Magical Information to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together

Spooky season begins early in Orlando. Disney World and Common Orlando kick their Halloween festivities off earlier than Labor Day, so visitors have greater than two full months of limited-time occasions, seasonal eats, and fall-themed enjoyable to take pleasure in.

Disney’s fan-favorite Halloween occasion, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together, began at Magic Kingdom on Aug. 9, and I used to be there on opening night time. This particular occasion requires its personal ticket and isn’t included in customary every day park admission, however I feel it’s value the additional value; throughout the five-hour celebration, we went on eight points of interest with minimal waits, hit a number of trick-or-treat stops, snagged a number of the specialty celebration meals, and noticed the parade, fireworks, and stage present. 

Right here’s the whole lot it’s worthwhile to know — from can’t-miss leisure to the very best snacks — to plan the proper night time at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together.

Leisure

At solely 5 hours lengthy, it’s unimaginable to see and do the whole lot at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together in a single night time, however you’ll be able to examine a lot of the must-dos off your listing — when you go in with a sport plan.

Pause the trick-or-treating, character greetings, and rides for one factor: Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade. The parade begins with an look from the mysterious Headless Horseman, galloping his manner from Frontierland to Most important Road, and options iconic basic Disney characters of their Halloween greatest, alongside distinctive cavalcades of spooky characters — just like the hitchhiking ghosts from Haunted Mansion. The beautiful floats, particular character appearances, and catchy theme music make this my favourite Disney World parade, and I extremely advocate making it a precedence as you intend your night time on the celebration. 

The parade occurs twice an evening at 8:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. and travels from Frontierland (beginning close to Tiana’s Bayou Journey) as much as Liberty Sq. after which across the hub in entrance of Cinderella’s Fortress, earlier than heading down Most important Road, U.S.A. We discovered a spot round 7:45 p.m. in Frontierland, however the first present Is usually busier, and other people have been ready properly earlier than that for prime viewing spots. 

Creepy emcee Jack Skellington hosts Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular at Cinderella’s Fortress at 10 p.m. Fireworks, projections, and music from “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas” can have you singing “This Is Halloween,” even in August. 

The “Hocus Pocus” Villain Spectacular includes a mashup of infamous Disney villains who come to assist the Sanderson Sisters from “Hocus Pocus.” The present takes place as much as 4 instances nightly (relying on the date), so you might have loads of probabilities to test it out — I like to recommend catching the midnight displaying on the way in which out of the park. There are additionally dance events in Tomorrowland, singing pirates in Adventureland, and the Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet in Frontierland. 

Rides and Points of interest

Rides are open throughout the celebration, so visitors can anticipate brief wait instances for a lot of of Magic Kingdom’s prime points of interest. Each Tiana’s Bayou Journey and Tron Lightcycle/Run supply standby traces throughout the celebration — one thing you received’t see throughout typical park hours while you want a digital queue or paid Lightning Lane to entry them — so this can be a nice time to trip these sought-after points of interest to your coronary heart’s content material. 

Just a few rides supply particular theming for the occasion: You’ll be able to trip House Mountain in full darkness (with eerie tunes to up the fun issue), spin across the Mad Tea Get together with a festive ambiance, or hearken to some Halloween-inspired jokes at Monsters, Inc. Snigger Ground. If House Mountain is just too intense for you, hop on the PeopleMover for an aerial view of the celebration and a peek inside House Mountain, the place you’ll be able to see and listen to the overlay with out so many twists and turns. 

Though it may be a protracted wait throughout the celebration, positively make time to trip the Haunted Mansion. A duo of pleasant ghosts entertain visitors within the cemetery portion of the queue, and I discovered the ghosts’ interactions with the visitors to be humorous and intelligent, making for one among our favourite components of the night. 

Get together Meals and Drinks

Together with event-exclusive merchandise, there are bites and sips you could solely snag throughout Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together.

You’ll find them at quick-service areas all through the park, and it is smart to examine each obtainable possibility on the Disney web site beforehand so you’ll be able to plot out your snack plans. At Aloha Isle, the Dole Whip Mango and Chamoy Float (additionally obtainable throughout common park hours this season) was a private favourite; it combines refreshing mango-flavored Dole Whip with pineapple juice, chamoy, and tangy chili lime salt. The Spicy Meatball Arrabbiata Flatbread at Pinocchio Village Haus was a tasty and satisfying possibility for a fast dinner between rides. The Friar’s Nook has a number of party-exclusive eats, together with the ominous-sounding Bowl of Bones and the Buffalo Rooster Hand Pie; we tried and loved each, however the hand pie was my favourite right here. There are dozens extra distinctive meals and beverage choices obtainable, so make a listing of your must-try treats and examine them off as you’re employed your manner across the park. (Don’t overlook that many areas supply cell ordering through the Disney app.)

For visitors searching for a extra enjoyable meal in a table-service setting, Be Our Visitor, Cinderella’s Royal Desk, and The Plaza Restaurant are open and supply some party-exclusive eats. This celebration was the one time I’ve ever seen a wait as brief as 10 minutes to eat at Cinderella’s Royal Desk and not using a reservation — although you can also make reservations for these table-service eating places forward of the celebration when you’d like.

Dessert events are additionally obtainable to guide (for an additional cost) if you would like snacks and entry to a reserved space for the fireworks. 

Character Appearances 

Look ahead to characters decked out of their Halloween greatest all through the park. You’ll be able to take images with Mickey and buddies of their festive apparel, Sew in his cute Elvis costume, and Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger of their almost-too-cute outfits — plus extra characters (together with some “uncommon” characters that you just don’t normally see on the parks) of their typical apparel. 

Jack Skellington and Sally from “The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas” are very talked-about, and their traces typically exceed an hour. 

Trick-or-Treating

Prepared for the very best trick-or-treating ever? Whenever you arrive at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together, you’re given a bag and your first deal with of the night time, a full-size bag of M&Ms. The occasion gives greater than a dozen trick-or-treat areas across the park, the place forged members load your bag up with Mars Wrigley candies (suppose Twix, Snickers, Starburst, Skittles, and extra — all of the name-brand candies you at all times hoped to attain when trick-or-treating round your neighborhood while you have been youthful).

Every location is indicated on the map and by a trick-or-treat pylon. Traces could look lengthy, however they sometimes transfer quick—simply have your bag open while you get to the entrance. We went to about half of the deal with areas and ended up with a ton of sweet (I feel we counted about 70 items every), so children and adults alike will love filling their luggage with all of the sweet they’d like. The ticket value consists of all of the trick-or-treating, so there’s no further value. 

And when you or your children have allergy symptoms, don’t fear — you’ll be able to nonetheless take pleasure in trick-or-treating. Friends with allergy symptoms obtain a teal deal with bag and can get tokens from forged members at every trick-or-treat location that they will trade for allergy-friendly treats on the Allergy-friendly Facilities in Liberty Sq. and Most important Road, U.S.A. Though we don’t have meals allergy symptoms, we poked our heads in to see the way it labored, and educated forged members defined which treats suited totally different wants so visitors might choose which they’d like. I’d anticipate the Most important Road location to get fairly busy towards the top of the night time as individuals trade their tokens earlier than leaving the park, so take into account swapping some out midway by means of the night time or head to Liberty Sq. to keep away from the push (it was empty once we visited at round 9:30 p.m.).

Tickets and Dates

Magic Kingdom will host almost 40 nights of spooky enjoyable this 12 months. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together began on Aug. 9 and runs by means of Oct. 31. (After that, the park will bear a magical transformation from Halloween to vacation). It is a individually ticketed occasion, so that you received’t be capable to entry the celebration on a normal Magic Kingdom day ticket. Ticket costs differ by date from $119 to $199, with the most costly tickets round Oct. 31, however annual go holders and Disney Trip Membership members can rating a $10 low cost on celebration tickets in August and September.

The occasion lasts from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., however visitors with celebration tickets can get within the park earlier — extra on that under. Tickets are nonetheless obtainable for some September and October nights on the Disney World web site. 

Suggestions for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together

Get there early. 

Despite the fact that the celebration doesn’t formally begin till 7 p.m., celebration ticket holders can enter the park starting at 4 p.m. Plan to get there simply earlier than 4 p.m. to get in line for the celebration entrance and knock out just a few points of interest earlier than the celebration begins — although event-specific experiences at points of interest received’t begin till 7 p.m. Some visitors take this early entry alternative to hop in line for his or her favourite characters (Jack and Sally are a very talked-about alternative) to allow them to be among the many first when the celebration meet-and-greet begins. 

Put on a Disney-inspired costume. 

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Get together is without doubt one of the few instances visitors ages 14 and up can put on costumes contained in the park, however there are guidelines it’s worthwhile to find out about, particularly for visitors over 13. For visitors 14 and up, costumes have to be family-friendly, costume masks aren’t allowed, and costumes can’t attain the bottom. For extra particulars about what can and might’t be worn, try the official guidelines on the Disney World web site. Even when you don’t costume up, seeing different visitors of their greatest Disney-inspired outfits is so enjoyable. 

Keep at a resort on the monorail. 

Questioning which Disney World lodge to guide to your Halloween getaway?  Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Modern Resort are all situated on the monorail that goes to Magic Kingdom, making for a straightforward trip to and from the celebration. Disney’s Modern Resort is only a 10-minute stroll from the park, making it essentially the most handy possibility for guests who don’t need to cope with the crowds leaving the park when the celebration is over. 

American Signal Language interpretation is offered at some reveals on choose nights. 

American Signal Language interpretation is offered at choose reveals on three dates (Aug. 23, Sept. 26, and Oct. 24). Examine the Disney World web site for extra particulars about accessibility throughout the occasion.