This guide to Halloween at Disney World and Mickey’s Not So-Scary Halloween party will give you all the details for this after-hours event at the Walt Disney World resort.
The Walt Disney World resort offers special events through out the year that require a party ticket and are a fun addition to your Disney World vacation.
One of the best time of the year to visit is during Halloween season at the theme parks. Most of the Halloween activities are at Magic Kingdom but the other parks do have special events going on during this time.
Magic Kingdom is home to Mickey’s Not So-Scary Halloween party which features favorite characters, Halloween decorations, Halloween merchandise, special entertainment and more.
This is a big celebration at the park and guests are required to purchase tickets for this event.
Halloween at Disney World 2023: Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will return to the Magic Kingdom select nights August 11th-October 31st. Hours will be 7:00pm to Midnight.
Ticket Prices for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party will cost $109.00 to $199.00 per ticket. Remember guests must have a park ticket too. Tickets go on sale May 2nd.
Party Dates of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2023
- August 11, 2023
- August 15, 2023
- August 18, 2023
- August 22, 2023
- August 25, 2023
- August 29, 2023
- September 1, 2023
- September 4, 2023
- September 8, 2023
- September 10, 2023
- September 12, 2023
- September 15, 2023
- September 17, 2023
- September 19, 2023
- September 22, 2023
- September 24, 2023
- September 26, 2023
- September 28, 2023
- September 29, 2023
- October 1, 2023
- October 3, 2023
- October 5, 2023
- October 6, 2023
- October 9, 2023
- October 10, 2023
- October 12, 2023
- October 13, 2023
- October 15, 2023
- October 17, 2023
- October 19, 2023
- October 20, 2023
- October 22, 2023
- October 24, 2023
- October 26, 2023
- October 27, 2023
- October 29, 2023
- October 31, 2023
- November 1, 2023
What to Expect at Halloween at Disney World 2023
- Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade: Cast members and your favorite characters are dressed up to bring to you one of the most fun parades at the parks.
- The Headless Horseman from Sleepy Hollow will return to open the Boo to You Parade
- Trick or Treat locations throughout the park.
- Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular show featuring the Sanderson Sisters.
- Overlays for Magic Kingdom attractions including: Pirates of the Caribbean, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Space Mountain, and Mad Tea Party.
- Jack Skellington will host Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular featuring projections on the castle and fireworks.
- Special character appearances.
- Treats and dining options made especially for the event.
For times of shows, parades, and character meet and greets be sure to download the My Disney Experience app before you arrive. You will see lots of characters during the different entertainment and shows but if you want to meet characters be sure to line up early.
Disney World Halloween Activities around the Resort
- Epcot: Epcot doesn’t do a lot of Halloween décor but they do host the Food and Wine festival which may be worth including in your vacation.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Guests can say hello to Minnie Mouse and friends at Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine. This is located inside Hollywood Studios. Guests need a valid theme park ticket and reservations are highly recommended.
- Animal Kingdom: For the month of October guests can visit the Animation Experience at Conservation Station to learn to draw your favorite villain.
- Disney Springs: Disney Springs will feature live music from Squad Ghoul on Fridays from September 29th-October 29th.
Costumes for Halloween at Disney World
When you visit Disney World for the Halloween Party you will see people in full on costumes, Disney bounding(inspired by Disney), and not dressed up at all.
It is really up to you and your family to decide what works best. I think more people dress up for the party as it gets closer to Halloween.
Disney does have rules when dressing up. All ages can dress up, but costume masks are only allowed for children younger than 14.
We’ve attended Halloween at Disney World twice in August and had a good mix of people dressed up and not dressed up.
On our first visit we didn’t dress up much. I was concerned about the heat during our late summer visit and decided to wear some Disney t-shirts. Everyone, except me, wore a Disney villain top.
There were a few reasons we decided against costumes during our first visit. 1- it was August and my kids had no idea what they wanted to be for Halloween, 2-I was concerned about the August heat and their costumes, 3-we were packing for a 10 day vacation and I couldn’t get it together.
Check out our tips for visiting Disney World in the summer.
In 2019 we went simple again but did a more Disney bounding inspiration. Disney Bounding is when you find inspiration from your favorite Disney characters and use that to create your outfit.
My daughter and I Disney bounded as Minnie and Daisy, and the boys were Huey, Duey, and Luey. We kept it simple with t-shirts and shorts that coordinated with their colors.
Most of our costumes were purchased through Amazon. I also recommend searching your local craft store for plain shirts. The hats didn’t arrive on time so we decided to not have them during the party.
Overall I enjoyed dressing up and still staying cool at the park. Being inspired by the characters was super fun and we would totally do it again.
Trick or Treating at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
In 2019, there were 14 trick or treating stops throughout the Magic Kingdom. We even found some surprise candy stops at the exits of Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean.
They give out a lot of candy and even though you are provided with a small trick or treat bag upon arrival I would bring another bag to carry it.
2019 Halloween Map: There are pumpkins on all the stops along the Halloween route.
Typically we use the party to see the Halloween entertainment and ride the attractions with short wait times. If you are planning on doing all 14 trick or treat locations you may have to wait in long lines. We often skipped the treat lines that looked longer than 5 minutes.
If you have food allergies in your family you will be offered a turquoise coin to turn in at a specific location to collect your own special treat.
Attractions at Disney After Hours Boo Bash for 2023
Most attractions are open during the event but a few do close. We were able to ride everything in the park with little wait times. We went on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train twice with a wait of under 20 minutes.
Magic Kingdom has great rides for all ages and some of our favorite are Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Peter Pan. Check out our Top Rides at Magic Kingdom.
- Swiss Family Tree House
- Magic Carpet of Aladdin
- Jungle Cruise
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Haunted Mansion
- Carousel
- Peter Pan
- it’s a small world
- Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid
- The Barnstormer
- Dumbo
- Mad Tea Party
- Winnie the Pooh
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Space Mountain
- Astro Orbitor
- PeopleMover
- Buzz Lightyear
- Tron
Entertainment at Disney Not So Scary Halloween Party
Expect the park to be decorated with fall and Halloween décor. There will be special lighting and music throughout the park. Expect characters to be dressed up in costumes too. There will also be themed food and beverages available.
- Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular
- Boo to You Parade (Can’t Miss!)
- Disney’s No So Scary Spectacular featuring Jack Skellington
Characters at Magic Kingdom during Halloween
It is not only the guests that have fun dressing up at the parties! The characters do too! There are also special character meet and greets you can only do during the Halloween Party. This is one activity that we always miss because there is never enough time.
Character meet and greets are changing often because of pandemic safety rules. Guests can expect to see characters at the Cavalcades but official meet and greets have not been announced yet.
Be on the lookout for Max Goof and the Powerline party pack at pop-up parties throughout Magic Kingdom. As well as pirates taking over Adventureland.
Tips for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Guests can arrive at 7:00pm for the event. In 2019 they allowed party guests to enter Magic Kingdom at 4:00pm. You do not need a park ticket if you are going to the Halloween party but you have to wait until 4:00 to arrive.
Take advantage of Mobile Ordering for dinner. Read our Step by Step directions on my post about Mobile Ordering at Disney World.
You CAN’T Do Everything At the Party in One Night. There is so much to do between shows, parades, trick or treating, meeting characters and riding attractions. I suggest deciding what is a priority for everyone in your family before you arrive at the park.
The party ends at 12:00am. We didn’t arrive home until after 1:00am. You may want to rest during the day so you can fully enjoy the party. If you have small children this may not be a good option.
On our first visit we left around 9:00pm because everyone was tired from an early morning flight. This time we slept in, enjoyed our resort pool, and then headed to the party.
Check at the Main Street Bakery and other food and beverage locations for special sweat and savory treats.
Currently, as of April 2023, reservations are required to enter the Magic Kingdom.
Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Worth It
This event is back for 2023 and most guests will agree it is a really fun event that offers amazing shows and entertainment plus short wait times.
If you want to visit at night with low crowds, the cost of the ticket is typically lower than the cost of daily admission, this might be a good choice for your family.
Below I share my review of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and if I thought it was worth it. This will give you an idea of what to expect on your visit.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Visit (2019)
The event is an amazing Halloween party and I would say a “must-do” for every Walt Disney World loving family. There are a few pros and cons to the party, but we were really happy we did it.
The party can be an added cost for those on a budget, but if you can make it work I think it is fun to experience at least once. To make it more affordable we attended the party during our Orlando vacation where we were only doing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, we were not visiting the other parks.
If you have a week of park tickets purchased there is no discount and it will be an added cost. You will pay full price for the special event. If you plan to spend the day at Magic Kingdom and attend the party you will have to purchase a general admission ticket and a ticket to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
With that being said if you can make it work I think it is worth it. We really enjoyed seeing Magic Kingdom decorated for the holidays and I loved all the special attention to details during the event. Magic Kingdom is decorated during the day as well but you don’t have the same entertainment as during the event.
There are pumpkins everywhere!! Mickey Pumpkins line the streets of Main Street and the entire parks has a different feel to it. Although we visited in August the Halloween spirit was all around us. It was exciting and Disney made it fun to go trick or treating through the park.
I also loved the BOO to You parade. It is one of the best parades and can only be viewed during the Halloween party. There are a few clips from the parade in our video. We watched the parade from Frontierland and enjoyed less crowds and great views.
A few minutes before the start of the parade the Headless Horseman rides down the street. This can’t be missed!! We arrived about 30 minutes before the start of the parade to get a spot. Once we have a spot my husband usually picks up a snack but this time we snacked on our trick or treating candy!
We also made it a priority this year to see the Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular fireworks show. It was incredible and I would love to see it again! We arrived a bit late to get a close view but still thought it was a great addition to the party.
Would I Do it again?
This was our second time attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and I would say it was worth it. I would not plan it during a full day at the parks, but rather use it as an add on to a non-park day. The party is a special way to celebrate the Halloween season and enjoy the magic of the Disney parks.
We are very excited that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party is back for 2022.
Great post! We’ve done the Halloween party twice, and I’m on the same page as you–it was super fun, but it’s definitely not a do it every trip kind of thing, because it does get so expensive.
Thanks for reading! I think everyone should experience it once!!
I confess, I love Disney (maybe even more than the kids lol). But I had no idea Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween was offered in Aug & Sept. I thought it was an October exclusive! Very handy to know for the future! Thanks for sharing this. We are holding off for the lines to go down at Pandora for our next visit to Disney World lol.
Me too!! I love it, and am always planning our next visit!! I didn’t expect and August date either so I was really excited!! We are hoping to do Pandora during our next visit.
Another tip is that the parade typically runs twice. The second parade is usually less crowded.
Thanks for reading and thanks for the tip!! I wish we could have made it to the second parade but we were so exhausted from a busy day of traveling!
I have never tried this, but the dressing up part sounds really fun!
It was!! I loved having an excuse to do the Minnie ears!
Halloween in August – but pretty cool given that you were there, I guess a good way to usher in fall! The decorations look awesome! I also had no idea about the mobile food ordering, thats not just for the Halloween event, right?
I know!! It seemed strange but it was worth it!! The mobile food ordering is anytime. They started it small at Pandora but have done it more throughout other parks. I am seeing you can pre-order your Dole Whip!!! Amazing!!