night, there would be no Disney Enchantment fireworks or nighttime entertainment for day guests and the park would close at 7 pm. Because of that earlier closing time and the lack of fireworks, it would push crowds to non-party nights, making them miserable. One of those scenarios is objectively better for Walt Disney World guests who choose not to pay upcharge prices.
Despite knowing all of that, we nevertheless welcome back Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party with open arms. Don’t misconstrue us pointing out the negatives (everything has ’em) with criticizing this decision. WE ARE VERY HAPPY. You can plan around MNSSHP with a little effort and it will not negatively impact your Walt Disney World vacation.
There are other ways to outsmart the crowds aside from After Hours events. (In fact, MNSSHP creates a crowd dynamic that works well for planners with Park Hopper tickets). By contrast, the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party experience is irreplaceable. Everything in life involves trade-offs, and the ones here to get MNSSHP back are well worth it.
Ultimately, we’re incredibly excited about this news that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is returning for 2022. Like so many Walt Disney World fans, attending MNSSHP was a fall tradition for us, and we really missed the event the last two years. We also missed all of its entertainment (well, Boo to You and Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, at least) and it’ll be great to see that again.
If you’re already planning ahead and thinking about when to do the 2022 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.
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 that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is returning this year? Will your family be buying or sitting this Halloween event out? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? If you’ve done both, which did you prefer: Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Disney After Hours Boo Bash? 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 the Party be too scary for a 6 year old? this year would probably be the only time we will hit it, given school schedules, but don’t want to spend the money if it’s scary or too crowded, but would it be worth it just for the lower crowds for rides?
Hey, it was not scary at all when we went in 2019. It was fun and dark but not scary. I think your 6 year old would have a great time!
I have a cautious LO who attended the party when she was 3. She loved it, and can’t wait to go back again this year!
When are tickets available to buy if you are an Annual Passholder?
It was mentioned in the article.
I am asking if there are earlier dates to purchase if you are an annual passholder, aside from staying in an onsite hotel, or the dates for the general public.
Thank you for your fine work. I was anticipating today’s announcement thanks to your earlier blog this week alerting us all to this upcoming news. Your blogs add so much fun and more importantly hope to all our days in a time when we it’s really needed.
So bummed that they are releasing ticket sales to resort owners first. I know they didn’t do it that way in the past. We usually go every year for Halloween and by the time the sales open for the public its sold out!
I’ve only been to Boo Bash, but will be going to MNSSHP this year. Hopefully on Tuesday, Sept. 20th if they don’t sell out by the 18th. Do you also get complimentary drinks, ice cream, and popcorn like Boo? There weren’t any shows for Boo. Is it so crowded that I need to get to the shows/fireworks early? The lines were also so short for Boo. What do you think the wait times will be like? Our three year old really benefited last year from the low crowd. I just want to make sure the whole night isn’t spent waiting for a half dozen things.
No free food except trick or treat candy.
Lindsay,
My wife & I have been to MNSSHP many times. Disney appears to sell a lot more tickets for the party than they did for the Boo Bash. Some years, it seemed like a regular evening at MK. I commented to my wife that ticket sales were limited only to how many Disney could sell. Lines will be longer than for the Boo Bash, and there were no Fast Pass reservations available during previous parties. Probably no Lightning Lane reservations either. You can enter the part at 4pm, though, and make LL reservations up to around 7pm when the party starts. The crowd really thins out after the fireworks, but that’s kind of late for kids. We’ll be staying until the park closes Oct. 27.
For early ticket sales, must we be staying at a Disney hotel the day the tickets go on sale? The day we want to purchase the tickets for? Or just random dates in the future?
If you’re staying at a Disney hotel during some set of the the MNSSHP dates, then you can book on May 12th. I’m staying in mid-Sept and got a special invite in my email.
We have Boardwalk booked for end of August and I received an email regarding early access this morning
“Special Early Booking: MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY”
You forgot to add in one additional metric in your revenue/profit comparison: Not So Scary has MUCH higher merchandise revenues than Boo Bash.
You’re absolutely right–this is such a great point that I definitely overlooked.
I’ll bet we’re going to see a HUGE Hocus Pocus 2 line and a lot of event-specific food & beverage, too.
Yes!!!!!!!! This is the best news!!! How quickly do these tickets sell out for non opening weekend/Halloweekend dates?
I’d hesitate to make any predictions given that MNSSHP is returning after a two year hiatus and at a time when all things Disney are selling faster than ever.
Instead, I will simply advise purchasing tickets ASAP if your dates are not flexible and you absolutely want to attend.
Sorry for the confusion I’ve created with the “blogger bash” remark.
The first party is NOT only for bloggers, anyone can purchase tickets. It just tends to be overrun with bloggers, vloggers, and social media influencers. You might want to avoid those evenings–especially if you don’t want to be in the background of someone’s vlog or live stream.
The second party is typically not nearly as bad. The only caveat I’d offer there is that Disney typically uses this as media night, so it can have some of the same problems as the first (on a much smaller scale). The bigger issue is that they often rope off some of the best parade viewing areas.
Still, it’s a Tuesday in mid-August, so it won’t be too bad.
Tom,
We are staying at Disney till 20th August so we could go to the 12th, 16th or 19th August. Which night would you recommend? Should we avoid the 12th and 16th as more Bloggers / media nights or will the 19th be busier?
The only date I can assist is August 12
Will it be possible or it is just for the bloggers ?
Thanks
We are coming in mid October. So I want to make sure I am understanding it correctly. If we are on property Thur-Sun, and their is a MNSSHP, on Th, F, and Sun that week, then MK will close at 7p (and no Enchantment Fireworks) all of those days, so the only night for Enchantment Fireworks will be the Saturday, and the park will be overloaded? Second, can I assume the Thursday MNSSHP will be just a little less busy than the F and Sun ones? Or is Sunday a little less crowded?
Thursday and Sunday are both weeknights, so they should be pretty comparable. I’d choose the earlier of the two parties, but I’m guessing they’ll both end up selling out.
You aren’t missing much if you skip Enchantment. I don’t think it’s worth those Saturday crowds, but that’s just me.
What do you suggest- we are already booked Oct 3-7th. Will the party on the 7th be crazy crowded? My 7yr old would love it, but not sure if insane crowds. Will seeing the MK fireworks be impossible that week? We do have a hopper and staying at Beach Club. Love your blog!!
It remains to be seen what crowd levels at MNSSHP this year will be like. “Crazy crowded” really only describes the scene on Main Street. If you watch the parade elsewhere and spend time in the rest of the park, it’ll be delightful by comparison.
If it’s in your budget, I’d do it.
Would you expect low crowds at end August / early September dates in MK during the daytime of MNSSHP like you have said in the article for October month ?
Yes.
praying this means we’ll get a Christmas party too!! We’ll be in Disney mid-November, so that would be awesome!
Here are the eligible resorts and “select resorts” for the party:
“Guests of select hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort can begin purchasing tickets as early as May 12. This advance purchase window is available to Guests of Disney Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, as well as Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort.”
I found this info on WDW’s Special Events page.
I’d still like to know what ‘time’ the tickets go sale on May 12th though.
I just love the Halloween time of the year. Love going to the parks seeing all the new things. Would love to go the the after park party. But I think as a passholder. Thats a bit much. I am thankful for the 10.00 discount. But still to much money for me
Will annual passes return for MNSSHP this year? The one year that they had it, I managed to attend 13 times
I highly doubt it, but would love to be wrong (although that would pretty much require something going terribly wrong with Disney or the economy between now and then, so I’d likely prefer to be right). We also took advantage of Park Pass to visit a ton in 2019.
Do we know which “select resorts” make you eligible to purchase tickets beginning on the 12th?
We got an e-mail today and gave reservations at Caribbean Beach, hope that helps!
The good news is I have park reservations for MK on non party days. The bad news is I have park reservations on non party days. I abhor all these hard ticket events.
I’d definitely upgrade to Park Hoppers (if you haven’t) and move those Park Pass reservations to party days. The low crowds on the days of events are absolutely worth it.
If I were to book a DVC confirmed reservation thru a third party site (like DVC rental store), would I have access to the early ticket window for MNSSHP for resort guests? Or do I only get that early access if I book directly thru Disney? Thanks!
If your reservation is connected to the same MDE account that you buy the tickets with, you will be fine.
So long as it’s attached to your My Disney Experience account, you should be good to go. (“Should” being the operative word–no guarantees with WDW and technology!)