We just got tickets to attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) in October and I am so excited! This is my first time attending MNSSHP and I have already begun planning to make sure I don't miss out on all of the cool things included at the party. I thought I would share my planning process and information that I have learned along the way. I will be sure to post a Party review after we actually attend the party on October 19th!
What is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party...
This is a separately ticketed event that takes place in Magic Kingdom select nights in August, September, and October. It is held after the park closes to the general public and requires you to buy a special ticket to enter. The tickets get more expensive the closer you get to Halloween, with the most expensive ticket being Halloween night at $199 per adult. This event sells out quickly and multiple dates are already sold out for this season.
With a Party ticket you get to enter Magic Kingdom at 4pm and the park closes to the general public (anyone without a MNSSHP wristband) at 6pm. MNSSHP does not officially begin until 7pm. That means that you can do normal Magic Kingdom activities until 7pm, which is when the park becomes "spooky" and the party perks begin. The party is not actually scary, but you will get to experience Disney's amazing theming abilities in a whole new light, that is fall and Halloween inspired. I am most excited to see all of the decorations and lighting around Magic Kingdom, which I'm sure will feel like a completely different Park on that night.
Costumes
Normally adults are not allowed to wear costumes in Disney World, but an exception is made for MNSSHP. I am definitely planning on dressing up and of course it will be a Disney character. There are a few restrictions for costumes, in that you can't wear gowns or capes that drag on the floor, you can't wear masks, and you can't bring props that looks like weapons. Besides that, adults are given free rein to dress up as their favorite Disney characters for the night.
Without giving too much away, we have decided on a Disney couple's costume. In planning this out, I knew I did not want to wear a wig or a bulky, heavy outfit since it is Florida after all, and I would be extremely hot and uncomfortable the whole night. That meant I had to choose a Disney character with similar hair to mine and something lightweight to wear. I also knew I wanted to do a couple's costume with my boyfriend, so it had to be a well-known Disney duo. It took some time to figure out, but I think we came up with a great idea and I can't wait to take photos in our costumes.
Additionally, the Disney characters will all be dressed up in costume for Halloween. This is the perfect opportunity to take pictures with characters that will not be dressed up like this on a normal Disney day. For that reason, the meet and greet lines are often very long at MNSSHP, which I will discuss more below in my party strategy section.
Special Party Perks
From what I have read, there are many things that are exclusive to MNSSHP that you cannot experience unless you attend one of the parties. Here are the items I have learned about:
1) Trick or Treating
The ticket to MNSSHP includes unlimited trick or treating around Magic Kingdom. Disney also provides you with a trick or treating bag to put your treats in. This is more targeted towards children, but I still plan to hit up some of the candy locations and get some free candy. In my opinion, some people go a little overboard with this, and try to get as much candy as possible during the course of the party. That seems unnecessary and a big waste of time. You can buy a bag of candy at Walmart for $10 if you really want m&m's and twix bars.
2) Mickey's Boo-To-You Halloween Parade
I am part of the MNSSHP Facebook group, and this is the one item that people consistently say is not to be missed. Apparently it is the best Disney parade there is, and it is lead by the Headless Horseman. I am interested to see how they do the Headless Horseman effect. This parade occurs twice during each party, and some people like it so much that they watch both parades. It sounds very cool to see all the characters decked out for Halloween. This is definitely something I am most looking forward to.
3) Not-So-Spooky Spectacular
In addition to the special Halloween parade, MNSSHP guests get to enjoy a special Halloween fireworks show. This only occurs once during each party, so it is important to know what time it is scheduled for and not miss it! It is hosted by Jack Skellingon from Nightmare Before Christmas and has the usual high Disney standard for light displays on the castle and fireworks above. I consider this a not-to-be-missed party item.
4) Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular
This is a stage show in front of Cinderella's Castle that occurs multiple times during each party. It is hosted by the 3 Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus and has appearances from numerous Disney villains. I am not a huge Hocus Pocus fan and don't think I have even seen the movie in its entirety, but I have heard the stage show during the party is entertaining. I hope to see one of the shows but will not dedicate a large amount of time beforehand to get a good viewing location.
4) Cadavar Dans Barbershop Quartet
If you have seen the Dapper Dans performing on Main Street on a normal Magic Kingdom day, then you may recognize this group. It sounds like it is very similar, but the singers are dressed up for Halloween. The group is located in Frontierland, which I'm sure will fit in perfectly with the theming of the land. If you can't tell, I think I'm most excited to just take in the ambiance and theming of the Party which Disney is so well known for.
5) Party Exclusive Snacks
If you attend MNSSHP, you are able to sample some snacks that are only available at the party. Unfortunately, they are not included as part of the ticket price, but some sound very tasty. It is cool to try some special items that no one else will be able to try, unless they attend one of the parties. I am planning on skipping dinner on the day of the party, and snacking on party treats throughout the night. A lot of the snacks sound too spicy for my liking, but here are some of the party exclusive snacks that I definitely want to try:
The Snarling Sub: Meatball sub with spicy marinara, pesto and pearl mozzarella “teeth” served on a black roll located at Cosmic Ray's
Loaded Sweet Potato Fries: Sweet potato fries tossed in cinnamon sugar and topped with marshmallow cream, butterscotch chips, and toffee pieces located at Golden Oak Outpost
Minnie-shaped Pumpkin Cheesecake: Pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin coffee mousse topped with a white chocolate candy corn bow located at Main Street Bakery
Sally Pop: Yellow pop with raspberry filling topped with a Sally chocolate piece located at the Churro Cart by the Castle
Skull Brownie: Mexican-spiced chocolate brownie with dulce de leche filling and sugar eyes located at the cart outside Haunted Mansion
6) Halloween Overlays on Specific Rides
A few of the rides will have Halloween themed overlays, which you only get to experience if you ride the ride during the party hours. There will be Halloween overlays on Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party, and Monsters inc. Laugh Floor. We did the Christmas Overlay on Space Mountain last year and it was so neat to experience the ride in an entirely unique way. I definitely want to experience one or more of the Halloween overlays at MNSSHP.
7) Special Halloween Merchandise
Disney reserves some special Halloween merchandise that can only be purchased during the party. I have heard that these items tend to sell out as the Party season goes on and the highly sought after items could be sold out by the Parties later in October. That does not bode well for me, as I am not attending the party until October 19th. Hopefully there will be some party merchandise left to have as a souvenir from my first MNSSHP.
Thoughts on Party Strategy...
I am taking the time to plan a strategy to take on MNSSHP because it is such a short amount of time and I want to make the most of the time we do have. I have pretty lofty goals of things I want to accomplish during the party, and I'm sure I won't be able to get to everything. When we attended the Christmas party last year it felt like the time flew by and it was over before I knew it.
The Halloween parties have already begun this year and I am basing a lot of my plans off of advice I have seen party guests post on Facebook and blogs that I follow. Here are my initial thoughts on the best strategy for MNSSHP:
Although the Party does not officially begin until 7pm, a ticket to MNSSHP allows you entry to Magic Kingdom at 4pm. The general public will still be at the park during this time, but that is extra time to get on rides that you may not care about riding during the Halloween party itself. I plan to enter the park right at 4pm and ride a few rides during this time. Last year during the Christmas Party we made the mistake of taking photos ops during this time, but I think it would be best to wait until the party lighting and ambiance begins at 7pm to take the Halloween photos. During the daytime, it just looks like normal Magic Kingdom photos that you could take during any visit. It is my hope to ride Big Thunder Mountain and Jungle Cruise at 4pm and whatever other smaller rides we can get on before 7pm.
I do know that I want to save Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean until the official party. I have heard that the ambiance lighting outside of Haunted Mansion is very cool and make for a great photo op, and I have heard that pirate actors roam around in Adventureland outside of the Pirates ride. They are also the "spookiest" rides and fit in perfectly with the theme of the night. I also would like to ride Space Mountain with the Halloween overlay and possibly go on Monster's Inc. with the Halloween overlay if there is time. Those are the 4 rides I will make a priority to go on during the Party.
Once the party officially begins at 7pm, I think we could realistically get on at least two or three of those rides before the first parade begins at 9:15pm. Trick or Treating is not a priority for me, but I will stop at candy locations as we pass them if the lines are short. Once we get close to 8:45pm, I plan to head toward Main Street, which is where I'd like to watch the Parade from. From what I have read, the Headless Horseman leads the parade about 10-15 minutes before it actually begins. This will give us time to find a good parade viewing spot and not miss the Headless Horseman. Possibly I will grab one of the party exclusive snacks to eat while waiting for the parade to begin. After the parade is finished, I plan to stay up near the Castle for the fireworks show, which starts at 10:15pm.
After the fireworks show, I plan to ride more of the rides I wanted to get on during the party. I don't want to waste a lot of party time waiting in line to meet characters, but if I notice on the My Disney Experience App that a line is 15 minutes or so, I may choose to stop and get a photo. I have heard that the wait to meet Pirate Goofy is usually relatively short, as is the combined Donald, Daisy, and Minnie meet and greet.
The line for Jack Skellington and Sally has been averaging over 1.5 hours wait, which I just don't think is worth it when the party is already so short. The Seven Dwarfs are also a high demand meet and greet, and averages over an hour wait.
The party ends at midnight and the last Hocus Pocus stage show is at midnight. That sounds like the perfect way to end the night and also make the most of the party time, as you will end up being in the park 15-20 minutes after the party officially ends.
Just writing this post makes me anxious. It is obvious there is not enough time between 7pm-12am to accomplish everything that this party has to offer. I just hope to do enough to feel like I fully experienced the party. The parade, fireworks show, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean are probably the most important things for me, so I will make sure I give those priority. Along with taking in the ambiance of the party and getting a few cool photos in our costumes around the park. Wish us luck in making the most of our party and check back after October 19 to see my full party review!
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