New Entertainment at 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
Walt Disney World has announced new entertainment the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. This post shares the details about the musical acts and characters, where you can catch it all, and other assorted commentary.
For those of you who are not familiar with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP), the hard ticket event runs from August 11 through November 1, 2023 from 7 pm until midnight. It features a special parade, fireworks, Hocus Pocus stage show, and much more. You can read more about all of that in our Guide to the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Prior to today, the only new-for-2023 addition to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has been the Sanderson Sisters as Disney characters. This means that Minnie Mouse is dressed as Winifred Sanderson, Daisy Duck as Sarah Sanderson, and Clarabelle Cow as Mary Sanderson. In addition to these characters appearing in Mickey’s Boo to You Parade, here’s the other new entertainment at the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party…
Adventureland will be taken over by a spirited pirate band and their crew. Be sure to listen for their sea shanties while their shipmates roam the land sharing tales of their explorations at sea.
Get ready for even more chances to “Stand Out” with Max Goof and his Powerline party pack at new pop-up parties throughout Magic Kingdom before this popular crew dances onto Main Street U.S.A. ahead of Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade.
Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade will be more villainous than ever, with favorite foes Ursula, Cruella de Vil, the Queen of Hearts plus Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Clarabelle Cow joining the frightful finale as the Sanderson Sisters.
The Seven Dwarfs will be returning to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Presumably, this is referring to their former meet & greet location back in Storybook Circus, which was not part of last year’s event but had been for every year we can remember in 2019 and earlier. (We remember way back in the day, when Snow White also appeared with them!)
Walt Disney World is also adding three more items available for purchase at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Joining the 2023 collection is a Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular Women’s Tee and a glow-in-the-dark Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Adult Tee and Youth Tee.
Above is a list of the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party event dates and prices. As you can see, only the second and second-to-last nights have sold out thus far. The reason for the latter is obvious–it’s Halloween and that always sells out the fastest.
Our guess is that August 15 was the next date to sell out because it’s the first date at the lowest price point. Meaning that tourists with flexibility, locals who want to go early, and bloggers on a budget all chose that instead of the pricier opening night.
At present, no additional 2023 MNSSHP dates have sold out. However, if you haven’t yet purchased tickets, you might want to start thinking about doing so very soon. Even though there likely isn’t as much pent-up demand as last year, we would still expect most–if not all–2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party dates to sell out.
That’ll likely start happening soon. Last year, the first party of the year sold out on July 28. No other dates ran out of tickets until August. Once the event actually started, tickets began moving fast. Once photos of the new Sanderson Sisters start hitting social media, there will likely be a “run” on tickets, with many more dates selling out around August 11, 2023. That’s the typical pattern.
As for commentary about the new (and returning) entertainment, we’re a bit conflicted. On the one hand, new additions are always welcome–anything that makes Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party feel a bit fresher is great. So we don’t want to complain about this.
On the other hand, we’ve been attending both MNSSHP and Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party at Disney California Adventure for each of the past several years, and there’s a night and day difference between the trajectory of the two.
In our view, Oogie Boogie Bash still is not as good as MNSSHP–but that’s debatable. What’s undisputable is that OBB keeps getting better with each passing year, and Disneyland puts a ton of effort into changing things up and adding exciting new things. This is in spite of Oogie Boogie Bash always selling out quickly–faster with each year.
It’s a bit of an odd dynamic, as Oogie Boogie Bash always sells out before the new additions are even announced. So you have to buy tickets ‘blindly’ without knowing what’ll be added to the event. By contrast, Walt Disney World adds entertainment to help incentivize ticket sales. (As always, Disneyland just does things differently.)
Suffice to say, we appreciate new additions to the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, but it’s hard not to compare it to Oogie Boogie Bash, and conclude that the Magic Kingdom event feels a bit stale and tired. In fairness, the core MNSSHP entertainment–parade, fireworks, stage show–are all better than their California counterparts. But the character components, trick or treating, and everything else has a ton of room for improvement at the Magic Kingdom event.
Consequently, it feels a little like Walt Disney World is resting on its laurels with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and not iterating on the event and making improvements that are seemingly obvious in light of what’s worked with Oogie Boogie Bash. (This is a bit of a two-way street, as the DCA event could bolster the core entertainment, too. But this is a post about MNSSHP and our general perspective is that OBB is improving annually, not stagnating; so even if there is room for improvement there, it’s already in progress.)
Anyway, turning to the specifics of the added entertainment at the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, I’m most looking forward to the “spirited pirate band and their crew” in Adventureland. We absolutely love the Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet, and always make a point of listening to their sets during downtime at MNSSHP.
It’s also possible that this spirited pirate band and crew is the Rusty Cutlass, which has appeared before during events in Magic Kingdom. If that were the case, it seems like Disney would’ve mentioned the Rusty Cutlass by name, though. Whatever it ends up being called, hopefully this pirate band sharing stories and sea shanties has a similar song-and-comedy vibe to both the Rusty Cutlass and Cadaver Dans.
It should be entertaining and a nice diversion away from the congested areas of the park. Speaking of which, Adventureland is typically one of the dead zones of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so this could help (a little) with redistributing crowds.
Same goes for Max Goof and his Powerline party pack at new pop-up parties throughout Magic Kingdom. This debuted last year as a pre-parade crew dancing onto Main Street ahead of Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, and it was popular but easy-to-miss. Dance parties aren’t my jam, but Powerline is a popular character and having him out and about more sounds great.
As for the Seven Dwarfs, I’m honestly surprised that they’re returning to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. This meet & greet was cut from the lineup last year due to performer staffing shortages, and I figured there was a decent chance it’d be gone for good. It’s very resource-intensive for a single meet & greet, even if it is a popular one.
Frankly, I would’ve been fine with Walt Disney World retiring the Seven Dwarfs meet & greet and replacing it with 3 new meet & greets. (Assuming that overall staffing needed for a single meet & greet with 7 characters is about the same as 3 single-character meet & greets once you count character attendants, PhotoPass photographers, and other support.)
Nevertheless, I’m not complaining that the Seven Dwarfs are coming back. I’d definitely rather have Bruno from Encanto, rare villains, Disney Afternoon characters, etc–but the Seven Dwarfs certainly beat the “alternative” from last year, which was nothing at all in their place. This combined meet & greet with so many characters is not something you otherwise see–so that’s another plus!
On a related note, Halloween is HERE at Magic Kingdom!
Walt Disney World released the above photo with the following caption: Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse welcome the first touches of fall on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom Park on July 31, 2023, at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Fall decor can be enjoyed by guests through Nov. 1 and is just one of many festive touches that visitors can look forward to experiencing this autumn at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
For those who are curious, this is earlier than when Halloween decorations normally start going up at Magic Kingdom. (Our prediction for the park being fully decked out was August 6-9, 2023.)
At present, only the front half of Main Street is decorated, from the pumpkins at the turnstiles to the Town Square Pumpkin People. The pumpkin festival above the buildings on Main Street and the Mickey Head Pumpkin Wreaths are not yet lining the lampposts. Regardless, a lot of key decorations are up–and up early. It stands to reason that the remaining decor will go up overnight this week.
Ultimately, we’re pleased to see more being added to the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We’d love for Walt Disney World to go bigger, reinventing a lot of the hard ticket event outside of the parade, fireworks, and stage show–all of those things are either pretty much perfect or new-enough that they shouldn’t be messed with quite yet. (Although many fans–including us–could probably get behind replacing the current fireworks with a refreshed HalloWishes!)
While we’d love to see more of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party overhauled, there’s probably an (understandable) don’t fix what isn’t broken mentality within Walt Disney World. The event sold better than ever upon returning last year, and even with attendance slowing down this summer as pent-up demand fizzles out, MNSSHP will likely have its second-best year ever. So perhaps more significant changes will come in 2024 if/when there’s a greater need to lure back locals and diehard fans with new and fresh party offerings.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the new pirate band in Adventureland or Powerline pop-up parties? Happy that the Seven Dwarfs are returning, or do you think it’s dopey to allocate so many resources into a single meet & greet? Thoughts on Daisy, Clarabelle and Minnie Mouse costumed as the Sanderson Sisters joining Mickey’s Boo to You Parade? If you’re attending the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, are you planning to see this terrifying trio? Any questions? 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!
Tom, for some reason my question wasn’t saved, might be a glitch somewhere, but hey it worked for Venelope. I had a question about extended evening hours. We have a trip coming up and we are doing the party on Oct 29. With there being another party on Nov 1, I have always known there would be no extended hours that night in Magic Kingdom. I’m been diligently watching the park hours to see if they may toss it on another day that week. But what I noticed Disney has quietly taken away the line in the park hours schedule after Sept 20 for Magic Kingdom. Do you think that was done purposefully? Will that perk be gone during the party season? I was wondering if you had any insight or inside knowledge of it. Extended hours still shows for DHS and Epcot after that date.
Tom, a little off topic but a little on. I’ve been trying to watch the park hours calendar so that I can most efficiently plan our upcoming trip over Halloween/Wine and Dine week. It appears that Disney has dropped Extended evening hours at MK after September 20. We are going to MNSSHP on Oct 29, and knew there would be no extended hours on Nov 1 since there’s another party. But was hoping they may add a day for the deluxe guests. Do you have any insight or inside knowledge if they are just not doing extended evening hours during the party season? Thanks
Not trying to be a whiner…. but any ideas (based on historical trends) of when Disney is going to announce more details for Disneyland’s Halloween? I’ve not paid attention before, because this is the first year my visit is at Halloweentime, and I’m DYING to hear what the specialty food items are. I’m also attending my first ever after hours event. Managed to score tix for Oogie Boogie Bash (after SO MANY HOURS waiting in a virtual queue)! So I’m eager to hear what the actual characters, etc. will be this year.
I’m really surprised this is an event which has continual draw at Disney World. I did both Boo Bash and the Christmas After Hours and thought they were phenomenal (though I’d have liked a parade and fireworks at Boo Bash), but after experiencing the crowds at a mid-September visit to MNSCHP last year I couldn’t see how anyone was having a good time. It was hot and packed, they sold out of food in the first hour, the lines for regular rides were all an un-inflated 50 mins plus, and everyone looked hot and miserable. Maybe my group’s experience was unique, but I just can’t see why these tickets continue to sell with their current slate of offerings, when it’s too crowded to experience most of the unique characters or enjoy the parades and shows. But, I also suspect we won’t see any good changes unless the sales do slump. I suppose, in that respect, I’m doing everyone a favor by not returning, hah!
it is Rusty Cutlass.
Do you know if Alice shows up at MNSSHP?
Have the Cadaver Dans been confirmed for this year? My worry is that the pirate band will be performing in place of them. Unless they will be rotating with them throughout the night which would be great.
It’s amusing that HHN is advertising on your MNSSHP post.
I’ve noticed Universal getting really aggressive advertising on this and other Disney blogs. I assume it’s a deliberate, targeted ad buy and not just contextual, but I truly have no idea. It’s an interesting approach!
What is your recommended “plan of attack” for getting the most unique character pics, experiencing the parade and seeing the newness?
I’ve been many many times to the OOB and about 6-8 times to MNSSHP but don’t have a good sense of how to plan my time.
Last year we loved Jack & Sally and didn’t get too many others due to lines.
Here’s an itinerary I put together last year that (hopefully) answers your question: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party-plan/
I’ll update that shortly after the first two MNSSHP of the season based on my experiences at this year’s event. Expect something around August 17 or so.
Tom, do you know if people who only purchase a ticket for MNSSHP will be able to use Genie+ or ILL during the hours they are in MK from 4pm until close? If Disney will let me, I’ll happily stack 3-4 FPs that I can use from 4-6pm.
You should be able to do so.
With that said, the park reservation backend has changed since last year, so that won’t be 100% certain until MNSSHP starts.
I hope this is true but tbh I feel like the system will not let us due to party only guests not having a park reservation. And that’s what it’s tied to …
Thank you for responding, Tom! Hopefully you’ll update us later this month. I would be happy to donate the cost of two Genie+ fees to allow you to test it. 🙂
This is our first year going, what are the chances of getting on seven dwarfs mine or space mountain that night? Are the lines typically much shorter during the special event?
Do you know if kids under 3 are free for the Halloween party? And if this is our only chance to ever go would you say it’s a must?? We’re going the second week of October. Thank you!!
Yes 0-2 are free and personally I think I mnsshp is the best possible family Halloween event ever created. So unless you really don’t like Halloween I or can’t stay up till at least 1130pm, then I would try to budget for it if possible. It’sa really iconic thing to do with your kids!! I have really fun memories from the forest one we did. They were about 8/9 years old
is the Powerline Max and the Sanderson sisters an actual meet and greet?
Isn’t the pirate band a returning act? I’d swear I saw them some number of years ago.
It might be the Rusty Cutlass Pirate Band, which has appeared at Magic Kingdom from time to time…but I don’t think they’ve ever done MNSSHP. I know we’ve seen them at MVMCP, but I don’t have anything in the archives from MNSSHP. I could be missing something, though.