My First Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party – Tips, Tricks, and Lots of Treats!

Posted:  Entertainment Holidays Parks

Now that summer’s almost over, Magic Kingdom has officially kicked off the spooky season with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! This was my first time EVER going to this event, and it was a memorable experience with lots to see and do. I’m already counting down the days until my next chance to go to this party!

Purple sign on green double-decker bus with orange text reading “this way to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!” with a right-facing arrow. Grey and brown Main Street U.S.A. buildings with orange, yellow, and brown Halloween decorations are in the background.

Even before you enter Magic Kingdom, the Cast Members are all dressed up in their Halloween outfits, and the front entrance is adorned with giant pumpkins and themed lighting. It’s very exciting to see everyone’s different costumes and creativity; it made me so excited for fall and Halloween and gave me some ideas for future costumes!

A copper-colored statue of Minnie Mouse in a princess costume holding a pumpkin with yellow Mickey-head silhouettes carved in it. There is green foliage in the background, and the sign at the base of the statue reads “Princess Minnie”.

Once you scan into the park, you’re directed by Cast Members to a trick-or-treat bag collection area. Along the way, there are smoke-filled bubbles to add to the ambiance, a DJ playing some great Halloween-themed songs, as well as lots of pumpkins and excited Cast Members ready for the tricks and treats of the evening. Halloween music is played throughout the whole park during the evening, and I found myself singing along to some of my favorite tunes – it really is a party!

A DJ stands in a booth made to look like a larger-than-life orange pumpkin, under an orange tent. There is a blue prize ribbon on the large pumpkin, and it is set on a stage made of hay bales, with smaller pumpkins, red and yellow ribbons, and sunflowers around it.

A large orange pumpkin is displayed in a patch of green foliage at Magic Kingdom. Smoke fills in behind the pumpkin, tinted with purple and green lighting effects.

Once you’ve collected your trick-or-treat bag, it’s time to load up on some candy! There are handy maps that guests can grab when they enter the park that outline where all of the trick-or-treat stations are. 

A person’s hand is holding a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2024 map that is decorated with 6 jack-o-lanterns and Cinderella Castle in shares of purple and green. There is also a large purple sign with Mickey Mouse in the background.

You can find these locations among some of your favorite attractions; one notable trick-or-treat station I thought was the best was Mickey’s PhilharMagic! It proved to be a really nice respite from the Florida heat, and they even played some vintage Disney Halloween cartoons for the occasion if you need a break from all the excitement. The best part? There were TWO trick-or-treat stations here, so double the candy haul! Plus, if you or someone in your party has specific dietary restrictions, allergy-friendly teal tokens are offered at each trick-or-treat station, where you can collect a token and redeem it at one of two allergy-friendly centers at the end of the night. 

A Magic Kingdom Cast Member is holding a sign in Tomorrowland indicating a trick-or-treat trail location. The sign is black and navy-blue and features an orange M&M candy character made to look like a pumpkin. The sign reads “Mars Wrigley Treats! Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!” in white lettering

Among all the treats, you can also find character meet and greets around the park, some of which are rare and not typically seen in Magic Kingdom! This includes classic princesses like Belle and Ariel (with Eric) and more uncommon appearances such as Moana in Adventureland, the Queen of Hearts, and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum in Fantasyland! You can even meet Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas in the Town Hall at the park entrance. If you are looking to meet a few of these characters, I would definitely recommend checking in with Cast Members for meeting hours and wait times, as the lines can get a bit long. 

Princess Ariel and Prince Eric meet and greet in Fantasyland. Ariel is wearing a teal ballgown and waving to the camera. Eric is wearing a white and blue military-dress style suit with black riding boots.

The Queen of Hearts in front of Mad Tea Party in Fantasyland. She wears a small gold crown on her head, white gloves on her hands, and her dress is red and black with gold and black stripes and white accents around the skirt.

Of course, you can also enjoy some of the attractions offered during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Some rides may also have special Halloween overlays that guests can see as well. Space Mountain offered a black-out experience, while Mad Tea Party had some wild music and a vibrant light show during the ride; it was definitely a must-see during the party. 

Mad Tea Party at Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom. Riders swirl in over-size teacups under green, purple, and pink ambient lighting. In the center of the ride there is a larger-than-life teapot, and colorful lanterns hang from the attraction ceiling.

You may also find some extra special characters in the ride queues, including some ghostly appearances at the Haunted Mansion and maybe even some swash-buckling pirates at Pirates of the Caribbean! It makes for an extra unique experience that you may not be able to find during regular hours at Magic Kingdom.

Cast Members in ghostly costumes amongst the tombstones in the queue for Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom. One is a female in a Victorian-style white, frilled ballgown with a parasol, and the other is male, dressed in a dark butler uniform.

While you may have loaded up on treats from all the candy stations around the park, don’t forget to check out some party-exclusive food! There are so many fun options this year to explore. If you’re a fan of DOLE Whip and looking for a twist, try the new DOLE Whip Mango and Chamoy Float at Aloha Isle. It is spicy, so if you want a little kick, this is the treat for you. There are also plenty of delectable sweet treats, including the Madame Leota Seance Candle from Sleepy Hollow. With all the food offerings at this party, you can easily do an amazingly spooky food crawl around the park. Don’t forget to mobile order some goodies; it’ll save you time and leave more opportunities to explore everything offered during the party.

DOLE Whip Mango and Chamoy Float from Aloha Isle in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom. The treat is in a clear plastic cup with yellow juice at the bottom, topped with cream-colored swirled soft-serve DOLE Whip and spicy seasoning sprinkled over it.

Finally, if all those offerings I mentioned above weren’t enough, there’s also PLENTY of entertainment in the form of parades and shows that guests can watch during the party. Personally, these were the highlight of the party for me (aside from all the candy I got to take home) and an absolute MUST-SEE if you’re going to attend. 

Looking toward Cinderella Castle down Main Street U.S.A. at night with a parade float displaying a sign reading “Mickey’s Boo-to-You! Halloween Parade”. There are Cast Members in green cloaks on either side of the float and crowds on each side of Main Street. The streetlights glow white, and Cinderella Castle is illuminated blue in the background.

Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular features some spooky projections, themed fireworks, and an incredible appearance by Jack Skellington to start the show. This was one of the special character appearances I was most excited to see, and it did not disappoint. This is a must-see that I would make time for during your party if I were you.

Golden fireworks erupt at the side of Cinderella Castle which is made to look green and spooky with special effects. A larger-than-life, black and white Jack Skellington puppet is performing in front of the fireworks.

Yellow fireworks burst over Cinderella Castle at night, with neon green lasers point to the sky behind them. Cinderella Castle is covered in colorful Haunted Mansion themed projections including a ghost playing a pipe organ.

Along with this dazzling fireworks display, you MUST make time for the Boo-To-You Halloween Parade. This is one of the best parades Disney offers, and it can only be found during the party, so it is absolutely a must-do. I recommend watching the parade from the base of Main Street, U.S.A., right between the Emporium and the Confectionary. This is by far the best view of the parade, and you’ll be sure to get some amazing photos and videos to look back on. 

Looking down Main Street U.S.A. at night with streetlights aglow towards Cinderella Castle which is illuminated blue in the background. Main Street is clear down the middle with a Cast Member walking with a green glow stick, and crowds on either side ready for the parade to begin.

To start the parade, the Headless Horseman makes an appearance, and it is truly haunting watching him trot down Main Street. A hush falls over the crowds when he comes, so it is a very special experience that happens during the party. 

The Headless Horseman in a brown cloak holding a glowing jack-o-lantern trots down Main Street U.S.A. on a dark brown horse at night with streetlights aglow with Cinderella Castle, which is illuminated blue, in the background. Crowds view from either side of Main Street which is lit up with orange special lighting effects.

Once the Headless Horseman ushers in the spooky festivities, the parade begins, with lots of amazing floats and some more special character appearances. The zombie gravediggers, especially, dancing with shovels during the parade are sure to make sparks fly!

A group of parade performers dressed as ghostly ballroom dancers from Haunted Mansion pose on Main Street U.S.A. at night with a float carrying the 3 Hitchhiking Ghosts from Haunted Mansion behind them in the background.

You can finish the night with the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular. This show is so much fun, featuring the amazing Sanderson Sisters putting on quite a show, with some help from your favorite Disney Villains. This show is wickedly fun and a perfect way to end the night. If you have little ones, there is an earlier showing of this stage celebration at Cinderella Castle, but the last showing is at midnight, which is the perfect cherry on top of a frighteningly great evening. 

The Sanderson Sisters perform on stage. Mary has dark hair twirled upward and is wearing a red cloak, Winifred has red curly hair and a green cloak, and Sarah has long blonde hair and a purple cloak. There is purple and pink lighting, and 2 candelabras glow as fog swirls behind them.

Maleficent, the Evil Queen, the Sanderson Sisters, and Dr. Facillier perform on stage with an ensemble of dancers in front of Cinderella Castle. The castle has spooky, neon green projections on it and a light fog rolls over the stage.

Overall, my first time at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was an experience I won’t soon forget. I hope these tips, tricks, and all the treats convince you to don your best costume and head to Magic Kingdom during the festivities!

Several orange pumpkins carved to spell out “see ya real soon” with a Mickey-head at each end are lit up like jack-o-lanterns and displayed with seasonal leaf garland over the exit tunnel of Magic Kingdom Park.

~Elyse

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