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. 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 at disneyworld.com.
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. More details can be found on Cast Life Web or My Disney Today.
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
More generally speaking, MNSSHP tickets are almost always more expensive on weekends and as the event gets deeper into Halloween season. On average, September is more expensive than August and October is more expensive than September. This is again the pattern for 2026, so no surprise there.
Unless you’re planning on attending October 29th or 31st, you probably do not need to worry about 2026 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets selling out…yet. Even with the last few years setting the record for sold out dates, it’s very uncommon for most dates to sell out before June.
The first date to sell out is always October 31st. Last year, it sold out the morning that tickets went on sale to the general public, which was far and away the fastest it had ever sold out. We would expect this to be true once again, with the possibility that October 29th also goes fast as a ‘consolation prize’ if Halloween itself is unavailable.
Expect the trio of $119 and $129 dates to be among the first to sell out, especially with so few of them. Last year, the next date to sell out was August 19th, which sold out on July 13th. This was one of the lowest-priced dates for MNSSHP, and those less expensive dates all sold out by early August. Opening night was next to sell out, which occurred on August 1st.
While tourists are largely locked into whatever travel dates they’ve already chosen, there’s a growing fanbase in Central Florida along with weekend warriors who take quick last minute trips. Many of them (or at least, enough of them) are budget-conscious, and they’ll take the tradeoff of cheaper (or rather, less expensive) tickets in exchange for miserable, costume-unfriendly weather.
Last year, many more dates sold out between early August and mid-September. There’s often a “run” on tickets around the time of the first party. Meaning that if you’re wanting to attend, we’d strongly recommend purchasing your tickets by or before August 7, 2026. A few dates will be sold out before then, but another half-dozen or so could sell out by that weekend.
Every single date has sold out for the last few years, with MNSSHP sales increasing even as the parks have otherwise slowed down post-pent-up demand. There’s really no reason to believe MNSSHP tickets will sell slower in 2026.
You might find that difficult to believe, but part of the Halloween Party’s popularity is because of the slowdown. Meaning that Floridians, fans, and other guests are “trading down” from expensive Annual Passes and regular tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
On top of that, an increasing number of guests are purchasing MNSSHP admission instead of regular day tickets, rather than in addition to regular admission. Part of this is the simple fact that MNSSHP tickets aren’t that much more expensive than regular tickets to Magic Kingdom for many dates. Plenty of guests will gladly take lower crowds, shorter wait times, and better weather in exchange for fewer hours.
For reference, last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was held on the following dates:
- August 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29
- September 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30
- October 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31
The first MNSSHP was a full week later than normal, which we believe was a one-off due to Starlight. Walt Disney World never officially stated as much; that’s purely speculative on our part.
There were 38 parties each of the last two years, and again in 2026. This year, the event starts on August 7th, which is earlier than ever before and a full week before last year. Despite that, there are the same number of parties by virtue of lower concentration earlier in the event.
With that in mind, what follows is background and planning info for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, based on last year’s event. It’s unlikely that much will change for 2026…
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. 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.
During last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Princess Fairytale Hall was not a meet & greet location for the princesses. Instead, it was an enhanced treat trail that features two villains, Maleficent and the Evil Queen. These villains were in the queue in front of a portrait of their tale’s princess, as they mingled with guests and pose for selfies. It’s our understanding that this was a test to gauge guest response and potentially expand upon the concept for the 2026 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 portions of 3 different months, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party “season” 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 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party schedule:
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
- August & September: 9:05 pm, 10:35 pm, 12 am
- October: 7:35 pm, 9:05 pm, 10:35 pm, 12 am
Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular
- 10:00 pm
Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade
- 8:15 pm and 11:15 pm
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 a Guide to Halloween Costumes for the Disney Parks that covers the nuts and bolts. Suffice to say, we have worn heavier costumes, and let me tell you what a mistake that was. It may be cooler at nighttime in the fall, but it’s still Florida, and it’s still humid and hot.
A final tip is to pass on the Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace. This is comparable to the regular fireworks dessert party, except with Halloween-decorated desserts. (Read more in Dining & Dessert Parties During Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.)
Beyond being a waste of money, the dessert party is a waste of time. There are just too many other great things to do at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (it’s unlikely you can do all of the regular entertainment in a single night) to justify attending a dessert party. It’s just not worth taking the time from the regular awesome entertainment of the Halloween party to do this. Plus, the idea of another upcharge event within an upcharge event just makes us cringe.
With that said, let’s start to get into the details of arriving with a plan for how you should approach the evening entertainment and characters. We have a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Itinerary on Page 2.
Arrive at 4 p.m., grab an event map for a refresher as to what is located where and entertainment showtimes, eat an early dinner, do an attraction or two, and knock out a couple of daytime PhotoPass Magic Shots for Halloween. 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.
Wow! Say it ain’t so. We haven’t been to WDW for a few years now. Saved up and went to Tokyo Disney instead April 2015, which was awesome. I’m in the process of planning a Halloween trip to WDW and to read this deeply saddens me. I get it. I really do, but it saddens me. I’ve sewn our costumes every year since my son turned two, he’s a tween now and we dress in a theme. We love it. Being a Halloween baby, it’s my favorite time of the year and WDW is my favorite place to go to celebrate with my family. These times are a changin’ and now we will too 🙁
We attended the 22nd Oct 2015 party as it was our daughters Birthday and also did the Halloween Desert Party. We loved the party and have just this week booked specially to go back for our second USA trip. But I wouldn’t do the desert party again. Having done the Paris Halloween Party the year before, we struggled with wasting time securing viewing areas so that was a huge selling point for us, in addition to it being a birthday gift. But the queue to get into the venue was crazy, we had a great view but the queue for food was equally stupid. But the cast members where lovely. We missed the shows as a result so not great. But we did get to trick or treat after for our very first time. We don’t really have Halloween in the UK. .. Thanks for the great tips for 2016, will be taking notes with us. Very excited.
I’m curious to see that you say adult costumes are still allowed for MNSSHP 2016. Disneyland came out banning all costumes on guests over 14 in 2016 and clarified that this includes the separately ticketed Halloween party events.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/events-tours/mickeys-halloween-party/ You can see here in the updated costume guidelines.
“Costume Guidelines – Guests under the age of 14 may dress in their favorite Halloween costume and must follow at least these guidelines.”
This is a pretty devastating change for the California event as I know plenty of people who only attend because of the costumed fun. I went in late October 2015 dressed up and had an amazing time. Last I’d read, the ban was coming to Florida too. Have you heard that costumes for guests over 14 will still be allowed in Disney World in 2016? This is pretty much a deal breaker. Florida is a huge, expensive trip for me and I won’t be bothering if the park bans costumes from the event.
My *hope* was that by the Halloween Party (still a while from now) cooler heads would prevail and they’d rescind that policy. I suppose I should add this info for those planning early. Thanks…
I have only one piece of advice for everyone reading this blog…
In capital letters LISTEN TO TOM!!! We went on Halloween night 2015 and he said the second parade is less crowded, did we listen to him? NO! We thought we would be too tired to wait for the 2nd one, so we were (seriously) 6 people deep and I am 5’1″ on a good day,,, saw a lot of butts and very little parade! We ended up being in the park for the 2nd parade and there were actually large amounts of ground space to sit on, RIGHT ON MAIN STREET! I promise Tom to never ever ignore your advice again!
We did painlessly trick or treat for a little candy to say we did,, and huge fun -went into the haunted mansion with all the wonderfully lighted tombstones etc in the line and got some great pictures. One of my biggest disappointments was, we got the photopass photo in front of the horseless carriage with the ghost they add in, but when we viewed the photo at home it was blurry and they took no time to set us up properly and half of my sons face is covered. But, we did have a bonus event,, Carlotta was walking in to take her spot on her bench and agreed graciously to take a photo with my kids.
In retrospect the whole night was kind of blur, we didn’t get any character photos, no dancing and only rode the haunted mansion and the pirates of the Caribbean. My husband was dressed as a pirate so we had to go there. They did have a photopass photographer taking photos in front of the ride and with the cool lighting it looks like there is a burning building behind you.
Another mistake we made was (again ignoring tom’s advice) we caught the hocus pocus show right before the first parade and thought we would just wait for the parade, 1-we couldn’t see and 2-my husband has awful knees and almost didn’t make it through the very crowded parade.
Bonus, we did find a place to sit at the Casey hot dog place and were actually able to sit and watch the fabulous Hallowwishes fireworks. With sore knees etc, it was ok to miss the castle projections.
I don’t think we can wear costumes this year though? I asked through the Disney website and they said it wouldn’t be changing.
Is there an option to use fast passes during this event?
Is there a way to fast pass for character greets and special seating during the parades?
Great tips! I am excited to attend the party in 2016. It will be our first WDW trip. If the schedule is the same as 2015, we will be attending the very first party. Hoping for low crowds!
I attended the 2015 party in October. All I could talk about was seeing the Headless Horseman, and he never made an appearance! When we asked where he was they gave us some lame answer about him being locked in the dungeon for the night! Other than that it was a great party to attend once, probably won’t do it again though, too many other things to see.
I’m trying to do last minute planning for this year’s MNSSHP and am scared to go based on mixed reviews of increased crowds :\ does anyone think that Thurs. 10/22 or Tues. 10/27 will be better in terms of crowd? Any help is welcomed!!
I have read on other sites that Tuesdays are the best days to attend.
Thank you Brooke! 🙂 I just purchased my ticket for Tuesday, hopefully it won’t sell out since it’s one of the last 2 unsold out days the week of Halloween
we just returned from this years MNSSHP…this is our 2nd time…and I don’t know that I will visit any other time of year other than maybe Christmas time. The weather isn’t as hot…crowds are much smaller…and the extras are awesome!
The hocus pocus show was AWESOME!!!
I recommend this hard ticket event for anyone wanting to save a couple bucks on admission and only have a day or two to visit. We actually got into the park this year at 3:30! so from 3:30 to midnight is a full day to me! for $70!! also during this party is a great time to ride all the rides that have crazy lines during the day. When we got to the park that day the line for the seven dwarves mine train was 120 minutes! Same ride at 9pm…20! No line for splash mountain. We did everything we wanted to do with plenty of time to spare. And this time I took your plan of action tips—no trick or treating…get there early…and skip the long character lines. This year was great too as there were “hidden” character meet and greets. The evil witch from snow white was tucked away in a corner of liberty square…no line!! And I agree don’t pay for the “premium” view of the hallowishes. We camped out 10 minutes before parade time right at the end of the bridge to liberty square 100 feet from the “premium” seats…had a great front row view–so much that Pinocchio kissed my daughter’s hand!
we just returned from this years MNSSHP…this is our 2nd time…and I don’t know that I will visit any other time of year other than maybe Christmas time.
The hocus pocus show was AWESOME!!!
Hey Tom, I love your blog, if you don’t mind me asking, where did you get the big bad wolf head from?
Was so incredibly disappointed by our Halloween party visit! Bought tickets for the 28th, figuring Sunday night / school night, early in Halloween season, etc. Wrong – gave new meaning to the term ‘over-crowded’. Definitely not worth the extra money. Limited ticket sales for special events would be wonderful.
I attended the Oct 1st party and agree with Teri that it was awful. My worst experience at Disney and something I will never attend again. MK was busier than any other time I have ever been at the park and certainly not worth the extra cost.
Great tips! We are doing 2015 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this Friday!
We attended the not so scary halloween party last night (Oct. 1) and were very disappointed. There was supposed to be a limited number of tickets sold, however, I have never seen the park more crowded. There were areas where you couldn’t move. A limited number of quick service restaurants were open, and one ran out of food by 9:30pm. Trick or treat lines were wrapped around mazes just like the rides. During the first parade, one man was trying to get his wife, who felt ill, out of the crowd, to no success. There were 5 of us who attended, and at 72 dollars a ticket, it was a total waste of money and a big disappointment. I guess I expected too much from disney.
Just got back from Disney and went to the Halloween party on the 22nd. We went last year and had a GREAT time…this year not so much. Way too crowded and very little control by Disney cast members. Both my husband and I need ECV’s to get around Disney properties and I will be the first to admit that Disney bends over backwards to accommodate its guests with special needs, but they are falling down on the job with this year’s Halloween party. No crowd control around the castle, especially during the Hocus Pocus show. We asked if an area we were in was open for viewing because some cast members were taping off pathways and were told the area was going to be cleared for emergency access. We moved across the street, the area we had been in filled in and was never cleared and my husband and I were literally trapped in front of the castle on our scooters with no way to get out, because of the crowds. Could not enjoy the show( 1st one @ 8 PM) because we couldn’t see over the people in front of us with kids on their shoulders. The cast members did clear the street for the parade, but street filled in immediately after, and stayed that way until after the fireworks. We made a break for it and we finally made it to the sidewalk just in time to see and elderly lady take a header off the curb because she could not see her footing because of the crowd and dim lighting. Again, no Disney cast members in sight to help. Couldn’t tell how badly she was hurt, couldn’t get through the crowd to help. We did finally make it to guest relations to make them aware they had a problem. If you go, be very careful, especially if you have mobility problems or young children.
I loved the Spiced Pumpkin Waffle Sundae! Candy corn does less than nothing for me, but my daughter really enjoyed that treat last year and has already requested to have it again.
As someone who works at both Gaston’s Tavern and Storybook treats, I have some advice for the specialty desserts. During the first party, Gaston’s sold out of the ghost cupcake within an hour, and didn’t get many more of them throughout the night. If that’s important to you, go there first. Secondly, public service announcement, the candy corn ice cream DOES NOT taste like candy corn. The orange in the cone is just vanilla with food coloring. It is made by putting a few pieces of candy corn in the cone or cup before topping it with the ice cream. So if you’re looking for candy corn flavored ice cream, don’t wait in the long lines just to be disappointed by vanilla when you get up to the front! (that being said, it still looks pretty cute :D)
Thanks for the tips on this–I would not have known to get that cupcake so early!
I don’t know why Disney can’t seem to get candy corn and pumpkin ice cream right. That’s disappointing.
Thank you for the info! What I don’t understand is why on a night with a gigillion people there for a specialty party, Disney does not have enough merchandise and food for all the attendees? First of all they make a crap load of money selling these items, and secondly it decreases the weird competitive stressful feeling you get if you want to purchase a few special souvenirs or food!
Loved the Hocus Pocus show. It was like the Sanderson Sisters walked right out of the movie and into Magic Kingdom!
The feedback I’ve heard on the Hocus Pocus show has been unanimously positive. I can’t wait to see it!