Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Everyone has their favorite time of year. For me it's fall, and I especially enjoy Halloween. I love everything about it, the sugary treats, the spooky decorations, and the opportunity to dress up and be anything you want for one night, it's fun at it's very best. Combine that fun with the magic that is Disney and you have an exciting combination of a once in a lifetime dream Halloween party. In October 2016 my son and I traveled to Orlando, FL to experience Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It was everything I imagined it would be and so much more. In this entry I will share with you everything you need to know to plan a magical night at MNSSHP.
The first thing you must do is choose when it will be best to go. This year (2017) the event began August 25 and runs through November 1. The party starts at 7 pm and runs until 12 am. The cost of tickets starts at $74 for the party. You may be thinking that it's a steep price tag for one night, but it's totally worth it to experience it at least once in your lifetime. Even though the party runs from 7 pm-midnight, you can gain entry to the park starting at 4 pm, without a full day ticket. So if you take advantage of the early entry you're really getting a full 8 hours in the park. Not bad considering the number of people in the park for the party is limited making it a far more intimate setting than you would get on a typical day in Magic Kingdom.
We found that we had minimal wait time for any of the rides we wanted to ride. In some instances we would get off a ride and having enjoyed it so much would go back to ride it again and still had plenty of time to experience everything we wanted to experience. This fact alone makes the ticket price worth it.
The day of the party my son and I spent the morning at Hollywood Studios then went back to the hotel to rest. We took the opportunity to nap and refresh for a night of fun. We made early dinner reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table, in Magic Kingdom at 4:30 pm. When we got to the park we were immediately given wrist bands, separate from magic bands, to wear indicating that we were there specifically for the party. They make very strict sweeps at park closing to identify who is wearing the band and who is not, so people are not able to sneak from a day in the park to the party.
We had a leisurely dinner at CRT and took several pictures of us in our costumes outside the castle. Now you may have questions about costumes and you can find the full list of specific costume rules here: costume rules for MNSSHP
Things to remember when planning your costume: first of all NO WEAPONS. Now with that in mind a child with a plastic light saber will likely not be kicked out of the park. It's important to remember that this is a "not so scary" Halloween party, meant to be family/kid friendly. Avoid costumes that would frighten children and do not wear anything with inappropriate language or content. You also should not be wearing a mask if you are 14 years and older or wearing clothing that touches or drags the ground. The most important thing to remember when planning your costumes...have fun! Me and my favorite trouble maker went as none other than Lilo and Stitch.
Once you're in the door for the party you're greeted by cast members dressed in their Halloween themed uniforms. You are given a treat bag that is immediately filled with fantastic treats. Throughout the park there are treat stops easily identified by the candy corn treat signs shown below. My advice, skip the candy stops and focus your attention on rides, shows, and character meets that are only available during the party.
During WDW's holiday parties there are character meet and greets that are exclusive to the parties. A great example is Jack Skellington and Sally. It's also the only time you'll see all the seven dwarves together at the same time. The seven dwarves line was the longest line we stood in all night and it was totally worth it. They take their time interacting with the whole family and make you laugh. It was our absolute favorite character photo.
In addition to character photo ops, there are also exclusive party photo pass opportunities. My favorites are the ones with the poison apple and the headless horseman shown below. The headless horseman leads the Boo to You Parade and it's not to be missed!
One of the other great things about the party is the exclusive holiday themed shows, parades, and fireworks. The Hocus Pocus Villian Spectacular will make you feel nostalgic hitting you right in the feels. The Hallowishes fireworks show will literally blow your mind and the Boo to You Parade will have you grinning from ear to ear. I love the grave diggers with their sparking shovels and the Haunted Mansion ghosts twirling. The parade has left us singing "Boo to You" all year long.
Another thing that is fun about the party is the exclusive Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card. Not everyone cares about this, but my son collects the cards, so getting a card exclusive to the party is a big deal to him.
Needless to say, MNSSHP is wonderful and I would encourage anyone going to WDW during this time of year to go. Have you been to MNSSHP? I'd love to hear from you and get your advice to a great party experience!
