I have no shame in admitting this: I am a huge Disney nerd. My family has been fortunate enough to be able to visit Disney World frequently. However, I had never been to any of the special parties that Disney has for holidays. When we moved to Florida, I was determined to make that change. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and to celebrate it at Disney seemed like the perfect combination! With just a few weeks left of the festivities, we were able to pull it together for an epic Halloween event. Now I’m sharing with you, my best Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tips.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tips
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party (MNSSHP) is a very popular event. Not surprisingly, Halloween night and dates closer to the holiday tend to sell out quickly. If you’re planning to attend, it is best to book your tickets in advance. Doing so will also save you $10 per ticket price.
Here are the scheduled party dates for 2019:
- August 16, 20, 23, 27 & 30
- September 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, & 29
- October 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, & 31
- November 1
1. Arrive Early & Stay Late
Although the party officially starts at 7:00 PM, a lesser known Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tips is that guests can actually enter the park at 4:00 PM. This little known tip can help you get there early enough to get on a few rides, sit down and eat dinner, or shop before the party begins.
If you enter Magic Kingdom before the party starts, you will want to be sure to come back around to the front around 7:00 PM to pass through the official party entrance. This is where you will pick up your Halloween party bags and start trick-or-treating.
The event lasts until 1:00 AM. For those out there asking, is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party worth the cost, it may be helpful to know that going in early and staying until the end gives you 9 hours of park time for less than a regularly priced ticket.
Tip: If you are staying at a non-Disney hotel, be sure to figure out the shuttle schedule and plan accordingly if their resort shuttle does not run that late. We ended up paying for a very expensive Uber ride that could have been avoided!
Looking for a great hotel for the event that won’t break the bank? Check out this awesome guide to the best Disney Deluxe resorts!
2. Dress to Impress
One of the best Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tips may seem obvious to some, but come dressed for the occasion! We actually did not wear costumes to the event. Instead, myself, my husband, and our children wore coordinating Nightmare Before Christmas outfits. In our case, we had been park hopping all day and were finishing the night with the Disney’s Halloween Party.
However, I was shocked at how many people were not only dressed in costume, but completely went all out!
We even saw a Belle that was so convincing, a small line had gathered to take pictures with her as if she were the actual Disney character.
For a complete checklist of items to bring on your trip, visit What to Pack: Disney Checklist.
In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been that surprised. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is the only time that Disney World allows guests to dress up in this way. Therefore, if you’re going, you might as well take advantage of that and dress to the nines!
Just be prepared to have a way to set aside costume accessories, wigs, etc. if you’re planning on going on any rides or if it gets too hot.
For the full list of costume rules for MNSSHP, check out the complete Disney guide here.
3. Don’t Waste Time on the Rides
During the party, the Fast Pass option is shut off for all of the rides in Magic Kingdom. You might expect the lines to be shorter during the event, but on a sold out night like the one we attended, we did not find this to be true.
If you want to ride, your best bet is to arrive early (see above). The only other ride that may be worth a long wait is The Haunted Mansion, which has some special features during Mickey’s Halloween Party.
However, there are so many things to do during the actual event that it’s just not worth waiting in line and missing these activities when the rides will be there any other day.
Before we took this trip, I had heard repeatedly from friends that we wouldn’t have enough time to complete all of the special Halloween activities that are specially laid out for the event. Even though I went in with a plan and we arrived early, my friends were absolutely right!
Therefore, check out the full list of attractions and entertainment and chose your priorities ahead of time.
4. Line Up Early for Special Characters
We knew ahead of time that one of our priorities was seeing Jack and Sally. (Thus our matching Nightmare Before Christmas attire!)
Prior to the party, we checked the time and mapped out the location they would be at and planned to arrive at the start to avoid waiting for hours in line.
Even though we got there 15 minutes early, the long line had already formed and we ended up waiting over an hour for the meet and greet.
Was it worth it? Absolutely! However, next time, I would probably plan to get there even earlier. After we left, the line to see Jack Skellington had doubled and the first Hocus Pocus show was about to start.
Tip: Of course Mickey Mouse is also dressed in his costume for the party! His line is generally pretty long, but we visited him on the way out of the park right before closing and walked right in with no wait.
Looking for more ways to get the most out of your vacation? Check out these tips for Disney on a budget to save big!
5. Wait for the Second Showings
There are multiple showings of the Hocus Pocus Villans Spooktacular and Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade. Although I knew this, I didn’t realize that like us, everyone would be running to catch the first ones.
This means lots of waiting around if you want to catch a good spot, large crowds, and tight spaces.
We made this mistake again with the Boo-to-You Parade. (You can get a good idea of just how many people were watching in my video above).
The second showing of the parade, however? It was like a ghost town compared to the first!
Skip the crowds and plan on going to the later parade for more elbow room and a better spot. This time can be used for meet and greets or trick or treating as everyone else will be busy watching the entertainment.
Tip: In my opinion, the Headless Horseman is the coolest thing in the parade and he starts the show. Be on the lookout from the beginning so you don’t miss it!
It is important to note that there is only ONE viewing of the Hallowishes fireworks show so be prepared!
My advice is to grab a great spot early on as again, it will be very crowded, but completely worth it. You don’t want to miss this!
6. Enjoy the Halloween Exclusives
One of top Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tips is to make time for some special goodies that are only available during the party. Every year, Disney puts out several spooky Halloween-themed treats that you can find throughout the park.
Of course, we went straight for the Jack Skellington dessert at Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square. This one was a vanilla panna cotta with chocolate cake, vanilla buttercream, and a white chocolate candy Jack on top.
Special candies and foods aren’t the only exclusives offered during MNSSHP. Be on the lookout for exclusive merchandise as well.
Also, party goers who take advantage of Disney’s Magic PhotoPass are treated to special spooky pictures that vary throughout the park. Sadly, this is one of my regrets that I will definitely be sure to do next time we go!
7. Trick-or-Treating
Honestly, I did not expect to spend that much time trick-or-treating throughout the park. There were so many things we wanted to do and so little time!
But we ended up scouting out different treat locations because it was so much fun! Disney had streamlined the process so there is no waiting in lines, just mostly walking through and they are very generous with the candy they give out.
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Furthermore, I was so impressed with that Disney magic even during the event. To make sure that everyone who attends feels included, individuals with allergies can still trick-or-treat at each location, and will be given teal allergy tokens. These tokens can be redeemed at either Liberty Square or the Town Square Theater for your choice of allergy-free products with the ingredients listed.
Military Members
For military families who are thinking about attending MNSSHP, just as with regular tickets, Disney also has been generous enough to offer special discounts as a thank-you for your service.
Additionally, you do not have to buy your tickets to the party in advance. This is because Disney will not turn away military members who want to attend, even if the event is sold out that day.
And it sells out fast!
We bought our tickets a few hours before the event started right outside the gate.
If you can do so, I would recommend buying your tickets ahead of time. However, if you’re like me and happened to be stationed nearby and decided on a whim a week before to go, then don’t be discouraged if the event is listed as sold out online.
It’s just another way that Disney spreads the love and magic!
I hope you enjoyed these Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tips! I am hoping we can go back again this year and cannot wait to see what has changed, as well as trying to see everything else the party has to offer that we missed the first time. Have you attended MNSSHP? What tips can you share about your experience?
For our international and traveling readers, be sure to check out Disney Christmas in Paris and see how it compares overseas!
Betsy says
We visited during this time a couple years ago but didn’t go to the party. I think I’d like to at some point! Looks like you guys had a great time.
Christina says
We had a blast! I do love how everything is decorated, a big bonus even if you didn’t make it that time. If you have another chance, I would definitely consider taking it!
Vet Leow says
This is the perfect guide for me! Thanks for sharing how to prioritize my time there, how to beat the queue, which shows to watch first and take photos with Mickey without a hitch!
Christina says
Thanks so much! I hope you have an amazing time! If you figure out any new hacks for this year, please share with us as well!
atruthfultraveler says
It looks like fun! I visited Disneyland at Halloween last year but the tickets were already sold out for the party! Looks like you had a great time!
Christina says
That’s a bummer! I hear they go way in advance, especially as it gets closer to Halloween. I’m not surprised but also love that the crowds are fewer, I think it helps to make the most of your time at the event! Hopefully you will have another chance soon!
Amanda says
I’d love to try a special Disney party sometime! Do they have a special Halloween light show too? We went to Disney on Christmas day and the Christmas light show (Frozen) was spectacular! I don’t think it was special from other days, but wondered if it was for these parties.
Sounds like a lot of fun though! So much great advice here too. Thanks!
Christina says
Yes, they do! It’s called the Hallowishes fireworks show and I loved it! They had all the villains pop up and played music from Nightmare Before Christmas. I haven’t been for the Christmas event, but hopefully one day because that one sounds awesome too!
Tamara says
Wow! Thank you for all this information! Sounds amazing. I always wanted to try one and now, you convinced me!
I’m happy I came across your post in advance because you know how things are: you think about making some plans and then it’s already August, October (Halloween time!)… But this year, I’ll get organized in advance 🙂
Thank you Christina!
Christina says
That’s so awesome Tamara, thank you! I definitely know how that is too, we planned this trip so last minute but it all worked out and I’m working on getting more organized too!