Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide (For 2023)

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is an almost unrivaled extra-ticketed event at Walt Disney World. This year’s party is offered on select nights between August 12th through October 31st.

In this Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide, we’ll go over the event in detail. We’ll look at event entertainment, character greetings, and other extras you can expect at the party.

Additionally, we’ll discuss how to prioritize your interests to help maximize your time at the event. Since there are so many offerings at the party, it’s impossible to take advantage of them all in one evening.

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!

Update: This guide reflects last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We’ll update it fully when we know more about this year’s party. However, the information provided should be helpful for planning in the meantime.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide

In this guide, we’ll cover the following offerings at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

• Halloween Party Dates and Tickets
• Event Entertainment
• Character Greetings
• Halloween Twists
• Trick-or-Treat Locations
• Photo Opportunities
• Specialty Food and Beverages
• Attractions Available During the Party
• Extras

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 Magic Kingdom as early as 4:00 p.m.

During these extra hours before the party begins, guests can enjoy rides and begin to meet a few of the characters that come out early. In addition, you could use this time to enjoy an early dinner in the park before the festivities begin.

Given the extra cost of the event, the party is usually a one-night deal for most guests. So it’s similar to what I would call a one-shot rodeo.

Therefore, it is essential to identify the rides, characters, and experiences that are must-do’s for your group in advance. And then form a plan that incorporates as many of those items as possible.

Mickey’s Halloween Party Dates and Tickets

Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are available for purchase. However, many of the event dates have sold out.

So if you’re considering purchasing a ticket, you might want to check the availability for your dates here on Disney’s site.

Tickets range in price from $109 – $199.  

• August: 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30 
• September: 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30 
• October: 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31 

Additionally, annual passholders and Disney Vacation Club members can purchase discounted tickets for certain dates.

*Occasionally, guests can purchase party tickets at Magic Kingdom’s Guest Relations on the day of the party. However, it is not guaranteed.

Entertainment at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

We’ll start with a look at the different 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
• Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam
• Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball
• Zom-Beatz Bash

Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular

Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular debuted at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party a few years back. The new fireworks brought back many fun Halloween memories from my childhood.

Not only that, the spectacular evoked much emotion. The performance is similar to the style of Happily Ever After.

Unfortunately, Happily Ever After was replaced by Disney Enchantment this last year.

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 massive 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. And 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 each party.

The first performance begins at 9:15 p.m., and the second parade starts at 11:15 p.m.

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.

In the past, it was typical for the second parade to have fewer crowds than the first. However, we saw higher crowds during our last party season at the second parade.

As for the first parade of this season, it was canceled due to storms. Thankfully, the bad weather passed, and we saw the second parade later in the evening.

My recommendation is to see which parade works best with your schedule. Although, I do recommend (if you enjoy parades) finding a spot in advance and watching it from Main Street.

While the parade is easier to watch in Frontierland, the experience from Main Street with the castle in the background is outstanding. Of course, if you elect to see the parade from Frontierland, you won’t have to wait so long for it. Additionally, you can go about doing other things after it passes.

But 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. It’s full of Disney Villains as the name promises.

You can expect to see the Sanderson Sisters, Oogie Boogie, Lady Tremaine, Cruella de Ville, and the list goes on and on.

This show has several performances each night. Additionally, the last show is the ending entertainment at the party.

Here are the scheduled showtimes for the season:

• August 12-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.)

Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam

Over in Storybook Circus, there’s a Disney Junior Jam. This is a dance party for younger children. You’ll have the opportunity to see popular Disney Junior characters like Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, and Doc McStuffins.

The Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam is available from 7:00 p.m. until midnight.

Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball

Our favorite monsters from Monsters, Inc. take the stage at Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball. This dance party is held in front of the Rocket-Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland.

Characters from Monsters Inc. are usually out on the dance floor between 7:00 p.m. and midnight.

Zom-Beatz Bash

Inside Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, you might join in the fun of the Zom-Beatz Bash. This dance party is geared towards fans of the Disney Channel original movie Zombies 3.

This dance party takes place between 7:00 p.m. and midnight.

Tip: If you need a counter-service meal during the party, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe is one of the few restaurants that remain open. Cosmic Ray’s is a reasonable spot to pick up a meal while your children enjoy the dance party.

Characters Greetings

Twelve character greeting locations are available at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. However, some of these locations offer the opportunity to meet multiple characters simultaneously.

The character meets at the party are extremely rare. They are so rare that the seasonal parties are usually the only place you have a chance to meet them. For you, this means exceptionally long lines to meet characters.

Below are the characters you might see at the party by location:

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
• Jack Sparrow across from Pirates of the Caribbean

Fantasyland

• Gaston and Belle (New Fantasyland)
• Prince Eric and Ariel (New Fantasyland)
• 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 with the Tweedles (Fantasyland)

Tomorrowland

• Rock’ n’ Roll Stitch (Near Space Ranger Spin)

Since there are so many characters meets, we’ve put together a separate article that details the character meets at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Halloween Twists at Mickey’s Not So Scary

Four attractions have Halloween Twists at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Here is a list of the ride overlays that are unique to the party:

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Mad Tea Party
• Space Mountain
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Attractions Open During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

The following attractions are open during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:

• Town Square Theater
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Jungle Cruise
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Haunted Mansion
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• “it’s a small world”
• Under the Sea-Journey of The Little Mermaid
• The Barnstormer
• Dumbo, the Flying Elephant
• Mad Tea Party
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Princess Fairytale Hall
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Space Mountain
• Astro Orbiter
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Trick-or-Treat Locations

I didn’t have the time to do a lot of trick-or-treating at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. However, it is not uncommon for lines to be long. Thankfully, they do move fairly quickly.

Here are the locations:

• Market Street Welcome off of Main Street, U.S.A. (Open until 8:00 p.m.)
• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (Adventureland)
• Tortuga Tavern (Adventureland)
• Tom Sawyer Island Deck (Frontierland)
• Country Bear Jamboree (Frontierland)
• Columbia Harbour House (Liberty Square)
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic (Fantasyland)
• Pinocchio Village Haus (Fantasyland)
• Ariel’s Grotto (Fantasyland)
• Walt Disney World Railroad Station (Fantasyland)
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress (Tomorrowland)

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.

The location of the Allergy-Friendly Centers are:

• Town Square
• Liberty Square

Mickey’s Halloween Party Photo Opportunities

Additionally, you will find twelve event-exclusive magic shots at Mickey’s Halloween Party. You can preview each photo opportunity here on Disney’s PhotoPass Facebook.

Specialty Food and Beverage Items at Mickey’s Not So Scary

There are always special treats at Disney World exclusive to seasonal parties and events. Usually, we’ll run into various party-specific food offerings at Mickey’s Halloween Party.

Here is a list of the advertised items if you want to try something out of the norm:

Tips For Mickey’s Halloween Party

Many of the party tips I offer will depend on your priorities. So the best advice I can give is to go into the evening with a plan.

I tend to 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 on 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.

And I feel you’ll still have a great time, even if you didn’t check off everything on your schedule.

I like to break the night down into three portions:

• Pre-Party Hours from 4:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. (Rides, Dining, and Characters)
• Event Exclusive Entertainment from 8:00 p.m. — 10:30 p.m. (Spelltacular, Parade, Fireworks)
• Late Party Hours 10:30 p.m.– 12:00 a.m. (Rides and Characters)

If your priority is meeting the characters, start with Jack and Sally at 4:00 p.m. Then, I would get in line for one of the other characters meets at 6:30 p.m. Unfortunately, most of the character meets don’t start until 7:00 p.m. this year.

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 your priority is to ride as many rides as possible, start there 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.

Then, after the three exclusives, head back out to hit the rides you desire with low wait times.

Mickey’s Halloween Party Extras

Before wrapping things up, I wanted to share a few more photos of a little Haunted Mansion fun offered at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Madame Carlotta and the Haunted Mansion’s butler often appear on the front lawn of the Haunted Mansion.

The darker the evening gets, the more she tends 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.

Here are a few more pictures:

Whether it’s your first party or 100th, I hope you will have a frightening time at the party. Well, not really. After all, it’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

So have a fun time!

For more extra-ticketed events, we have the following reviews:

• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Guide
• Characters at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
• Is After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Worth It?

In the comments:

Do you plan to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? What are you looking forward to the most?

Additionally, if you have any questions, please leave them below. We plan to attend another event, and I’ll happily answer anything based on our experiences.