I know that in real life we are only going into August. The kids are not even back in school yet. However, in the Disney world – it’s time to start thinking about Halloween! Beginning in 3 weeks, on August 16th, and running through November 1st, Disney offers an after hours event all about Halloween. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a nighttime festival celebrating all things not so scary – costumes, trick or treating, Disney characters dressed up, fireworks, parades and shows. This event is absolute fun for all ages – so don’t think for a minute that it’s just for the kids.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) generally runs from 7pm-midnight or 1am. With an event ticket, however, you can actually enter the park as early as 4pm. In previous years DVC members have been able to enter even earlier, around 2pm. Day guests will not be able to access rides or shows starting at 6pm, and begin to be directed to the exit unless they are wearing a wristband exclusive to the night’s event. Party-goers can dress up as much or as little as they want, following the rules Disney lays out of course. Those rules, as well as all of the fun details of the party, can be found here.
These events work best if you come in with at least a general plan of what goals you want to achieve and where things are located. The most popular meet and greets will grow to waits of 2-3 hours very quickly, so it’s best to prioritize this if meeting Jack and Sally is on your must do list. There are several characters that can only be met at these events, including the seven dwarfs, Moana, Cruella DeVil and Lots-o-Huggin’ Bear. Make a game plan ahead of time if wanting to see these or other characters, and get in line early. For the seven dwarfs or Jack and Sally in particular, I would recommend getting in line 30-45 minutes before the party begins. At least then you won’t spend the majority of the party in line when there are so many other things to do.
In addition to the character meets, the Halloween party offers a Hocus Pocus stage show at the castle that is very good. This show is offered a few different times throughout the evening, so you don’t have to stress if you find yourself in line for something else at that moment.
The Halloween parade is a can’t-miss event in my opinion. This parade is offered twice during the event, once early enough for the kiddos and then again much later, around 11:30 or so. Making it late enough to see the second showing is very iffy for most small children, and this is why I would recommend holding out until then for those that can stay up that late or traveling on an adults-only trip. You will find it to be much less crowded with better seating options. Make sure that you don’t miss the very beginning of the parade for a chance to see the Cadaver Dans perform along the parade route and the biggest moment of all – the Headless Horseman riding through the crowd!
What is a Disney event without fireworks? Hallo-wishes is a great fireworks display and one of my favorites of any given night at Disney. Disney has made the announcement that in 2019 Hallo-wishes will be going away and an updated fireworks and castle projection show will be introduced. While I like to keep an open mind with Disney’s changes and “improvements”, I am a sad that I won’t be able to see the fan favorite display once more. Luckily, there are many videos on YouTube for those that would like to see what that show looked like.
Dessert parties are definitely a thing at Disney, and MNSSHP is no exception. Disney offers a plaza view as well as a garden view of the fireworks for an additional cost. Both include the dessert party before. The plaza view allows guests to remain seated at the Tomorrowland Terrace once the fireworks begin. For the garden view option, guests are escorted outside the Terrace to an area fenced in and therefore away from the crowds. In the past, I have done the garden view dessert party, and I think it’s definitely worth the price and something I will do again. The Halloween party can be very crowded for the fireworks, since they are only offered once during the event. To have that breathing room and the ability to sit and relax on the grass before and during the show is a completely stress-free way to watch and enjoy. Eating some desserts beforehand is also a bonus for my sweet-tooth, and I’ve typically liked most of the offerings on the dessert table.
A significant drop in crowd level occurs after the fireworks, as parents begin to take their littles back to the resorts for bed. As an adult, this is when I prefer to catch the second viewing of the parade, as well as the later Hocus Pocus stage shows. What do I do in between? Trick or treating of course! From one end of the park to the other there are stations set up offering candy, and as the night goes on it is my experience that the handfuls from cast members become more generous as they try to get rid of what they have.
In addition to the treats, several rides will also offer Halloween overlays. In the past these have been Pirates, teacups and Space Mountain. There are many other rides still running as well though, and the waits are generally lower than visiting them during the day. A couple of dance parties are located in Tomorrowland and Storybook Circus as well. I have been known to get drawn in to the Cupid Shuffle or Cha Cha Slide if I happen to hear it…
For the first-time MNSSHP visitors, here are the take-aways that I would recommend:
- Make a plan, at least in general, but be flexible.
- Prioritize your desired meet and greets, and get in line early for that top character(s).
- If you can stay awake for the second parade and later stage shows, do it. Use that day as a rest day at the resort so you can be ready to go for the party.
- Enjoy the party! Get those treats, boogie at the dance parties, get in some rides with lower lines, get in the spirit and dress up!
Any time I hear someone say that they thought a Halloween party was over-rated or not worth the money because there wasn’t enough to do, I have to shake my head. What I feel is that those people are obviously not doing it right. Don’t stress about every little thing, but instead enjoy and take in the festivities. You will be singing the Boo to You parade song for weeks, I promise!
