Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Worth It?
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom is more expensive than ever before, with tickets costing up to $229 each and selling out annually. We’re here to help you decide whether Walt Disney World’s fall seasonal event is “worth it” for you–plus commentary on whether MNSSHP offers sufficient value for money to us.
One of the difficulties in assessing whether Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party justifies the high price is that there are no easy comparisons. Buying a single-day ticket to Magic Kingdom isn’t an apples to apples equivalent, nor are even the After Hours parties that are clearer comparisons to MNSSHP.
Determining whether Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is worth the money requires a look at alternatives to the hard ticket event, its components, alternative experiences, and more. It’s a patchwork approach, but that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to these “is it worth it?” questions and all things Walt Disney World.
There’s also an inarticulable x-factor when it comes to Disney. An emotional or nostalgic pull that causes many people to overlook objective on-paper comparisons. If we’re being honest with ourselves, the reality is that a lot of Walt Disney World usually boils down to something emotional, nebulous, or intangible as opposed to objective merits.
A large swath of the public is willing to pay premium pricing for Disney’s product because there’s the perception that there’s no “substitute good” or it’s a rite-of-passage experience that’s important. As with all things Disney, FOMO is a powerful motivator.
Sure, there are other Halloween events–probably a half-dozen of them just in Central Florida–but none of them have the same fundamental appeal to the target demo as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Objectively, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has sold out completely for the last three years, and there’s no sign of demand slowing in 2026, etc. In the clearest and most straightforward sense, the market has already spoken and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is worth it.
While fans like us might complain about ever-increasing prices, talk is cheap. We continue to vote with our wallets and reaffirm that not only is MNSSHP still worth it, but that it’s underpriced–as evidenced by the event selling out faster and more frequently than ever before. Walt Disney World has yet to find the ceiling on what guests are willing to pay for MNSSHP.
Emotion and nostalgia are huge drivers for Walt Disney World and value for those things is very much in the eye of the beholder. Nevertheless, we’ll try to determine if the ever-increasing ticket prices can be justified in any way. Especially given that you pay more and get less at the 2026 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party than you did in 2016.
Prices are probably a good place to start an analysis of worth, so let’s begin there. Tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party range in price from $119 to $229. The average is up very slightly over the course of the last few years, while the maximum for October 31st jumped from $199 to $229 this year.
Even though it hasn’t gone up much in the last few years, these are massive price increases as compared to 2019. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary tickets cost between $79 and $135 back then. That’s an incredible difference. Given that tickets have sold so well for the past few years, we fear further increases will only accelerate.
On the upside, we’ve observed lower ‘feels like’ crowds at both MNSSHP and MVMCP in the last few years as contrasted with 2019. After a positive response and higher guest satisfaction for the Halloween After Hours event a few years back, we strongly suspect Walt Disney World decreased the capacity cap by around 20% (give or take). That’s not enough to offset the price increase in percentage terms, but it is noteworthy.
In terms of historical pricing, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party didn’t break the $100/night barrier until 2016. We first started attending in 2007, and budgeted ~$50 for the Halloween and Christmas Party for the first several years we went.
I don’t know how much value there is in comparing prices today to back in the “good ole days” of the Great Recession. The world is a very different place than it was in 2007-2009. While we may prefer pricing from back then, the economy and real wages are unquestionably better. Consequently, demand is a lot higher for MNSSHP than it was then.
What’s probably more useful than longing for the past is dollar-cost comparisons to the present. We can compare MNSSHP ticket prices to the cost of a 1-day ticket to Magic Kingdom. Regular day admission ranges from $144 to $189 during the months of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Not so coincidentally, day ticket prices are actually very similar to MNSSHP ticket prices on a date by date basis for the event nights. There are some dates when MNSSHP is pricer and others when regular day tickets are more expensive.
If we had to choose between a full day in Magic Kingdom and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this time of year, we’d pick the latter in an instant. It offers lower crowds, better atmosphere, fun entertainment, and is at night during a time of year that’s often hot. So if your measure of “worth it?” is as compared to a 1-day Magic Kingdom ticket this time of year, our answer is absolutely.
Honestly, not much analysis is necessary here. The only thing I would add is that this is a closer call now than it was in the two prior years. That’s because Magic Kingdom is typically open until 11 pm on non-party nights, which is an hour later than most nights the previous two years. More importantly, the new Disney Starlight Night Parade is presented only on non-party nights; that along with the Happily Ever After fireworks are very much worth seeing. For some guests, this will tip the scales in favor of regular days in MK.
As long as MNSSHP continues to be comparably priced to single-day Magic Kingdom tickets in the fall, you can expect it to continue selling out quickly in 2026 and beyond–barring a recession or other major change. This is because an increasing number of guests are purchasing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween instead of 1-day tickets. It’s not all guests or even a majority, but it’s enough to tip the scales on the event selling out.
This is happening with more than just guests choosing MNSSHP over 1-day MK tickets. There are also tourists buying shorter duration tickets (3 days instead of 4), or those taking advantage of the 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket that excludes Magic Kingdom. Buying that plus a separate MNSSHP ticket is cheaper than a regular 4-day ticket, and arguably a superior experience.
There are also locals skipping out on Annual Passes and getting their “Disney fix” during Party Season. This is a huge factor, as Floridians are being priced out of APs or opting to take a year off from them, but still want to do Walt Disney World on occasion. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a way to scratch that itch, so to speak. This is definitely happening, as evidenced by the larger mix-in crowds waiting to enter at 4 pm.
Nevertheless, there’s a question of the value proposition of MNSSHP vs. regular 1-day tickets for many guests.
We’ve been urging Walt Disney World vacation planners to do Magic Kingdom on party days, which amounts to as many as 10 hours in the park (plus another 30-60 minutes if you count Early Entry). Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween begins at 7 pm and runs until 12 am, but as noted above, party-goers can actually enter the park beginning at 4 pm, for a grand total of up to 8 hours.
From a qualitative perspective, the argument could be made that those 8 hours during the party are superior to the 10 hours during the day. If that math is tough to square, it means you haven’t visited Florida during the months of August through October. Point being, evening hours are more pleasant than the daytime.
This is actually as good of a point as any to address crowds. Perceptions of crowds varies widely based on places and priorities. Once the entertainment starts, Main Street and the area in front of Cinderella Castle can be congested at times. The front of Magic Kingdom sees disproportionate congestion, so you might think MNSSHP is very crowded–worse than a normal day–if you hang out around the front of the park waiting for entertainment.
Meanwhile, over in Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Frontierland, there are often wide open walkways during the exact same parties, at the exact same times. While not as short as After Hours events, wait times for most attractions without overlays are under 10 minutes. Guests who use MNSSHP as a way to do rides with minimal waits and steer clear of Main Street might perceive crowds to be around 2/10 or so.
That’s about on par with a normal day in Magic Kingdom during party season with a 6 pm closing. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween is a little less busy if we’re using nothing but the objective measure of wait times. Conversely, the party can worse if we’re using the highly subjective measure of congestion.
Circling back to the topic of ticket cost, much of this is irrelevant to many Walt Disney World vacation planners. Most attendees aren’t deciding between a 1-day ticket and MNSSHP, they’re deciding between MNSSHP and one fewer day on their multi-day tickets.
As such, the incremental cost of adding (or subtracting) a day to multi-day tickets is the key consideration. In this case, that’s an extra ~$10 to ~$30 as compared to $139 to $199. That’s a big difference. The qualitative advantage of evening versus daytime in Magic Kingdom melts away.
When assessing value, MNSSHP fans often point to the “free” trick-or-treating. I’ve never understood this. At best, you’re ending up with a candy haul with a value of $10 if purchased from Walmart. (Or ~$234 at Walt Disney World gift shop prices.) As someone who enjoys having teeth, I’ll also admit to being biased against consuming copious amounts of sugar.
The better option for assessing value is the core competencies of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, Mickey’s Boo to You Parade, and Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular Fireworks. These three pieces of entertainment are the cornerstones of the event.
I’d ascribe $25 in value to each of these marquee entertainment offerings. Assuming you don’t want to repeat any of them, that’s $75 of entertainment plus a time cost of about 3 hours of the event itself. Add in another $25 for atmospheric acts and ambiance, and you’re at $100.
Then there are character meet & greets, trick-or-treating, attraction overlays, and the time you’re able to access Magic Kingdom. In theory, that gets you to the average ticket price, assuming you value all of those things.
Of course, you can adjust those numbers upwards and downwards based on your party’s priorities and what you value. Maybe the individual components were barely worth it for you 5 years ago and now really aren’t.
Perhaps simply being there among other guests wearing costumes for Halloween while your kids are able to trick-or-treat in a fun and safe setting is priceless. It’s also possible you’re wholly concerned with having the best vacation possible and are willing to spare no expense to achieve that. (In that case, not sure why you even are reading this.)
Again, value is in the eye of the beholder.
For other guests, the lower capacity event in Magic Kingdom and doing regular rides with short lines is the main selling point. It’s very easy to knock out many attractions with lower wait times during MNSSHP, which makes it more comparable to the Disney After Hours events.
Elsewhere, we’ve suggested that these hard ticket events are better than Lightning Lane Premier Pass, which is significantly more expensive and less flexible. Even if they cost the exact same price, I would take MNSSHP or an After Hours event over Lightning Lane Premier Pass if I wanted to max out my ride count. You might have some longer lines with MNSSHP, but you can still accomplish more during that ~8 hour window than any 8 hours of park time with Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
During the fall, the typical starting price of Lightning Lane Premier Pass is $329 for Magic Kingdom, and that’s on top of regular 1-day tickets. At less than half that total cost, the 2026 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party looks like a steal of a deal, even at its top price of $229!
Personally, I wouldn’t look at it this way, as I view Lightning Lane Premier Pass as an absolute and unequivocal rip-off. It’s arguably a nice VIP offering for some guests, but anyone reading a “worth it?” post should conclude that LLP is not. It’s a splurge that’s unmoored from value propositions; something you do because you want to treat yourself, not because it’s worth the money. Still, LLPP does make MNSSHP look like a good value by comparison.
It’s probably worth sharing our perspective as annual MNSSHP attendees since 2007. We are total suckers for these parties, and we absolutely love the atmosphere at the events. This is equally true for both MNSSHP and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
From 11 pm until whenever we leave is our favorite time at Magic Kingdom, and the parties are immensely satisfying on a personal level based on that end-of-night atmosphere alone. A lot about the Walt Disney World experience for diehards is revisiting fond memories, and we have a ton of them from late nights at MNSSHP and MVMCP.
The end of the evening during these parties transports me back to 2007-2010, and I’d pay a stupid amount of money just for that feeling. It’s not rational, but it is what it is. (If you’re a casual guest or first-timer, it’s worth understanding that a lot of the Walt Disney World experience boils down to chasing nostalgia for diehards, whether they’re willing to admit it or not.)
The bottom line is that we splurge on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party because we want to do it–without regard for its value proposition. It’s one of those things we know isn’t quite what it once was, but since we don’t own a time machine (yet), we continue attending. It’s a really fun experience and still “close enough” on value that it’s still worth it to us (for now).
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is something we would do every other year if it were just a matter of personal enjoyment. Writing about the event is what tips the scales for us, and makes it easier to justify paying the ever-increasing prices to attend.
Of course, all of this is highly personal. Even though it’s even more expensive than MNSSHP, I cannot imagine missing Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The need to write about it excuse also exists with MVMCP, but we’d absolutely attend annually for personal enjoyment. That comes down to even more nostalgia, preferring Christmas, weather, and the spirit of the season. (Christmas in November is a lot more fun for us than Halloween in August or September.)
Ultimately, the ambiance, fireworks, plus two showings of both the Boo to You parade and Hocus Pocus show provide sufficient value for us to keep returning, with everything else being icing on the cake. We also get to revisit fond memories and nostalgia for MNSSHP, all of which should underscore why it’s difficult to determine whether Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is worth the money.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The best we can offer is the rambling analysis above, and the hope that it provides sufficient “food for thought” such that you can make a personal determination for your family. Maybe you have small children and can’t stay past 8 pm, buy 7-day tickets by default, or have larger families that make MNSSHP cost-prohibitive.
We still have a good time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Not as much as we did back in the day, but enough fun to continue going year after year. Even as Annual Passholders who have done the event dozens of times, we still look forward to the event. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is not as “worth it” to us as it used to be, but the answer to the titular question is still yes for us. As with other fans, the votes we make with our wallets probably say a lot more than these few thousand words.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? If you’re interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides” are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World in the last two years? What did you think of the crowds? Think it was worth the high ticket price? Thoughts on the Boo to You Parade, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, fireworks, or any other entertainment? Any other tips, likes or dislikes? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
What are the pro and cons using a scooter? My wife and I will be using scooters on Halloween night in Oct. Will we have any issues?
If you need the scooters to get through the event comfortably a little planning and forethought will be beneficial. The parade and fireworks display are peak times during the party where you will encounter large crowds. When the parade and display are over, there will be tons of visitors leaving the parade route , Main St and the area around Cinderella’s Castle. The bridge that connects the castle area to Tomorrow Land is a popular viewing area and it will be crowded as well. You may want to consider scoping out places to enjoy the parade and fireworks ahead of time, before the party begins. Arrive early with a snack, claim your spot and and wait for the fun to begin. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. MNSSHP is one if our favorite DW events.
Hi- I’ve followed you for years and always appreciate your insight. Need some of your wisdom/pixie dust now.
The stars aligned and I have our dream trip planned for this October. It’s been 2.5 years and we are so excited to return. We got our readout (BCV) our dining, park passes. I purchased Mickey Halloween tickets from undercover tourist yesterday and unfortunately they canceled my order today, as the event is sold out. It’s all my daughter wants for her bday to go to this party and both of our dates are sold out. I’ve spent 3 hours on the phone today with various representatives and nobody can do anything.
In your experience, will they release more tickets or potentially more dates? Since it’s non refundable can existing tickets come back available?
I have to pay my balance by tomorrow and am conflicted if we are going to find some magic or if I should cancel and wait until next year.
Unfortunately, I have not heard of WDW making more tickets available day-of this year. There’s always the possibility of that, but I wouldn’t count on it. Your best bet is finding someone at WDW who will fulfill your order over the phone. Sorry! 🙁
We’re a family of 4 from Canada that has only attended MNSSHP twice and loved it, have amazing memories and would have loved to go again – we just got back from a 2 week WDW vacation but couldn’t justify the cost of the party on top of the 8 day tickets which all seem to have jumped up a lot since our last visit!
Going tonight. Price is right with AP discount (under $100) but we’re talking end of August and tonight’s weather forecast is (SURPRISE!!!!) Thunderstorms from 4 till 11. Rain doesn’t bother us and we laugh in the face of lightening but hope parades, fireworks and stage shows still occur. Hoping they have reinstalled the gravediggers to the parade (my favorite). Yeah I have to say that walking around the park dressed as 1950’s mouseketeers with tons of other costumed crazies is an insanity I find alluring.
Going tonight. Price is right with AP discount (under $100) but we’re talking end of August and tonight’s weather forecast is (SURPRISE!!!!) Thunderstorms from 4 till 11. Rain doesn’t bother us and we laugh in the face of lightening but hope parades, fireworks and stage shows still occur. Hoping they have reinstalled the gravediggers to the parade (my favorite). Yeah I have to say that walking around the park dressed as 1950’s mouseketeers with tons of other costumed crazies is an insanity I find alluring.
While we’ve never attended the MNSSHP we have attended the Christmas Party. We spent the entire day in the park. I understand it’s a money maker for Disney. For someone who don’t know they buy an admission ticket to the park and find the park is closing early then they have to park hop somewhere else. Then they hit you for the cost of the party. The MVMCP was packed compared to the day time. Wait times went up, you were packed in like sardines. I got very little bang for my buck. Since then I swore I’d never go to another one of these events. For less than the cost of the MNSSHP I can turn my four day pass into a five day pass and get more time in the park with a smaller crowd. I almost got suckered on my upcoming Sept trip. I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t book a dinner. Only to find out it was because of the MNSSHP and the park closed early, so I changed my plans that day.
Good comments here. It strikes me that there’s a common theme: do what you need to do to find your version of joy. I’m particularly thinking about Janis’ observation of the guests and the decline of attitude over the years. Consider this: next time you watch an in-park VLOG, search around for guests actively enjoying themselves. It’s very rare. Everyone is rushing around or standing in line or navigating something. It’s difficult to find everyday guests smiling, talking, laughing, celebrating and generally having a good time. Closest I find are guests at resort pools and personal character interactions.
My point is this…we all spend a lot of time, money, research, and emotional capital orchestrating our visits to WDW. In the end, decisions on what to do and not do come down to what will make you happy. That sounds self-evident, but here we are still talking about value and trends. Tom has it right- ultimately decisions should come down to what you truly want to get from the experience and not some calculation.
I personally enjoy the sights, sounds, and overall vibe of nighttime in the perks waaaaay more than the sometimes chaotic pace (and temperature) of daytime. That’s with three small children, too. Their stamina and enjoyment is much greater at night. Going to these after hours events is a no-brainer. As long as the costs are somewhat comparable, swapping out a day visit for a nighttime hard ticket is an easy decision. I don’t care if I get the best view of the fireworks, short lines for rides, and a bag full of candy. I just want to be immersed in the theme, and both night events ooze theme. I’d pay for that alone because I get more joy from those feelings than I would from knocking out 6 rides before noon.
But that’s me…you do you. Think about what would bring you joy, and the rest will fall into place.
It’s big enough now it needs simultaneous entertainment and potentially 2 firework shows. They know the entertainment is the draw yet don’t seem to mind the bottle neck. We usually opt for less-than-ideal fireworks view to avoid the crowd. We have only seen the stage show once we use that time to accomplish other things. The park really isn’t crowded comparatively but the bottleneck is bad. I prefer the Christmas party because there’s enough to do that we didn’t encounter the bottleneck effect.
We even planned our exit strategically with our resort pick.
While I have not attended the Halloween party, I want to offer our (family of 5) experience with the Christmas party. We have taken our 3 children to MVMCP in December in 2016 and again in 2018. Both times my youngest was in a stroller. The crowd or late night out was never an issue for us. In fact, we absolutely loved it! There is nothing much better than being one of the last families in the park and watching the snow fall on Main Street with all the beautiful Christmas lights sparkling. We were very strategic in our planning to be sure we got great spots for the parade, fireworks, and show….planning ahead is so beneficial! We also REALLY enjoyed the shorter ride lines that you find during the party hours. We always arrived at the park as early as our ticket would allow and stay until closing to maximize our time there. For our family, the price for the special event ticket is totally worth it for the experience and memories made with our kids. Since it has been four years since our last trip, we are planning to go in November this year for my youngest child’s 8th birthday. By that time, my kids will be 8, 14, and 16. They grow so fast and you only have such a short time with them to make these great memories! That’s the best advice I could offer a parent who may be considering attending the Halloween or Christmas parties.
As an over-65 couple (still working) with no children, we enjoy going to the Halloween party. We went to the Christmas party in 2014, but my wife really loves Halloween, so we go every year. We’ll be there on the 27th of October this year. Staying at Port Orleans Riverside for 3 days followed by 3 days at Wilderness Lodge. Cost really isn’t an issue for us. I’d have to think about what price would make it not worth it. Maybe $300? Even then, we might attend. It’s our one treat for the year. I can’t imagine attending in August or September, though. It just doesn’t feel like Halloween with the temperature in the 90s.
My first thought when reading about comparing the cost of MNSSHP to the cost of a dally ticket was “Yeah but you save more if you have a multiday ticket.” I guess that was based on my old view of the parks…you basically save very little now when comparing say a 4 day ticket to a 1 day ticket in terms of per day cost…You have to be going for at least 5 days to see any real savings on a per day ticket now. That seems like a recent development to me, but perhaps it was always that way. Point being, if you are going to be there for 4 days or less, there probably is not much difference between the daily ticket and the party.
We are going to try the DW version of this next year. I believe maybe in early October or late September. Hoping the weather will be somewhat decent that time of year.
We’ve probably been double digit times to both holiday parties but would never consider going now due to the current pricing, simply don’t see the value.
Full disclosure, we are locals and still DVC members so we can always get some holiday flavors alternative ways and since we’ve done so many Disney events over the years can use a been there, done that rationale.
My daughter who is turning 40 this month. We are booked at New Orleans FQ for the 1st week of Oct. My treat for the entire trip. So we can have a whole spa day at the Ritz in Orlando that includes the spa amenities, which are a lot, for the entire day and two signature full body massages and scalp massages for less money than this Halloween Party will cost us. This will be on the last day of our stay the day we check out because my plane leaves at 7PM back to Cali. We would rather have this than an over crowded party that costs a good bit more. We will enjoy all the festive Halloween decorations and ride the haunted mansion and thats enough trick or treats for us. But all of you trick or treaters going to the party…. HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN MICKY STYLE AND LOADS OF TRICK OR TREAT FUN! Wish I could afford both but it can be one or the other… both my daughter and myself chose the pampering instead of the goblins.
Just reading this article reminds me of our time we have gone and put a big smile on my face. We are 3 adult women and have gone to 1 in Disneyland (last year it was held in Disneyland park) and 2 in Disney World Halloween parties. It is out “adult” time. For us it is totally worth it because we don’t need to worry about anybody else. We also attended the Christmas party last year, I guess the shorter version of it, and we all agreed the full Halloween party was much better. All this said, we would not pay to bring our children or grandchildren. Our husbands do not enjoy Disney as we all do, so not spending the money on them LOL. The cost is too prohibitive for the whole family. The previous statements are correct about crowds and children. No way would I bring them with the way crowds are even if it was cheaper. Camping out for an hour for a parade and have little ones needing to use the bathroom. You would never get back to your spot. We are looking forward to our next trip/party for our adult women only time.
Very good points about the cost and ease when paying for fewer people–and no children. Can’t imagine these events are easy on parents, even with the earlier start time than the After Hours events.
(Side note: if you haven’t done Oogie Boogie Bash at DCA, you should give it a try. I still don’t think it’s as good as MNSSHP, but it has more heart and the team behind the event gives it their all–and it shows!)
Totally agree with your rationale. My husband also hates Disney and my kids don’t want to wait in lines. I took 2/4 kids (one hates Disney and one had school stuff) last week and we LL and ILL’d our way through Disney only standing in line for early morning entry each day and then LLs the rest of the day. I would rather pay for genie+ and ILL’s and I even paid for the pre enchantment dessert party to avoid waiting and crowds as that’s how we find doing the parks most enjoyable over going to the Halloween party. If it was just me I wouldn’t mind waiting for all the Halloween fun, but that’s not the group I’m with!
I love WDW and every party… something we have enjoyed for years! It has changed and while some change may be necessary the substantial increase in cost range sea eyebrows . But not nearly as much as the overselling of tickets which has greatly reduced the pleasure in attending. Like Tom and Sarah, the magic for us is also late in the night when crowds tend to clear. Families with little or even school aged children cannot stay until closing and so for them, that experience will not be possible. I hope WDW will rethink their party-plans and offer more party nights but selling fewer tickets per party. There is no pleasure in a crushing crowd.
Maybe I am overly sensitive but I also feel the pulse of the crowds at Disney have changed. Before it was rare to encounter a grouchy or overbearing guest. After our most recent trip, it was just not as user friendly. The Cast Members were not the issue. It was a larger portion of irritable guests. But maybe it is the unbearable Florida heat and humidity contributing to that atmosphere.
“Maybe I am overly sensitive but I also feel the pulse of the crowds at Disney have changed. Before it was rare to encounter a grouchy or overbearing guest. After our most recent trip, it was just not as user friendly. The Cast Members were not the issue. It was a larger portion of irritable guests. But maybe it is the unbearable Florida heat and humidity contributing to that atmosphere.”
Nah, it’s not just you. This has been an observable trend for the last several years even pre-closure, and all of the pains with the reopening have exacerbated it big time.
In talking to both Cast Members and guests, my impression is that it’s somewhat of a vicious cycle. Higher costs and ‘friction’ in the process of visiting stresses out guests, who take out their frustrations on CMs, who get burned out and (in many cases) quit. Even with WDW hiring a ton of new CMs regularly, they are also losing them just as quickly as they’re hired. The College Program has really been helping, but it can only do so much.
We are long time attendees of this event and love it. Our last MNSSHP was in October of 2019. While enjoyable, the event was most definitely oversold. The Trick or Treat lines were so long, many just walked past the candy stations. The parade, as usual wowed us. The big issue was the show / fireworks at Cinderella’s Castle. While the display left us wondering how DW could ever top it, the crowd was huge. We stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of others. When the display was over, the crush of people leaving to make their way out of the park became downright frightening. Parents were in danger of becoming separated from their children and in some instances were. We opted to just stand were we were and wait for the crowd to thin out. If there was an emergency of any kind, it would have been extremely difficult for help to get through that mega crowd. It rivaled any event we have ever been to . Long winded way to voice an opinion, lol, but our takeaway is that the event is oversold and it seemed that it came down to dollars over the full enjoyment and safety of visitors. We will more than likely attend again but for the parade and the show at Cinderella’s Castle. Those are the standouts.
Similar experiences to what you describe prompted that “Is MNSSHP too crowded?” post. That was happening on a nightly basis in October 2019–I’m honestly surprised it never ended with people being hurt.
Tom, Do you think there will be a Christmas Party at Disneyland this year? No mention as of yet and also surprised no more Oogie Boogie Bash tickets have been released.
Hard to say.
It wasn’t announced until later last year, so it could still be coming. On the other hand, the opportunity cost of closing Disneyland early to day guests during the most lucrative time of year might simply be too much during a normal year.
Sorta surprised it wasn’t held at DCA last year. That seems like the obvious solution–it would still sell out, regardless. Just look at Oogie Boogie Bash!
We were long time attendees of this event and love it. Our last MNSSP was in October of 2019. While enjoyable, the event was most definitely oversold. The Trick or Treat lines were so long, many just walked past the candy stations. The parade, as usual wowed us. The big issue was the show / fireworks at Cinderella’s Castle. While the display left us wondering how DW could ever top it, the crowd was huge. We stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of others. When the display was over, the crush of people became downright frightening. Parents were in danger of becoming separated from their children and in some instances were. Groups of adults became separated from their party members. We opted to just stand were we were and wait for the crowd to thin out. Our children are old enough to know where our designated meeting place in each park is located. I can not stress the importance of having a meeting place enough. We did become separated and our child was calmly waiting with a cast member! If there was an emergency of any kind, it would have been extremely difficult for help to get through that mega crowd. It rivaled any event we have ever been to . Long winded way to voice an opinion, lol, but our takeaway is that the event us oversold to think about what you want to see, do accomplish before purchasing the tickets. We will more than likely attend again but for the parade and the show at Cinderella’s Castle.
Very interesting article.
We’ve done a total of 5 parties (1 Halloween, 3 “regular” Christmas, and 1 Christmas after hours last year). I always had a really hard time with the price (especially last year) but a) I’m a sucker and b) we always had a lot of fun and made some of our best memories during the parties.
That being said, when I put four tickets in the cart for the Christmas party during our trip to Universal this coming December I finally decided it wasn’t worth it anymore. Same would have gone for Halloween if that was our season.
For anyone that has the means, I think they are worth it one time if you are there. The value proposition for repeat visits is gone for our family.
Our family is in agreement with you. We’ve done four or five MVMCPs and one Boo Bash. After our last MVMCP (in 2019)), it was so crowded that it wasn’t worth it any more. We only did Boo Bash last year because of the promise of lower crowds. We fondly remember the wonderful Christmas parade complete with Cinderella’s Crystal Coach and the performing dogs that jumped out of their special vehicle. But, that was many years ago and, obviously, things have changed.
As a fellow sucker, I have to admit that it’s “easier” to only put 2 tickets in the cart as compared to double that number. Granted, we end up doing the parties on both coasts…and 2×2=4…but at least the total cost isn’t visible in one transaction. That’s a very important element of justifying this to my inner sucker.