A Guide to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney World — A Mom Explores | Family Travel Tips, Destination Guides with Kids, Family Vacation Ideas, and more!

CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN AT DISNEY WORLD!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is an after-hours party that happens every year at Disney World in the months of Augusts through November 1. It’s a great way to get into the fall and Halloween spirit in Florida even when the heat index is still in the 100s. 2019 was my second time attending the party, and I was really excited to see the park decked out in orange, black, and purple, and to see all the characters in their Halloween best.

I’m going to cover everything you need to know if you’re planning to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary or if you’re wondering if it’s worth the money.

Disclaimer: I was invited to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party as part of a media night for journalists and bloggers, so my entrance to the party was free. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

WHEN IS MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY?

This year (2019), Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs August 16-November 1 on select nights. Check here for the official schedule. If you have tickets to the party you can arrive as early as 4 p.m., and the party official starts at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight. Friday nights are often crowded, so if you can make it on a weeknight you might not have to fight so many crowds.

IS MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY KID-FRIENDLY?

Yes! While I went to the Halloween Party without my kids since I was there for a media event, I saw so many families with babies, toddlers, and kids of all ages enjoying the festivities. Honestly, some of the little kids made it later than I did. This pregnant mama had to drive herself an hour and a half home, and decided to call it quits at 11:15.

There are several rides open during the party, trick-or-treating for kids of all ages (including grown-ups), plenty of treats, fun shows and parades, and dance parties. I think most kids will love the chance to stay out past their bedtime while dressed up in a costume enjoying some not-too-spooky fun.

I will say that the parade was perfectly fun for little ones, but the Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks show did get a tiny bit scary at times. Really young kids or sensitive children might want to consider bringing noise-canceling headphones.

TIPS FOR ATTENDING MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

You can wear a costume. Usually adults are not allowed to dress in costumes at Disney World, but there is an exception for the Halloween Party. There are still guidelines to follow, so make sure to check those out before you plan your outfit. Also keep in mind that Florida is still extremely warm through September, and even into October, so you probably don’t want to wear layers or even long sleeves.
If your kids are wearing costumes to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, bring a change of clothes for them, or even consider bringing Halloween-themed pajamas. If they want to nap in the stroller or are just sick of being in a big costume for a few hours you’ll be glad to have something more comfortable for them. We all know how crabby kids can get when they’re thrown off their sleep schedule!
If you arrive at 4 (or before the party starts at 7) make sure to grab a bite to eat and ride some of the rides. There are only 5 hours during which you’ll want to fit in a lot of spooky fun, not sitting down for a long restaurant meal.
Having said that, remember that there will be trick-or-treating during the party, and lots of fun treats to buy that you can’t normally get at Disney, so don’t go overboard on your meal!
Have a plan going into your evening. Once you’re there in the thick of the crowds, it can be easy to feel lost if you don’t have an idea of what you want to do. Make sure you know what time the parades and shows are, how early and where you want to reserve your seats (I would suggest at least 20-25 minutes in advance. Possibly earlier), and which characters you’ll want to see.

WHAT TO BRING TO MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

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As I mentioned above, feel free to bring/wear a costume and a change of clothes.

Bring a canvas tote to help you collect more candy for trick-or-treating.

Do not leave that stroller at home! I was there without kids and found myself juggling a backpack, a camera, and all the goodies that were accumulating between trick-or-treating, media swag, and snacks I bought to take home to the kids. I would imagine that trying to do the party with kids WITHOUT a stroller, even if you think they’re old enough that they might not need it, would be kind of a nightmare. If nothing else, you can just load your bags of candy onto the stroller even if the kids don’t need to sit down.

Consider bringing a poncho, rain jacket, umbrella, and/or a rain cover for the stroller. Keep in mind it’s still rainy/hurricane season in Florida, so chances are decent you’ll meet a passing shower or two during the night.

It’s HOT, so grab a stroller fan and/or a spray bottle fan.

If you want to meet characters, consider bringing your own autograph book, a thick pen or marker, and a polaroid camera so you can stick the photos into the autograph book right away!

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU’RE THERE

UPON ARRIVAL

Grab a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party map when you arrive. Even if you know Magic Kingdom like the back of your hand, it helps to have the map with all the trick-or-treat locations, fun treat and merchandise ideas and where they’re located, and all of the showtimes for the Halloween Party.

I would also highly recommend grabbing some pictures of the decor and your family in front of the castle as soon as your arrive, because once the party gets going it gets dark pretty quickly.

ENJOY THE ENHANCED RIDES

This year there are 4 attractions that are enhanced just for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: Pirates of the Caribbean has live actors, Space Mountain is completely dark (really fun!), Mad Tea Party has special lighting and music, and NEW this year are the special interactions at Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor.

There are no FastPass+ available during the Halloween Party, but I didn’t find the lines to be too incredibly long. You can probably fit in a lot of the normal rides you would do with your kids without too much of a wait! Almost everyone is crowded on Main Street and near the castle.

GO TRICK-OR-TREATING

There are trick-or-treat stations located around the park (look at your map for the locations), and you can find them by the glowing “Treat!” balloons. You’ll receive a small plastic bag for gathering treats when you enter the park, but I would highly recommend bringing a canvas tote since those little bags fill up quickly!

Don’t forget that if you have allergies in your family, you can ask a Cast Member for a special teal treat bag. Instead of candy, they will give you tokens at each of the trick-or-treat stations. At the end of the night you can go to the Allergy-Friendly Center by the entrance of the park where you can redeem the tokens for special allergy-friendly treats.

MEET SOME CHARACTERS

For many guests at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, meeting characters is one of the top highlights. There are different characters than you’ll normally find in the park, such as Jack Skellington and Sally, the Seven Dwarves, the Queen of Hearts, Cruella de Vil, Lotso Bear, and Jafar. Many of the normal characters like MIckey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald are dressed in special Halloween outfits. These make for great photo opportunities and fun memories for everyone!

Lines for specialty characters can get pretty long, so consider visiting characters during the 9:15 p.m. Boo To You parade when the majority of guests are out watching it. You’ll have a much shorter wait, and you can catch the 11:15 parade when crowds are much lighter.

HOCUS POCUS VILLAIN SPELLTACULAR

This is a fun show hosted by the Sanderson Sisters from the movie “Hocus Pocus” that takes place on the stage in front of Cinderella’s Castle. The show features many characters from the movie, and a few other villains with lots of singing and dancing. The show times are 8:30, 10:45, and 12. If this show is of interest to you, make sure to save your seat near the stage 20-30 minutes before the show starts, because it’s hard to see what’s going on if you’re not near the front.

Keep in mind the 10:45 show was very crowded because it was directly after the Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular fireworks show, and many people just stick around and save their spots.

MICKEY’S “BOO-TO-YOU” HALLOWEEN PARADE

This is easily one of my FAVORITE parts of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, and that’s saying something because I usually hate parades. It’s so fun to see all of the villains and characters you don’t normally get to see dancing along to the spooky and very catchy music.

The first parade is at 9:15, and it was very hard to find a spot to watch if you didn’t reserve your seat a half hour ahead of time. If your kids (or you) can stay awake for the 11:15 p.m. showing, you’ll have significantly less crowds to deal with. You could also pay extra for Cruella’s Halloween Hide-A-Way which takes place at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. You’ll get hors d’oeuvres, sweets, drinks and special reserved seating for the 11:15 parade. Definitely worth the money if you don’t want to waste valuable party time saving a spot along the parade route.

DISNEY’S NOT SO SPOOKY SPECTACULAR

The former fireworks show “HalloWishes” was replaced with Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular, a show hosted by Jack Skellington which tells the story of Mickey and the gang on a Halloween adventure. There are incredible projections on the castle, great music, and fantastic fireworks. If you want to see Jack, Mickey, and the other characters, try to get a seat close to the stage. If you think your kids might be a little afraid, consider watching from the entrance area right where Main Street, U.S.A. begins. You’ll have a great view of the lights and fireworks, but you won’t see as much of the story unfold. The show takes place at 10:15 p.m.

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

There are several dance parties I think the kids will love. The Disney Junior Jam takes place at Storybook Circus throughout the night where you’ll find several of your favorite Disney Junior Characters. Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball is at Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland and features Mike Wazowski and Sulley. New this year is the Disney Descendance Party at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe with the Villain Kids from The Descendants.

TRY SOME SPOOKY SNACKS

There are so many fun Halloween sweets and treats at the party that you’ll want to try. The map of the party lists where most of them are sold so you don’t end up wandering around the park peeking into different shops and asking every kiosk.

My favorites were the Jack Skellington Push Pop and the Amuck, Amuck, Amuck Cupcake which is a tribute to the Sanderson Sisters. I found the Jack Push Pop at the snack cart near Cinderella’s Castle, so it was the perfect treat to grab while you’re waiting for a show or parade. There was a long line, but it went really quickly. The Amuck Cupcake is at Main Street Bakery. There are usually really long lines in there, but when I peeked in toward the end of the 9:15 parade it was almost empty, so if there’s someone in your party willing to miss a few minutes of the parade, send them in!

I’ve heard from a reliable source that the Pumpkin Spice Milkshake is amazing (found at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies), so if you love fall flavors this is the perfect treat for you.

I also wanted to grab a Halloween-themed treat for my kids since they weren’t with me, but needed something that would survive the drive home. I ducked into Main Street Confectionary on my way out of the park and found this adorable Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Crispy Treat and Jack Skellington Crispy Treat wrapped up in cellophane, which were perfect for the kids.

IS MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY WORTH THE MONEY?

This is where I feel compelled to remind you that I was invited to attend the Media Event for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which means I received complimentary entrance.

If I had paid full price, would I have thought it was worth the money? Hard to say for sure, but I think I would! If nothing else, you get to experience a lot of the rides at Magic Kingdom for a much shorter wait than usual, you get a trick-or-treat experience, a really fun and unique parade and fireworks show, and the Halloween magic of seeing everyone in the park dressed up in costumes. It’s just such a unique way to see Disney World! While the party is fairly short (only 5 hours), keep in mind that you get to enter the park 3 hours before the party even starts.

I would highly recommend staying at a Disney resort or a nearby hotel so you don’t have to drive home if you’re local (even though that’s what I did - and it was a brutal drive home). If I had been there with my kids, it would have been an easy choice to book a hotel room. I like the Disney All-Star Resorts for affordable no-frills rooms on-property.

Tickets start at $79/person and kids under 3 are free. Make sure you buy tickets in advance, because they are more expensive the day of.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a blast…

…and something every Disney fan should experience at one point or another. There truly is something for everyone to do there, from the tiniest child to adults of all ages. It’s not too spooky, and tons of fun. So come get dressed up and stock up on candy with Mickey and the gang! You won’t regret it!

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