Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has two iconic meet-and-greets at the Town Square Theatre: Jack & Sally and Mickey & Minnie, making the theatre lines among the longest queues guests can encounter during a party.
So, what can you do if you want to meet these in-demand duos without missing out on the other party’s festivities?
Can you fit it all in?
My answer is yes, but timing is everything!
Jack & Sally are rarely seen at Walt Disney World, making their meet-and-greet extremely popular among guests. It’s common for their wait times to be 1.5 hours or more. Given that the party activities (shows, parades, trick-or-treat stations, etc.) run from 7:00pm to midnight, I don’t recommend standing in line during those precious five hours.
What I suggest is entering the park on your party night as early as possible using your party ticket. This year (as with previous years), WDW allows guests with party tickets to enter Magic Kingdom at 4:00pm. Upon entering, a Cast Member will place a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party band around your wrist to signify that you’re a party guest. Once your band is on, my recommendation is to proceed directly to the Town Square Theater and get in line to meet Jack & Sally. This line will likely be the longest you’re in for the night, BUT you’ll have met them and be back out in the park before the party festivities officially begin.
The line for meeting Jack & Sally opens to party guests at 4:00pm, and they begin meeting guests shortly afterward (you have to have a party band on to get into this line). I’ll admit, starting your night in a line is not fun, BUT as mentioned above by meeting these two characters first, you’ll be out in the park for the full five hours while all the other party activities are happening.
In comparison, guests who meet Mickey before 7:00pm will meet him in his usual Mickey the Magician outfit, and Minnie is not with him. Once the party begins, Minnie joins Mickey, and they begin wearing their Halloween outfits. So, given that the duo won’t meet you before 7:00pm, it’s not worth getting in line early.
My experience is that the wait times for Mickey & Minnie tend to be longest in the first half of the night and then get shorter as the night goes on. This year I managed to meet Mickey & Minnie when the posted wait time was 15 minutes, and in reality, it was even quicker. I suggest leaving this meet-and-greet until later in the evening and popping back up to Town Square Theatre when it shows a short wait. I also advise against waiting until the very end of your night, as you wouldn’t want to risk losing track of time and missing out on seeing them. So, somewhere in the second half of the party, but not the very last thing you do, there should be a short wait to meet these two characters in their Halloween attire.
This year I chose a Sally bound for the party, and it led to a fantastic experience when I met Jack & Sally.
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*I added the ears to the bound because I was in a theme park
Wearing my Sally bound enhanced the meet-and-greet, giving the characters something to react to and a topic of conversation for us to discuss. Jack proudly boasted how Sally is the best seamstress in Halloween Town, and Sally was excited to see that my overalls had pockets; something she wants to add to her next dress.
So, with the right timing and a spooktacular bound, your night at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party can include meeting iconic duos and enjoying all of the frightfully fun festivities in between!
Happy Bounding!
~Kelly the Character Bounder
From hot summer nights to Halloween haunts in the blink of an eye!
Tomorrow night marks the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2026 and what I consider the official start of spooky season.
38 parties are happening on select nights this year, running from August 7 – October 31, and 9 dates are already sold out (as of this blog).
Ticket prices range from $119 to $229 per guest, plus tax.
Annual Passholders and eligible DVC Members can save $10 per ticket for party dates between August 7 and October 2.
The events run from 7:00pm to midnight, and party guests can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4:00pm using their party ticket.
You’re given a Trick-or-Treat candy bag at the start of the night, and you can run (walk at an appropriate pace) from one candy station to the next until you’re weighted down with sweet treats. You’re not limited to visiting each spot once; if candy is what fuels you, you can visit the same spots multiple times throughout the night.
There’s the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular stage show, the Boo-to-You parade, and specialty character meet-and-greets, meaning characters fill the kingdom and are out for you to see.
If villains are who you want to see, then my recommendation is the Boo-to-You parade. It’s the largest collection of villains to be found gathered together in all of Walt Disney World.
The park is transformed with glowing jack-o-lanterns along Main Street, Mickey-shaped pumpkin wreaths, and autumn décor.
Patches of fog drift along pathways, themed music can be heard, and to top it all off, there’s Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks show that lights up the night sky.
Guests of all ages (not just children) can wear costumes in the park! There is a list of safety guidelines to follow. Still, as long as your costume fits within those parameters, you’re able to dress up in full royal garb to be a princess, embrace your villainous style, or don any other costume that you choose to explore the kingdom.
We know that I LOVE bounding, but Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party gives guests the chance to wear a full costume without being limited by the traditional park dress code. I tend to see a mix of both, bounds and costumes at these parties, giving guests the choice on which option is best for them. So, if you want to break out of your bounds and do a Tigger costume with a tail and whiskers, you can.
Whether you’re drawn to the Candy, Characters, Conditions, or Costumes, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween parties have a little spooky (but not scary) magic for everyone.
Happy Halloween!
~Kelly the Character Bounder
In April, I talked about heroes who can be found sailing the seas with Disney Cruise Line (DCL), and now it’s time to talk about the mischievous characters we love – villains!
Disney fans are fierce; we love character interactions, and I’m thrilled to say we finally have a space to see these misunderstood characters year-round on our cruise vacations.
When sailing on the Disney Destiny, interacting with villains can be part of any day in your cruise. It’s a chance to see them shine as they take center stage (and sometimes want control of the ship).
To help draw you into their tales, the ship’s Storytellers Zayah and Gamble share the Legend of Loki during your first night of the cruise.
Loki is also seen walking in the Grand Hall throughout the sailing, interacting with guests and declaring himself as King of the Ship.
Cruella’s over-the-top persona is on full display during the sailings as she hosts her own fashion show and has her own lounge – De Vil’s. Blogs with full details of these two experiences will be published at a later date, BUT needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to meet this fashionista in a bound inspired by her love for spots.
Captain Hook and Smee are out recruiting new members for their pirate crew during the Pirate Night, and it offered me the chance to build an outfit around a villain whose style is often overlooked. Between Captain Hook’s frilly top, red jacket, and pink pantaloons, his look is ageless and worth admiring.
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It’s hidden in the photos, but I had a silver feather-shaped pin on the red headband to mirror Hook’s feather in his hat. That little detail was noticed by Mr. Smee when I met him and Captain Hook at their meet-and-greet.
Under Her Spell: A Maleficent Encounter transforms the Saga lounge into Maleficent’s world of mysterious forests, dark dungeons, and her throne room, as she imparts her wisdom to those who dare to enter.
BUT for me, the villain whose presence is undeniable, who draws the biggest crowds, and who does a few fancy magic tricks is Dr. Facilier.
There are two ways to see him throughout your cruise. The first is a traditional meet-and-greet where you can step into his Parlor for a quick chat and a photo or two.
The second is Dr. Facilier’s Parlor Experience; believe me when I say this is worth lining up for!
It’s a 10–15-minute show where small groups of guests (usually around 12 people) are welcomed into the parlor, and three guests are invited to sit down at his table to assist in a magic trick. Photos and video recordings are not allowed, making this memorable gathering even more elusive and exciting to be part of.
The experience is listed in the Navigator app, and Dr. Facilier will run multiple iterations of his show during the hour (so it’s not just the first 12 people and that’s it), but Cast Members have to close the line once all of the show spots are full, so get there early. This experience was the busiest event during my sailing, and I’ll say it was well worth the wait.
Now, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t dress to impress for my first meeting with Dr. Facilier; therefore, I bounded when meeting him.
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I was lucky enough to be picked as one of the three cruisers invited to sit down at his table during the Parlor Experience, and it was adorable to hear other guests realize that I was bounding during the show.
My advice for a Disney Destiny cruise is to have fun with your bounds, and add a flash of villainous style to your sailing!
Happy Bounding!
~Kelly the Character Bounder
Starting the day with a delicious breakfast and an adorable bound is one of my favorite ways to begin any day at Walt Disney World. Rather than being in the parks for rope drop, character dining allows for a slower start to the day, where you’re not dealing with crowds of guests rushing to get on a ride, but instead, you get dedicated time with some of your favorite Disney friends.
Today, we’re looking at one of my favorite character breakfasts in WDW – ‘Ohana.
Hands down, it is one of the hardest breakfast reservations to secure at WDW. Availability can diminish within minutes of the booking window opening, and numerous guests have found that if it’s not the first dining reservation they try to snag when their window opens, they may miss out on it altogether.
So, what makes this restaurant so popular?
Is it the food, the atmosphere, or the characters? My answer is that it’s a mix of all three!
Your meal is served family-style, making it convenient for everyone. No need to carry your plates back from a buffet or worry about missing out on seeing a character.
Their iconic POG juice (a mix of passion fruit, orange, and guava juices) is something I crave; I often ask for it in a large glass so the Cast Member doesn’t have to keep refilling it every few minutes.
There are a scrumptious fruit platter and a pan of breakfast favorites, including waffles, ham, bacon, sausages, eggs, and potato wedges. But, for me, the star is the pineapple-coconut bread! It seems to be the food item that I think of first when talking about dining here, and something that I always look forward to having.
Located on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the setting offers views of the Seven Seas Lagoon, has tiki and tropical theming throughout the dining room, and plays music to match.
Adding to the atmosphere and overall experience are the Disney Cast Members you interact with throughout the meal. Be it the host, server, or Photopass attendant, Cast Members are worth mentioning for continuing to elevate a good experience into a great one.
Generally speaking (but never guaranteed), the four characters you meet during your meal are Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, and Pluto, which to me makes it an all-star line-up! All four of these characters offer fantastic interactions with guests.
If there’s a member of your group who isn’t a huge fan of Lilo and Stitch (which I don’t understand, but accept that some people don’t like them as much as I do), there are still two classic characters to interact with.
As mentioned at the start of the blog, I feel breakfast is best when I can pair it with an adorable bound, and ‘Ohana offered two opportunities that came to mind for bounds.
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Since I couldn’t decide between which bound to wear, it meant I HAD to eat there twice 😉
“Ohana means family,” and breakfast at ‘Ohana is the perfect place to create magical memories with the people we love. Whether you’re sharing pineapple-coconut bread or bounding with Stitch, it’s one of the Disney experiences that leaves me with a full stomach and a full heart.
Happy bounding!
~Kelly the Character Bounder
I want to share an update on what’s been happening at TheCB.Co.
In the past year, there have been fluctuations in trade agreements, shipping costs, tariffs, and an unpredictable global economy, creating challenges for many small businesses. Increased costs have risen to a point where they’re too high for me to absorb and too much to pass on to my fellow bounders.
It’s not feasible to keep the shop open.
The store portion of the website is closing, BUT all other elements of the site will remain active.
TheCB.Co’s story is far from over; we’re just at the part where the path shifts, the plot takes an unexpected turn, and a new chapter begins.
I’m choosing to embrace this moment of change by switching from The Character Bounding Company to the Character Bounder.
There will be new blogs and social media posts, and I’m still going to be at the different meet-ups in the parks.
For me, there’s a joy in being inspired by characters. Bounding is something I love doing, and that constant remains; it’s never going to change.
Sometimes our dreams grow and reshape into something different from what we first envisioned, and that’s ok.
As I look ahead, I hope you join me on this next chapter of TheCB.Co’s story. The focus will be on me — a self-proclaimed Disney nerd who loves to bound and believes there’s magic around us.
So, be inspired by a character, then go out and write your next chapter.
Happy Bounding!
~Kelly the Character Bounder
