Nomadic Neen “Boys and girls of every age. Wouldn’t you like to see something strange? Come with us and you will see this, our town of Halloween. This is Halloween. This is Halloween. Pumpkins scream in the dead of night. This is Halloween. Everybody make a scene.”
Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas; 1994
OKAY I KNOW. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Christmas movie not a Halloween movie, but in my defense it is very relevant for this particular story. I’m taking you along with me to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World, so quoting a Disney, Halloween-themed Christmas movie is appropriate in my opinion.
What is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party?
Every year, Disney hosts an extra magical, extra fun Halloween Party for all Disney visitors to enjoy at Magic Kingdom Park. This unique Disney experience lets you combine your love of Disney and love of Halloween all in one night!
There are so many more characters out during the Halloween Party, including many who aren’t out during the other times of the year. Villains from all across the Disney universe, from Pain and Panic to the Jafar, come out to do character meet and greets and join the special Halloween Boo-to-You parade on this magical night. For anyone who loves to capture as many pictures with characters as they can during their visit like I do, this is your time!
Like any other special Disney event, the Halloween Party finishes the night off with a parade featuring all of the characters that were hanging around the park during the night. If you missed taking pictures with any of your favorite villains, this will be your chance to see them and at least take a picture of them since you couldn’t take it with them.
Preparing for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
We arrived to Magic Kingdom nice and early after enjoying a delicious breakfast at Chef Mickey’s. None of us wanted to be in our costumes for the entire day, so we planned out our costumes so we could just add a few accessories and some makeup and be ready for our spooky night at Disney.
The park was decorated with the cutest Halloween décor. For example, when you first walk into Magic Kingdom there is a cute sign of Mickey dressed as a vampire, and you can find Mickey-shaped pumpkins scattered throughout the park. We enjoyed a few hours in the park just wandering around, riding a bunch of rides and doing a few character meet and greets. When the evening hit and the Party was about to begin, we made our way to the restrooms and “changed” into our costumes.
I was going as a variation of a skeleton, inspired by Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I was all set with my grey and white striped shorts, my Jack Skellington shirt, and my face makeup. My mom was dressed as a hippie and my dad was dressed as a biker. Dad wanted nothing to do with dressing up, so we did what we could with his everyday clothing and it turned out all right!
If you aren’t a fan of dressing up, that is A-OK! There are guests who do not dress up at all and then there are also guests who go all out and could pass as working there! Where you fall on this costume spectrum is completely up to you. Be confident and have a good time!
Experiencing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
We began checking out the Halloween festivities and capturing some special character and villain meets and pictures. Disney had photographers all throughout Magic Kingdom with special Halloween props for guests to take pictures with. We didn’t get pictures with every villain, but we saw a bunch from a distance or walking by, and we got plenty of pictures of them instead. The most memorable meet and greet we did was with Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. He was EXACTLY as he was in the movie and as I’d imagine he’d be in real life. Narcissistic, rude, muscular, and rude … but very handsome.
After a few meet and greets and a couple hours wandering around to see how the park was decorated, my dad was pretty exhausted and wanted to leave. Mom and I were definitely not ready to leave yet … the Party had just begun! We decided to stay at the park and send him back to the hotel. If you’re someone who tires easily, keep in mind that the Halloween festivities make for a long day at the park and consider saving your energy with a late start. Guests who stick around for the full event are in for a real treat; being in the park at night during those extra magic hours has a different kind of feel to it. Every ride feels different, every snack you eat tastes better, and every character picture seems more exciting.
Bring on the Magic
A night at Disney wouldn’t be complete without a fireworks show! During the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, the Not-So-Spooky Spectacular firework show lights up the skies throughout Magic Kingdom around 10PM. This spooky display is hosted by none other than Jack Skellington himself.
What’s the perfect complement to a fireworks show? That’s right: a parade! The Boo-to-You Halloween parade happens twice throughout the night, so you can plan your Halloween Party itinerary with some flexibility here. The Headless Horseman opens the parade for both start times: the first happens around 9 and the second happens around 11.
I have to admit, I am not really a parade person. They usually bore me after a few minutes, but not the Boo-to-You parade. Get your cameras ready! This parade is filled with characters and villains and you usually don’t see in Disney. My personal favorite moment was seeing Pain and Panic from Hercules.
I was looking through my pictures and realized I got terrible pictures of the parade, but they are still great memories to see!
Now I bet you’re thinking, “You’ve seen a bunch of rare characters, you’ve watched a parade (maybe twice), and you saw some gorgeous fireworks. Time to head back to the hotel?” Nope.
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
You’re missing one very special part of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular.
This show happens THREE times throughout the night, and you’re not going to want to miss it so make sure to add at least one of those times to your itinerary! This fun show is hosted by the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. Let them put a spell on you at 8PM, 10:30PM or midnight, and let’s party!
A few other villains make appearances on stage with these witches. During the show you’ll also see Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog, Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.
Seeing Maleficent was my personal favorite part of the entire night because she is hands down my favorite villain from Disney. Maleficent is generous enough to call a few of her “frightful friends” for the Spelltacular too: The Evil Queen, Hades, Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, Jafar, and Lady Tremaine herself!
Where to Watch the Magic Happen
Mom and I planned it out so that we watched the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular and then watched the Boo-to-You parade right after. The show is held at Cinderella’s Castle, which put us in the absolute perfect spot to watch the parade. We saw so many different characters and villains I couldn’t believe it. There couldn’t have been a better way to end the night. A spooky good time if you ask me.
After the parade, our feet were sore, our eyes were getting heavy, and our hearts were filled with magic. It was time to head back to our hotel for the night and get some much-needed sleep. An absolutely jam-packed day hanging out with some spooky villains.
When should you go to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party?
Unfortunately, the Party was cancelled for the 2020 and 2021 season, but hopefully you can experience it in 2022.
The Party usually begins in August for select dates and goes all the way through early November. Disney usually posts the dates nice and early so you can plan ahead. Guests who aren’t participating in the Halloween Party still have the opportunity to enjoy the park for the full day, as the Party doesn’t technically start until 7:00PM.
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