It’s officially October, which means it is finally Spooky Season! October is one of my favorite times of the year to visit Walt Disney World. Last week, some of the Fairies had a chance to check out Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (herein shortened to MNSSHP) for a girls’ night!
The 101: MNSSHP is a separately ticketed event that takes place on certain nights August 11-November 1st from 7pm-12am in Magic Kingdom. In 2023, tickets cost $109-$199 typically increasing closer to Halloween. You may be thinking, “I could get a whole park day for that price!” and you wouldn’t be wrong! But with this special ticket, you will get to enjoy lower crowds and shorter ride lines; special shows, fireworks, and a unique parade; and characters that come out exclusively for the party! Any Jack and Sally fans out there…?
The downside to seasonal ticketed events is, if you do not have a ticket, you’ll be kicked out of the park early. So be sure to look at the event schedule so you aren’t caught by surprise! If you don’t care about seeing the Happily Ever After fireworks show (gasp!!), you could actually use a party day to your advantage to enjoy lower crowds and shorter lines.
Now on to the good stuff!
During MNSSHP, Magic Kingdom transforms into a festive and slightly eerie wonderland with Halloween music, specialized lighting, and even trick-or-treating! Throughout the park, you'll find designated trick-or-treat locations where cast members will fill your bags with a scoop of candy. Each cast member wears a sparkly bat as a headband or bow-tie. Be sure to ask them what their bats’ names are! My favorite was “Icha-Bat-Crane.”
One of the highlights of the event is seeing guests of all ages in their Halloween looks. MNSSHP and Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash are the only times that adults are welcome to wear authentic-looking character costumes in Disney parks. I definitely thought some guests were real characters walking among the crowds. And some of the very best costumes are when the whole family participates!
Rides get specialized treatment during the party, so don’t miss Space Mountain in full blackout mode, and definitely make it a point to enjoy the extra ghosts in the graveyard while you wait in line for Haunted Mansion!
While ride lines were shorter, we experienced longer wait times than usual for characters. If you want to meet Jack and Sally, plan to make waiting in line a large chunk of your party time! We also bypassed meeting all Seven Dwarfs, Whinnie the Pooh and friends in their Halloween costumes, and Minnie and Daisy due to long wait times. Also be prepared for the old switcheroo! Some characters share a line queue, and when one character takes a break, another will step in. It might be a surprise if you’re waiting in line to meet Alice or the Queen of Hearts and they switch to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Since Jack and Sally are such a draw for the party, they continue to meet during the parade. Hopping in line at that time and catching the later shows could be a good strategy for a shorter wait. We had our priorities though, and made sure to meet Stitch in his Elvis costume!
The shows were by far the best part for me. The "Hocus Pocus Villain Spellacular" features the Sanderson Sisters and all the Disney villains! The “Boo-to-You" Halloween Parade is a blast, featuring iconic Disney characters dressed in their Halloween best, along with a haunted mansion-themed float and the infamous Headless Horseman. I was most excited to see the Headless Horseman, but he was not riding when we were there because it was a rainy evening. It must be tough to ride a horse in the rain and dark when you don’t have a head. But the gravedigger dancers made up for the missing star of the show!
"Disney's Not So Spooky Spectacular" fireworks show, like most fireworks shows, doesn’t hold a candle to Happliy Ever After. However, the ghost projections floating on the clouds in the night sky were otherworldly, and the skeleton dance made my night!
Have you been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? Let us know in the comments your favorite character. If you'd like to visit and experience Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, click the "Let's Chat" bubble and let's get planning!
Your Bibbidi Bobbidi Bestie!
-Becky
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