It won’t be long before Christmas music is playing in every store, and Hallmark holiday movies fill the TV schedule, BUT before we deck the halls, let’s take one more look at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and remind ourselves why Spooky Season is a fantastically fun time to visit Walt Disney World (WDW).
Here are my 5 favorite things about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
5. Trick-or-Treating
If there is one activity that transports me to my childhood, it’s trick-or-treating. The excitement of watching the candies be poured into my loot bag, investigating which specific treats I got compared to a friend/family member, and maybe arranging a trade of one sweet treat for another makes me feel like I’m 10 years old.
Being able to do that activity in Magic Kingdom reminds me that Disney is a place for everyone who is young at heart. As we made our way throughout the kingdom, it was not just the children smiling and having fun; the adults were just as excited to arrive at a treat station, hold out their candy bag, and emphatically say to a Cast Member, “trick-or-treat!” It’s memories like these, which may seem small at the moment, but as years go by and I look back, I cherish those moments of joy, laughter, and fun.
4. The Boo-to-You Halloween Parade
Hands down, this is my favorite Disney parade!
The music is catchy...yes, it gets stuck in my head for days. I also LOVE being able to see so many villains gathered in one place.
But by far, I enjoy this parade because of the performers between each of the floats.
There are the infamous grave diggers who drag their shovels on the ground, sending sparks flying, the Victorian-style dancers twirling in layers of lace, and the pirate flag corps tossing their flags high above them as they travel the parade route; I find all of them impressive.
3. Costumes
MNSSHP is one of the rare times when any guest can wear a costume at Magic Kingdom (normally, it’s limited to children under the age of 14 years old). So, a MNSSHP gives me the chance to go all-out in a full costume or be a little more laid-back with a bound. This year, I opted for something in the middle, which was a Tigger outfit that I’d say was close to a bound but, due to the tail, fit within the costume category.
Costume Details:
- A Tigger-designed orange shirt with a yellow belly and black stripes
- Black skort
- Black wristband
- Tiger-striped orange and black socks
- black sunglasses
- Tiger ears
- Tiger tail
If I wanted to modify this costume into a bound, I would make the following changes:
Bound Details:
- Orange shirt
- Black skort
- Black wristband
- Tiger-striped orange and black socks
- black sunglasses
2. Attractions
I don’t like waiting in lines for attractions, so having the opportunity to be in the park where wait times are reduced is a win! If you’re looking to maximize your time on the rides and not be in lines, I’d recommend being at the attractions during the parade times or the fireworks. Throughout the party, Tron Lightcycle/Run was sitting around a 40-70 minute wait, but I entered the line during the fireworks and boarded a bike within 25 minutes. Another recommendation is that as the night goes on, wait times can also decrease, so leaving the more popular rides until the end of the night could be a successful strategy to try.
& my favorite thing about a MNSSHP is….
1. The Characters
From the moment guests got their treat bags, we had multiple opportunities to interact with the characters. This year, Cruella was the first character we encountered, and I adore her over-the-top personality, which was on full display as she interacted with guests.
Although I’ve already mentioned that the Boo-to-You Parade is one of my favorite things about the party, the number of characters within the parade is another reason why I love it! Regardless of whether they’re on a float or walking on foot, these Disney villains and friends are happy to wave or give a quick compliment to guests as they make their way past us.
Ghosts Madame Carlotta and Butler Broome, were lingering in the graveyard conversing with guests right before we entered the Haunted Mansion.
Special character meet-and-greets happen throughout the party, including this year’s addition of Minnie and friends. Returning this year were fan favorites Jack and Sally, who often have the longest wait of the night. While I didn’t see them this year, this photo is from 2023, when I had a great conversation with them about how Zero likes to play fetch when they walk together.
Another opportunity to see villains is at the Trick-or-treat locations inside Princess Fairytale Hall.
As we made our way through the candy line, Maleficent and the Evil Queen kept a close eye on all of us. The Evil Queen was more than willing to give advice on my costume and strongly suggested that the next time I return, I should not be dressed as one of Snow White’s woodland friends.
Over the next few days, the scent of pumpkin spice will be replaced with gingerbread, and Spooky Season will officially end. Yet, I'm glad we looked back at the fun we had during this year's parties, and I hope that you enjoyed the season when villains come out to play, and we learned they're not-so-scary.
Happy Halloween!
~Kelly