I know you’ve got to be thinking that I’m out of my absolute ever-loving mind to be talking about Halloween when it’s not even June. And outside of the wonderful world of Disney, I would agree with you wholeheartedly. However, you and I are here as Disney fans, and as Disney fans, we know that the Halloween season is upon us. Like, now.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will be back for 2022, and tickets are now on sale. Perhaps digging through the pantry and finding that half-eaten bag of candy corn that you stashed toward the back of that one shelf last Halloween will help you get into the mood. Candy corn always helps, right?
As we look ahead to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, I have a few of my top tips that I’d love to share. If this year will be your first time attending the party, these tips might help you as you begin to wrap your brain around the event. If this is it your first party in a long time (and really, it is for all of us, right? The last Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was in 2019, after all), perhaps my tips could serve as a bit of a refresher. Here we go…
Plan.
I know that sounds a bit obvious when you’re reading this article on a Disney planning website, but it’s still the first tip to mention. And it pretty much always will be. You and I both know that there’s a ton of planning involved when we’re working on a Walt Disney World vacation. Our hours in the theme parks are precious and expensive, and the last thing you want to do is fail to get everything done that you really wanted to. Well, take that long park day and condense it into five short hours and add a bunch of party-exclusive entertainment, character appearances, attraction overlays and more and you’ll understand why it’s even more crucial to plan before attending a Halloween party.
It’s important to keep in mind that you can enter the Magic Kingdom on a day that you’re attending Mickey’s Not-So-Scary beginning at 4pm. Mind you, when you walk into the park at 4pm that day, things will not be set for the Halloween party just yet. But if riding certain attractions is on your must-do list, my recommendation is to try to get some of those rides taken care of before the party begins. It hasn’t been said just yet as to whether or not we’ll be receiving special Halloween-themed attraction overlays this year, but just in case we are, be sure to leave just a little extra party time if you’d like to experience those.
Know what’s most important.
My suggestion is that you look your fellow partygoers in the eyeballs ahead of time and ask them what their most important party must-dos are. After gathering that info, do the best you can to sketch out a plan for the evening. You’ll have between 7pm and midnight for the official party hours, and believe it or not, those five hours fly. And it’s the worst feeling in the world to get to the end of a hard ticketed event and realize that you didn’t experience everything that you wanted to.
If event-exclusive entertainment like the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular is important to you, take note of showtimes and plan which one you’d like to attend. Are parades your thing? Then you’re not going to want to miss a bit of Mickey’s “Boo-To-You” Halloween parade. Boo-To-You typically runs two times every Halloween party evening, with the crowds being much more manageable during the later running of the parade.
If special Magic Shots and PhotoPass opportunities are more your speed, you’ll also want to take note of any special photo spots being offered during the evening. The party map will lay out all of the details for you.
If candy’s your thing, bring a backpack.
Each Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party guest is given a plastic, handled treat bag upon entering the party. Trick-or-treat stations will be located throughout the park for guests, and as a party guest, you get to hop from station to station collecting treats, all while shoving miniature Snickers bars in your face. I’ve discovered over the years that quite a bit of candy can be stashed in those treat bags. That being said, it’s always a good thing to have a backpack available in order to offload some of the goodies that you’ve gathered along the way. Plus, a backpack is much easier to manage while riding Space Mountain than an open bag filled with all that precious candy.
You want to see the fireworks. Trust me.
The fireworks display during the Halloween party, whether it was HalloWishes from back in the day or Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular that debuted in 2019, is a must-see event. They’re exclusive to the party, and you only have one time per party to watch them. It’s my suggestion that you grab the nearest Sharpie marker and circle that time on your map as soon as you get into the park. Craft your evening around it.
Bring your sweet tooth. There are snacks.
You know about me and snacks. I love them. I love them in all shapes and sizes and while I don’t actually enjoy every single Disney snack, I do like that they give us our party-exclusive choices. Yes, this will cost you and I extra in addition to our party ticket. And yes, there will likely be a line for the special snacks, especially earlier in the evening. Sigh.
It’s my advice that you take a peek at the map and decide which couple of snacks might be worthy of your precious party time. You might not want to spend a ton of your Halloween party evening waiting in line for snacks for which you’ll ultimately have to pay extra, but if snacks are your thing, go for the top two and then let me know which one you recommend. These are the things that friends do for other friends.
Listen, anyway you slice it or dice it, you’re going to have a blast at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. It’s so much fun to dress up in a costume (wait…that’s another tip! If you choose to wear a costume, make sure it’s as lightweight as it can be. While it might be fall, it’s still Florida.) and trick-or-treat in the Most Magical Place on Earth. I was convinced after attending Boo Bash last year that we would never see Mickey’s Not-So-Scary again, so this is icing on the cake, in my book. I’m so glad that it’ll be back.
What tips would you add to my list? Please share them in the comments section below. We all want to make sure that our time at the Halloween party is the best it possibly can be, and your advice is important.
Now to go find that candy corn…
Deni loves all things Disney, and, in 2013, moved to the Magic from Maryland. Walt Disney World is her happy place, and she loves getting to share it with others. Deni and her husband of almost 26 years have 2 grown children. Her favorite WDW snack? A Mickey Bar, of course. Is there any other?!
