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“Where the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake… Mickey comes out for a Not So Scary Halloween Party?...”
I’ll workshop that later. Today marks more than halfway through September (how?!) which means I’m weeks late on this Mickey’s Not So Scary blog. I attended the Friday of Labor Day weekend and it went a little something like this…
I’m a big “bank-for-your-buck” type of girl, so I wanted to get to Magic Kingdom right as party guests were allowed to enter, which just so happened to be 4 p.m. We arrived a bit after 4 and were greeted with torrential rain. Florida, right? Immediately it was a cluster getting into the park due to the chaos from the rain. So, two ponchos later, we were wristbanded and within the gates.
One interesting moment right off the bat was that no one checked for a Halloween ticket upon receiving our wristbands. Theoretically, we could’ve been regular park hoppers, entering for the final two hours of hopping, and received a band without paying. Unless I’m missing something here. I’m sure there was some sort of identification in place upon scanning your pass or band at the gate, but still, not sure how they funneled in and out partygoers vs. regular ticket holders.
Anyways, this year, the party is doling out reusable trick-or-treating bags in honor of the 50th Anniversary, which was a great little souvenir! Now, because we got to the party so early, nothing was happening, as regular guests could still come and go until 6 p.m. We decided on an early dinner at Pecos Bill to wait out the rain and the crowds and made our way around the park until the party officially began at 7 p.m.
If you’ve never attended a MNNSHP event, trick-or-treating pop-ups appear across the park, plus special meet and greets, snacks, entertainment, shows, and lighting/music around the park. Not to mention, many of your favorite characters are in their Halloween garb, and many of the rides this year were decked out for the spooky season.
In terms of specialty Halloween Party snacks, we tried the Spellbinding Fried Pie, found at Golden Oak Outpost in Frontierland, and the Sweet Almond Corn Cake from Pecos Bill. We also tried the Sweet Corn Soft Serve at Auntie Gravity’s in Tomorrowland, however, this is just a seasonal treat and is not exclusive to the party, like the other snacks. Out of all, we ate that night, the fried pie was a hit, as it was stuffed with buffalo chicken. The corn cake was so dense and sweet and didn’t really “do it” for us, and the candy corn soft serve was surprisingly good… but just good.
Switching gears to those Halloween overlays, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, The Teacups, and Space Mountain all received special renditions for the party. We’ve ridden them all before with the overlay and recommend a new take on a classic, but Pirates and Haunted Mansion take the cake with their addition of actors both in line and on the attraction.
By the time we ate and rode a few rides, we decided to wait the hour-long wait time to meet Jack and Sally, another party exclusive. The Nightmare Before Christmas duo can be found in Town Square Theater at the front of the park and features a pretty festive overlay around the end of the queue. Of course, this was a memorable meeting, and the actors were fabulous!
Due to inclement weather, the first parade at 9:15 p.m. was canceled, so we decided to enjoy the park, catch the Cadaver Dans in Frontierland, and prepare for the fireworks at 10:15 p.m. This year's display is similar to the 2019 show, with Jack Skellington as the fireworks host and displays the Fab Five trying to escape a haunted house, led by Zero, the ghostly spectral companion to Jack. The show went off without a hitch!
From 9:15-11:15, the entertainment ramps up, so keep that in mind. We went from fireworks to the 11:15 parade, where Max as Powerline kicked off the fun with a Main Street dance party. Pro tip: He only comes out about halfway down Main St., so make sure that’s where you're camped out for Max. Unfortunately, rain canceled the appearance of the Headless Horseman, which was a bummer, but the rest of the parade was spooky as can be and the “Boo to You” soundtrack gave me all the nostalgic feels.
What are the can’t miss bits? If you’re attending between now and the end of the season, be sure to grab your exclusive Halloween party t-shirt in the Emporium. As I mentioned below, if you have to prioritize a ride or two, definitely check out a seasonal overlay ride. Try to catch at least one of the parades, a show (the Sanderson Sisters make an appearance around 8:20), and fireworks are a can’t miss.
Is it worth it? So, this year we arrived way too early. While the park did thin out between closing and the great party, you’re nothin’ special until 7 p.m. That being said, for over $100 per ticket, we got in a full 8 hours, so if you’re going without a regular park day, it might be worth your money to get there ASAP. This event is one of the most popular and my personal favorite, over the Christmas Party. If you have it in your budget, definitely do it at least once! This is also the one time a year you can dress up in the parks as an adult!
The last time I checked, the rest of the dates are sold out this year, so if you missed it in 2022, make a plan to go in 2023!
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