Information and Tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

We are just four days away from the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party of the season! The fun begins on August 7 at Magic Kingdom. So I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips for the party.

There is so much that goes on during the Halloween party. It’s hard to know what to concentrate on. Between the rides, the characters, the shows, and the trick-or-treating, it’s very easy to lose track of time and miss a lot of the activities going on during the party. So, my advice is to look at everything that will be going on at the party and make a list of what things are “can’t miss” items and work your way down from there. For instance, if seeing rare characters is something you don’t feel you can miss, then start with the character meet and greets and go from there. Trying to do everything can make for a hectic and not so fun evening.

While you are walking around, don’t forget to check out the decorations. The fall decorations at Disney World are fun and they take on a new life during the Halloween party. Plus, Disney adds different sound effects throughout the park. It’s a really fun event and my favorite of the two holiday parties!

Character Tip

After the first party, pictures of the current map will be posted by people who have went to the party. Looking at the map beforehand is very helpful, because it will help you to further plan your evening. For those concentrating on the characters, I would choose the ones you want to see first and make sure you get there early enough to get in line and so you are not wasting half the night in line. Line for characters like Jack Skellington and Sally get long pretty quickly, so the earlier you get in line the better. Party guests can get in the park as early as 4 pm, so if you get to the park that early, I would ask a cast member when you can start lining up for the character you want to meet.

Trick-or-Treating Tips

For those concentrating on trick-or-treating, the early look at a map comes in handy here too. There are different stops throughout the park that give out candy and they are marked to indicate it is a stop on the trail. Also, make sure to bring a big bag with you for this. Disney gives party guests bags, but they are very small and fill up after a few stops. If you are just there for the candy, then you can do a second pass around the candy stops. After a second visit to the candy stops, your bag will be getting heavy and you’ll have enough candy to last you to the new year.

While trick-or-treating, it’s always nice to acknowledge the cast members handing out candy. I’m not talking about a lengthy conversation but a smile and a thank goes a long way. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the quick pace the candy lines have, I definitely get that, but a quick acknowledgement of the cast member scooping out the candy always seems to be appreciated, in my experience anyway.

Ride Tips

If you are concentrating on the rides, then I would figure out which ones you definitely don’t want to miss. Once you have that figured out you can plan your route around the park. The last thing you want to do is be zigzagging around the park all night, because that will waste time that could have been used for other things. Party guests are allowed in the park as early as 4 pm, so those extra three hours can be used to ride some of the rides on your list. Usually, party dates have lower crowds, because the park closes at 6 pm to make way for party guests. So with lower crowds the lines should be a bit shorter, giving you a chance to get in more rides before the party officially begins.

Specialty Food and Merchandise

There is always a variety of specialty foods and merchandise for sale during the party. A few things can be found during regular park hours, but most things are only sold during the party. Usually, merchandise includes special Halloween party ears, T-shirts, a special Loungefly backpack, mugs, ornaments, and more. So if you are looking for party specific items or food, the map will mark where you can find those things. For a list of food and drinks available during the party, you can visit this post.

Costume Guidlines

Keep in mind that while Disney encourages people to dress up for the Halloween party, they also have guidelines. It’s important to read the guidelines before you go to the party, so you can make sure it follows the rules. It wouldn’t be good to get to the party and be told that your costume is not allowed.

Here are the guidelines as they appear on Disney’s website:

GUESTS AGES 13 AND UNDER

• Costumes and some masks may be worn, as long as the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible.

GUESTS AGES 14 AND OLDER

• All Guests may dress as their favorite character, but may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
• Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
• Costumes may not contain any props or accessories that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
• Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.
• Layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged and may be subject to additional security screening.
• Costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. (for example, full-length Princess dresses)
• Capes may be worn if the length does not go below the waist.
• Themed T-shirts, blouses, sweatshirts and hats are acceptable.
• Acceptable accessories include: transparent wings, plastic light sabers, toy swords and tutus. Costume headwear may be worn as long as it does not cover the face.
• Costume masks of any kind may not be worn.
• Please note: all rules and regulations are subject to change without notice.

Tips

• There are special PhotoPass opportunities during the party. So make sure to get a map to see where the locations are.
• For sit down meals, I would do it before the party officially starts at 7 p.m. You only have five hours for the party and table service meals can take up a lot of precious party time. Trust me, those five hours go by really fast.
• If you have a party ticket and you enter the park at 4 p.m. or after, you don’t need a separate theme park ticket.
• Bring a bigger bag for candy if you plan on trick-or-treating.
• The Grave Diggers are a fun part of the Boo-to-You Parade. If you are going to the parade, make sure to get a good spot to watch them.
• If the party you are attending is sold out, it might be more crowded than you had hoped. However, if you have a plan set for what you want to see just stick to that and the crowd shouldn’t be an issue.
• Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular starts at 10 p.m., so it will be over before the party ends. If you want to get a good spot for the fireworks I would head to Main Street U.S.A. no later than 9:30, probably even a little earlier.
• If you pay to have the PhotoPass service then take advantage and stop at any PhotoPass photographer you see. Magic Shot locations are indicated on the party map, so make sure to look for those!
• The trick-or-treat lines move pretty fast. So if you see characters you want to meet along the way you can always make a stop. Just check to see how long the line is. If it’s too long you may want to continue with the trick-or-treating.
• The Headless Horseman kicks off the Boo-to-You Parade and he’s really cool to see in person. So if you are looking for some fun picture opportunities at the party, I wouldn’t miss him. The parade takes place at 8:15 pm and 11:15 pm. The later of those two times is usually a little less crowded.

I hope this information helps those that are attending Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! Have a great time and enjoy one of the most fun parties on Disney World property!

Thanks for reading!

Liz

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