Are you attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Party? You will definitely want to read these tips we have for you so you can make the most of your evening!
#1 Purchase tickets in advance
Long gone are the days when you can buy any Disney World ticket in advance. Everything from general admission to special event tickets should be booked in advance, including your tickets for the Halloween Party.
We anticipate all event dates to sell out for this year! In fact, several dates in August and Halloween night are already gone before the event even starts. Once Guests start doing their research for the party and begin reading all the reports, dates will begin selling out left and right.
Definitely buy them in advance so you can attend! Don’t count on same-day availability, but if there is, a sign will be posted outside the entrance to the park on the day of.
#2: Plan ahead
Part of having a good time is planning ahead. That means looking at your vacation as a whole and your individual park days to choose the best event date. You probably don’t want a full park day ahead of your party or an early morning the next day.
By strategically planning your party and the rest of your park days, you can avoid over tiredness early in the evening and cranky travelers the next day.
My (Monica) personal strategy is to have a full rest day the day of the party. I like to sleep in, enjoy the resort, have a late lunch, and then head to Magic Kingdom. Then, the next day I plan for a late morning/early afternoon arrival at another park.
#3: Look at the offerings
It’s not very wise to spend all that money on a ticket and then walk into it blindly. Disney provides the entertainment schedule ahead of the event, so you will know when the parade (8:15 and 11:15 pm) and fireworks (10:00) start.
Take a look at everything that is offered, and put them into three categories: “Must-do”, “Would like to do but not necessary”, and “Don’t care about at all”. This will help you decide how to plan out your evening.
Then, you’ll be able to look at character schedules and showtimes to put them in order.
#4: Have the essentials
You definitely want to make sure you have all your essentials for the event. That includes a portable charger, ponchos, and jackets. You can pretty much guarantee it will be hot for the entire evening!
Outdoor characters will not meet in the rain. If there is rain in your forecast you will need to move your strategy around.
Oftentimes, the parade, fireworks, and other activities will still take place during the rain. You want to make sure you have a poncho or umbrella to enjoy them! However, if there is heavy rain it will be a modified “rainy day” parade.
#5: Arrive early
Even though the party officially starts at 7:00 pm, Disney lets party Guests in as early as 4:00 pm. We always recommend you enter at 4:00 pm!
To be ahead of the crowd, consider arriving at 3:00 pm. You will have to wait an hour, but a crowd quickly forms. I always prefer to the be at the front of the line vs the back. Consider an umbrella to block the shade as you wait in that hot line.
There is so much that can be done within those 3 hours. You can experience attractions (especially those that will be closed during your event), have dinner, and line up for popular characters. In fact, many characters start meeting before the party even starts, including Jack and Sally and Pooh and friends.
#6: Consider what you will do before the party starts
Lightning Lane Multiple Pass and Single Pass are not utilized during the party, but it can be used before the party. If you are park hopping from somewhere else (or spending your day at Magic Kingdom before the party starts), we recommend grabbing those return times as usual.
If you do not have Lightning Lane Multi Pass that day, it is probably not worth it to purchase it just for the 3-hour mix in. You may want to hop in some lines that have low wait times, get in line for party characters, or grab dinner. You can purchase Single Pass for TRON and Seven Dwarfs as long as it’s during that 3-hour mix in.
#7: Don’t bother with table-service meals
We never recommend sitting down to eat during a party (or during the 4:00 to 7:00 mix in). There is just too much to see and do that including something you can do on another day is just not worth it.
Instead, fill up on food at one of the monorail resorts before heading to Magic Kingdom. Then, you can spend the evening sampling all those exclusive food items! Or, place a mobile order ahead of time so it will be ready when you want it!
#8: Dessert parties are a waste of time
Along with table-service restaurants, the dessert parties for the fireworks are also a waste of time. This requires a 60-90 minute time commitment for a fireworks show that lasts less than 15 minutes.
Plus, the Hub is not crowded, so you can easily find a decent spot about 20-30 minutes before the fireworks. Adding another cost on top of the cost of the party and losing precious minutes is not smart.
#9: Take advantage of the free candy!
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of the few times throughout the year when Disney gives away free food! Located around the park, you will find trick or treat stations marked with giant inflatables:
- Market Street Welcome Trick-or-Treating (open until 8:00 PM)
- Tortuga Tavern
- Tom Sawyer Island Dock
- Gaston’s Tavern
- Near TRON Lightcycle / Run
- Princess Fairytale Hall
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
You can take as much as you want throughout the evening. Cast Members also have large scoops to give you a generous amount. If you plan to really take advantage of the free candy, you may want to bring a bigger bag. Disney does give you a free bag when you get your wristband, but it will not hold much candy.
Of course, your kids may be like mine and eat the candy as they go…in which case you won’t need a bigger bag! It’s also a good way to save some money. If you fill up on candy you don’t have to spend money on a lot of the specialty desserts and drinks (which aren’t usually that great anyway).
#10: Plan to watch the second parade (if weather cooperates)
The second parade is always less busy than the first just like Frontierland will always be less crowded than the Hub and Main Street.
If rain is not in your forecast and you know your youngest party-goers will stay awake, plan to watch the second parade. While everyone is watching the first, wait times for characters and attractions will be lower.
Use that time to your advantage and hit up popular characters (Jack and Sally, Dwarfs, or Hundred Acre Wood friends) with low waits.
#11: Use MDE
My Disney Experience has wait times for attractions, select character greets, and more. You can also use DAS (if you qualify and have an active DAS pass).
Checking on these wait times will help you see what’s going on in the park and can direct you to that next meet or attraction. Plus, it has each character’s schedule!
#12: Ride attraction overlays during the party
Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party, and Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor are the only holiday overlays that take place during the party. Pirates of the Caribbean may have pirates in the queue.
If there is one attraction I recommend riding during the party it’s Space Mountain! The spooky music is so fun, and it is completely dark!
#13: Stay for the entire party
Whether it’s people leaving after the fireworks or something else, the park always feels less busy for the last hour of the night. Your ticket gets you into the park for 8 hours, and we always recommend getting your money worth!
At previous parties, I typically follow this pattern for the last 2 hours:
- Watch the fireworks
- Meet a character or two in Fantasyland/Tomorrowland
- Watch the second parade from the Hub
- Head back to Fantasyland/Tomorrowland to meet more characters
- Get in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train right before 12:00 as my final ride of the night
Do note that many times the character lines will cut off before 12:00. Keep that in mind once 11:30 pm approaches.
#14: Plan your Halloween costumes
One of the most fun parts of the party is dressing up! Disney encourages costumes (just be mindful of the guidelines), and Guests love to go all out!
I advise you to keep in mind two things when planning costumes: the weather and comfort. It will likely be hot for your party (you can almost guarantee that), and you will still be in a Disney World theme park. You may want to avoid layers, face make up that will melt off, and uncomfortable shoes.
#15: Have realistic expectations
Finally, my favorite tip for anything Disney-related. Have realistic expectations! You will not get to meet every character, ride every attraction, and experience every single offering the party has to offer.
Remember those categories I mentioned in tip #2? Focus on your must-do’s and then work towards completing your second category. Anything beyond that is a bonus!
Character Locator has touring plans specifically for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Plus, it has all the best tips for characters – when they begin meeting, when to line up, and what to expect. Be sure to subscribe! The $10 is well worth it.
Do you have any more tips for your fellow KtP readers? Share them in the comments below! And, feel free to pass these tips along to a friend who is attending the party this year!
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