When I think of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the first image that comes to mind is one of Mickey-shaped pumpkins flickering to the sound of spooky background music. A voice somewhere says, “It’s Halloween!” Suddenly, I cannot wait to stake out the perfect spot on Main Street, U.S.A., to watch ghostly ballroom dancers dreamily drift through as part of the Boo To You Parade. “Boo…To…You….Happy Halloween!”
Can you feel it? The heat envelops you as it does in a steamy Florida August. August? Yes, that’s when the Halloween season begins at Walt Disney World. This year’s Halloween Party is offered on select nights between August 9th and October 31st (2024).
It’s no secret that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of Walt Disney World’s most popular offerings. Party nights often sell out throughout the season. This leaves the question of whether or not the party is worth it, what’s available during the party, and what you can reasonably expect to do and see. You’ll also want to consider how you’ll spend the day of the party. We do not recommend trying to do anything extra on a party day. If you were to tire early, you would miss some of the best touring time during the party.
Below, we’ll discuss these considerations along with event entertainment, character greetings, trick-or-treating, and other extras you won’t want to miss! We’ll also discuss how to prioritize your interests to help maximize your time at the event. A word of warning: this party has so many offerings that we find it impossible to take advantage of them all in one evening. But with a good plan, you can get a lot done!
So grab your trick-or-treat bag and load it with candy because we’re off to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Let’s Boo This!
*Offerings listed in this guide are from previous year’s parties or new announcements where noted. We’ll update this guide as more details become available between now and the first party.
2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Dates and Times
Dates for the 2024 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Partyare:
- August 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30
- September 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29
- October 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31
Resort guests can purchase tickets beginning May 8, 2024, and all other guests can purchase tickets beginning May 15, 2024. Annual passholders and Disney Vacation Club members can purchase discounted tickets for select dates.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party begins at 7:00 p.m. and lasts until midnight. However, Disney allows ticketed party guests to enter the park as early as 4:00 p.m. Therefore, with the party admission, you can spend up to eight hours at Magic Kingdom.
Before the formal start of the event, you can dine, enjoy attractions, and possibly meet a character or two who make an early appearance before the party. With so much going on during the party, we think it’s important to eat ahead of time. You would likely not want to sit down for a table service meal at 7:00 p.m. when the party was just getting started.
Given the extra cost of the event, the party is usually a one-night deal for most guests, similar to a one-shot rodeo. Therefore, it is essential to identify the rides, characters, and experiences that are must-dos for your group in advance and form a plan that incorporates as many of those items as possible.
New! 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
The following new surprises were announced for this year’s party:
- New costumes for Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Per Disney: Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will greet guests during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in their brand-new neon spiderweb attire.
- More Villain sightings! Be prepared to run into more Disney Villains wandering the party!
- A DescenDANCE Party will take over the Rockettower Plaza Stage this year!
- Bruno Madrigal will meet with Mirabel in Fairytale Garden for this year’s party!
- New start time for this year’s Boo To You Halloween Parade.
Hopeful: While it has yet to be announced, we hope that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be available during this year’s party.
Entertainment at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
We’ll start with a look at the event entertainment offered at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Those items are as follows:
- Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular
- Mickey’s “Boo-To-You” Halloween Parade
- Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
- DescenDANCE Party
- Disney Junior Jam
- Character Greetings
- The Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet
- Rusty Cutlass (Pirate Band)
Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular (Fireworks)
Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular debuted at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party a few years back. The spectacular brought back many childhood memories and evoked much emotion. The performance is similar to the style of Happily Ever After.
Hosted by Jack Skellington, Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular tells a story through its castle projections. Those projections feature Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the rest of the gang as they visit a haunted mansion. From the beginning, the spectacular gets bonus points for the inclusion of the classic characters we know and love. Additionally, a dreamy Sleeping Beauty-Esque moment features projections of ghost ballroom dancers.
Fireworks are a top priority when visiting the Halloween Party. Thankfully, they are much easier to see at a private, ticketed event than on a regular evening at Magic Kingdom. The performance will begin nightly at 10:15 p.m. However, they could be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather.
Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade
Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade is a favorite among most party-goers. The parade is held twice nightly during the party. The first performance usually begins at 9:15 p.m., and the second parade starts at 11:15 p.m. However, in 2024, the times will differ. We’ll update you when we know the exact times for this year’s party.
Like the Festival of Fantasy Parade, Boo to You steps off in Frontierland and makes its way to Liberty Square. The parade then turns into the castle hub and travels in front of Cinderella Castle before making its way down Main Street, U.S.A.
It is typical for the second parade to have fewer crowds than the first. However, if you visit on the first night or an evening that’s sold out, you can expect a crowd for both parades. We’ve also attended parties past when a parade was canceled due to inclement weather. So we almost always recommend finding a spot well ahead of time for the first parade if seeing it is important to you.
As far as viewing locations, we prefer watching the parade from Main Street. However, this will require a longer time commitment upfront, and you’ll have to wait longer for the parade to reach the area. If you watch the parade from Frontierland, you’ll still need to find a spot early on, but you won’t have to wait long since you’ll be near the start of it. After the parade passes, you can continue on with your evening.
Guests who decide to tough out the wait on Main Street are usually privy to a pre-parade featuring Max Goof and a team of dancers. They come through approximately 15 minutes before the start of the parade to entertain guests who’ve been patiently waiting.
Additionally, the headless horseman rides through the entire parade route a couple of minutes before the parade begins! It’s quite a surreal experience!
My recommendation is to see which parade works best with your schedule. However, I do recommend (if you enjoy parades) finding a spot in advance and watching it from Main Street. There’s something magical about seeing the parade from the heart and center of Magic Kingdom. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
The Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular is performed on the stage at Cinderella Castle. As the name promises, it’s full of Disney Villains. You can expect to see the Sanderson Sisters, Oogie Boogie, Lady Tremaine, Cruella de Ville, and more!
This show has several performances each night, with the last show being the ending entertainment at the party. Here are the scheduled showtimes from last year:
- August 9-September 30: 8:35 p.m., 10:45 p.m., and 12:00 a.m.
- October 2-October 31: 7:40 p.m., 8:35 p.m., 10:45 p.m., 12:00 a.m.
Disney Junior Jam
The Disney Junior Jam is a dance party for younger children. Typically, popular Disney Junior characters like Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, and Doc McStuffins are on the dance floor. The dance party runs intermittently between 7:00 p.m. and midnight. It’s held at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.
DescenDANCE Party
This year, the Zom-Beatz Bash will be replaced by the DescenDANCE Party. This dance party, held in front of the Rocket-Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland, celebrates the new movie premiering on Disney+, Descendants: The Rise of Red. The dance floor is typically open between 7:00 p.m. and midnight.
Character Greetings
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is an excellent place to meet a few rare characters. While a lineup hasn’t been announced yet, we can look to last year’s party to get an idea of who to expect. After the first party, we’ll have a fresh look at this year’s character meet-and-greets.
Typically, there are about twelve to fifteen character meet-and-greet locations at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Some of these locations allow guests to meet multiple characters simultaneously. These character meets are so rare that the seasonal parties are usually the only place you have a chance to meet them. For you (and me), this means exceptionally long lines to meet characters.
Below are the characters we met at last year’s Halloween Party.
Main Street, U.S.A.
- Jack Skellington and Sally at Town Square Theater
- Mickey Mouse in Halloween Costume at Town Square Theater
Adventureland
- Jafar outside the Agrabah Bazaar area
- Aladdin and Abu at Agrabah Bazaar (rotates)
- Jasmine and Genie at Agrabah Bazaar (rotates)
- Jack Sparrow across from Pirates of the Caribbean
Fantasyland
- Prince Eric and Ariel (New Fantasyland)
- Belle (Near Enchanted Tales with Belle)
- Minnie Mouse in Halloween Costume (Storybook Circus)
- Donald and Daisy Duck in Halloween Costume (Storybook Circus)
- Goofy in Halloween Costume (Storybook Circus)
- Princess Fairytale Hall (Fantasyland)
- Winnie the Pooh and Friends (Fantasyland)
- Alice and the Mad Hatter (Fantasyland)
- Queen of Hearts (Fantasyland) (Rotates)
- Tweedles (Fantasyland)
- Mirabel and Bruno Madrigal (New for 2024!)
Tomorrowland
- Rock’ n’ Roll Stitch(Near Space Ranger Spin)
Since there are so many character meets, we’ve put together a separate article that details thecharacter meet-and-greets at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. This guide details our experience meeting characters, including how long we waited. It is common for some rare characters to have lines exceeding an hour or more.
Halloween Twists
Several attractions have Halloween Twists at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Here is a list of the rides that offer overlays during the party:
- Mad Tea Party
- Space Mountain
- Monsters,Inc. Laugh Floor
Attractions
The following attractions are available during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jungle Cruise
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Anticipated!)
- Haunted Mansion
- Under the Sea-Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- “it’s a small world”
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mad Tea Party
- Dumbo, the Flying Elephant
- The Barnstormer
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Astro Orbiter
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Space Mountain
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- TRON Lightcyle / Run
Trick-or-Treat Locations
Trick-or-treat locations are set up throughout the park. When you first enter the party, you’ll walk through an area behind the Confectionery (Market Street) that’s exclusive to party guests. Here, you’ll receive a trick-or-treat bag and usually a larger package of candy like M&Ms.
- Market Street Welcome off Main Street, U.S.A. (Open until 8:00 p.m.)
- Tortuga Tavern (Adventureland)
- Tom Sawyer Island Deck (Frontierland)
- Gaston’s Tavern (New Fantasyland)
- Near TRON Lightcycle / Run
- Princess Fairytale Hall
Allergy-Friendly Centers at Mickey’s Halloween Party
Those with food allergies can receive a token at each trick-or-treat location. A green bag indicates trick-or-treaters with food allergies, as shown below. So, to reiterate, you go through the regular trick-or-treat lines. There, you receive a token instead of candy. Then, you take your tokens to the allergy-friendly center to pick out treats. Allergy-Friendly Centers are located at the Chamber of Commerce (Town Square) and Liberty Square Ticket Office.
Mickey’s Halloween Party Photo Opportunities
Event-exclusive magic shots will be available during the party.
Specialty Food and Beverage Items + Dining
Exclusive treats are offered during the party. A few returning favorites include:
- Bowl of Bones
- Terrifyin’ Twice-Spiced Chicken Sandwich
*More items will be announced at a later date.
The following quick-service restaurants will be available for guests to enjoy during the party:
- Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
- Casey’s Corner
- Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
- The Friar’s Nook
- Pinocchio Village Haus
- Sleepy Hollow
A few table service restaurants will be available during the party. These restaurants need to be booked in advance. Dining reservations become available starting June 7, 2024.
- Be Our Guest
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- The Plaza Restaurant
Two dessert fireworks will be available for the party. These experiences must also be booked in advance, beginning June 7, 2024:
- Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace
- Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing
Tips For Mickey’s Halloween Party
We have a few tips for the party. However, you should plan the evening based on your priorities. The best thing to do ahead of time is to form a reasonable plan that allows room for error. If you try to pack too much in, you might be overwhelmed.
We usually make a loose schedule and save it in the notes section of my phone. That way, I can reference the most important items throughout the evening. If you get ahead, that’s great. You might find time to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or meet a character. But you can prioritize the most important things if you get behind on your list.
Unfortunately, it is more likely that you’ll get behind instead of ahead. However, if you plan wisely, you’ll get the big things knocked out efficiently. We like to break the night down into three portions:
- Pre-Party Hours from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Rides, Dining, and Characters)
- Event Exclusive Entertainment from 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (Spelltacular, Parade, Fireworks)
- Late Party Hours 10:30 p.m.– 12:00 a.m. (Rides and Characters)
If yourpriority is meeting characters,start with Jack and Sally at 4:00 p.m. They usually begin meeting at 4:30 p.m. Then, you might get in line for another character’s meet-and-greets close to 6:30 p.m. Unfortunately, most of the character meets don’t start until 7:00 p.m. But long lines build well ahead of time. Before the event’s exclusive entertainment, grab a bite to eat (counter service or treat) and get a spot for the entertainment. Then, after the event exclusives, head back to finish meeting characters as desired.
If yourpriority is to ride as many rides as possible, start at 4:00 p.m. Then get in as many rides as possible until 7:30 p.m. Take a break and grab a bite to eat while waiting for the evening events to start. After the three exclusives, head back out to the rides you desire with low wait times.
We like to watch the event entertainment in one setting, starting with the first Villains Spelltacular. After the stage show, we immediately find a spot for the parade. Then, we move back up to the castle hub to see the fireworks at 10:15 p.m. This allows us to see each of the three major entertainment offerings and leaves a cushion toward the front and end of the party to do other things.
Mickey’s Halloween Party Extras
Before wrapping things up, I wanted to share a few extras we have yet to discuss. For starters, event-exclusive merchandise will be available for guests to purchase during the party. These items will be available at the Emporium on Main Street and Star Traders in Tomorrowland.
Madame Carlotta and the Haunted Mansion’s butler often appear on the front lawn. The darker the evening gets, the more they tend to light up. They have a hilarious spiel. It is always a treat to see them out greeting guests.
As for Mickey’s Not So Scary, I always leave feeling excited and glad I purchased a ticket. We have attended the party many times over the years. Whether it’s your first party or 100th, I hope you will have a frightening time! Well, not really. After all, it’s really not so scary!
For more extra-ticketed events, we have the following reviews:
- Characters at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
- Characters at Hollywood Studios Jollywood Nights
- Is After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Worth It?
- Is Disney After Hours at Epcot Worth It?
- Is Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom Worth It?
In the Comments
Do you plan to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in 2024? What are you looking forward to the most? Share your thoughts below in the comments.
