2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide
Our guide to the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party offers tips & info for Magic Kingdom’s fall special event at Walt Disney World. This includes available & sold out 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 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the bad news is that Walt Disney World has yet to release dates, tickets, or other details. On a positive note, we do know that MNSSHP will return, with more info coming soon. If you want to be notified when dates & tickets for the 2024 party are released,, subscribe to our FREE email newsletter. For now, here’s everything you need to know about the event…
One of the most common questions we hear from readers is when will Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party dates be announced and tickets go on sale? Our expectation is sometime between now and May 2024. It could occur within the coming weeks or not for several more months. Historical precedent supports both.
Looking back, last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was announced in late April during “Halfway to Halloween” in each of the last two years. The three parties before that were announced in mid-February, mid-January, and mid-March, respectively. That’s quite the scattering of months, and it’s honestly difficult to say what’ll happen in 2024.
Walt Disney World has been seeing an exhaustion of pent-up demand, and concerns of that dying down further mean tickets go on sale earlier so there’s more time for them to sell out. Then again, every single date did sell out last year, and that was even as the parks were otherwise slowing down. There’s really no reason to believe MNSSHP tickets will sell slower in 2024, so there shouldn’t be a sense of urgency.
With all of that in mind, we’ll just make the very broad prediction that an announcement will come no later than April 20, 2024. Beyond that, it honestly wouldn’t surprise us if they went on sale as early as mid-January; even if there is no urgency, capturing that revenue as soon as possible and locking people into travel plans is win-win for the company.
As for the event itself, our prediction is that the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will start on or around August 9, 2024 and continue several nights per week until November 1, 2024. Last year, dates were August 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29; September 1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29; October 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31; and November 1.
Ticket prices for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will likely range from $125 to $225 depending upon the date. Costs have skyrocketed in the last several years, and it doesn’t help that all dates sold out last year. That alone was unprecedented, but the fact that it happened despite huge price increases could mean even more expensive tickets for the 2024 MNSSHP.
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 2024…
Our tips and tricks for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) are based on our experiences attending the party over 30 times since 2007. You can read about our experience the first night last year in our Review & Photos: Mickey’s Scary HOT Halloween Party Report.
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 and crowd info.
We also have a look at all of the food items in the Halloween Snack & Dessert Food Guide to Magic Kingdom. Finally, 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.
Now, let’s turn to a brief summary of what’s new at the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party season, just in case you don’t read our MNSSHP report above…
There have been a handful of recent additions to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. First, the Sanderson Sisters as Disney characters. This version of the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus appear in Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade. They are NOT meet & greet characters–so you’ll be able to see them, but not get your photos with them. There have also been other changes to the Boo To You Parade that repeat visitors will appreciate.
Additionally, Max Goof and his Powerline party pack will appear at new pop-up parties throughout Magic Kingdom before this popular crew dances onto Main Street U.S.A. ahead of Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade. This is a nice addition, and is a good way to see Powerline up close outside of the parade.
There’s also what’s essentially a “pirate takeover” of Adventureland, with the Rusty Cutlass singing sea shanties while their shipmates roam the land sharing tales of their explorations at sea. This adds atmospheric entertainment to Adventureland, similar to what’s already in Frontierland thanks to the Cadaver Dans and Country Bears.
The big character news is that the Seven Dwarfs have returned to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, appearing in their former meet & greet location back in Storybook Circus. See How to Waste the Least Time Meeting the Seven Dwarfs at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party if you plan on attending to do this meet & greet. It’s insanely popular and will take a ton of party time if you don’t plan properly.
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!
Spanning portions of 4 different months, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party “season” is the longest special event at Walt Disney World. Last year, the event was held on 38 select nights August 11 through November 1. The 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is likely to start a couple of nights earlier, and have 1 more night over the course of party season. If that prediction is accurate, it’ll once again set another new record for duration and number of parties.
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. We explain why here.)
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.
Also during the party, you may have the opportunity to experience some of your favorite attractions, including the newly opened TRON Lightcycle Run. Here’s the list of attractions that will be open during the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:
Adventureland
- Jungle Cruise
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Swiss Family Treehouse
Frontierland
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Liberty Square
- Haunted Mansion
Fantasyland
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- “It’s a small world”
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mad Tea Party
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Storybook Circus
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- The Barnstormer
Tomorrowland
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Space Mountain
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
TRON Lightcycle Run will use a virtual queue during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, allowing guests to enjoy all the festivities while they wait to enter the Grid.
Not only have ticket prices skyrocketed, but crowd levels at the events have also gone up dramatically. With every single night of the event sold out, attendance levels absolutely exploded, and crowds were very bad at times. We would strongly recommend “Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Too Crowded?” for a look at what we mean.
At this point, it’s impossible to say whether the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will follow that pattern. It could, but it’s also possible that Walt Disney World lowered the attendance cap after complaints and price increases. Our anecdotal perception is that MNSSHP has been less overcrowded the last 2 years than it was in October 2019, but it’s still busier than years (or even the two months that year) prior to that.
We also believe that Disney typically increases the capacity cap in October each year when the earlier sunset allows extra entertainment to be added to the schedule. So it’s entirely possible that crowds will feel worse during the October parties than they d0 during the August and September ones. (On the plus side, the heat shouldn’t be nearly as bad!)
If you have questions about what the event does and does not include, crowds, and much more, see our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party FAQ. We wrote that 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.
As for entertainment, here’s the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party schedule:
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
- August & September: 8:35 pm, 10:45 pm, 12 am
- October: 7:40 pm, 8:35 pm, 10:45 pm, 12 am
Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular
- 10:15 pm
Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade
- 9:15 pm and 11:15 pm
Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet
- 7 pm, 7:45 pm, 8:30 pm, 9:50 pm, 10:30 pm
Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam
- 7 pm until midnight
Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Dance Ball
- 7 pm until midnight
Rusty Cutlass Pirate Band in Adventureland
- 7:15 pm, 8:15 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:20 pm
Max Goof’s Powerline Party Pack
- Unscheduled Appearances
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)
- 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)
- Seven Dwarfs – Storybook Circus (second-most popular meet & greet; line forms at 4 pm)
- Timon – Storybook Circus
- Vamprinia – Storybook Circus
- Doc McStuffins – Storybook Circus
- Fancy Nancy – Storybook Circus
- Witch Minnie, Princess Daisy & Pumpkin Donald – Dumbo
- Pirate Goofy – Barnstormer
Adventureland
- Abu and Aladdin – Agrabah
- Genie – Agrabah
- Jafar – Near Agrabah
- Jack Sparrow – Near Pirates of the Caribbean
Frontierland
- Country Bears – Country Bear Theater (roaming)
Tommorrowland
- Elvis Stitch – Buzz Lightyear’s Star Command
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 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, 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 having raised the attendance cap, it’s harder and harder to justify.
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.
Another question we often receive is whether we prefer the Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We are total suckers for Christmas, so we can’t answer that without bias. With that said, we prefer the Christmas Party, but probably two-thirds of people we know prefer the Halloween Party. Your mileage may vary.
Aside from the higher price, the biggest difference between the two parties is that the Halloween Party offers more special entertainment and character meet & greets. Personally, I enjoy the Christmas Party more, but I think it’s undeniable that there’s more to do at the Halloween Party.
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 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, here’s our guide to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party…
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!
In recent years, MNSSHP attendance has been, generally speaking, dramatically higher than previously. The last few years, every single night has sold out. Prior to that, it was common for only the first couple of nights plus most of October to sell out. It’ll be interesting to see whether this trend continues with the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We’d bet that it will.
The second most important tip is to arrive early to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The Party officially starts at 7 p.m., which is when all of the entertainment actually begins, but guests can enter with their Halloween Party tickets as early as 4 p.m. This is not something Walt Disney World advertises, but it absolutely is true, and you will see plenty of other guests arriving at 4 p.m., and Cast Members in their Halloween outfits at the turnstiles.
This earlier entry offers you potential savings to offset the cost of your tickets. 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 p.m.
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! 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 at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 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. Once 6 pm hits, it’s time to get ready to party, and time to initiate your Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party attack-plan to do and see as much as you can.
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.
Hello, we have been to the Halloween party before, but many years ago and early in September. My family found the lines to be exceptionally short for the rides, as everyone is doing the special occasion activities. Do you anticipate similarly short lines for rides this year if we are there on the Sunday directly before Halloween (which I assume will be likely a sold out event)? My teens only care about bagging as many rides as possible. We only have one day to do MK & I do love the ambiance of MNSSHP.
I have been to a Christmas Party, but not a Halloween one, so our family is going this October 2019 and we are so excited to check it out.
I am a Disney World fanatic. We went to MNSSHP lin early October 2018. After waiting years to go it was a HUGE disappointment. What a waste of money! We’re season pass holders so getting in “early” wasn’t a bonus for us, the park was PACKED. It wasn’t even a sold out party night, but it was felt more crowded than an average day. Partly because the were lines everywhere and partly because there isnt as much to do . People were waiting in character lines before 5 ppm. The Castle hub was mobbed all evening, We parked out in Frontierland more than an hour before the parade. Many of the rides are shut for the party so we went to the parade, a dance party, did some trick or treating and got on 2 rides. We didn’t meet a single character. Basically we paid $400 for three bags of candy and a parade and some fireworks that we had to view from a distance. Never again. We get so much more done and have so much more fun on a regular day. I would never recommend this to anyone.
Agreed. I also went in October. The party was not sold out, but it was certainly very crowded. Personally, I don’t plan on doing these parties again, unless I can go during an off time (e.g., Christmas party in mid-November).
This year you can experience a new soundtrack on Space Mtn and that should help reconcile the increasing prices/crowds.
I have read elsewhere that non-Halloween Party ticket holders are not made to leave the Magic Kingdom before the party starts at 7 PM, so what is the point of buying these expensive add-on tickets?
They absolutely are, we saw a guest escorted out at 7:15ish by a cast member who walked them to the exit,if you don’t have a wristband issued for the party they do not allow you to stay and we even had to show our wristband at some of the rides until about halfway thru the party
Good to know!
I think the problem was largest during the ’16 season. We went twice in ’17 and MK seemed to have a new plan of attack by not letting guests enter new lands without showing party wristbands. Non-party ppl got squeezed to the park front, and out. Cast was actively checking wristbands.
We have only gone 2017 and had an amazing experience. While you could feel the park get busier, we went on rides multiple times, though, we opted out of going to parades/shows, which, when we go this year, is at the top of my priority list. But, it was great! Missed last year due to having to cancel our trip last minute, but soooo looking forward to going this year! 🙂
Hi Deidre:
When I went on a party night, the park was open for nonparty guests until 7pm. Disney let the floodgates open at 4pm for the party goers for early entry. The park was flooded with early admission party goers so much that regular guests (me) could not get on rides without a long, long wait. The pathways were so crowded that it was shoulder to shoulder and kind of scary to try to get out of that mob.
I blame Disney for this. If a party is sold as 7 to 11, for example, then it should be starting at 7 only! Of course, the party goers are going to take advantage of early entry. BUt it is not fair for those of us who paid a lot for the day to have to contend with these crowds. I don’t mind the parties When they don’t interfere with regular guests who pay for a full day.
I know it’s not your fault. I put the blame on Disney for this, just a money grab for what used to be free. shame on them.
Thanks so much for all your articles and reviews. I find them very helpful. We are planning our first and likely only ever trip to WDW beginning of Oct 2019. We have booked a value resort and got free dining for the 4 of us. I have a halloween specific question; there is no way we can afford the mickey not scary party tickets. I worry we are missing all the halloweeness. What else is halloweeney at the parks if one can’t do the party (apart from some decorations). Will there be any villans out? Or spookyness in parades? Or halloween special treats? What is halloween special for just regular ticket holders. Thanks. Julie
As someone that has visited WDW multiple times over multiple years, I’ve never been to the Party. We opted to go as part of our big fall family trip and we actually went on Halloween, so I think I saw the crowds at their possible peak in the past??? Maybe not as it was a school night, so many of the locals may not have attended???
Here is my review, very quick.
Four out of Five Stars.
I’d do it again next year, but would opt for an “off” night, not the night of Halloween itself, we sort of fell into that based on our plans and travel schedule.
Here is what I have to say and we had 12 total family members, including an awesomely well behaved and well rested 2 year old and a trooper of a 75 year old.
Early, Early, Early. We planned for this, but did not accomplish this based on unforeseen events with a check in issue (Dolphin Resort). Thanks Marriott…
Expectations, expectations, expectations… I set the bar at about a 5 out of 10 for this night and we exceeded them. Road many of the Fantasy Land Rides with little or limited wait, got photo with Halloween Mickey at 7pm and saw parade. I (we) even got to eat a Smash Burger, which is actually worth the hype, IMO. Watched the Fireworks from Cosmic Rays and although the audio was low, visual was great, which we wanted with a little one. Great service, very clean, perfect sit down without crowds. It’s about expectations.
The parade was great! Caught the 2nd one. Waited on Main Street for about 20 min prior, well worth it.
We made it into Tomorrow Land, Fantasy Land and obviously Main Street that night.
We DID NOT attempt to traverse to the other side of the park. Only negative was I did not get to do Haunted Mansion on Halloween, but its all about your own expectations and how reasonable they are.
Didn’t see the Hocus show, but caught glimpses of it as we walked around, looked (sounded) awesome. Our party was not too interested in that… more on rides and any characters we could catch.
Our young one loved the dance party in Tomorrow Land. Great opp for us to trade off watching while others used restroom and some did Space Mountain. Its a good event to use a a food or bathroom break. No real “true” photo ops, but well worth the 30 min we spent there.
Crowds were what I expected as I’d compare them to about a 7.5 on a 10 scale, but with most seeking photo ops and other extras, our goals were met, even though we arrived “late” to the party, missing the 4pm entrance for guests and getting in at about 7;00pm.
I found this site to be very helpful in my prep, which started months ago, so I’ll look here for Xmas info too.
We would like to know how Disney distinguished between the people that bought tickets to Mickeys Halloween Party and the people already in the park??? We paid $232 for 2 tickets AFTER paying for our regular park tickets and could have not paid for the party and still participated. Definetly got ripped off and didn’t do anything different or get anything for our money.
The party and your reg park tix are two different things.
We had both on the same night and did NOT use a park tix to enter the Party.
We had a hard tix to enter the party, which we presented upon arrival.
You need to check your purchases for tix and see what was used.
The party admin and the park admin are two different things. I had a four day hopper and a party tix and I arrived at 7:00pm and only used the party tix.
IF your reg admin tix was “charged”, you’ll need to identify the time it was and if it was prior to 4:00pm EST, you may have an issue.
Also, with the party and the WDW Marathon, computer systems are running like crazy so you may want to give it a few days before attempting to make confirmation.
Super dumb question but how do you tell Madame Carlotta and Madam Renata apart? I got to listen to stories up close during a little rain shower and I could have sworn she said she was Renata but all of the photo evidence points to Carlotta. Ha. It was the exact same ‘friend’ that is in your photo.
Thank you!
I want to make sure I am understanding this correctly . If I buy a regular park ticket can I use that at Epcot during the day and then go to Magic Kingdom at 4 PM with my party ticket?
Hi,
I have tickets to the Halloween party for Friday, October 26. I also have a 6:25 dinner reservation at Be Our Guest. Do you think I should cancel my dinner reservation?
My fiance and I spent 230 dollars for our tickets. Given this high amount, I wonder whether spending 90 minutes at a restaurant is the best use of our time, even if it is at Be Our Guest.
Thanks!
This comes down to a personal choice but I would if you are interested in seeing the park and rides. Why not eat somewhere nice outside of the party hours on another day? You only have 8 hours (assuming you enter right at 4pm).
Thanks for the advice. I am leaning towards agreeing with you.
We will actually have well over eight hours at the park since our day will also be spent at Magic Kingdom. I realize this isn’t ideal, but it was our only option.
Still, we want to try to experience as much as the party as we can since it is our first time.
If you are at the park already earlier in the day…try booking breakfast or lunch at Be Our Guest restaurant for those meal times …then for dinner do one of the quick restaurants – we ate at Cosmic Rays on our Halloween night 6:30pm – right between park closing for regular park guests and official start time to Halloween Party – believe me there is so much fun to be had at the Party!!! Have fun!!!
i would cancel you will miss so much and its dinner what i did was eat a lunch 2;30-3;00 remember you can get into the park as early as 4 and there are so many treats that are only offered on halloween party times.
Question…is the parade during day before the Halloween party starts similar to the special Halloween one?
We are going on a day that is not offering the Halloween party. We are undecided if it would be worth going a different day to see the parade. I hate to spend an additional $500 just to see the Halloween parade if it’s similar to the normal one in October.
My kids are older and could really careless for the trick or treating and dance.
“Question…is the parade during day before the Halloween party starts similar to the special Halloween one?”
No, they are totally different. There is no daytime Halloween parade.
We went August 28th – with intentions of no trick or treating for our older kids either…but one stop changed all that and became the highlight of the night …a friendly competition as to who received the most M & M Caramels – a flavor we don’t see here in Canada LOL….The two parades ARE very different and Halloween Boo to you Parade is a must see! Keep in mind – fireworks AND the Hocus Pocus show too are for those older kids..Add in Pirates of Caribbean with real characters and Haunted Mansion – a perfect fit to the occasion worth the money? YES!
I heard upon leaving there are buckets of candy by the exit. Is this true? If so, it may prevent us from trick or treating if we just get candy at the end anyways?
Taking my daughter for her 10th birthday, wondering if the Halloween party is worth it in terms of less crowds? We will only be there for 2 quick days and don’t really want to leave the park at 6pm. In people’s experiences, is the crowd a lot less for those staying for the Halloween party? She will mostly just want to ride the rides…hoping for short waits on the fun rides! thanks for the info
If you go once school is back in (across the country) and on a Sunday or week night it will be worth it.
We went to the August 28th (Tues) party and it was ungodly hot, and poured the first two hours of the party. I thought it would be less crowded because local schools had already gone back but I was wrong. It was crowded. I think now that school is back nationwide the crowds will be much smaller (as long as you don’t go the week of Halloween).
I have an 11 and 5 year old and they loved it, despite the crowds, heat and rain.
If the weather has cooled off it’s a must do. They crowds will definitely disappear by 7pm and you will not have to wait very long for anything.
Is the food included in the piece of the ticket, or do you have to pay for food when your there?
LOL, this is Disney, so no food is not included. The only thing included are Trick or Treat candy stations which open at 7pm the night of the party until closing (12am).
New for 2018 – DVC members and their guests can enter the Magic Kingdom at 2:00 pm for the Halloween party. I saw this announcement on the Disney Vacation Club site.
We rented DVC points for 2019 trip. Technically we are guests of a DVC member but they will not be with us. Would we still get to enter at 2?
Hi! So just to clarify buying the premium dessert party ticket will give you no special seating for the Halloween parade? I only want to do the dessert party if it helps with the parade. My children are 1 and 3 and I will be with no other adults. So sitting down an hour before the parade starts is not an option for me. Any advice?
Going for 1st time to MNSSHP. Are there any restrictions regarding wearing face make up if you choose to dress up in a costume? Disney’s website just says no masks.
I don’t think so because there are pictures with adults and face paint. But I would always call (or bring something to wipe it off if you have to).
Totally confused. For either the Halloween or Christmas night do you need a park ticket or just the event night ticket?
You need a ticket to get into the party which officially starts at 7pm (but you can enter the park as early as 4pm with the party ticket).
If you want to get into the park before 4pm then you will need to buy a regular day time park ticket but if you do not have a party ticket you will be asked to leave the park by 6pm. They will give you a wristband for the party and the Cast members are setup at various pathways to start checking for the wristbands starting around 5-5:30ish. If do not have one you will be asked to leave the park. If you buy both the day and night ticket you will still have to go back to the park entrance and get your wristband (again you can pick it up as early as 4pm).
To be clear if you only plan on going to the party then that’s the only ticket you need to buy (for both Halloween or Christmas) to get into the Magic Kingdom. Again you can get into the Magic Kingdom after 4pm with just the party ticket.
But if you plan on going to the park when it opens on the day of the party (8am or 9am) you will need to buy a park ticket which will cover from opening until 6pm.
The party’s run from 7pm to midnight (but again you can get in as early as 4pm with just your party ticket). So essentially you can get 8 hours in the park with just the party ticket (4pm to midnight). If you feel 8 hours isn’t enough time then I suggest buying the day ticket (at regular price). Personally 8 hours is more than enough for me in the Magic Kingdom considering after the party starts the crowds are almost nonexistent especially if you pick a party night on a weekday far away from the actual holiday. I’ve gone to the last three Christmas parties on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and by 7pm the wait time on all rides (outside of the Dwarfs) was never more than 15 minutes. By the end of the night Space Mountain is a 5 minute wait time. We always skipped the early parade and hit the rides we wanted to get on as soon as the early parade starts.
Also remember if you enter at 4pm you can use FastPass (with your Magic Band) up until 6pm.
We love this party so much that its become a yearly tradition. We love the character greets with the characters wearing the costumes. The parade is fantastic and I love the cameos during the parade of rare characters such as the Country Bears and Brers. The character greets, fireworks, and multiple showing of the parade are enough where I would skip any rides that do not have special Halloween overlays plus I would minimize time spent trick or treating.
Can you get fast passes during party hours?
No not during party hours. There are literally no lines for the rides during the party because the crowds are much lower.
THat was not my experience at all. We had thirty five minute waits. Couldn’t get near the shows. Long food lines. Long Trick or treat lines. Everything was ridiculously crowded. Disney obviously oversells. It was a Tuesday night… incredibly disappointed. We had far less people in the morning.
This might have already been asked, but if we get in line around 5:30 for the dwarfs, is it feasible to see them by 6:30? I don’t really want to wait over an hour to see characters. Our other option is to hop over and get in line around 11:40 as the 2nd parade is finishing up. Do you know when they cut the line for the dwarfs?
We are going to the Sunday night party on September 9th.
My experiences from late October visit: 5:30 was too late to see the Dwarfs by 6:30 but if the early Sept party doesnt sell out, you could get lucky.