Is Going to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Worth It?
I am a 33-year-old Disney adult who loves all things autumn and a proud, self-proclaimed Weenie Hut Jr. (circa 2002 SpongeBob episode), yet I regret buying a ticket to the opening day of this year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (often referred to as MNSSHP).
I love autumn, jack-o’-lanterns, and even some cute little ghosts, but horror, gore, blood, jump scares, and the like are not for me. (Attending something like Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights is literally my nightmare.) Growing up, before every annual church fall festival, the children’s pastor would always say, “Keep it silly, keep it kooky, nothing scary, nothing spooky…” and honestly, that’s a good rule to live by! Haha! It’s stuck with me through the years, and I still stand by it.
So naturally, I love that those are essentially the same vibes for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. 99% silly, kooky, and cute, with “happy haunts” and dancing grave diggers being the scariest that Disney goes for the annual ticketed event. With that in mind, I decided to purchase a ticket to see the event for myself! I love Disney, autumn, and cute holidays, so this seemed right up my alley.
Well, $158 for my solo ticket as an out-of-state Annual Passholder, an hour-long “strategy” conversation with my brother who’s a Disney party pro, and seven sweaty park hours on a solo trip later, I found that this annual festival might not be for everyone. To quote Tina Fey from her book Bossypants, it comes down to the sentiment of “Good for her, not for me.”
Here’s how and why the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is good for some, but not for me, and who I do think would love it instead. We’ll work through the good, the bad, and why the separately ticketed event might be worth it to some, but not to others.
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The Best Parts of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Everyone has “the thing” they love about going to Disney, but I love the ambiance and entertainment most of all. That is also why I was so excited for MNSSHP! I was so excited to see the Magic Kingdom all cute and decorated for the fall season, and I looked forward to the unique parades, fireworks, stage shows, and pop-up style entertainment featured throughout the evening.
The decorations were adorable! No disappointment there! Who wouldn’t be excited to see an illuminated Mickey head with an adorable fall wreath and other cute fall decor dotted along Main Street USA? But frankly, you can see the fall decorations anytime during the fall season without a party ticket.
The speckled entertainment throughout the park was definitely a highlight of the night! I have always cherished the few moments I’ve been able to watch the Dapper Dans sing their way around the Hub or Main Street USA, and I was absolutely elated to finally see their party-specific performance as the Cadaver Dans! It felt like unlocking a bucket-list Disney moment to hear them sing “Boo to You” and “Grim Grinning Ghosts” over and over again. (I sought them out…multiple times!)
The pirate performances were cute, the wandering characters were special, and the Tomorrowland DJs were fun! (I still hear the DJ shouting “snack! Snack attack! Snack attack!” in my head whenever I open my pantry door for a sweet treat.)
But the absolutely best performance, entertainment, and/or parade I’ve ever seen at Walt Disney World Resort was hands down the Boo to You parade at MNSSHP! This parade was so spectacularly done, entertaining, funny, light-hearted, and engrossing that the moment it was done, I said out loud to the strangers beside me (remember, I was on a solo trip) “that was so good, I’ve now gotta come back to see it again for the late parade!”
And therein begins the problems of why this ticketed event is tricky and not entirely worth the money for me.
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The Downside of Amazing Entertainment at a Ticketed Event
While there is SO much you CAN do at MNSSHP, every other party guest has the same options and has to make the same decisions. Therefore, you have to prepare for literally thousands of people to make the same choice as you. Which means…
If you want to have a good view of the fireworks? You need to be in the hub at least an hour before.
If you want to have a good view of the Boo to You parade on Main Street? You need to be seated on the curb with a drink, snack, and cooling fan an hour before.
If you want to see the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular Show? You need to be in front of the castle almost an hour before.
If you want to meet characters (more on that later) in festive costumes? You need to be there HOURS before.
The night felt like a long time of sitting and waiting or standing and waiting to be entertained. Especially as a solo traveler! While I do love traveling with my husband or friends/family, I do love a good solo trip, especially to Disney! A solo trip to Disney lets me follow my whims, seamlessly jump in any single rider line, and stay as short or as long as I want! But spending so much time simply waiting for entertainment alone… it was, well, a little lonely. My husband, Andrew, was on a mother-son trip at the time and was enjoying his own adventure, but I sure did wish he was with me for partner support, fun, and good conversation as I waited around for hours!
And in the beginning of August? Even as the sun went down, it was brutally hot and muggy, and the crowds didn't help. I absolutely loved the entertainment, but to see it well, you have to commit so much time to see what you want. You can always walk up late and hope to see something, but if you want to see the entertainment for the impressive feat that it is, you have to commit a lot of time to it.
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Ride Closures and Lines at the MNSSHP
When you’re first allowed into the park at 4:00 PM with a party ticket, the general public will also still be squeezing out the last few precious moments of their shortened park day to ride as many rides as they can. This means that between 4:00-6:30 PM, ride lines are no shorter than at any other time of day.
Once regular ticket park guests clear out and it’s officially party time, ride lines are relatively short; they’re still walk-on rides. I was happy to hop on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in 20 minutes, but I still waited 25 minutes for Jungle Cruise.
Astro Orbiter and Small World, of course, had little to no wait, but must-do rides with any kind of Halloween overlay or special feature, like Space Mountain or Haunted Mansion, had lines anywhere from 25- 75 minutes. Also, since some rides become candy stops, not all rides are operational during party time.
Because you essentially have to “pick a lane” with your party goal (seeing characters, trying all the food, riding as many rides as possible, seeing all the entertainment, etc.), my goal wasn't riding rides but seeing as much entertainment as possible. So I only had time to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Astro Orbiter, Jungle Cruise, and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin during my seven hours at the party.
Want to know a little pro tip about fireworks and Astro Orbiter? I timed this juuuust right as the fireworks show was popping off on the castle, and it was the most magical way to ride with an amazing view of the fireworks and the castle projections! For the five minutes I waited to get into my little spaceship, I had a fantastic view of the castle projections. Even the cast members were enthralled with the show from that high-up perspective!
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Eating and Trick-Or-Treating at MNSSHP with a Wheat/Gluten Allergy
Some people are really into the special party-exclusive snacks, drinks, and food, but even before I found out I have a Wheat Allergy, I wasn't super into paying for a party ticket only to keep paying for extra sweets and snacks.
I generally keep a low-inflammatory diet for my endometriosis, and on top of that, I can’t eat wheat, so I couldn’t eat most of the special party offerings like cupcakes, tarts, and sandwiches; this category of party-loving festivities just isn’t for me.
Instead of fun, themed food, I had a pretty mid grilled chicken sandwich on a gluten-free bun from Cosmic Rays that was…well, quite forgettable. It was food. It was fine. It filled me up.
Now, if you can eat gluten, love a sugary, themed slushy, and really enjoy chamoy and spicy flavors on your black-bunned dishes, this party would be so fun for you! So many offerings do look very cute. I’m just not their target market.
Before I went, I researched what the candy trail situation would be like with a Wheat allergy. And honestly? Sorry, Disney, but the allergy experience at the MNSSHP is lame.
You’re given a different color bag, and instead of a scoop or two of candy, you’re given a coin to turn in for allergy-friendly candy. And it’s not candy that’s specific to YOUR allergies; it’s candy that’s pre-approved as safe for multiple allergies, from gluten to nuts and other things.
For me, with a wheat allergy, I know some chocolate candies are fine, while others aren’t. Snickers don’t bother me, but I know a Twix is a no-no. I don’t eat many Skittles in general, but I could if I wanted to, or I could bring them home to my husband, Andrew! With that in mind, I wanted the real trick-or-treating experience at Magic Kingdom and opted not to go the allergy-free route.
I visited about five candy stops all around the park to get the full experience, and my bag was nearly filled to the top by the time I left at midnight. The bag was full of off-limits Twix, but I enjoyed a few Starbursts and gummies while I waited for the parades. Andrew still has plenty of sweet treats to choose from, even a month later!
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Character Meet-and-Greets vs. Roaming Characters
I’m personally not huge into meeting characters. I love to see a character out and about, but after dozens of trips to Disney parks in the US and France, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve lined up and waited to meet a character. I want to see their cute little selves in passing. In fact, I even wrote a whole blog about the best parks to spot Disney Characters “in the wild” for those of us who aren’t the ones to queue up for a character.
My sweet sister-in-law and brother, on the other hand, LOVE meeting characters! They look forward to it every visit, and they do prioritize character meet-and-greets at the parks and the parties. They’re two of the many guests who HUSTLE to stand in line for hours to meet Jack & Sally, and they’re stoked with their experience and their decision.
They are absolutely the type of folks this party is for! If you LOVE to see rare characters and want darling little interactive experiences, then the Halloween party is right up your alley! But know you essentially have to commit most of your party time to doing so.
Like the downsides of the amazing entertainment, the catch for character meet-and-greets at the party is that you have to hurry up and wait.
If you want to meet the rarely seen Nightmare Before Christmas characters Jack and Sally, you'll need to line up nearly FOUR HOURS before. If you want to meet other iconic Disney characters like the Fab Five or the gang from Winnie the Pooh in their Halloween costumes, line up about an hour or two before.
Now, as someone who loves to pass by characters, I loved seeing so many popping around the park, almost like what you see in Disneyland! Max and his gang waltzed through Adventureland; Belle roamed the gardens of her house, which was a candy stop; and Goofy was a scarecrow you could take a walking selfie with at the Mickey’s PhilharMagic candy stop. That’s my kind of meet-and-greet!
I was happy to see Pluto out of costume at the entrance to Storybook Circus! He had no wait, so I actually got to meet him and have a cute little interaction, miming and talking about what was in my candy bag. And to the “friend” of Pluto - I’m still so sorry I accidentally offered you the two empty candy wrappers of treats I had already eaten! Ha! A memory that still haunts my brain. My bad!
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Why a Party Night Can’t Replace a Park Ticket
I am nearly a Disney Parks pro. I say nearly because, of course, some people go more often than I do or obsess over park history and facts more than I ever could, but after countless visits in every season over the years, I know the parks very well.
But visiting Magic Kingdom on a party night was disorienting! The things you think will be open and normal aren’t. Special corners turn into different things. Rides and restaurants turn into different spaces! The Party map and schedule are essential but only feel like half the story. Disney could do a better job with physical signage during the party and clearer pre-trip communication to make changes easier to understand.
It’s been about 25 years since my first visit to Magic Kingdom, and it felt like my first visit all over again because the experience was so different. Which is annoying, but also, there’s something special to be said for that sentiment, too!
Because you do truly need to “commit to a bit” and “pick a priority” for a party night, I can't recommend going to a party instead of buying a regular ticket for Magic Kingdom if this is one of your rarer visits or your only visit to the park.
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Who Should Go to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
If you love meeting characters, love gamifying experiences, love themes and novelty, follow a regular standard American diet without many or any allergies, and grew up watching and loving Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, Haunted Mansion, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, then you, my friend, are the perfect person to go to MNSSHP!
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Who Should Avoid Buying a Ticket to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
If you have wheat or gluten allergies, you’ll struggle to find many party foods to enjoy. If you didn’t grow up watching Halloween-related content like I didn’t, you may struggle to connect with the intense love and fandom for these classics. (I’ve seen them all now as an adult, and it’s cute, but I think I missed the boat on being obsessed with them.)
If you really struggle with crowds and heat, this would be an intense party for you. Though the park is technically less crowded than a normal park day, there is less open space available, and more people are encouraged to congregate in specific places. And given that this party starts earlier than ever before and August-October in Central Florida are still very unforgiving in the heat and humidity, you’ll still need athletic, sweat-wicking gear and cooling fans to get you to midnight.
If you’re not particularly interested in meeting characters, this isn't the best use of your money either. The decor and entertainment are great, but that’s hardly unusual for any given park day in the Magic Kingdom!
And though the party is truly “Not So Scary,” I do think certain kids of a certain age would still be a little scared by much of it. It was totally fine for me now, but if little 6-year-old Kait, who had little to no exposure to Halloween, villains, ghosts, ghouls, and even happy haunts, were there, many of the shows, characters, and much of the parade would have scared me to tears. If you have a sensitive little one who is very visual and unsure about smoke, flashes, noises, and villains, this party is not for them.
Final Thoughts on MNSSHP
Am I glad I went? Sure! Any day at Disney is a good day! But would I go again? No, I wouldn’t. It also made me realize that, though I absolutely love all things Christmas, I don’t need to pay for a Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ticket in the future either. (But the Boo to You song has been in my head for over a month, and I’m not mad about it!)
So, like I said, good for some! Not for me. Hope this was helpful! And Happy Halloween!