When I found out that I would be arriving in Orlando on November 1st, the last night of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party , I knew I had to be there. I have been to the party before, but it had been a few years. I had originally planned to hit the party solo, but my friend Kerry ended up rearranging her schedule to join me. I’m so glad she did – we had such a great time!
Costumes are allowed (although there are some rules!), and I usually jump at the chance to wear something fun. However, since whatever I was going to wear had to be worn or carried onto my flight that morning, I kept it light and recycled my Officer Judy Hopps costume from last year’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon.
We ended up arriving right around 4:00 pm, which is when you can enter the park with your party ticket (even though the party technically doesn’t begin until 7:00). Party-goers are given special wristbands and then guided into a backstage area by cast members, where we were given our trick or treat bags, along with the first candy of the evening. There were also several photo ops along the path, before we were routed back out into the park.
Around 7:00, when the party officially began, the atmosphere of the park changed dramatically. The lighting and music changed to a festively spooky tone. Guests were also asked to show their wristbands in order to go on any attractions, and I saw several cast members explaining to day guests that it was time to leave unless they wanted to purchase a separate party ticket.
My friend and I had both previously been to the party, and we knew the importance of having a plan. We each had a couple of must-do’s, but we also knew that it would be impossible to do everything. Since we had both previously met the most popular characters, standing in a 2+ hour long line wasn’t on our agenda.
Party-Exclusive Snacks
One thing that was on the agenda was trying as many party-exclusive snacks as possible. My favorite of these was easily the Pumpkin Mickey Waffle at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. It came with two waffles, delicious vanilla ice cream, and a caramel drizzle. Perfect for sharing!
The next set of treats on my list were the Haunted Mansion desserts that were found in five different locations (Liberty Square Market, Aloha Isle, Storybook Treats, Galactic Goodies, and Auntie Gravity’s). The first one we tried was filled with Raspberry Compote and topped with white chocolate mousse. This was tucked inside a chocolate tart shell and had a white chocolate piece on top, with the Haunted Mansion design on it. It looked great, but unfortunately tasted a bit like cardboard. Neither of us were impressed.
We decided to give these one more shot, so we tried the chocolate peanut butter tart. Waaaaaaay better than the first one! You really can’t go wrong with peanut butter! However, we decided that we’d probably be disappointed with the other variations of this snack and agreed to abandon our mission to try them all.
Unfortunately, time passes way too quickly at these parties, and we weren’t able to try everything (although we did enjoy some delicious popcorn while waiting for the parade). The other party exclusive treats included:
-Mickey Pumpkin Cheesecake Dome
-Jack Skellington Push-pop style dessert
-Candy Corn Ice Cream (word on the street is that this is actually just vanilla soft serve)
-Worms n’ Dirt
-Vampire Mickey brownies
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
Hocus Pocus has been very popular around my house this year, so I couldn’t wait to see this show! It was funny, and I loved seeing favorite classic Disney villains incorporated into the story. The projections onto the castle were also amazing to see!
Mickey’s “Boo to You” Halloween Parade
This parade runs twice per night, and is kicked off by the Headless Horseman riding down the street! There are classic characters dressed up for Halloween, villains, pirates, and the crowd favorites – the Haunted Mansion gravediggers and ballroom dancers! All of this, along with a catchy song that will surely be stuck in your head for days, makes for the best parade at Walt Disney World! If you’ve never seen it, I strongly suggest heading to YouTube ASAP!
We watched the second parade, which meant that crowds were significantly lighter. In fact, when we walked back to Frontierland about 30 minutes prior to the start of the parade, the area was pretty much deserted. We had a great view and got several interactions with characters.
Happy Hallowishes Fireworks
Another party must-do is the special fireworks. The crowds were pleasantly light on the final night of the party, so we were able to get a great view front and center. This is not always the case, so if you are attending on a crowded night, you’ll want to stake out a spot early. Don’t get too close, though, or you’ll miss the awesome effects of the circumference fireworks. So cool!
Special Character Meet and Greets
One of the biggest draws of the holiday parties is the opportunity to meet rare characters, or classic characters in holiday attire. The most popular characters at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary are Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas and the Seven Dwarfs. Both lines can easily run 2-3 hours (or more!), so it is advised to line up for those right at 4:00 if you are interested.
Other characters at the party included: Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy, Alice and the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts with Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, the Winnie the Pooh gang, Ariel and Eric, Belle and Gaston, Lotso, Anastasia and Drizella, Cruella DeVil, Tarzan, Jane, and Terk, Moana, Captain Jack Sparrow, Aladdin and Abu, Genie and Jasmine, and Belle and Gaston.
Since we had met many of the most popular characters (thanks, runDisney!), characters weren’t high on our list of priorities. However, with about 10 minutes left in the party, we stopped for a quick photo with the Queen of Hearts with Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee.
If you intend to meet characters, I strongly suggest deciding beforehand which ones are most important. Character lines can eat up a lot of valuable party time!
Trick or Treating
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary is the one place where adults are encouraged to trick or treat! There are stations set up across the park, clearly marked with a light-up sign. Lines were short on our party night, and since it was the last night, cast members were giving out handfuls. This year, the candy was Mars brand, which meant lots of Snickers, M&Ms, Twix, and Skittles. There was also an area guests could go to get some allergy-free treats. Everyone is included at Mickey’s party!
If you plan to focus heavily on trick or treating, you may want to bring your own bag. Guests are given small bags when entering the party, but they can fill up quickly! One more tip: trick or treating lines get much shorter at the end of the night!
Rides
During the party, lines for rides are typically very short, since many guests are focusing on other special experiences. The exception to this is Haunted Mansion, since it gets some special party treatment! This is the one ride that I would consider a must-do during the party. There is fog, cast members have on additional makeup, and there is a special ghost out front, chatting (aka heckling) guests, and she is hilarious!
We had ridden earlier in the evening, but made sure we stopped by just to watch Madame Carlotta (she sometimes switches out with her sister Rinotta) interact with guests. She was great – a definite must-see!
We also managed to get a ride on 7 Dwarfs Mine Train right as the party was ending. I got to walk through the queue for the first time ever (I don’t ever ride this one without a fastpass!), and our ride was a great way to end the evening.
Party-Exclusive Magic Shots
This year there seemed to be more opportunities for special Magic Shots than ever before! We wanted to try as many as we could, and several of them turned out great! My favorites were the Headless Horseman and the Haunted Mansion lantern. There were several others that we just didn’t have time for or didn’t see.
One of the coolest things we saw while waiting in line for a picture was a beautiful bride and groom in their wedding attire. They said they’d gotten married a week earlier, but jumped at the chance to be able to take pictures in the park in the wedding dress!
Monstrous Scream-o-Ween Ball
Instead of the usual dance party back in Tomorrowland, Mike and Sully (and some of their pals) take over and party with the crowd. We made a quick stop when we saw George Sanderson dancing – who doesn’t want a picture with him?!
Final Thoughts
Maybe it was because everyone was already over Halloween, but November 1st seemed like a great night to be at the party! The crowds were light, everyone was still feeling festive, and we accomplished more than I had ever accomplished at a party before. I had such a wonderful time, and I’m already plotting to make it back for a party next year.
One other thing that I thought was really cool was that I exited the park around 12:30 am, and it was still fully decorated for Halloween. The next morning I entered around 8:00 am, and just like magic, it was Christmas! It really is amazing how things like this happen literally overnight.
If a party is in your future, just remember that there is no possible way to do EVERYTHING! Managing expectations and having a plan is going to be the key to a successful night. And once you make a plan, be willing to be somewhat flexible, as things can change depending on crowds and weather. Relax, enjoy it, and be ready for a magical, not-so-scary night!