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!
I honestly don’t think it’s worth the extra money. If you’re there during a party, go to MK during the day of the party, it’s usually quieter. There’s no difference in crowds from a normal day to the MNSSHP, I think they actually squeeze more people in. They need to limit the amount of people that can sign up for the party (maybe 5,000 total). That way paying the extra amount of money (up to $229 depending on what date you choose, on top of your normal admission ticket) is worth it. We’ve done both the Halloween and Christmas parties, never again.
I went last Friday night. It was great! The parade was too spread out from float to float especially since it is truly 8 minutes between headless horseman and 1st float. It was a sold out party.
Lines were super short. We rode everything we wanted to with less than 25 minutes wait. We rode 7 dwarfs 2x’s, space mtn, haunted mansion, pirates, magic carpets, peter pan, small world, and saw parade with a great view, the fireworks with a great view and part of a stage show. Walked on to TRON in the amount of time it took to get to it! Amazing! We were up the hill and back to tomorrowland in about 16 minutes!
My disappointment was they sold out of the Party limited edition collectors pin. And the snack places closed too early.
Lines to meet characters were very long though.
The candy is always good candy. The allergy friendly stuff is always top notch as well.
Some of the cast members could have been friendlier but others made up for those few.
Much better experience overall than 7 years ago. It was far more over crowded back then so cutting the numbers did help.
I went to the party in 2023 and was supposed to go again last year with a different group of friends but Disney cancelled the day of the party and refunded our money due to Hurricane Helene. I would go again, especially because in 2023 we only got to see an abbreviated version of the Hocus Pocus show due to rain. Also, I was part of a FB group that gave tips and tricks and in 2023 the biggest tip seemed to be to get DAS so you didn’t have to wait as long to see Jack & Sally. Just another reason Disney needed to change its DAS policy and that tip was gone from last year’s group. The biggest issue last year seemed to be weather in August and September as there were several parties where the parades and stage shows were cancelled, and SDMT was down all night. At first Disney was not giving refunds unless you stood in a literally hours-long line at Guest Services, but the pushback was so great that they amended that policy. (I have IRL friends who experienced this.) Weather is less of a crapshoot for the December parties, but like I said, I’d go again for the Halloween party.
Went to the party on Sunday, August 19:
We’re out of state APs at the end of a long trip, so we didn’t feel the need to go early and didn’t enter the park until about 5:30. We went straight to the Carousel of Progress (the park was very hot and very crowded at the end of mix-in time). We then joined the line for Space Mountain at closing time, and waited a bit as they cycled out the ride for the Halloween overlay. After meeting the rest of our party in Fantasyland, we did the following:
Carrousel, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Treehouse (the kids actually demanded this one to my surprise and delight), then across to Cosmic Rays for food and dance party (and caught Powerline Max), then Space Mountain again, then Tron, the kids did the Barnstormer three times, then to the Hub for the parade, then Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, then the end of the Sanderson sisters show.
We weren’t particularly efficient with our time: we stopped to pay respect to the carcass of the Rivers of America, did a lot of trick or treating (walking into the Tiki Room and being able to just soak it in was great), and stopped frequently as characters were wandering around. My kid was dressed as a pirate, and the pirate troupe that occupied the stage in Caribbean Plaza between Rusty Cutlass sets brought him up on stage. We had seen the Halloween fireworks from Fort Wilderness earlier in the trip, so we decided to try Tron instead and it was a walk-on at fireworks time.
Was it worth it? We accomplished a bunch of headliner rides, still caught some entertainment and the parade, and I scored a picture with Big Al. For me, the complete darkness Space Mountain overlay alone may be worth it, as it was the most fun I’ve had on the ride in the 30+ years I’ve ridden it. (We need more simple attraction overlays like this; some fog on the Teacups just doesn’t cut it. Give me a haunted Treehouse!) The park vibe and cast members were also fantastic. I don’t know about $200+ per ticket nights in October, but for the cheaper August/September dates it’s not a bad value.
And if you like candy, I weighed our trick or treat bags when I got back to our cabin: 8.9 pounds!
When it comes to consumption, or entertainment, decisions, there is no rational answer I can conceive of. I am not disagreeing with your analysis – I agree with it – just putting my personal spin on it. I just returned from a 15 day WDW and Universal vacation with family (we go only every few years), stayed on property and ate on property. We had to fly in from another country. I don’t feel like we are exorbitant “conspicuous consumption” type people; generally, we live pretty modestly and frugally. We both come from working class backgrounds. From that perspective, I am embarrassed about how much we spent. I can’t tell anyone I know, even other Disney theme park enthusiasts, it was “worth it”, and I intentionally avoid saying exactly where we stayed to friends who would intuit what that means cost wise. Needless to say, my son could have a pretty decent brand new car for less. Yet, we loved it. and feel it was “worth it” to us. And (also) yet I still find myself (but only for a second, and then I chastise myself) “judging” friends when they buy a “Too” expensive new car, or “You spent HOW MUCH?” on a trip to Super Bowl, or to put their child in [name your sport] “elite” training camp. Whatever – I am not into cars or sports… but now I have a child who is into one (sports) massively, and find myself spending money on things I thought ludicrous 10 years ago to support HIS passion.. I have no cogent point here, other than these things are pretty much always some indefinable dopamine and nostalgia induced irrational love . I think most often based on something we adored as kids, whatever that thing may be… which can also readily be converted into something our own kids adore. What if Megatron is completely indifferent to travel and Disney [the horror!] and only wants to spend time (and your money) on, say, surfing? And the best places to train or compete in surfing eradicate your family budget, despite how meaningless it is to you today. (I have no idea what you think about surfing; I am trying to think of something that won’t offend anyone… sorry if Surfing is your thing and my lack of imagination) I GUARANTEE you will very soon be smitten with surfing and spending a fortune on it for years to come! There is no rationalizing that really makes sense other than “Can we personally afford this?” and “How excited are we about it”… and the latter will usually prevail over the former anyway!
As against that, I wonder if you would consider writing a separate article on this NYT piece? https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/opinion/disney-world-economy-middle-class-rich.html
I think you write about it almost daily, actually, but I assume it has come across your radar, and I’d be interested in your thoughts on it.
As against that, I wonder if you would consider writing a separate article on this NYT piece? https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/opinion/disney-world-economy-middle-class-rich.html
I think you write about it almost daily, actually, but I assume it has come across your radar, and I’d be interested in your thoughts on it.
I was a big fan on NSSHP in its earliest years, when the ticket was less than a normal one. I stopped going when the cost just got out of hand.
We did it last year – it was ok but definitely too crowded- they sell u on it having lower wait times which was completely untrue- one snd done for us.
We went once to MNSSHP for the first time this September. We spent a lot of time early on in the evening just holding our place at the front of the curb on Main street to watch the parade as we saw everyone else grabbing spots to watch the parade from really early on and we’re very short people so we really wanted a spot where we could see the parade because I had read on Tom’s review how great it was. I had brought a mat for us to sit on and we sat at the curb on the sidewalk for probably more than 1.5 hrs before the parade even started. It was a great parade but I certainly wouldn’t bother to watch it twice as Tom recommended. After the parade we were going to try to watch the Sanderson Sisters show but it was way too crowded in front of the stage and we wouldnt be able to see anything so we skipped it. As we were stiff after watching the parade, once it was done we just went to find a drink and a bite to eat before going to watch the fireworks from Main Street. We never bothered with rides or collecting candy or getting any special pictures in the set up frames or photo spots or with characters as we looked and the lines were all way too long. Overall most of our time was spent holding a spot to watch the parade, then we watched a parade and then some fireworks. It was really crowded and we decided to just leave after the fireworks. It was definitely not worth the money. We wouldn’t go again. In line waiting for the bus and riding on the bus back to our resort a lot of other people were talking about how the party wasn’t worth the money it cost and saying that they wouldn’t bother going again.
I love Disney, but the prices for the MNSSHP are outrageous. I would rather have a whole day at the parks, especially since it closes at midnight. While Disney is world’s apart from Universal in most everything…they have Disney beat when it comes to Halloween party’s,,,HHN is the best!! It’s awesome, now that my kids are older. From the decor, to the food, to the show to the ENTIRE vibe of HHN! We went three consecutive nights last month and stayed the entire time and it never got old! The price is exceptionally reasonable, especially compared to Disney.
Is it worth the money? Depends on how you value things for us it’s the memories we have made we began going when they first started taking our two girls when they were about 8 and 12. Today they are 35 and 39 and the two of us old geezers go to enjoy the atmosphere and the costumes that people wear. We go dressed as the maid and butler cast members I made the costumes years ago and most people think we ARE. Castmembers we have had families stop and ask us where the bathrooms are and we have to tell them we don’t work there. In 2018 we got in line to ride the haunted mansion and the cast member pulled us out of line and took us on a personal tour of the mansion using the cast members entrance and we got to see how some of the magic works. Truly a memorable experience so we are set to go on October 21 our 46 wedding anniversary. It will be worth the memories.
I can’t attend from Uk due to my health issues and am unable to access any information about whether I’ve lost the $400 + I paid for the tickets later this month
They just need to double or triple the price and cut down on the amount of people they let in. All problems solved.
MNSSHP is not worth it at all. We went 2 years ago, and went again last month 9/17 as my youngest daughter wanted to do it again. It was a horrible night, hot and park packed. Too many people that my family gave up and just wanted to leave just before the fireworks. Only good was the next day when we got to do the 2 extended hours at Magic Kingdom, hardly anyone was there and it was great. Made us wish we hadn’t done the MNSSHP, could have used the money for 2 more really nice table service meals.
have to admit that I’m tempted to attend about every 5 years. but the crowds back in 2019 were so uncomfortable that we just went back once between now and then. for me the after hours is the Bigger Bargain. for people on handicapped scooters it is so much easier to get around during after hours then it is at the parties.
this year I was briefly tempted to attend the Christmas party but I’d rather spend my money getting better seats and dinner for the candlelight processional!!
in september 2019 we made quick trip to check out galaxy’s edge. when we arrived at pop century, late on a tuesday night, my then 4-year old daughter saw people walking around with their bags of candy and the halloween party became a life goal of hers. so for the last three years we have planned our yearly trip to WDW around MNSSHP. honestly, i don’t think we will attend mickey’s not so scary again unless we rent a stroller just to hold all our candy. it’s too much. so much that by the end of the night you don’t want to just walk on to any more rides because of all the extra weight you are carrying.
we went in late august and we are still working thru our haul of candy.
For us the answer is an unqualified “NO”. These days we confine ourselves to finding a place to sit after the park closes at 6 and the festivities start at 7, and check out the inventive costumes coming by. At abotu a Cast Member will ask us if we are staying and we get upnastroll down Main Street at a nice slow pace.
We used to attend on a regular basis, and I have a drawer at home that I cycle through the souvenir t-shirts from those parties each Halloween season, but being a frugal Yankee I am unwilling to pay prices that have climbed 4x since we started going. I think wevdropped out when the max got to over $100 and we didn’t have small children and grandchildren to take with .
We are southern Californians and always do Oogie Boogie ( and always did former mickeys Halloween party)! Which is spectacular in our opinion! This year we went to MNSSTTP and we were disappointed! It just didn’t have the same magic or vibe like CA adventure (or Disneyland when it was there). On the plus, we’re happy that the party close to us is our favorite and think it is worth every Penny! If we’re at disneyworld during Halloween time again we’d give it another try but I think it’d better to go in December for their Christmas party and have better weather as a bonus.
It definitely feels expensive. We just did it in September though, and we actually had a great time!! We loved the ambience, the rides were low waits mostly, and the candy lines were empty after the fireworks. The parade was overcrowded of course. My main complaint about mnsshp is probably how hard it is to see the cool parade stuff if you aren’t front or second row. We planted in the hub for several hours to do the parade and fireworks. So that takes up an enormous amount of party time. As a replacement for a full day at MK I don’t think it’s good value. But as a nighttime extra it’s really fun. I really don’t know of any other family friendly amazing Halloween themed event like it. There are plenty of epic family Xmas events in the US, but MNSSHP is pretty unique for ppl that don’t enjoy the scary parts of Halloween. I actually wished I had been able to do it twice. But, onto Jollywood and mvmcp!! (My son and I didn’t know space would be totally dark and it was sooo funny when we realized the lights were totally off… I will always Remember that)!! We were screaming and laughing!! Our only bummer was my app glitched and it wouldn’t allow us to get a VQ for Tron. However we did it via ILL the next night.
We went mid September and we’ve been multiple times in previous years. This year was the most disappointing of all the times we’ve been, pirates was down the entire night which wasn’t great because with the overlay we see it as one of the main things we like to do, then we went to ride space mountain and that was down, then people mover… that was down… then Buzz… down. It really was something else. Boo to you parade, great as always but SO crowded. We like to watch the 2nd parade in Frontierland/Liberty Square and even that area was just packed this time. Queues for characters were so long we only did 1, treat lines long and it just lacked that special/party feeling… overall it just felt disappointing and not worth the even higher than normal price. We left feeling like we hadn’t really accomplished much. Hate being a Debbie downer but we may give it a miss next time.
Thanks for the review. I wish MNSSHP had been more enjoyable for your family. Your post is helpful as we are considering attending the Christmas party in late November. There are still plenty of unsold dates. I am concerned that the same circumstances you described in regards to the Halloween event will apply to the Christmas event as well. Thanks for sharing your experience.
My answer to that question in my opinion it is not worth the money and will not go again. We went last night and it was packed! Any of the good rides were a 40 minute wait. Last year at Boo Bash we waited not over 15 minutes, received candy, water, soda, popcorn and ice cream. This year candy only nothing else. The fireworks were great! Best part of the night. Not a lot of bang for the buck. But everyone has an opinion if it’s right for them.