Planning a Disney Halloween Party in 10 Steps

SET A BUDGET

Will the event be done on a shoestring budget, or are you pulling out all the stops? Hosting a Disney Halloween party can be done on a very basic level. Sharing responsibilities with a co-host and giving it a lot of homemade touches can keep the cost down. On the flip side, your party can also be done with a very elaborate scheme that has a rather formal feel. Depending on how you want to cater to your guests, though, you should set aside somewhere between $150 to $500 for the event.

SET THE LOCATION

Picking a location is an important decision because it determines your framework. Your invitation list will be limited according to the location's capacity. Your location will also determine whether you can accommodate families with children. Sometimes it will also influence how much alcohol factors into the event.

In addition, it's important to remember that the location can enhance your theme. For example, if room is needed for little ones to run around, a backyard might serve well as the Nightmare Before Christmas' forest with its 7 Holiday Doors. For a moderately sized party, a sizable living room can be used to seat everyone for a Disney Halloween movie night and sleepover.  A large den could serve as a cozy Haunted Mansion library for a small gathering, and a community hall could function as an expanded version of the dining room scene from the same attraction for a sit-down meal with dancing.

SET A THEME

The possibilities for Disney Halloween party themes are endless, but we will start with the obvious spooky options. The residence of the Haunted Mansion, the legend of Sleepy Hollow, the witchcraft of Hocus Pocus, and the collection of Disney villains are all great themes for a Disney Halloween party. For something a bit less mainstream, what about the freakish circus theme of Disney's movie, "Something Wicked This Way Comes"?

If a less evil (but still Disney) theme is desirable, anything is suitable as long as you plan on your guests retaining the holiday practice of coming in costume. Your personal re-creation of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is always a great excuse for a masquerade festivity, but there are so many more possibilities once you think "out of the box." For example, the theme could be that of an attraction such as "it's a small world" with guests expected to dress in representation of a country. Another possibility is the theme of Disney Park lands with guests choosing costumes in accordance with Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tommorrowland, Frontierland, Liberty Square and Main Street USA. Expand the big picture just a bit, and you can accommodate the theme of an entire park such as everyone coming dressed as an animal for an Animal Kingdom theme.

CREATE AN INVITATION LIST

There are some things to consider before determining your invitees. Will children be invited? Is dancing a primary activity? Is this a formal, sit-down meal or a shindig in the back yard? Is alcohol provided? Are costumes required? Is your event so Disney-centric that only other rabid Disney fans will show interest, or is the theme tailored to appeal to even a casual Disney fan?

Your location may have already limited the number of people you can accommodate. The theme may have limited the demographic. You want to choose carefully when filling the slots you do have available, and you will want to choose people who will appreciate the event you host. If ballroom dancing is a part of your plan, it may not be a good idea to invite Uncle Vern who has two left feet and no interest. If alcohol will heavily influence your crowd, you may want to pass on inviting the teetotaler neighbors. Any formal meal involving china dinnerware may exclude Cousin Norma's seven children. And Brother Mike may not be a good pick for a costume-required party if he refuses to put on anything other than his routine Levis and t-shirt. Above all, you want to invite people who will enjoy the Disney aspect of your event. Leave the cranky friends that constantly mock your interest in Disney off the list. There is no need to invite a negative energy to such a positive occasion.

MAKE INVITATIONS

Ideally these should be set to match the theme of the party: tombstones for a  Haunted Mansion graveyard, jack-o'-lanterns for Sleepy Hollow, cauldrons for Hocus Pocus. The basic idea is to begin to set the tone and spark anticipation for your Disney Halloween party by giving guests a glimpse of what they can expect.

Invitations for a simple and basic party can be reflected with a simple invitation. A picture of Sully or Mike found online, and printed out with the relevant party information might be appropriate for a basic Monsters Inc. get-together. A witchy "Hocus Pocus" party with a lot of homemade touches could be hinted at with handmade pages from a "spell book" that summon your guest's spirit.  A slightly more complex invitation created with software or bought from a professional will accurately relay the idea of a formal affair such as a villains' soiree. And for the ultimate type of invitation, send small tokens like a corked bottle that holds a scroll with a pirate party's pertinent information.

Be sure to give specifics: the theme, whether a costume is required, designation of adults only/children welcome/"plus ones" expected, or anything else needed from the guests (i.e., a pot luck dish). This along with the standard information of date, time and location, delivered in a meaningful manner, can really set the stage. You may find excitement increase based on the impression you make with your invitations.

SET A MENU

Food plays a huge role in a party's atmosphere; therefore, it does need to be determined with care. Often your venue and guests will lend themselves to a particular meal plan. A backyard gathering is a perfect set up for a cookout. Dining rooms are ideal for formal meals. Indoor parties without a designated meal time seem to work well with a pot luck, foraging type of style.

The meal items are another way to emphasize your particular theme. A "small world" theme would work nicely as a potluck of regional food items. A villains' soiree would be enhanced with Snow White's poisoned apple cider, Ursula's octopus cake pops and Gaston's pot roast or venison stew. A Sleepy Hollow themed event would be accented well with jack-o'-lantern candy apples, pumpkin pie and horseshoe shaped cookies. A quick internet search or stroll through Pinterest will turn up a plethora of ideas (complete with instructions) to suit your theme if you find yourself struggling on your own.

FIND MUSIC

Choosing music for your Disney Halloween party will possibly be the easiest step in your party planning. In most cases, your theme will have a very logical music choice. The Nightmare Before Christmas has an entire soundtrack to play. A re-creation of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party has a lengthy parade song as an important part of the playlist. The Haunted Mansion has a complete attraction spiel that can be listened to on a loop for any haunted house. Also, villains come from a wide collection of movies, and most villains have a solo number in those films that can be played for their event. In almost all of these cases, the music can be found online either for download or for shipment.

ACQUIRE LIGHTING AND DECORATIONS

Much of this will be limited and determined by your budget. The idea is to recreate the object of your theme as much as possible. For example, garage sale items can transform a living room into a Haunted Mansion attic with a morbid wedding slant. A couple fog machines can give your backyard event the same eerie feel of a Haunted Mansion graveyard at midnight.

When replication is not possible, though, there are other ways to creatively reference your Disney theme. A variety of animal-themed headbands and masks can be used to accent walls and tables for a Lion King affair. Jack-o'-lanterns, hay bales and maybe a handful of horse sticks would serve as interesting conversation pieces in a Sleepy Hollow party. Also, for a spooky, Disney movie sleepover, a flashing light may deliver intermittent lightening, referencing it's important role in the Disney film, "Watcher in the Woods." Don't be afraid to google or search Pinterest for countless ideas that will give you a leg-up on what to do, where to find it, how to do it, and what to expect in terms of cost.

PLAN ACTIVITIES

Lastly, there should be some type of activities for guests to participate in as they choose. Disney Halloween twists can always be given to standard party games. Think "bobbing for poisoned apples," "pin the tail on the dragon," and "villain charades." However, games do not always have to be the feature. As mentioned before, maybe a particular Disney film is your theme, and watching the movie is your primary activity. Maybe lining up children for your own version of the Boo to You Parade is the event of the evening. Provided with materials, children can create their own Disney Halloween craft which can serve double-duty as their party favor, or perhaps a traditional seance with Madame Leota will be your adult entertainment for the evening. Whatever it is, attempt to tailor your activities to your Disney theme for a cohesive feel to the event.

With all these things in place, you are simply left with the set-up and "execution" of your Disney Halloween celebration. Don't be afraid to do something unique, and definitely be sure to step out of the "ghost host" position for a "spell" and enjoy the event yourself. If it stands out enough and all goes well, you may find your guests looking forward to your next Disney Halloween party before this one is over.