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.
I was at the MNNSHP last night August, 20th and to say it was a mad house is an understatement. Be prepared for peak crowds if you decide to go. That is the bad news. The good news is that the event, entertainment, fireworks, parade, and special effects all make it worth going (at least once).. This was our first time at this event and it was so cool. The instructions you provide Tom, are very helpful. For example, we waited until the very end to collect candy – breezed through and our girl’s candy didn’t melt in the 90 degree heat. We focused on going to spooky or enhanced rides vs ones we will ride other days. We tried to see a few characters but the lines were sometimes 90 minutes long. All in all, I do wish Disney would limit the number of tickets sold to something less than peak season and this might be heretical to say on your blog, but I would pay more to have less crowds! I will think twice about going again if they don’t reduce attendance numbers.
Magic kingdom has a daily average attendance of 52,000 but the Halloween party is limited to 20,000 tickets per night, while that may seem like a lot I have seen the park way more crowded during reg daily operations than I have ever for a Halloween or Christmas party
Same! Aug 20th party was the craziest I’ve seen the Magic Kingdom- including Halloween last year, spring break crowds and the 4th of July. The lines for characters were LONG- even goofy, was wrapped around the the barnstormer. This killed my 4yr old. The Minetrain, Space Moutain, & pirates were never less than 35+ min and even the Mad Tea Party which is never more than 10 was 20! Grown adults were pushing our kids out of the way in candy lines (You can buy an enormous bag of candy for $10 people)! To me, it was a huge disappointment. We’ve been to the parks twice a year the last 3 years & I’ve never experienced it this busy- or this annoying. For families with younger kids who want a little Halloween “magic” + rides with shorter lines, I’d skip it! You can see the decorations in the day & kids don’t care about “special” characters. Every day there is special enough We’ve done early morning magic (around the same price to add) and it’s far more enjoyable. No crowds + breakfast, and when it’s over you jump right on the other because you’re already in the park.
* Just wanted to piggy back your comment because these are so helpful to me & I hope it helps others!
As a mom with two kids, ages 3 and 5, visiting in October and debating about whether or not to attend the party, I really appreciate this tip. Thank you so much.
I agree. We spoke with a cast member who said they do not count the employee front desk tickets given out so employees can hype the event or the annual Halloween passes. We witnessed a verbal fight between two mothers before the fireworks – both were in large groups with one mother very upset with anyone standing in front of her. does anyone know how the viewing points were at Cruella’s party? Was that oversold as well?
Hey Tom! I’ve read some conflicting party descriptions; are you able to clarify if the Nightmare Before Christmas characters are in the parade and Haunted Mansion parties at WDW, or just DL?
Hey Tom–I’ve read a couple conflicting parade/party descriptions: are the Nightmare Before Christmas characters at the WDW party, or just DL?
Excellent tips! I’ve been going to the Party for several years & just recently figured that out! Thanks for sharing!
I found out (through reading comments on blogs and putting it into practice) I am able to book Fast Passes for the day of MNSSHP even though I am ONLY attending the party that day. I have three Fast Passes booked between 3:30 PM-5:30 PM. When I am able to enter the park at 4:00 PM, I will have a half hour left to use my first Fast Pass and I will be able to use my last pass until regular park closing at 6:00 PM:
3:30-4:30: Big Thunder Mountain
4:30-5:30: Splash Mountain
5:30-6:00: Space Mountain
I thought this was a pretty good tip to share! Others have said it is important to book your regular passes first before you try booking pre-party passes. For example, I have regular park tickets for 9/30, 10/2 and 10/3. I booked all of those days before I tried booking my pre-party passes for 10/1. If I had tried booking my passes in chronological order by date, I may have not been able to book passes for my last day on 10/3 because MDE would deduct from my regular park day tickets (as if I were going to Magic Kingdom during regular hours on 10/1).
I booked my pre-party Fast Passes less than 24 hours ago, so we’ll see how it all shakes out. I think the fact MDE even let me book passes is very promising though!
Thanks for posting! This worked for me as well.
I sure hope are able to use them when we get there.
Thanks for sharing this… what an awesome tip!
I would love a post about all the Photopass options/locations for the party!
We have to be out of our home for unexpected construction this week and decided to make lemon aid out of lemons and go to Disney last minute- although we’ve never been in August and now I’m beginning to think it was an awful decision! We have been many, many times in the last few years and have done just about everything there is to do besides Mickeys not so Scary. Can I get recommendations as to what would make more sense for us (considering it may rain during the party), a park hopper that day or take a chance on MNSSHP? I feel like with a park hopper (staying at the Poly) we would be able to bounce around to many indoor attractions if it pours half the day. With MNSSHP we will be stuck at MK in the rain- and most likely with a crowded party being that it’s the first. what to do?!?! We will most likely only go to the parks one other day with a park hopper as my kids are 6 & 4, love the pool, and have been twice a year for the last few years. Thank you for any suggestions! Also any for rain activities would be wonderful!
So if I have a vacation package with 6 days with park hopper, I can drop to 5 days and just buy the Not so Scary ticket for 85.00 or whatever the price is that day? I don’t plan on going to any other park that day since we will be out late that night.
Would you recommend buying the park tickets with the Halloween party ticket?? I have a 6 and 11 year old… and my 6 year old is wanting to see the princess characters especially Ariel not sure if they are there for character greetings during party
You mention you can get in at 4pm. Does that mean we should show up at 3:30 to get in line or earlier? I have a 3:15-4:15 fast pass, which I know we might not make, but just curious if we can line up earlier than 4 or if that’s not necessary. Thanks!
That is a good question that I’d like to know the answer to as well. I’m in a similar situation with a 3:20-4:20 fastpass (but I also remember reading somewhere that you get 5 minutes before and 10 minutes after the posted fastpass time??).
We just got back and I had the same 420 fastpass set up and we got there a little before 4. They let us in and we had no problem making the fastpass time to space mountain. I used all three before 7. Great tip to book fastpasses prior to the 7pm party time because our night was sold out. I think most of them are!
Staying at Contempory 5 nights w/park hopper. We purchased a ticket for 10 year old for Mickey’s Halloween Party-do the adults have to have separate tickets too?
Everyone must have a separate ticket to attend, if you do not have a purchased mnsshp ticket you cannot stay after 6pm so unless you plan to leave your 10year old alone in the park you have to get tickets too
Hi There! My partner and I are going to Disney over Halloween but do not wish to attend this party on any day as we just have general entry tickets. Will the party affect the day to day people who just want to go one rides and eat???
You will have to leave the park by 7pm if you do not have party tickets, but you can go to one of the other parks on party days instead
The Halloween and Christmas specials are worth doing at least once…enjoyed them both about the same, but highly doubt I would do either of them again UNLESS the cost was not an issue…also, if you have young children, I wouldn’t bring them unless they were 5 or older as they probably wouldn’t enjoy themselves as much as older children would…just my opinion…
We have dinner reservations at the Crystal Palace during the NSSHP in early October. I thought it would be good way to do a character meet and greet. Do you have any info on the Crystal Palace during the party?
We love Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
My then 9-year old son and I attended the Halloween Party in August 2017, and it was SO WORTH IT— for the shorter lines alone!! We got on-and-off Splash Mountain six straight times, with minimal wait times; Thunder Mountain four straight and Seven Dwarves Mine Train three straight times. This simply could not have been done during a typical August day (unless, perhaps, it was raining and most of the visitors had left).
And these shorter wait times free us up to go to other parks for at least half of the ‘party day’ (and with our being at WDW for only three full days, the party’s lower attendance sort of gives us an extra day).
While we didn’t make trick-or-treating a priority, we did go to 4-or-5 stops, and the candy given out is very good, name-brand stuff (though I realize that is a matter of taste–pun intended, I guess).
The décor, especially at night, is most definitely an added bonus, and the treats reflect the sheer artistry of WDW chefs and bakers. They can be a little pricey, but are still nice to look at.
I would suggest you look at your calendar; the crowds and prices will get larger as you get closer to Halloween (thus, minimal wait times aren’t so “minimal”).
Also, don’t try to do it all. Do your research and do your best to figure out why you’re going (or thinking of going) to Mickey’s NSSHP.
We are returning in early September of 2019 and plan on doing it again.
Went last year and was so not worth it. The place was over crowded. We found 2. Trick or treat spots but could not get through the crowds for much else . We saw the castle show but was not much different than the shows on other nights. I think it’s horrible how they have the parks close so early 5 nights a week when I am spending a fortune on this trip. The 2 nights not having the trick or treat is overly packed since there isn’t any options to see the park at night all lit up.
At what time do the rides start to Have the special attractions, for example Haunted mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, 7pm or earlier?
I would love to hear your thoughts on the outsized impact having this long of a party schedule (essentially August through December, when you combine dates for the Halloween Party and Christmas Party) has on Magic Kingdom crowds.
We’ve done both. The Halloween was a one and done, I think we will swallow the bitter pill and pay for Christmas once more because the kids liked it so much, but when you are the busiest theme park in the world and you cut your operating hours for 4-5 months of the year to pad the margins….it’s not so magical.
Hi! We’re headed to Mikey’s Not So Scarey Halloween Party October 14th. My family always does family costumes for Halloween and we let our girls pick. They decided, since we’re headed to Disney, to do a Toy Story theme this year with our youngest, (4) being Buzz, our oldest, (9) being Jesse, my husband being Woody and then I could be Bo Peep; however I am concerned about our costumes. I know the kids will be fine, but I don’t want us to show up dressed up and then not be allowed in the park. I was buying them off of Amazon. Can anyone tell me if these costumes will be allowed or if we should pick something else?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N7LXFQ6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2QICQIKTA4BNJ&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CUFWMJ4/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2XWASYGS7D1G9
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01596A6XA/ref=crt_ewc_img_dp_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AWTVN3BNE3NEZ
THANK YOU!
I would pick something else, adults are not permitted into the park dressed as Disney characters, children can mistake them and ask for pictures and essentially they don’t want anyone misrepresenting the brand, that is why they don’t allow it, plus unless you are from a southern area you don’t realize how hot it still is in October dress cool but with the ability to put on a jacket it is always easier to add than subtract clothes
They have always let adults dress up for the party as long as they aren’t pretending to be Disney employee characters. But it is HOT. I’ve worn short costumes each year and sweat thru them in a matter of minutes and I rarely sweat in heat. Humid as heck.
That is just simply not true. You can absolutely dress as a Disney character – you are just not allowed to pose for photos with or sign autographs for other guests. Here’s the link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/parks/dress/
When we were there last year we saw several adults dressed as Jedi, Princess Leia, Han, various Marvel super heroes, tinker bell, Mrs. Incredible, Jack Sparrow, etc. Feel free to dress as Woody and Bo. The only potential issue will be how hot it is on the night you are there.
My question is: Is it worth it if my objective is to try to ride the most rides with the least wait times? Because the after hours regular events are almost $50 more expensive. But I haven’t done either of these before and it’s my first time back to Disney World since I was 4.
Yes, it is worth going for the shorter lines. We have been several times and we had so much fun with shorter lines. Especially during one of the parades, you can jump on rides as everyone is watching the parade.
Would we be crazy to try to do the party the night of our arrival? Our flight is supposed to get in at 2pm on October 29. The other 2 nights that week are going to be crazy busy I would assume.
We did the party the night we arrived (From Ireland) I booked it for that day as it was $85 instead of $100+ each. It was brilliant BUT a very bad idea!!! my eldest 8 loved it but my 2 youngest age 2 +4 were out cold in the strollers by 7pm! they missed absolutely everything from the shows to the trick or treating they were just exhausted from all the travel! to be fair i was exhausted myself the following day but i still really enjoyed it. On a plus note It was great to get some quality time with our 8 year old as you can be very pre occupied in a Disney park with toddlers . We had a memory maker which I have to say was the best thing ever for magic shots at the party, also as previous readers said the lines for rides were non existent (Oct 25th). We are returning in Oct 2020 and at the moment we are in 2minds about whether to go to MNSSHP this time round …….it was an experience but to be honest I preferred trick or treating in Celebration, time your arrival well and it is just fantastic.