This (2013) was our first year attending Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom in Disney World, so I wanted to share what we learned during our one-night crash course!
You should definitely dress up no matter what age you are! It's worth it for the smiling faces and attention. Don't forget to compliment others on their costumes! They probably worked really hard on it!
Stay out late the night before and sleep in the day of the party! You'll need that energy to stay out trick-or-treatin' it up!
We started dressing in our costumes just before 3 pm. That gave us time to get in line for a Disney bus to the park and arrive right at 4. Magic Kingdom allows guests in at 4 even though the actual party doesn't start until 7.
Use this time to take pictures while it's daylight!
Pick up a Halloween park map as you enter. Start to plan your night now and figure out what your priorities are! Our party night was sold out, but we were able to do more than our priority list even with the park at capacity.
Also use this time to catch a few rides. Lines may not be as long as usual since "normal" guests will be headed out of the park for the day.
Note that party food and merchandise will not be available until party time.
Go ahead and line up early for one of the character photo ops. Jack and Sally and the 7 Dwarfs will be the 2 biggies, so go with one of those. If you're going to stand in line for an hour or 2 for one of these photos, it makes more sense to use this extra time BEFORE the party rather than valuable party time.
You may want to go ahead and eat early because food lines will be crazy long once the party gets started.
If you have kids, get a spot for the first parade early! You'll be sure your little ones will see and enjoy this amazing parade! They may not last until the second one!
If you DON'T have kids nor an early bedtime, let the little ones enjoy the first parade and hold your horses 'til the second one.
Speaking of horses, don't miss the Headless Horseman leading in the parades! Be aware that you will have to have your legs/feet/belongings completely up on the sidewalk when he comes through. You also can not sit in front of trash cans at all.
If you are a collector of Disney memorabilia, or if you have your eye on a piece of merchandise specific to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP), be sure to grab one as soon as you see it. Items can sell out quickly.
Candy is plentiful, so, if you don't have kids, hit the candy trails later once the families with kids have left for the night. This leaves shorter lines for them earlier in the night and shorter lines for the "kids-at-heart" later in the night!
Do not reach into the candy bins yourself! Let the attending cast member put candy in your bag. Be polite, and do not ask for one type of candy or another. Take what they give you, and say thank you! Trading candy with your buddies later is one of the fun parts of trick-or-treating!
Because the candy IS so plentiful, you may want to bring your own/extra candy bag. You will get a bag as you enter the park, but it may fill up quicker than you think! Larger candy bags are available in the shops with the park's Halloween character art.
If you enjoy the regular fireworks show, then get a good spot in front of the castle for Hallowishes! It's awesome!
We enjoyed the Villains show, but did not fight the crowd to mingle and get pictures.
The Haunted Mansion at Disney World doesn't add anything to the actual ride for Halloween, but the outside of the mansion is beautifully lit, the cast members don a little extra makeup, and Madame Carlotta's ghost can be found talking with guests as you enter the queue, so definitely swing by to check it out! There are also photo ops available that aren't other times of the year.
If you have time to check out one of the dance parties, do it. Fun music, easy dances, and so worth it just to see some of the characters show off their moves. Sulley was hysterical. Just sayin'.
We will definitely go back to Disney World for MNSSHP again! It was a blast! I'm not sure we could have seen or done any more than we did based on the crowds, but we did not leave disappointed in the least little bit.
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Jennifer is the founder of Just Chasing Rabbits travel blog. She lives in Mississippi with husband/travel companion, Mark, and doggie-daughter, Gizmo. After obtaining a BA degree in studio art and working in the field of photography for years, Jenni has combined her love of travel and photography to form this blog. Mark and Jenni share their experiences in hopes of inspiring others to have wonderful adventures and see the world. You can follow Jenni on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Jennifer is the founder of Just Chasing Rabbits travel blog. She lives in Mississippi with husband/travel companion, Mark, and doggie-daughter, Gizmo. After obtaining a BA degree in studio art and working in the field of photography for years, Jenni has combined her love of travel and photography to form this blog. Mark and Jenni share their experiences in hopes of inspiring others to have wonderful adventures and see the world.