Top Tips for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (often abbreviated MNSSHP) is a special, Halloween-themed, family friendly event that occurs after general public hours in the Magic Kingdom on select nights from 7:00PM to Midnight in late August through November 1st.  These parties require a special event ticket and cannot be accessed using a regular Disney World theme park admission ticket.  Only a limited number of tickets are sold for each party so wait times are short for the rides but most people go for the exclusive Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular fireworks, Boo To You parade, character meet-and-greet experiences, the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular Castle Show, and other special party events.  Many guests come in costumes and there are trick-or-treat stations throughout the Magic Kingdom.  As an added bonus, guests with party tickets can enter the Magic Kingdom using the designated party entrance as early as 4:00PM on the day of the party.

Advance Purchase Ticket Prices:

• 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Dates: August: 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29 / September: 1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29 / October: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31 / November: 1, 2023.

• Prices vary by date. Adult ticket prices begin at $109 in advance; price is higher at the gate, if available.

• October 31 will be the first to sell out!

• Discounts: Special DVC, Annual Passholder, and Military discounts may be available for select dates.

Is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Worth the Cost?

Tickets are not cheap so it is reasonable to wonder if this even is really worth the added expense.   The answer will depend on your family and your budget but, in general, I would say that this is an exceptionally well done event and is probably worth the cost.  Teens looking for a "fright night" Halloween experience will probably be disappointed as this even is designed to be appropriate for all ages.   People who turn into pumpkins fairly early in the evening might not get their money's worth from the event either. If you have really young kids, I advise that you consider not going into a theme park earlier in the day so that you can sleep in, relax, and let the kids get their usual nap in before going to the party.   

Since you can enter the Magic Kingdom at 4:00pm and the last Hocus Pocus show doesn't get done until 12:20AM, you really can get over eight hours of fun from the party ticket; in fact, your cost per hour is actually less with the party ticket than for the comparable cost of the general public hours (9AM - 7PM on party days) if you were to buy a 1-day Magic Kingdom ticket.  In this situation, you also get fireworks with the party ticket, which guests who come during regular park hours on party days do not get. This cost comparison doesn't work when you compare the "per day" cost of a multi-day ticket, of course. 

Some of the Events included in 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties:

• Disney’s Not So Scary Fireworks Spectacular with state-of-the-art projection effects, lasers, lighting and dazzling fireworks that tell a not-so-scary story about how anything can happen on Halloween night as Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy explore a mysterious haunted house where they encounter dancing skeletons, waltzing ghosts, and troublemaking Disney villains.

• Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade - so cute! Offered twice nightly during the party. New additions to the parade include the Spectral Bride who glades among the waltzing ghosts and a new Tomorrowland Unit with The Incredibles and Edna Mode. Buzz Lightyear and Alien explorers discover crystalline treasures on the surface of a planetary playset float Tip: The second parade is usually less crowded.

• Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular at the Castle Forecourt Stage features Winifred, Mary and Sarah from “Hocus Pocus” as well as Dr. Facilier, Oogie Boogie, Maleficent and other Disney villains along with dancers, visual projections and special effects. See party map for show times during your visit.

• TRON Lightcycle / Run is the newest Magic Kingdom ride and will be open during the party but guests will need to join a virtual queue (no additional cost) through their MyDisneyExperience app to ride. There is no stand-by line. TIP: Guests must lock up loose items in free lockers to ride - something to keep in mind if your costume might maske this difficult.

• Mad Tea Party (Fantasyland) will have special lighting and music for the party.

• Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet (Frontierland) sing Halloween Inspired Harmonies and “dead pan” humorous puns.

• Boogie down at the Disney Junior Jam at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café—featuring some favorite friends from Disney Junior shows. It’s perfect for young partygoers!

• Trick-or-Treating throughout the park - Guests with allergies can pick up a teal-colored treat bag to receive a teal token instead of candy. These tokens can be redeemed at the Allergy-Friendly centers for treats you can safely enjoy.

• Specially themed snacks that are only sold during the party - things like "poison" apples, candy corn flavored soft serve and cotton candy, and specially decorated cupcakes.

Before You Go To Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Here are some things to think about before you purchase your MNSSHP tickets .

1. I mentioned this once but want to stress that you must have a special ticket to participate in Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. These tickets are for a specific party night and, once purchased, are non-refundable and non-transferable. You cannot enter using a Magic Your Way or Park Hopper ticket. Tickets can be purchased in advance and some nights, like Halloween, may sell out well before the day of the event.

2. There are a limited number of tickets sold for each party. On nights that do not sell out, weekend parties will tend to have more people than week night parties.

3. The Magic Kingdom will close to the general public at 6:00PM and the party officially starts at 7:00PM which means that the Magic Kingdom parking lot and entrance gates are a little crazy right about that time. You can enter early using your party ticket or wait and come a little later, when things have cleared out a bit, if you don't think you'll need all five hours of the party.

4. You can enter the Magic Kingdom as early as 4:00PM using your Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party ticket but you must use the specially marked party entrance at the front of the park. Going through a regular entrance could result in one of your regular theme park admission tickets accidentally getting used in addition to your party ticket. This is especially important information if you are not planning to visit any other theme parks on the day of the party.

5. If you are already in the Magic Kingdom (prior to 4:00PM) and have tickets for that night's Halloween party, you will need to go to the front of the park or to one of the party stations within the park to activate your party ticket and get your wrist band.

6. If you do want to go into a theme park on the same day, you will use one of your regular theme park admissions. Guests with "basic" tickets sometimes think they have to go to the Magic Kingdom on the day of their party because they don't have the park hopper option but this is not the case. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is a specially ticketed event that is completely separate from your regular admission, even if you are using your Magic Bands for both, so you can visit the park of your choice earlier in the day.

7. This is a premium event so try to be rested and ready before you go in. It is a shame to purchase tickets and then not enjoy yourself because you're worn out. Make this a day to sleep in, spend a leisurely day at your resort, or enjoy a more relaxed pace - it is vacation so kicking back a bit is allowed.

8. Costumes - These parties are unique because they are actually the only time that adults are allowed to enter a Disney theme park in costume and a lot of adults and children do dress up, though it is not required. You want to be comfortable so select costumes that are not too hot, too cumbersome, and that allow you to move freely. Remember that this is a family event and your costume should be family friendly too; guests in inappropriate costumes will be asked to change or to leave. Masks or anything that obstructs your vision will not be allowed. For guests age 14 & older: costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. Anything sharp or dangerous also is not allowed. I have a friend who dressed up as Rapunzel and security almost did not allow her to bring in her frying pan. If you dress up like a Disney character, you may not sign autographs or pose for photos with guests. Face-painting is not offered at MNSSHP.

9. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique reservations book up early on party dates so don't depend on getting a reservation. If you do get a reservation, remember that they will be busy and may be running behind. Any reservations for these Magic Kingdom locations that occur prior to 4:00PM will require regular theme park admission, even if you're only going in for your make-over appointment. There is a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) that can be accessed without theme park admission though you still need a reservation.

10. Trick-Or-Treating - Do you remember when the world was a safer place, when neighbors knew one another and when parents didn't have to worry so much about trick-or-treating safety? Once of the great things about these parties is that there are candy stations throughout the Magic Kingdom where you can enjoy a worry-free trick-or-treating experience. Disney provides small plastic bags for collecting candy but we recommend that you also bring a sturdy bag with a shoulder strap to hold your candy when the kids want to participate in some other party activity. Food allergies? Visit one of the two Allergy Friendly Centers, located near Tony's Town Square on Main Street USA or Heritage House in Liberty Square, to receive a teal bag. When you trick-or-treat with your teal bag, you'll receive a teal token at each treat station that caned be exchanged for allergy friendly treats at either of the party's two Allergy-Friendly Centers.

11. Eat a good dinner before you go - The dining options are somewhat limited during the party and you're going to fizzle out if you try to go all evening on junk food and candy so try to get a good meal prior to party. Get an early reservation for a restaurant in the Magic Kingdom or in one of the nearby resort restaurants or allow time to get a decent meal at a quick-service location or your resort's food court. Several of the table service restaurants will be accepting reservations from 4PM on.

12. There is a special Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party offered during the party. Advance reservations are required and it is an expensive addition to the cost of the MNSSHP ticket. Advance reservations are required for this event; this experience is not included in the Disney dining plans. The dessert party is held at the Tomorrowland Terrace and features cute, Halloween-themed desserts and treats. If you are interested, call 407-WDW-DINE to book this package.

Tips To Help You At Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

1. Be sure to get the special Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Map and times guide when you enter the Magic Kingdom. You'll save time in the long run if you take a little time to figure out which events are top priorities for your family and to note when they're offered. Crowds will decrease as the evening gets later and later so "night owls" might benefit from selecting later times for activities that are offered more than once.

2. Don't feel like you need to hurry to the candy stations. These are available all evening so make the special events that interest you the top priority and gather candy along the way.

3. Most of the Magic Kingdom rides are open during the party. Because crowds are limited to the number of available tickets, Genie+ is not available or needed. The exception to this is the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which does still draw lines which are shorter during the parade, fireworks, and later in the evening. TRON Lightcycle/Run will be open during the party but does not have a stand-by line; you will need to join the virtual queue (no additional cost) through your MyDisneyExperience app.

4. Disney Junior Jam - Dance party at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (Tomorrowland) - Young kids can boogie down with favorite friends from Disney Junior shows . These are not a "meet-and-greet" experience so characters do not sign autographs or pose for photos but it is a great chance to get some fun candid photos of your loved ones at their boogy-ing best.

5. Mickey's "Boo To You" Parade is typically offered at 9:15PM and 11:00PM - the second parade is usually less crowded than the first. Get there early because seeing the Headless Horseman ride through the parade route is always a fan favorite at these parties.

6. The Disney’s Not So Scary Spectacular Fireworks are usually at 10:15PM. Delays may occur due to weather or technical difficulties.

7. Feeling hungry? There are snacks for sale at various locations throughout the Magic Kingdom, including some party exclusive options. Locations may not be open all evening so check the map for closing time. Take advantage of mobile ordering through your MyDisneyExperience app to save time. tchhiking ghost dessert and Dole Whips are available at Aloha Isle.

8. Table Service Restaurants: Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table, Crystal Palace, and The Plaza Restaurant are typically open during the party; you must already have purchased your party tickets to book a reservation during party hours. Book online 60 days prior to arrival or call 407-939-1872.

9. Ride Closures and Crowd Warnings - Click here for September or here for October information.

Meeting Disney Characters at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

1. There are Disney Character Meet-and-Greet locations throughout the Magic Kingdom. They're designated by a black Mickey Mouse head shape on your MNSSHP map. The really fun thing about these parties is that you see characters, especially villains, that you don't see every day at Disney World. Another unique aspect of the party meet-in-greets is that some of the characters, like Winnie the Pooh, will appear in their Halloween costumes.

2. The Jack and Sally Meet and Greet (Nightmare Before Christmas)are very popular and lines tend to stay long until late in the evening. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is another popular meet-and-greet that gets long lines. If you're up to staying late, you may want to put off meeting some of these characters until later in the evening as families with young children head back to their resorts.

Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party

Disney also offers a Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular Fireworks Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace which is an event within the party that requires advance reservation.   The cost has not yet been announced but is in addition to the cost of the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.  Guests with reservations go to the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant where there is a reserved table with a view of Cinderella's Castle.   You can sip sparkling cider and head over to the dessert buffet full of cute, Halloween themed mini-desserts, cheese, and sliced fruit.  They also have two beverage stations; one has hot tea and coffee and the other has a selection of cold beverages like juice, iced tea, milk, and lemonade.  Guests remain in this area to watch the evening's fireworks display.   There are no characters at this event.  The nice thing is that it really does make it easy to watch the fireworks with a minimum of fuss and bother; the disadvantage is that it does take time from the party and the fireworks are an off-side view.   This can be a good option for guests with mobility or stamina issues or those that prefer the convenience of reserved viewing.  With older kids, we personally did not think it was worth the time away from the other party events.

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