2026 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide

Our guide to the 2026 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party offers tips & info for Magic Kingdom’s fall special event at Walt Disney World. This includes 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 2026 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the good news is that Walt Disney World has now released dates, prices, and select details (see below). Additionally, 2026 tickets are now on sale…and selling out fast! If you want to be notified when what’s new for this year is announced, subscribe to our FREE Disney email newsletter. For now, here’s everything you need to know about the event…

As noted above, tickets for the 2026 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party may now be purchased by calling 407-939-4240 or online. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket to the 2026 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, valid only for event nights from August 7 to October 2, 2026. Cast Members can also save on select nights.

While we’re awaiting a meatier announcement about entertainment and other changes, Walt Disney World has quietly confirmed showtimes for Mickey’s Boo To You Parade and the Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Fireworks. Both will occur at the same times as last year, with full official and projected showtimes listed below. One thing to note here is that the first Boo To You Parade has been performed earlier in each of the last two years, and that trend will continue in 2026.

Here’s a handy list of dates & prices for this year’s MNSSHP:

August 2026 MNSSHP Dates & Prices

• August 7, 2026 – $159
• August 11, 2026 – $119
• August 14, 2026 – $119
• August 18, 2026 – $129
• August 21, 2026 – $139
• August 23, 2026 – $139
• August 25, 2026 – $144
• August 28, 2026 – $149
• August 30, 2026 – $149

September 2026 MNSSHP Dates & Prices

• September 1, 2026 – $149
• September 4, 2026 – $154
• September 8, 2026 – $154
• September 11, 2026 – $159
• September 13, 2026 – $159
• September 15, 2026 – $164
• September 18, 2026 – $169
• September 20, 2026 – $169
• September 22, 2026 – $169
• September 24, 2026 – $174
• September 25, 2026 – $179
• September 27, 2026 – $179
• September 29, 2026 – $184

October 2026 MNSSHP Dates & Prices

• October 1, 2026 – $189
• October 2, 2026 – $199
• October 4, 2026 – $199
• October 6, 2026 – $199
• October 8, 2026 – $204
• October 9, 2026 – $209
• October 13, 2026 – $209
• October 15, 2026 – $214
• October 16, 2026 – $219
• October 18, 2026 – $219
• October 22, 2026 – $219
• October 23, 2026 – $224
• October 25, 2026 – $224
• October 27, 2026 – $224
• October 29, 2026 – $224
• October 31, 2026 – $229

MNSSHP Tickets Selling Out

The October 31, 2026 was the first date of this year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party to officially sell out. The final night of MNSSHP sold out before 9 am back on May 12, 2026, which was the very first day that tickets went on sale to the general public. Following that, the August 11, 2026 and August 14, 2026 dates of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party sold out in late June and early July, respectively.

Here are the latest sold out dates of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party…

• August 7, 2026 (sold out 7/18)
• August 11, 2026 (sold out 6/29)
• August 14, 2026 (sold out 7/3)
• August 18, 2026 (sold out 7/14)
• September 4, 2026 (sold out 7/31)
• October 9, 2026 (sold out 7/30)
• October 13, 2026 (sold out 7/14)
• October 31, 2026 (sold out 5/12)

There are 5 dates remaining in late August and early September that are priced under $150. Expect those to sell out next. Along with that, don’t be surprised if the scattering of mid-October dates around Fall Break start to go. Based on past precedent, there will be a “run” on tickets right after the first party is held. Expect the entire month of September to sell out by Labor Day.

Other dates in October 2026 will probably start selling out by the first or second week in September. Last year, half of the MNSSHP dates in October sold out my shortly after Labor Day. As a rule of thumb, you should expect party dates to sell out about one month in advance. Last year, all dates of MNSSHP sold out by September 24th.

At the risk of stating the obvious, all of this is simply past precedent. Historical patterns are good predictors, but they’re not conclusive. If you don’t have flexibility in which party you attend, the best practice at this point is to buy tickets ASAP. If you’re still on the fence, make a decision whether to go or skip sooner rather than later.

It’s highly unlikely that any material changes are happening this year, so there’s no sense waiting for reviews or photos/video of the first party. Make your decision now based on this year’s ticket prices, last year’s reviews, and your own assessment of the value proposition.

What’s New for the 2026 MNSSHP

If you’ve attended in the past, you might simply be wondering what will be different in 2026. That’s not yet known since nothing has been announced, but probably not a whole lot.

One thing is Stitch hosting a dance party at the Rocket Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland with the help of his friends Lilo and Angel. After getting his paws on Lilo’s Costume Trunk, every accessory he tries on will spark a theme swap and keep the party playfully unpredictable all night long.

Another apparent addition is a new offering back deep in Adventureland, where Captain Jack Sparrow has dropped anchor to lead a swashbuckling series of pirate antics. Our expectation is that this is basically a character component added to the existing spirited pirate band and their crew. That could be a good enhancement, so long as it’s not a replacement for the Rusty Cutlass.

The other somewhat new-news for 2026 is the tease that guests can expect “more fun” when trick-or-treating, with familiar (and fiendish) faces surprising guests along the treat trails. Disney also teased new and returning creeping by through the streets, which we take to mean more free roaming characters. If you’re wondering what was new last year, we covered all of that in What’s New for 2025 at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

If it’s been a few years since you last attended MNSSHP, another change has been to the Boo to You Parade. It has received a number of updates, the most notable of which was the addition of Minnie Mouse as Winifred Sanderson, Daisy Duck as Sarah Sanderson, and Clarabelle Cow as Mary Sanderson. That wasn’t all–there were also major changes to the Halloween Hoedown unit (new scarecrow dancers and more) and an expanded Villainous Finale, among other things.

Still, calling these “major” changes is probably a stretch. The bottom line is that last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party wasn’t materially different from the one in 2019. Given that tickets continue selling out without changes, we’re guessing the MNSSHP of 2026 won’t change a whole lot, either.

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, crowd info, and the event is worth attending in the first place, all of which is covered in this post.

That party plan has also been updated based on our experiences at last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, meaning it incorporates everything that’s new and different this year. Even though the list of what’s changed is relatively short, it has major impacts on party planning and strategy.

Here’s everything else you need to know if you’re planning on attending the event…

Spanning most of 3 full months, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is the longest special event at Walt Disney World. But in fairness, the only reason that Christmas isn’t longer is because the timing of Halloween prevents it. Disney probably would start celebrating Christmas in July–literally–if they could!

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.)

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.

If you do plan on entering the park as early as possible to take advantage of that ‘bonus’ time, we do have to warn you that the line gets long and you should probably arrive well in advance–or wait until the initial rush is over. See this post about Magic Kingdom “mix-in” crowds for photos of the lines and strategy.

Also during the party, you may have the opportunity to experience some of your favorite attractions, including the newly opened TRON Lightcycle Run and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Here’s the list of attractions that are open during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:

Adventureland

• Jungle Cruise
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Pirates of the Caribbean

Frontierland

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

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
• Space Mountain
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover
• TRON Lightcycle / Run

As for entertainment, here’s the confirmed and projected Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party schedule:

Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular

• August & September: 9:05 pm, 10:35 pm, 12 am (confirmed)
• October: 7:35 pm, 9:05 pm, 10:35 pm, 12 am

Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular

• 10:00 pm (confirmed)

Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade

• 8:15 pm and 11:15 pm (confirmed)

Halloween in Storybook Circus

• 7 pm until midnight

Descendents Dance Party

• 7 pm until midnight

Disney Jr. Dance Party

• 7 pm until midnight

Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet

• 7:00 pm, 7:45 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:35 pm, 10:30 pm

Rusty Cutlass Pirate Band in Adventureland

• 7:15 pm, 8:15 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:30 pm

Max Goof’s Powerline Party Pack

• Pre-Parade Appearances along Main Street USA and Town Square (front of park) only

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)
• Minnie & 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)
• Pirate Goofy, Princess Daisy & Pumpkin Donald – Storybook Circus

Tomorrowland

• Elvis Stitch – Across from Monsters Laugh Floor

Adventureland

• Abu and Aladdin – Agrabah
• Genie – Agrabah
• Jafar – Near Agrabah
• Jack Sparrow – Near Pirates of the Caribbean

Frontierland

• Country Bears – Country Bear Theater (roaming)

Speaking of locations, here’s where you can find trick or treating at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:

Main Street USA

• Market Street Welcome Trick-or-Treating (open until 8:00pm)

Fantasyland

• Fantasyland Train Station
• Gaston’s Tavern
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Princess Fairytale Hall

Adventureland

• Tortuga Treasures
• Jungle Cruise
• Sunshine Tree Terrace

Frontierland

• Tom Sawyer Island Dock
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Liberty Square

• Columbia Harbour House
• Diamond Horseshoe

Tomorrowland

• Carousel of Progress
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• TRON Lightcycle Run

Upon entering the park or picking up event wristbands, guests will be given a themed trick-or-treat bag (if you fill it up, trick-or-treat stations will have more available, so don’t worry). Candy is complimentary and unlimited–there’s no limit to how much trick-or-treating you can do during MNSSHP and it’s all free!

The above locations could vary slightly during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so look for the giant inflatable pylon with M&Ms on it. These are brightly illuminated and should be near all of the above-referenced restaurants or rides–you can’t miss them!

If you have a food allergy, please see a Cast Member to pick up a teal-colored treat bag. When you trick-or-treat with your teal bag, you’ll receive a teal token at treat stations. Later on, you can redeem these teal tokens at the Allergy-Friendly Centers for special treats. Allergy-friendly treats can be found at the Liberty Square Ticket Office (available until midnight) and Chamber of Commerce on Main Street (available until 12:30 AM).

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!

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 the hard ticket event, 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, it’s harder and harder to justify. Tickets have nearly tripled in price in the last decade.

On a positive note, our anecdotal perception is that MNSSHP has been less crowded the last few years than it was in October 2019, but it’s still busier than prior to that. It’s hard to say whether the 2026 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will be more or less crowded than last year. It could be worse, but it’s also possible that Walt Disney World lowered the attendance cap after complaints and price increases.

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.

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 the event, here are some of our favorite tips & tricks…

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!

The second most important tip is to arrive early. The event officially starts at 7 p.m., which is when all of the entertainment actually begins, but guests can enter with their event tickets as early as 4 p.m. If you do plan on taking advantage of this, plan to arrive by 3:30 pm, as there will be a long line to enter and it’ll likely take close to 30 minutes to get into the park around that time.

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 pm.

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–and one that’s appropriate for Florida weather! 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 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 with a plan for how you should approach the evening entertainment and characters.

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. 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.

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.

We have refined this strategy guide based on our experiences of attending the party every year for the past decade-plus, and has been updated following our experience at recent Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties.

The tips here are pretty consistent from year to year and we’ve honed our strategy over several years, so don’t expect many changes. This is nothing scientific, just some “real world” tips from frequent visitors to MNSSHP.

Also, this guide does not include every character at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. You’re going to have to make difficult decisions when it comes meet & greets, because you can’t do them all. As such, we skip anyone who can be met during a normal day in Magic Kingdom. Ready? Let’s go!

For starters, you want to make sure you’re in Magic Kingdom with your costume on right at 4 pm. Grab a quick pic in front of Cinderella Castle before it gets dark, and be ready to head to the first spot on our MNSSHP touring plan pretty early.

The party officially starts at 7 pm, and invariably, lines start forming before the party starts. Additionally, two sets of characters start meeting prior to the official start time: Sally & Jack Skellington and the Seven Dwarfs.

These lines will be long for the entire party, and sometimes are cut before 11 pm, so you should start with one of these two meet & greets…

Line Up For First Characters – Jack Skellington and Sally meet in Town Square Theater starting sometime between 4 and 5 p.m., so line up for them by 4:30 p.m. for them (you’ll need a party wristband). This is the most sound strategy unless you want to wait until the end of the party.

Even if you line up before 5 pm, be prepared for a wait time of at least an hour–potentially 2-3 hours. If this isn’t worth it, enjoy some free time until about 6:15 pm. This is a good point to line up for Daisy & Donald Duck in Storybook Circus, followed by Pirate Goofy.

Pooh Characters – If you start with the Storybook Circus characters, it’s easy to then bounce over to the Pooh line by the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Fantasyland. This is one of the most popular meet & greets at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

All four meet together, and they only take one photo per guest. It felt less like a meet & greet and more like a “photo assembly line.” On the plus side, the wait wasn’t nearly as long as it has been in the past.

Boo To You Parade – By now, it’s probably about time for getting a Boo To You Parade spot. There are two showings of this parade, and the second is always far less crowded. Get spots at least 30 minutes early for the first parade (much earlier if it’s a busy night). If you do elect to just go with the second parade, you may end up kicking yourself, because this is one of the best parades Disney does. We always watch the early parade AND the late parade.

Given the excellent lighting and ambiance on Main Street, we consider this the best place to view the parade (which steps off in Frontierland). It’s also the most crowded spot. The Headless Horseman comes first, followed by the rest of the Parade much later (especially to Main Street)–around 20 minutes.

Boo to You is fantastic, following the formula for any successful parade is: headless people, scrapping shovels on the ground, proclamations of it being “good to be bad,” chickens ‘bawking’ to the beat, and the Country Bears rocking out. Any parade organizers out there reading this, you can thank me later for my solid advice.

Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular – This is the recently-added fireworks spectacular shown only during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties. It runs only once per night, and is not to be missed. If you view the first Boo to You parade from Main Street, about the time it’s over you can go watch the Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular and then, it would be a good time for you to pick a viewing location for Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular.

This show does have perimeter bursts, and Castle projections, so a location on Main Street USA between Casey’s and the Partners are all good options. We cover exact spots for the best view and photos in our Review & Viewing Tips: Not So Spooky Spectacular Halloween Fireworks.

Catch Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular After Fireworks – Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular is absolutely not to be missed. The third showing of Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular is shortly after the fireworks on the Castle forecourt stage, which is just before the second Boo to You Parade. By hitting Fireworks-Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular-Boo to You like this, you don’t run all over the park wasting time.

It will show hosted by the mischievous Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” who return to the mortal world for one night during the Halloween season. The three sisters decide to use their magic to throw the best, evil Halloween party this side of the graveyard, featuring Dr. Facilier, Oogie Boogie, Maleficent and other Disney villains, plus dancers, projections, and special effects. Unfortunately, the villains will not do meet & greets after the show (which is fine by us since this was so chaotic), so you’ll want to find them throughout the park instead.

Donald & Daisy – Meeting back by Storybook Circus, Donald & Daisy wear special Halloween costumes for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. That, plus their relatively short waits later in the evening make them an absolute must-do.

You can also find Pirate Goofy back here by the Barnstormer. As Goofy meets by himself, he tends to have a significantly shorter wait than the other characters in the middle of Storybook Circus.

Characters at Dance Parties – This tip used to include free-roaming characters (such as the Country Bears), but we haven’t seen them lately, and we haven’t heard of them being out this year. If you do see free-roaming characters, go interact with them! They typically don’t get very long waits no matter when you go and they are, and can be tons of fun.

As for dance parties, there’s the Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball dance party on the Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland; expect to be able to dance (and scream) with Monsters, Inc. characters there. In Frontierland, there’s also a dance party.

Now is also a good time for the Aladdin characters over in Adventureland, as well as Captain Jack Sparrow. If meeting with characters and having some fun are more important than just getting cool pictures of them, then these locations in Adventureland and Frontierland are the hidden gems of the parties. Later in the evening, these characters typically have shorter lines. You won’t get that kind of interaction from the “big” characters who have huge lines!

Second Boo To You Parade – If you’ve already seen the first parade from Main Street, watch the second parade from wherever, if you watch it at all. If you find yourself with free time 15 minutes before the parade steps off, head to Frontierland. Main Street is our favorite place for viewing the parade, but unless you didn’t get all of the photos you wanted during the first parade, you definitely don’t want to head to Main Street and wait for it to come all the way to you again.

Main Street Theater Mickey Mouse Meet & Greet – After 11 pm is the best time to visit Mickey Mouse. I’m not sure when his line gets cut, but it’s not early. If you can’t do this at the very end of the party, do it as early or as late as possible, but not immediately after a parade. Your mileage may vary on this one, but we still recommend going towards the end of the Halloween Party.

Final Countdown – The last performance of Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular starts at midnight, which gives you a “bonus” 20 minutes at the end of the event. This is a nice way to extend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, but even this final showing is crowded.

Our strategy for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is going to be devoting the middle chunk to entertainment in the following manner:

• Boo to You Parade (8:15 pm)
• Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular (10:00 pm)
• Hocus Pocus Villains Spectacular (10:35 pm)
• Boo to You Parade (11:15 pm)
• Hocus Pocus Villains Spectacular (midnight)

*Note that this schedule is based on earlier party dates and can change for later ones as sunset occurs earlier.

By following this plan, we double up on both the parade and the stage show, but the parade is awesome and I always see it twice. As for Hocus Pocus, you’ll have a pretty poor view of the first show (since you’ll be arriving late with this plan), so you might just want to stick to the later showing. You can arrive to the second Hocus Pocus right as the party ends, effectively extending your night by a bit.

This basically leaves time for character meet & greets at the beginning and near the end of the party. I don’t recommend this strategy for everyone, but as we have already met most characters, it will work well for us. With that said, this should demonstrate why we don’t recommend doing regular attractions during the Halloween Party. You won’t have the time to do it all!

Conclusion

Overall, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a great event that every guest should experience at least once if money allows. The spooky/festive atmosphere, Boo To You Parade, and special fireworks are all well worth seeing–even if you have to overpay to experience them. On top of that, the Magic Kingdom gets decked out for the party, with cool decorations, an excellent lighting package, and even different background music. It’s these little details that make the party worth the money for us.

There is enough on the schedule that you need to have a good strategy to accomplish everything, and there is plenty to do during the Halloween Party to keep you entertained–enough that you might want to forgo doing any attractions and finding another day in the Magic Kingdom for those. Realistically, the above plan is a little overly-ambitious unless you race from character to character.

Just remember to use this as a rough guide, and if you encounter a line that is super long, go against our advice. Additionally, meet & greet start times are subject to change, and may not start on time (particularly those that start before the party officially starts). Improvise on the fly! You wouldn’t drive your car into a lake at your GPS’s insistence, would you?!

When we do Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, we always leave plenty of things undone. You simply cannot do it all. This is especially true if you have youngsters who may want to trick or treat, which does take some time.

We skip trick or treating entirely–if we liked candy, we could buy it at home far cheaper than the $140+ our tickets cost. It’s not just the unique parade, fireworks, and rare character meet and greets that make this party special. There is an excitement in the air (maybe it’s all that sugar) and the guest costumes really liven things up.

Your Thoughts

Have you attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? Do you think it’s worth the money? What’s your own “can’t miss” thing to do during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? Do you agree or disagree with our advice or assessment of MNSSHP’s value? 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!