Disney World’s annual Halloween party, known as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, is one of the most fun celebrations at Disney. We’ve always loved visiting Disney World in the fall, but it wasn’t until last year that I had a chance to check out MNSSHP. It was a blast- even in the rain! Keep reading for our guide and tips for attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and doing Halloween at Disney World.
What is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, known as MNSSHP, is Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disney World. It’s an after hours event geared toward all ages, and isn’t typically scary (even for the littlest party goers.) It includes access to a fun, Halloween-filled night including:
- All rides at Magic Kingdom (including some with special Halloween effects)
- Special shows like the Hocus Pocus Spelltacular, Zombie Bash and Disney Junior Dance Party.
- An amazing Halloween fireworks show with a fun storyline and images projected on Cinderella’s castle.
- The Boo to You Disney World Halloween Parade with several Disney Villains and unique characters.
- Trick-or-Treat Trail, where party goers of all ages can collect Halloween candy throughout the parks.
- Special character meet and greets, including traditional Mickey and friends in Halloween costume and special characters that aren’t typically found in the parks.
- Fun Disney World Halloween treats accessible only to party guests.
- Special party only merchandise available for sale.
2023 MNSSHP Hours, Dates and Ticket Info
2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party dates have just been announced! The 2023 MNSSHP will be taking place from August 11 until November 1, 2023. 2023 MNSSHP event dates are as follows:
- August 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29
- September 1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29
- October 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31
- November 1
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Hours
Exact details for 2023 have not yet been confirmed, but MNSSHP hours are typically from 7pm until midnight each night. In the past, on party days you can enter Magic Kingdom any time after 4pm on the day of a party, ride rides and see any regular park attractions during that time. Special characters, Halloween lighting and effects then start at 7pm. On party days, Magic Kingdom closes at 6pm for regular guests.
Pro Tip: If you want to avoid the crowds getting into MNSSHP, get there around 4:15 pm to avoid the mad rush right at 4. After you enter, you’ll get a wristband for the party at the tunnel under the train station, and you can grab a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party map there as well.
Tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Tickets for MNSSHP are purchased separately from (or addition to) regular park tickets. 2023 MNSSHP ticket prices start at $99 for children ages 3-9 and $109 for adults. Actual prices vary by date. You can find the full schedule and ticket prices here.
So, when do 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets go on sale? Starting April 27th, guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Swan and Dolphin and Shades of Green can purchase MNSSHP tickets. On May 2, 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets will be available for all guests to purchase.
If you’d like help planning a Disney World Halloween 2023 vacation, I’d love to help you! I’m a travel agent specializing in Disney, and you can contact me here to get started!
Rides at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
One of the best parts about attending a Disney World after hours event is the access to shorter ride lines. We rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with only a 15 minute wait, for example, and it’s usually a 90 minute wait at any time throughout the day. For Space Mountain, there was a 0 minute wait and we walked right onto the ride after the fireworks. During MNSSHP, basically all of the rides at Magic Kingdom are open, including:
- Tomorrowland: Astro Orbiter, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Speedway & Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover
- Liberty Square: Haunted Mansion
- Fantasyland: Dumbo, Barnstormer, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mad Tea Party, Under the Sea & Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train
- Frontierland: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad & Splash Mountain
- Adventureland: Jungle Cruise, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean and Swiss Family Treehouse
TRON/ Lightcycle Run will also be open for MNSSHP and is expected to be accessible via virtual queue.
A few attractions and rides at MNSSHP also have special Halloween effects added. These include:
- Halloween lights and music at Alice’s Mad Tea Party
- A pitch-black Space Mountain with Halloween music. (This definitely is scarier for littles, but as an adult, it was so fun!)
- Live actors on Pirates of the Caribbean
- Halloween lights and special effects outside of Haunted Mansion
- Special Halloween jokes at Monsters, Inc Laugh Factory
Some attractions are not open during MNSSHP. These include Mickey’s Philharmonic, Tom Sawyer’s Island, Country Bear Jamboree and the Tiki Room.
Note: You cannot purchase Genie+ for use at MNSSHP. Lightning Lanes can only be used from 4-6pm if you had a separate park reservation that day, as Genie+ must be tied to a regular park reservation.
Character Meet and Greets at MNSSHP
One of the main reasons people go to Disney World’s Halloween Party is to see the special characters they can’t see at the parks during the day. Characters at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party vary from year to year. Although 2023 MNSSHP characters haven’t been confirmed, some of the past MNSSHP characters available for meet and greets included:
- Jack Skellington & Sally, located at Main Street
- Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet & Eeyore adorably dressed in Halloween costumes by the Winnie the Pooh ride
- Alice & the Mad Hatter by the Cheshire Cafe
- Minnie Mouse, Daisy, Donald & Goofy dressed in Halloween costumes at (Big Top)
- Ariel & Eric near the Little Mermaid Ride
- Drisella and Anastasia; the stepsisters from Cinderella
- Aladdin characters including Aladdin, Jasmin, Genie and Jafar by the Magic Carpet Ride
- Stitch in an Elvis costume in Tomorrowland
Note: Jack Skellington and Sally have a long line almost any time of the night, and people were waiting for hours to see them during the party we attended. The lines to visit other characters weren’t that long though and were about 15-20 minutes throughout the night.
You can also find villains including the Evil Queen, Oogie Boogie Man, Maleficent, Cruella and more at the Boo-to-You Parade and Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular.
Special Halloween Treats at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
When you attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween, you can’t miss all of the fun MNSSHP food. Some of the best MNSSHP treats in prior years included:
- The Spellbook Buffalo Chicken Pie
- Apple Pie Milkshake at Auntie Gravities
- Oh My Gourd Pumpkin Cupcake at Main Street Bakery. (This is one of the Disney Halloween treats that’s available all day long- not just at the party!)
- The Sweet Almond Corn Cake at Pecos Bill at and the Worms & Dirt Funnel Cake at Sleepy Hollow are two Halloween party treats that we wish we tried and didn’t have time for!
You can find the full list of Mickey Halloween Party treats from last year here. There are also many other Disney World food offerings that are available outside of the party. Additionally, there’s a MNSSHP dessert party that’s available for additional purchase and can be booked 60 days from your party date.
If you’d like a table service dining reservation during MNSSHP, Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table and The Plaza are open during the Halloween and Christmas parties at Disney World. If you’d like to eat at another sit-down restaurant or quick service option, be sure to eat before 6pm. Most quick service restaurants turn into Trick-or-Treat stations during the party.
Trick-or-Treating at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Don’t forget to stop at the Trick-or-Treat stations at MNSSHP as well! There are several in each area of the park, and you can trick or treat starting at 7pm. Be sure to grab a trick-or-treat bag, and cast members will give out handfuls of candy at each stop. You can wait in line for each stop more than once, and some people end up with huge bags full of candy.
The Halloween candy at MNSSHP is fun-size candy bars from Mars. If you have allergies, there are also alternative allergy-friendly options as well.
You can find the various MNSSHP trick-or-treat stations listed on the MNSHHP brochure or in the MDE app under attractions.
Shows at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
One of the best parts about Disney’s Halloween party is the amazing shows and performances throughout the night.
- Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular is the Halloween fireworks show at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and it’s one of the best Disney fireworks shows we’ve seen. There are laser lights and projections across the castle the entire time, with a fun and spooky tale that follows Mickey and friends and is hosted by Jack Skellington. The music and light projections are just as great as the fireworks. The MNSSHP firework show is only held once each night, and you can catch it at 10:15pm.
- Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular: This headliner show is held on stage in front of the castle 3-4 times a night. It’s hosted by the Sanderson Sisters and includes several of the most popular Disney villains like Oogie Boogie, Maleficent, Cruella, Jafar and more. It’s a quick show and takes place several times throughout the night. (This was so fun when it debuted in 2022- just in time for the Hocus Pocus 2 movie premiere!)
- Zom-Beatz Bash: If you have Zombies fans, there’s a dance party in Cosmic Rays that’s held during the entire MNSSHP with Zombies and Cheerleaders.
- Disney Junior Dance Party: This fun Halloween dance party features several friends from Disney Junior and is held at Storybook Circus all night.
- Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet: The Dapper Dans sing Halloween inspired tunes with funny jokes during their performance. They perform from the balcony over Frontierland at several times throughout the night.
Boo To You Halloween Parade at MNSSHP
Aside from the fireworks at MNSSHP, the parade was another one of the best things to do at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The Disney World Halloween parade goes from Frontierland to Main Street and it’s held two times a night, at 9:15 and 11:15pm.
- The featured Boo to You Halloween Parade characters include:
- Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy dressed in Halloween Costume
- Pirates Captain Hook and Jack Sparrow
- Square dancing with Clarabelle Cow and her feathered friends
- Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion
- Buzz Lightyear and the aliens
- Several Disney Villains including Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and more
- There are also several Disney princess and other characters walking the parade and interacting with guests along the way
Last year’s MNSSHP parade also featured Powerline Max and the Headless Horseman. We’re hoping to see them both come back in 2023!
Pro Tip: Be sure to catch the first MNSSHP parade just in case the second is rained out. It poured on our MNSSHP night, and the first parade was a modified cavalcade. Thankfully, the rain stopped for the second parade of the night, and it went on as planned.
Costumes for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Not only can you dress up for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, but it’s very much encouraged! Most MNSSHP costumes are based on popular Disney shows and movies. I went with my best friend to my first MNSSHP, and we were searching for unique MNSSHP costume ideas.
We ended up dressing as the original Mouseketeers. It was an easy costume, with a white short sleeve sweater and blue skirt from Amazon. We added our nicknames with iron on black felt letters and then had Mickey ears made by Grace of Glam. (The original mouse ear hats were typically worn by Mouseketeers, but we wanted a less expensive alternative.) We also happened to have matching Vans sneakers, but any white Keds or sneakers would work well too. It makes a great group or family costume as well if you’re looking for Disney costumes for a group!
Note: It tends to be very hot at Disney World in the summer for the early party dates. Be sure to dress accordingly. And plan for rain regardless of your party date- just in case!
ShopDisney has some great Halloween costumes, and you can always shop at your local Target or Amazon. As an alternative to dressing in costume, you can also wear Disney World Halloween shirts or go in your regular clothes. Shop Disney Halloween shirts and accessories here.
Pro Tip: Florida experiences the highest temps in August and September, so make sure your costume is breathable, so you don’t overheat. Be sure to follow the costume guidelines for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, as they tend to be stricter for adults and you can be prevented from entering if you don’t comply. You can find the MNSSHP costume rules here.
More MNSSHP Tips
- If you’re attending MNSSHP with toddlers or babies, be sure to have a stroller with you and ideally one that folds for them to fall asleep. (Although they may surprise you and want to party all night! We are regulars to Disney with toddlers, and my kids don’t want to miss anything while they’re there!)
- Use the MyDisneyExperience app to find characters, special activities and trick-or-treat stops throughout the party. Be sure to grab a map at the tunnel as well.
- Alcohol isn’t served throughout the parks during the party, unless you do a MNSSHP dessert party that includes alcohol. You can also make reservations at the table service restaurants that are open during the party.
- If you have a park hopper or a Magic Kingdom ticket for the day, you’ll need to head back to the Magic Kingdom entrance to grab your party band.
- Don’t forget ponchos! It poured during the entire MNSSHP we attended, and we still had a blast.
- If you don’t have dinner reservations, be aware that quick service locations stop serving meals at 6pm. After that, it’s just MNSSHP party snacks!
- If you want access to the special MNSSHP photos, be sure to purchase Memory Maker to take full advantage of PhotoPass options at the Halloween party.
- If you want to save money, attend MNSSHP on a separate day and treat it like a park ticket, versus paying to go to a different park in the morning.
Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party MNSSHP worth it? If you’re looking for MNSSHP reviews, we think it’s worth it, especially when you consider that you’re getting 8 hours of park time. That includes rides with short waits, so many extra shows and characters that aren’t part of a regular day at Magic Kingdom. And it’s just as great for adults as it is with younger kids.
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