See what the First Night was Like for 2023’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Are you planning to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year? Read about our experience from the very first night of the party to see what to expect!

Let’s Boo This!

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has returned again for 2023. The party officially kicked off the celebration August 11th. See which dates have already sold-out HERE.

The party, which runs through November 1 on select evenings from 7 p.m. to midnight includes new and returning spine-chilling fun you won’t want to miss. Be sure to check out the locations for characters HERE and showtimes HERE.

During the party, be sure to check out all of the spooky and fun Magic Shots. Plenty of exclusive party merchandise is also available and you can see it all HERE.

First Night Experience

Wondering what to expect at this year’s party? We at Kenny the Pirate were there for the first night and here’s how our first night went! One of the very first noticeable differences we noticed was that DAS is available for select meet and greets during the party. For a full list of characters and how to request DAS for these meet and greets, be sure to check out this post HERE.

While overall crowds seemed to be much lighter than in years past, lines for more popular characters were still pretty long. It’s important to prioritize what characters you want to see and make a great touring plan! For instance, if meeting the Seven Dwarfs or Jack & Sally is high on your list, we recommend getting there as early as possible.

Characters during the night began meeting at 6:15 pm, but it’s a good idea to be in line by 4:00 pm if they are one of your priorities. The line to see Stitch dressed as Elvis was approximately 45 minutes long. Jack & Sally’s line to meet them was approximately 1 hour and 3 minutes! Many characters were also handing out character cards as opposed to signing autographs. This helps characters see as many guests as possible and tends to move the lines more quickly.

Parade

One of our favorite places to watch the parade from is underneath the train station in Main Street. Not only does it have great lighting, it has an excellent view! Another great place to watch the parade from is from Frontierland.

We noticed several changes for the Boo to You parade this year, and you can read about those HERE.

Attractions

One big difference in the attraction overlays is Pirates of the Caribbean. Last year, live actor pirates could be seen throughout the queue and in the attraction itself. It was one of my (Maggie) favorite overlays and it really made the whole experience so much more enjoyable!

No live actors were in the Pirates of the Caribbean queue or attraction. Live actors were only outside of the attraction.

Last night, live actor pirates were only outside of the attraction.

If riding TRON is important to you during the party, be sure to enter the virtual queue as quick as you can! You can see how fast the queue filled up in this post HERE.

Treat Stations

One of the fun additions to the party is of course the treat stations! Treat stations have a tendency to get pretty long at various stops. If you do plan to trick or treat, we suggest getting treats towards the end of the night.

Last year, Cast Members gave out handfuls of treats, but last night we noticed they were using scoops, which also maximized the amount of candy that was received! We are also excited to see that guests can receive full sized candy once again this year.

Do you have plans to visit Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year? Were you attending on the very first night? Let us know what your experience was like in the comments below or share this post with a friend who plans to attend.