10 Wickedly Good Tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Visiting Disney World between mid-August and Halloween?

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is one of the most popular events at Disney World, and it comes with all sorts of opportunities to celebrate the holiday in a family-friendly style.

With tons of rare characters, lots of candy, and the opportunity to dress up in costumes, this party is sure to please fans of all ages.

Here are some of our favorite tips for making the most of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Make a plan

We sometimes feel like we sound like broken records, but planning ahead for a vacation to Walt Disney World is very important.

And if you plan to travel to Disney World this fall to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (or MNSSHP for short), you’ll definitely want to spend some time plotting out how you’ll spend your hours at the event.

Make sure you review that ahead of time so that you’ll be able to maximize your ticket to the party!

Visit the popular characters before the party begins

The characters at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are a HUGE draw, and it isn’t unusual for some of them to have lines that last 2 hours (or more!).

BUT some of the most popular characters start meeting guests before the party even begins.

For the shortest waits (and to keep from having to waste precious party time), consider meeting 1 or 2 of these party-exclusive characters before MNSSHP kicks off:

• Jack Skellington and Sally (Town Square Theater) start meeting around 4:30 p.m.
• Seven Dwarfs (Pete’s Silly Sideshow) start meeting around 6:15 p.m.
• Elvis Stitch (inside the old Stitch’s Great Escape attraction across from Monsters, Inc.) starts meeting around 6:30-6:45 p.m. 

Dress accordingly

People that live outside of Florida may be shocked at how hot the temps remain all the way up into November.

In fact, Weather Underground shows that the average historical temperature during October in Orlando is 89 degrees.

That’s HOT!

So, while costumes are allowed (and even encouraged!) you’ll want to be smart about what you wear. 

Opt for the 2nd Boo to You parade

On party nights, you’ll have 2 options to watch the parade: one early in the evening and one late.

Unless there is rain in the forecast, we always recommend that 2nd parade, and here’s why:

The 2nd parade is almost always less crowded.

Lots of people with little ones go to the parties and as their kids max out on fun, they start to head out leaving fewer people in the park.

Looking for the least crowded spot to watch the parade? We recommend Frontierland.

Get your ticket ahead of time

Rain or shine, the party will happen.

In the past, you could wait until the day of the party (or at least until after the day’s forecast was out) to purchase a ticket, but that isn’t the case anymore.

Now, lots of the parties totally sell out, so you’ll want to make sure that you have your ticket ahead of time.

In only very, very rare occasions has Disney cancelled a special event, so even if it is raining, the show will go on. 

Certain aspects of the party, however, may not.

We’ve had instances where the Headless Horseman didn’t ride before the parade and times when the entire parade itself was seriously delayed or cancelled, just to give you a couple of examples.

In those instances, patience (and knowing all the indoor activities and attractions available) are your key to making the most of a damp evening.

For shows with multiple times scheduled, consider the forecast before deciding which one to attend. 

Use your ticket to get in early

Even though the party doesn’t start until 7 p.m., your party ticket can get you into the park starting at 4 p.m.

That means you’ll have plenty of time to check out a few of the attractions that aren’t available during MNSSHP and to grab some dinner. 

It also means you’re able to visit another park the morning of the party without needing a Park Hopper ticket.

OR, if you are trying to save money, you can sleep in and only go to Magic Kingdom at 4 p.m. (meaning you can purchase 1 less day on your regular park tickets).

That 4 p.m. entry is a huge perk to the ticket and something we highly recommend you take advantage of.

Do the party-exclusive activities

Unless the party is the only time you’ll be spending at Magic Kingdom, you should focus your time on doing things that you can only do during the party:

• trick-or-treating
• meeting rare characters
• seeing the Boo To You Parade
• watching Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular (fireworks extravaganza)
• riding the attractions with the special experiences:
  • Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain, Monsters Inc.

One thing we do not recommend is to spend party time is dining. 

Trust us:

Don’t waste those precious party hours at a restaurant you can eat at any old day of the week! 

Save the trick-or-treating until the end of the night

Trick-or-Treating isn’t just for kids (at least not at MNSSHP!).

And you’ll have LOTS of opportunities to give it a whirl at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Throughout the park, you’ll find Trick-or-Treat stations where you can snag some candy. The stations are easy to identify because of the large inflatables nearby. 

Traveling with somebody with a food allergy? Allergy-friendly options are available, too. 

We know all that free chocolate is tempting, but don’t go for the candy first thing. 

Remember, you’ll have to haul all that candy around with you, and since most of the lines will be open until the end of the night, it makes more sense to wait and do the more popular things first (and save the candy for the end). 

Didn’t bring a bag? Don’t worry! Disney hands out ones for free.

Main Street U.S.A.

• Market Street aka Main Street U.S.A. Bypass (open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; you can pick up your treat bag here and hit several candy stops along the way)
• Chamber of Commerce (allergy friendly treats only)​

Fantasyland

• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Pinocchio Village Haus
• Gaston’s Tavern
• Ariel’s Grotto
• Storybook Circus WDW Railroad station (not indicated on the map, but they sometimes hand out KIND bars there)

Tomorrowland

• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Carousel of Progress
• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
• Near TRON Lightcycle / Run

Adventureland

• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
• Tortuga Tavern

Frontierland

• Tom Sawyer Island Dock
• Country Bear Jamboree

Liberty Square

• Columbia Harbour House
• Liberty Square Ticket Office (allergy friendly treats only)​​

Maximize your Magic Shots

Magic Shots are one of the highlights of MNSSHP, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to snag them.

Some of the photographers are great about automatically taking multiple shots, but with others you may have to request them. Find a photographer on Main Street to do several shots at once.

Just a simple “can you please take some Magic Shots” is all you typically need, and the photographers are always happy to oblige.

Don’t overdo it

Finally, if you want to maximize your time (and your fun) at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, you’ll want to make sure you’re well rested.

That will mean different things for different people (and families), but it’s generally a good idea to try to not do a late night followed by an early morning. 

If you happen to need a break during the party, we recommend grabbing a seat inside somewhere. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café in Tomorrowland: You can order something to eat and enjoy the Disney Junior Jam dance party. Keep in mind that Mobile Order is not available during the party and this location does get busy.
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland: While this is a treat station, cartoons are played continuously for party goers to sit and watch.
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Tomorrowland: This attraction is turned into a treat station, where guests can also sit and cool off. The regular attraction is not available during party hours, but jokes, including some Halloween ones, are told.
• Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland: The regular attraction doesn’t run during the party, but you can sit inside this treat station — and even enjoy your Halloween goodies!
• Country Bear Jamboree in Frontierland: This is yet another treat station where you can chill inside, rest your feet, and cool off. Know that the regular show doesn’t play during the party.

We also highly recommend you make time for a nap on the day you’ll be going to MNSSHP, too. Even a few minutes out of the heat can do wonders for your overall energy level so that when it’s time to party, you’re ready to go!

Bonus tip: See 2 parties in one trip!

Did you know that if you time your visit right, you can see both Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party AND Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party?

The trick is to plan to attend the very last MNSSHP of the year and the very first Christmas Party.

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Do you have any tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party? Tell us about them in the comments!