Halloween in August? Crazy right? Well not for Disney World!
Starting mid August, Disney World transforms the park into the wonderful world of Halloween or as they call it “Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party”. Click here to view tickets and pricing. Guest can enjoy all the thrills and frills of Halloween from August through October and its appropriate for children of all ages! Whether its seeing all your favorite villains come out and play or you just love Halloween, this is the one place you need to be during the fall months.
At first entrance into the park you will find an array of fall leaves, beautiful assorted pumpkin wreaths and orange bunting flags hanging from every building. It’s clear, Disney is ready for this spooky holiday and they celebrate a little earlier than the rest of us haha. But hey! Im not complaining in fact, I made an entire travel guide based on my time at Disney World’s Halloween Party. Below are my tips about what to see, where to eat and things you definitely should do to ensure you have the most magical time!
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During this holiday the park feels extra magical and exciting! The second I step off the monorail I feel like a kid again and the giddy energy never fails to leave me during my entire time here. However, I know what you’re thinking “at over $70 a ticket is Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party worth it?”. In my opinion, I’ve been going to Disney’s Halloween Parties for a few years now, and I say it is worth the price at least once if you can afford the splurge (and, ideally, if you can go to one of the cheaper nights in September).
So whats so special about this Halloween Party, you may ask? Well for one there’s a bunch of new entertainment that regular guests won’t be able to see on any other regular day at Disney. There’s a lot of special entertainment including one of Disney’s best parades and an amazing fireworks show, a great ambiance to the party including special decorations and lighting, lots of unique character meet & greets, and even seeing other guests in Halloween costumes makes for a fun experience.
Every time Bobby and I go we always have such an amazing time with memories we will never forget. It really is a lot of fun, even coming from me the Disney-biased tourist haha. Trust me, if you do decide to splurge and go to Mickeys-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or even just coming to the park during these fall months you will not be disappointed.
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Be Our Guest: Beauty and the Beast Restaurant and Experience Extravaganza
One thing a lot of guest overlook is the hidden experiences Disney World has to offer. One in particular is making reservations for you and your family at one of the princess’ castles. Yes… you read that right! Dine in a castle with Disney Princess’? Oh ya!
At Magic Kingdom, in the back of Fantasyland is Belle’s castle where you can dine in the great hall, sing along to “Be Our Guest” and try the “grey stuff its delicious”. This place is truly amazing! They recreated everything you see in the movie from the magnificent dazzling chandeliers to the huge arched windows where you can watch snow fall (magical right?). We started our Disney day at Magic Kingdom with breakfast reservations at Be Our Guest Restaurant and for me being a huge Belle fan it was the perfect start to the already magical day. Click here to book reservations.
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Magic Kindgom:
Whether you’re attending the Halloween Party (starts at 7 p.m.) or not, the park is still all dressed up for fall/halloween. Like I said in the beginning you will find pumpkins everywhere and halloween decor on every building. It’s exciting just to be in the park during these months alone. Below are some pictures of what you’ll see walking down Main Street, USA in Magic Kingdom.
Aside from all the rides and the Halloween Party, walking in and out of all the shops is perhaps my favorite thing to do. For one, I love to see all the new merchandise for Halloween and secondly, I love to pin trade!
Pin trade? Well for those that don’t know, beware… you will become addicted to it, just as I have haha. Disney pin trading is a fun, interactive experience where Disney Guests can trade specially-marked Disney pins with Cast Members and fellow Guests. The great thing about Pin Trading is that there is no age limit, so the whole family can participate in this activity together. It’s something you can do for free at the park and bring home as a souvenir or collectable. I highly recommend getting on the Disney pin trading bandwagon haha. *Fun tip: order your pins on eBay to save money!
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Mickeys-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party:
As stated briefly above, whether its seeing all your favorite villains come out and play or you just love Halloween, this is the one place you need to be during the fall months. This special night that comes a few times during the months of August, September and October offers you a world wind of halloween adventures. Click here for dates. The Halloween party starts at 7 p.m. and each halloween guest gets a special wrist band while all the other guests at Disney have to leave for the rest of the night. Doing this, ensures the park isn’t as crowded and its just for those who bought the special ticket.
Guest are highly encouraged to dress up in full costume for this event! Bobby and I pulled a quick costume together this year and went as Tinker Bell and Captain Hook. Dressing up for Mickeys Halloween Party makes it all the more fun and everyone who attends does it so you won’t be alone. From kids to adults almost everyone is dressed up in costume and trick or treating around the park. Yes, trick or treating! Throughout the park there are a bunch of different stopping points for you to go trick or treating and collect candy from Disney staff members.
The special entertainment for this party includes the Halloween parades, Hocus Pocus firework show, trick or treating and meet&greets with unique Disney characters that don’t normally come out. During our time we saw the following that only come out during the Halloween nights: Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, the Queen of Hearts, Captain Jack Sparrow, Mr. Oogie Boogie Man, the Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Hades from Hercules, the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus and even Dr. Facilier from the Princess and the Frog.
Then there was the amazing fire work show! *Tip: find a spot early as close to the castle as possible & stake your claim because it does get packed. The show starts off with the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus putting a spell on all of Disney’s Guests and they look/sound exactly like the movie characters. It was awesome. I won’t spill anymore details on the firework show because its something you need to see for yourself but I will say its definitely two parts; a musical show and the firework explosions.
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Where to Eat:
Trying all the different treats at Disney is another one of my favorite things to do! During Halloween they make the most creative and articulate themed caramel apples, I always get one to munch on through out my day.
Other treats I like that you should try are: the Mickey ice-cream bar, ice-cream cookie sandwich, and the dole whip! You can find these at almost any stand/vendor cart through out the parks.
For a sit down meal, you can always find a good restaurant to eat at in the parks. One of our favorite finds was at the Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano in Disneys Hollywood Studio park. From pizza to pasta it is delicious and the perfect fill for a day of walking.
Other places I like to eat at are: the Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom), Gaston’s Tavern (Magic Kingdom), the Plaza Restaurant (Magic Kingdom), Sleepy Hollow (Magic Kingdom) and Story Book Treats (Magic Kingdom).
Ride Tips During the Halloween Season:
It’s no surprise that when Disney decorates for the Halloween holiday they add a little extra magic everywhere… including the rides! During the months of August, September and October some rides change up their decor or theme for Halloween.
These rides are: Haunted Mansion, Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, the Log Ride, the Mad Tea Party, Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Tower of Terror, Hollywood Studios
*Tip: make sure you get to this ride early, if not the first one you ride because the line gets as long as a 2-hour wait and often times the Tower of Terror closes frequently through out the day for maintenance issues.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland, Magic Kingdom
*Tip: This ride is another crowd favorite so expect the line to be long here as well and frequently shuts down for maintenance issues. However, if you plan ahead get a fast pass for this ride while you get on Tower of Terror!
Pandora and the Tree of Life, Animal Kingdom
Pandora is a somewhat new experience at the Disney Parks so make sure you make time to see it because its truly amazing. Also, don’t forget to get a good photo-op in front the Tree of Life. *Tip: come to the park around noon and theres not as many people.
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We had the best time this year (as we always do) at Mickeys-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and just seeing the parks ready for the Halloween season. I encourage everyone to experience the Halloween party at least once because it really is a spectacular evening filled with so many things to do and see. I hope this travel guide was helpful to you and makes your time at Disney extra magical.
Happy Halloween Season!
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Have you attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? Do you think it’s worth the money? What’s your own “can’t miss” thing to do during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? Share your thoughts on these questions, or anything else, in the comments!
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Thanks for reading!
Loved it! I haven’t been to MNSSHP in ten years but I’m going next week!! Can’t wait!!
aw thats so exciting! I hope you have the best time!
[…] the Halloween Party at Disney and I thought this photo was perfect for promoting my travel guide. You can read it here. Surprisingly enough this photo was taken on my iPhone and I just happened to walk by this part of […]