The spooky season is well underway (at least at Walt Disney World!) and that means it’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party time.
We were there for the first 2 parties of 2023 and plan to do the same in 2024, and we wanted to share our thoughts on whether we think it is worth it or not, plus go over a touring strategy for the evening.
Let’s dive into our 2024 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party review & strategy…
Important note: some of the information below is from 2023 and will be updated as new information is released for 2024.
Please check back often for updates.
Quick Overview
Before we dive into our full review, let’s go over a little bit about what exactly Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (or, MNSSHP for short) even is.
If you are familiar with the parties, feel free to skip down, but if you are new to Walt Disney World planning (or if you’ve only been going for a couple of years), I’d recommend that you keep reading to get caught up to speed.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a special event that is held at Magic Kingdom in the late summer through mid-fall. Lots of people (including us!) get really, really excited about the parties.
2024 Party dates
There are 38 parties from mid-August through October 31:
- August: 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30
- September: 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29
- October: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31
Ticket Prices
Now for the (kind of) tough part: the price.
This party isn’t cheap. Last year we saw a huge jump compared to 2019, but thankfully the prices aren’t much higher for 2024.
Ticket prices for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party range from $119-$199 (plus tax) for adults and $109-$189 (plus tax) for children. Expect the prices to be in that higher range during more popular times of the season. You can buy them online directly from Disney.
Ouch, right? That high price is why we wanted to write this review. If you are a family of 4, you could easily spend $400 to $800 on tickets for this 1 event.
The good thing is that your Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween ticket does get you up-to 8 hours of park time, exclusive entertainment, fun fireworks, grave diggers going wild with shovels in a parade, plus tons of characters.
So, there’s lots of potential there for some good old-fashioned fun. And, spoiler alert, we do think it is worth it – if you plan ahead.
Quick note: We go into a lot more depth on party details in our Complete Guide to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, so make sure you check that out for info on where to get your wristbands, how to purchase tickets, where to find all the characters, + more.
Is the Halloween Party Worth it?
If you are looking for something extra to do, or something special to add on to your vacation, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party definitely fits into the category of “things we think are worth the extra expense”.
Just make sure everyone in your group is down to party, though. The event goes late, and if you stay until the end, you likely won’t get back to your room until well after midnight.
Some kids (and adults!) will do fine with that late hour, some toddlers are happy to sleep in a stroller, but if you have little ones that struggle with late nights, maybe save the party for a future trip.
MNSSHP Entertainment and Activities Reviews
There are plenty of things to keep you busy during the party, and it is impossible to do it all.
To help you figure out your plan, we’ve grouped the items below to indicate where we think you should focus your time:
Not to be missed
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular | Castle stage
Showtimes:
- August 9 through September 28: 9:05 p.m., 10:40 p.m., 12 a.m.
- September 29 through October 31: 7:40 p.m., 9:05 p.m., 10:40 p.m., 12 a.m.
In Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, the mischievous Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” return to the mortal world for one night during the Halloween season.
With only a few hours to run amuck, the three sisters decide to use their magic to throw the best, most evil Halloween party this side of the graveyard!
Hocus Pocus takes place August 9 through September 28 at 9:05 p.m., 10:40 p.m., and midnight. From September 29 to October 31, show times are 7:40 p.m., 9:05 p.m., 10:40 p.m., and midnight.
Boo-To-You Parade
Parade time: 8:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
The Boo-To-You Halloween parade is held twice during the party (at 8:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.). For easiest viewing, go to Frontierland for the second parade. The parade begins in Frontierland and comes through Main Street about 15 minutes after the official parade start time, so keep that in mind when planning.
In true Disney fashion, the Halloween parade comes with a couple of fun “extras”:
- Daisy, Clarabelle, and Minnie appear in opening of the parade as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus.
- Max Goof (cosplaying as Powerline) and his awesome 90’s crew keep guests waiting on the arrival of the Boo-to-You Parade entertained. This is in place of the previous Zootopia Party Patrol which had kicked off the parade for the past several years.
Usually, these little pre-parades are fun dance parties that allow the crowd to get up and dance around. They are a good way for kids to work out the kinks before the parade begins.
It is important to note that Max Goof and friends can only be found on Main Street U.S.A. and in the Town Square areas. - In Frontierland, you can expect a little hoedown with the Country Bears around 25 minutes or so before the parade kicks off.
- The highlight of the parade for many occurs before it even starts, with one of the signature moments of the entire evening: the appearance of the Headless Horseman.
Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular (fireworks extravaganza)
Showtime: 10:00 p.m.
Replacing the much beloved HalloWishes (which made its final appearance in 2018), this new nighttime show debuted in 2019 and features Jack Skellington as host and includes projections, lasers, special lighting effects, and of course – lots and lots of fireworks.
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy join in on the adventure as Jack tells the story of “how anything can happen on Halloween Night.”
Because of the use of projections, much like Happily Ever After (the regular nighttime show), the best views will be close to the castle.
Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular (fireworks extravaganza) takes place at 10:00 p.m.
Meet and greet opportunities with Disney characters
There are always chances to meet lots of characters during the party.
You probably won’t be able to meet all the characters in 1 night, so keep that in mind when deciding which ones to prioritize.
¹in special attire for the party
²exclusive characters or character combos
³at a dance party (doesn’t sign autographs)
Characters in CAPS – very popular! Plan to line up before the party begins, during parades/fireworks, or the last hour of the night.
Main Street, U.S.A.
- Mickey Mouse¹ – Town Square Theater
- JACK AND SALLY² – Town Square Theater
Adventureland
- Aladdin with Abu² – at the Agrabah Bazaar, this pair swaps sets with Jasmine and Genie
- Jasmine with Genie² – at the Agrabah Bazaar, this pair swaps sets with Aladdin and Abu
- Jafar² – near Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Captain Jack Sparrow – near Pirates of the Caribbean
Frontierland
- Country Bears – roaming
Fantasyland
- Anastasia and Drizella – roaming
- SEVEN DWARF² – Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus
- Donald & Daisy² – Storybook Circus in Dumbo queue
- Pirate Goofy¹ – Storybook Circus near exit of Goofy’s Barnstormer
- Minnie Mouse¹ – Storybook Circus in Dumbo queue
- Alice and Mad Hatter² – Mad Tea Party
- Belle¹ – Maurice’s Cottage (Enchanted Tales with Bell)
- Ariel and Eric² – Prince Eric’s Market (across from Ariel’s Grotto)
- POOH, TIGGER, EEYORE, PIGLET¹ – Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Queen of Hearts and Tweedles² – Mad Tea Party
- Princess Elena – Princess Fairytale Hall
- Princess Tiana – Princess Fairytale Hall
- Rapunzel – Princess Fairytale Hall
- Cinderella – Princess Fairytale Hall
- Mirabel and Bruno – Fairytale Garden
Tomorrowland
- ELVIS STITCH² – In between Carousel of Progress and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Characters who did not return in 2023
Sadly, several fan favorites did not return for 2023. Those include:
- Gaston (Belle meets alone in her blue dress)
- Moana
- Tarzan, Jane, & Terk
- Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear
Magic Shots & Special Photo Opportunities
PhotoPass photographers will take special photos during the party and when you see the pics afterward, you’ll see something magically inserted into the photo.
Tip: to get several Magic Shots in 1 photo stop, be sure to let the PhotoPass photographers on Main Street know. They will be able to do a few at once.
Memory Maker
Because of the uniqueness of the photographs you can get during the party, we highly recommend you purchase Memory Maker or Memory Maker One Day.
We gathered all the PhotoPass and Magic Shot locations into one post, so if that is something you’re interested in, make sure you check out our Guide to Magic Shots at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
Special ride experiences
Disney has 4 attractions with a Halloween twist available during the party. Here are what those options look like:
- Mad Tea Party – special lighting and music takes this wild attraction up an even madder notch. Not a must-do, but it is kind of fun to ride with the upbeat Halloween music and the festive lights.
- Space Mountain (usually runs with the overlay starting at 7 p.m., but may begin before the party officially starts) – same ride, but in complete darkness and with Halloween music. Out of all the Halloween enhancements, this one is probably the best and a definite must-do for anybody who loves thrill rides.
- Monster’s Inc. – Basically, Disney has turned the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor into a trick-or-treat station that you can walk through, all while a Halloween version of the audience interaction portion of the show is taking place. Guests can choose to grab a seat and watch (which is a fantastic option if you need a cool place to rest for a few minutes) or they can continue walking through the theater to grab more candy on the way out the door. 5 stars for prolific candy distribution, but sadly 2 stars for the rest of it. Do it for the candy, not for the show itself.
Special mention: Haunted Mansion. Though it’s not listed on the party map as “Halloween twist” like the attractions above, there is a lot going on there during the party, so it deserves a special mention here.
The attraction itself isn’t different, but several things are going on in front. Those include:
- Photo op holding the lantern near Haunted Mansion entrance
- Madame Carlotta, Madame Renatta, and Broome the Butler take turns appearing in the graveyard instead of in front of the attraction as it has in the past.
The photo op can be done without riding the ride, but if you want to see Madames Carlotta and Renatta and Broome, you must enter the queue to see them.
Halloween Party Genie+ and Lightning Lane Selections
There are no Genie+ or Lightning Lane Selections during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
Theme park ticket guests can get Genie+ until 6:00 p.m., but people with party tickets alone won’t be able to make Lightning Lane selections.
Halloween party and DAS
The Disability Access Service is available during the party; however, you may have to request your return times in person (they may not be available in the app).
Fun to do if you have the time
The Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet | Frontierland
Showtimes: 7:00 p.m., 7:45 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9:50 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. (times not confirmed for 2024)
The Cadaver Dans perform their ghoulish medley of popular “tombs” for guests in Frontierland on the balcony by Country Bear Jamboree during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. Now, please don’t come at me about how this is a MUST-do, and it is a shame if you miss it. We love the Cadaver Dans. And, you’ll likely have a chance to see them as you’re walking back through Frontierland. We just don’t think you should spend 45 minutes waiting for a show. Catch them if you can, but if you can’t – we promise it will be ok.
Rusty Cut Glass (Spirited pirate band) | Adventureland
Showtimes: Intermittently between 7:15 and 11:50 (times not confirmed for 2024)
Adventureland is taken over by a spirited pirate band and their crew. Be sure to listen for their sea shanties while their shipmates roam the land sharing tales of their explorations at sea.
Disney Junior Jam | Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
Dance party times: 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. (times not confirmed for 2024)
Located in Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café in 2024, this dance party features Disney Junior characters, including Vampirina, Fancy Nancy, Timon, and Doc McStuffins.
In past years, you could find the dance party in Storybook Circus.
The dance party takes place from 7 p.m. – midnight.
Trick-or-treating
Everybody is given a small bag when entering the party, but you can bring your own if you’d rather have something a bit bigger.
We recommend that you go later in the night to avoid lugging around heavy candy, to enjoy shorter lines, to benefit from Cast Members often generous portions later in the night, and to allow you to do more important things earlier.
Trick-or-treat spots are noted as orange suckers on the map. They include:
Main Street U.S.A.
- Market Street (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)
Fantasyland
- Pinocchio Village Haus
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Gaston’s Tavern
- Storybook Circus WDW Railroad station (not indicated on the map, but they sometimes hand out KIND bars there)
- Ariel’s Grotto
Tomorrowland
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Carousel of Progress
- Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
- Near TRON Lightcycle / Run
Adventureland
- Enchanted Tiki Room
- Tortuga Tavern
Frontierland
- Tom Sawyer Island Dock
- Country Bear Jamboree
Liberty Square
- Columbia Harbour House
Allergy-friendly treats
People with food allergies: you can grab a teal bag from a Cast Member at any treat location and/or head to Chamber of Commerce (stays open past midnight) and Liberty Square Ticket Center (closes promptly at midnight) for an allergy-friendly selection.
You can collect teal tokens at the trick-or-treat stations, which can later be redeemed for allergy-friendly treats.
Tip: If you want to skip the treat stations, you do NOT need to collect tokens to receive the allergy-friendly treats. Cast Members hand out tokens so that those with allergies can still participate in the trick-or-treating if they choose. But, you can skip that and just go directly to the Allergy-Friendly stations if that works better for you.
The allergy-friendly centers are shown as teal Mickey heads on the party map.
Consider skipping if running out of time
DescenDANCE Party (new in 2024) | Rockettower Plaza Stage
Dance party times: 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. (times not confirmed for 2024)
A new(ish) dance party is ascending to the Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland for 2024: DescenDANCE. This Descendents dance party was last held at MNSSHP in 2019 and at the time was inspired by Descendents 3. The new version in 2024 will be inspired by Descendents: The Rise of Red which will be released on July 12, 2024.
Note: This replaces the ZOM-BEATZ BASH that was last held in 2023 at MNSSHP.
All other attractions
We don’t think you should waste precious party time on attractions you can ride during the daytime hours, UNLESS this is your only Magic Kingdom time. The exception to this are the attractions with special overlays (see above), Haunted Mansion, AND the TTA PeopleMover. There is something extra magical about the PeopleMover on a party night!
Note: If you would like to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run, you will need to join the virtual queue at 6:00 p.m.
- All other attractions will run continuously until midnight
Touring Plan Strategy for MNSSHP
Here’s how we plan our perfect Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party night:
3:00 p.m. or earlier – Arrive at Magic Kingdom
- The goal is to be at the front of the pack heading to meet Jack and Sally. If you plan to enter the park on your party ticket (and you won’t already be inside or hopping to Magic Kingdom), we recommend arriving at around 3:00 p.m. Once you get your wristband, head directly to Town Square Theater and jump in line for Jack and Sally. If you are already in the park, go to one of the wristband stations and get your wristband right at 4:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m. – Jump in line for Jack and Sally
- The line here moves painfully slow, so the closer you are to the front, the less you’ll have to wait. Even 15 minutes can make a HUGE difference. The good news is that it is indoors, so you aren’t standing in the sun.
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Meet Jack and Sally
- Hopefully you’ll luck out and be able to meet Jack and Sally in that first hour. But, even if it takes until 6:30 p.m., you still haven’t missed any of the “official” party time.
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – Get in line for 1 more of the characters that start meeting early
- We recommend Seven Dwarfs (especially if you are done around 5:00) or Pooh and Friends because it isn’t super common to get to take pics with all 4 together, but you could also do Elvis Stitch.
- You can also grab a quick meal during this time if characters aren’t your thing – just don’t waste a bunch of time eating.
7:00 p.m – 8:30 p.m. – Enjoy the party exclusive things
- Visit more characters, catch the Cadaver Dans, go to a dance party or 2, trick-or-treat, or snag party exclusive merchandise. You could also visit Monsters, Inc. but wait until after it gets dark for Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, PeopleMover, Mad Tea Party and PhotoPass and MagicShots (they look better in the dark).
8:30ish p.m. – 9:30ish p.m. – Possibly watch the 1st parade
- If the weather looks like rain for later in the evening or if you want to watch it twice, start thinking about grabbing a spot for the parade. If you can find a spot along Main Street near the hub, you can see the 8:15 p.m. Boo to You Parade, the 9:05 p.m. Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, and the 10:00 p.m. Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks all from the same spot. Even if you are further back from the castle for the stage show, you can still hear and see a lot, and you can get up closer for the last show of the evening if you miss anything.
- If the weather looks great, consider skipping the first parade (the 2nd parade will be less crowded) and do other party exclusive things like checking out and riding Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain (the outside lighting is fun), taking a tour of Tomorrowland on the PeopleMover, spinning to the spooky tunes on Mad Tea Party, and PhotoPass and MagicShots.
- You could also use this time for more characters and trick-or-treating.
9:45 p.m. Snag a spot for the fireworks.
- Depending on whether you watched the first parade or not, you may already have a spot. Otherwise, try to snag one no later than about 15 minutes before the show.
10:00 p.m. Watch the Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks
10:15ish – 11:50 p.m. – Get the last must-dos out of the way (and catch the 2nd parade if you didn’t already see it)
- Do the things that are better in the dark like ride Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain (the outside lighting is fun), PeopleMover, Mad Tea Party and PhotoPass and MagicShots.
- If there are any characters you still want to meet, make sure you are in line by 11:00 p.m. as some lines will close early.
- If you didn’t watch the 1st parade, make sure you snag a spot for the 2nd one by about 11:00 p.m. Frontierland will be less busy.
12:00 a.m. – Watch the final Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
- Wrap up the evening with the final Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular and make your exit.