10th anniversary + 2023 MNSSHP - PREP 371

We are celebrating 10 years of the WDW Prep to Go podcast! (It’s been downloaded more than 4 million times!) Shannon shares about the early days of the podcast including what has changed and what has stayed the same. Also, the WDW Prep School team has comprehensive coverage of the 2023 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. Shannon breaks down the basics and crafts model touring plans.

In this article

Stats and information on the Podcast

Downloaded 4.1 million times in 10 years!
New people join every single week
The first trip report spurred on a whole new avenue to share information but wasn’t intended to be a series
The website has earlier episodes
The very first episode is about how to fit the shows into your day at Hollywood Studios.
When the podcast first started, it was on an ipad and a microphone.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Shannon and Heather were home on the computer this year. Allyson and Felicia were in the parks reporting.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is back to how it was prior to the pandemic with the exception of the price, which has increased.

This is a special ticketed event at Magic Kingdom. It occurs a few days a week in the evenings from August through Halloween or the day after Halloween.

The least crowded Halloween parties tend to be earlier in the year, but many of them do sell out. The earlier ones are the least expensive at around $100. As it gets closer to Halloween and the price increases to $200.

Our focus is to help you maximize your time at the Halloween party and get the most out of your ticket. The tickets went on sale in April this year – about 6 months prior to Halloween.

Having a ticket to the party allows you to get into Magic Kingdom at 4 p.m. and the party begins at 7 p.m. The party ends at midnight. However, there are party-exclusive events that you can do prior to 7 p.m. with your party wrist band.

The party includes:

Trick-or-treating
Boo To You Parade
Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular
Dress in a (cool!) costume that won’t make you too hot
Not-So-Spooky Spectacular
Various stage shows including Zom-Beatz Bash, Cadaver Dans, Disney Junior Jam, Powerlines, Rusty Cutlass Pirate Band, and more.
Exclusive meet and greets with characters
Attractions are open including TRON
Some attractions have overlays exclusive to the party
Shopping and treats exclusive to the party
Special photo opportunities
Dessert party within the Halloween Party

Making the Most of your Party Time

Prior to the Party

Your ticket will get you in at 4 p.m. and if you want to do something competitive like character meet and greets, you will want to get in line by 3 p.m. to be at the front of the pack.

Jack and Sally and the Seven Dwarfs have queues that open at 4 p.m. Jack and Sally begin meeting at 4:30 p.m. and if you are at the front of the line you will not have to wait very long.

We highly recommend being there early to do the meet and greets early. The Seven Dwarfs queue opens at 4 p.m. but they do not start meeting until 6:15 p.m. That is a long wait.

You can also choose to meet these characters later in the night around 11:50 p.m.

You can also meet Elvis Stitch, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy in special costumes, and Pooh and friends meeting in a group. They are not as competitive but we do recommend getting them done before the party officially begins.

Earlier in the evening is also a good time to do some shopping. The Emporium on Main Street is always very crowded, but Star Traders usually has the same merchandise without the crowds.

You should also plan to eat prior to 7 p.m. Mobile ordering will stop at 6 p.m. You can also choose to eat outside of the Magic Kingdom prior to the party.

Official Party Time

You will definitely want to catch the parade. The second parade is less crowded, but please be sure to check the weather. If it is wet or stormy, the second parade may be modified or cancelled.

We also recommend you see the fireworks. There are great projections on the castle but if it’s too busy, you can stand a little farther back.

There are some great shows during the party that cannot be seen at any other time. Prioritize seeing the shows that are interesting to you.

Character meet and greets are also important and should be prioritized for the party. Be sure to go to the ones that you are interested early because you likely won’t have time to do all of them.

Trick or treating is also a fun thing to do during the party. We recommend waiting until later in the evening so that you do not need to carry the candy around during the party.

There is allergy-friendly candy and you can either trick or treat for tokens to be turned in at the end of the party, or you can skip trick or treating altogether and pick up the allergy friendly candy on your way out of the party.

You can also pick up special party-exclusive treats during the party. We do not recommend spending time at the party doing things that are not exclusive to the party.

Sample Touring

7-9 p.m.

Ride some rides, do some character meets, and get magic shots taken

9-11 p.m.

Watch the fireworks, Hocus Pocus stage show, and

11 p.m. – Midnight

Trick or treat, see the second parade, and meet some characters if you haven’t seen all of them.

What’s not happening this year

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Cards – these are not available at all anymore, so there isn’t a party exclusive card
DiscenDANCE Party – This used to be a dance party at Cosmic Rays but it was replaced by Zom-Beatz Bash
Cruella’s Halloween Hideaway at Tony’s Town Square – This was a great option for reserved viewing for the parade with sweet and savory treats.

Links:

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