11 Best Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Tips

I love Halloween, but I’m more of the fun-loving, costume-wearing, candy-eating type, not the scary, cry-in-my-sleep kind. That’s why Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney World and I are made for each other. Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party worth it? For some, yes, and for others, no. These top Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tips will get you the best bang for your buck. 

Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Worth It?

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in 2024 is expensive, but if you love Halloween, characters in costume, and trick-or-treating, then this is the party for you. Tickets can reach up to $200 and times that by the number of guests in your party, then that’s a lot of money.

If you have kids that go to bed early and can’t stay up late, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is not worth it. If you’re an adult who hates Halloween and candy, nope, not worth it.

For me, this question is subjective. I think it depends what you want out of the party. Any Disney party is a good time to me. However $150+ is steep in my book. However, with all the things to do at Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween party, I can justify the price, especially for myself. 

Do you LOVE Halloween? Worth it! Do you love Disney + Halloween? Then Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is totally worth it! If you like happy ghosts instead of creepy gory ghosts, then Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is worth it!

But if you want a non kid-friendly Halloween party, try Halloween Horror Nights. Also, if you’re close to Hersheypark, then try Hersheypark Halloween!

I think Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a better value than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, but ask someone who just loves Christmas and they’ll disagree. 

I’m a Halloween person and so is my family. My kids LOVE Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so I set aside the money for the party and then save in other areas. Maybe we’ll skip a character meal or stay in a Value resort for a few nights.

Top Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tips

Avoid these Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party mistakes and follow these MNSSHP tips for the most party fun!

1. Hydrate and Don’t Underestimate the Heat

If you’re going to the August and September parties, it’s hot in Florida. Very hot. I love dressing up, but even I just had to wear shorts and a t-shirt to survive. For those who wear big ‘ol costumes, I salute you. But honestly, I want to be somewhat comfortable to enjoy the party as best as I can.

Get free ice water from quick-service dining locations or go for the Powerade. Usually when the sun goes down, the weather gets better, but not in Florida. It will give you tiny relief, but the humidity still makes it very hot.

2. Trick or Treat on the Trails

Treat trails! Treat trails! Some people come to the party to ride attractions when lines aren’t as long. I enjoy the Halloween extras, so I prefer to spend my time doing those things at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. 

Some people say skip the treat trails. I don’t subscribe to that. Halloween is about candy, so even though I can buy cheap candy at Walmart, I want the experience of dressing up and having someone plop a handful of candy in my bag.

If a line is long for a treat trail, then skip it! Most of the trails are air-conditioned, so it gives you some relief from the heat. The best treat trail at Mickey’s Not So Scary is the one by TRON. They had 3 treat trails in one! 

By the end of the night, cast member were dropping scoops full of candy into our bags if they still had candy left. Some trails did run out.

3. Get Some Rest Before Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween kid friendly? Generally, yes!  Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is kid friendly for all ages with no characters jumping out to scare you. However, if your toddler doesn’t like characters or wants to bed by 8, then you may want to rethink this.

Some people make the mistake of hitting the parks in the morning and then doing the party at night. I wouldn’t recommend this, because you paid for 5 hours of party, and you want to be awake for 5 hours of party. Take it easy or take a nap beforehand. 

4. Arrive Early – You Can Get in at 4 PM

You need a separate party ticket that costs extra from regular park admission to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Official party time starts at 7 p.m., but you can enter the park with your party ticket starting at 4 p.m. Here are the 2023 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party dates and ticket info.

The line to get into Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party can start forming around 3:00 p.m. They may let you in a few minutes early, but reports say that sometimes the line can take awhile to get into the park. 

When we entered the park around 4-ish, they gave us our party wristbands as soon as we entered the gate. Grab a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party map as you pass through. They also funneled party guests to the right of Main Street and handed us our trick-or-treat bags and a sweet treat!

5. Don’t Always Choose the 2nd Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade

With the absence of a nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom right now, the value of Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade is worth even more! It also happens to be my favorite parade of all-time.

There are 2 parades each night of the party, and most touring plans always recommend going to the 2nd parade. I don’t agree with all the time. Even if you go to the 2nd parade, you still need to arrive early to stake out a good viewing spot.

After seeing Jack and Sally, we exited about 10 minutes before the parade was supposed to start (in Frontierland), and there was plenty of space by Town Hall and that area. When we watched the 2nd parade and got there about 15 minutes before hand, we ended up by Frontierland and were about 4 lines of people deep.

Also if the weather is rainy, then they may cancel the 2nd parade. So if it’s a must-do (and for me it is), keep an eye on the weather.

Also, Max from The Goofy Movie and Powerline performs down Main Street after the Headless Horseman, and only on Main Street. So make plans if that’s important to you.

The Headless Horseman comes out about 15 minutes before the parade starts. It starts in Frontierland, so if you’re on Main Street, you’ll be waiting a little longer.

What makes this parade so special for me is the music, the variety of characters, the dancing ghosts from the Haunted Mansion, and the Gravediggers. I hold a special place in my heart for Disney Villains, so I love how they’re featured, but there’s still nothing nightmare inducing. This is one of the main reasons I attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

6. Try the Dessert Party for Not So Spooky Spectacular Fireworks

Does Disney World produce kick-butt firework shows every single day? Yes! I was a little sad about Happy Hallowishes leaving, but now there’s a new fireworks show during the Halloween party at Walt Disney World.

This fireworks show has projection effects, lasers, lights and fireworks and is hosted by Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular  also features Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy on a trick-or-treating adventure, as they are drawn to a mysterious haunted house. 

The Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington, will host “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular.” This can’t-miss nighttime extravaganza features projections, special effects and lighting mixed with fireworks, music and Disney characters.

Since Disney’s Not So Spooky Fireworks uses a lot of projections on Cinderella Castle (which are very cool), it’s better to be in the hub to watch them, and it can get crowded and hot in there.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time waiting for a good fireworks spot, then try the Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party. It’s expensive, but can be worth it, especially if you’re not on a tight budget. You get reserved fireworks viewing, drinks and a dessert buffet. It even includes beer and wine for guests over 21 years old. You can ask for a bottled water or soda to take with you.

This was my Garden View from the lawn at Magic Kingdom. We walked into the reserved area about 10 minutes before the fireworks started. There are some poles in the way, but overall it was a good spot. Normally I don’t recommend wasting party time, but if you’re going to be waiting around anyway, it’s a nice break to sit down in Tomorrowland Terrace and have some fruit, cheese, and desserts. Plus they have unlimited POG Juice!

7. Eat Before the Party Starts

You want to use the 4 pm to 7 pm time to eat dinner if you want dinner, so you’re not wasting party time. Do not make a Be Our Guest Dining Reservation, even at 5 p.m. You never know how long dinner can run. 

Also lines get pretty long at quick-service dining location during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and for the special treats. The special party treats are cute. But are they worth waiting in line for 20 or 30 minutes? No. Not one single one this year.

8. Watch Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular at Midnight

The Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s film Hocus Pocus are having a Halloween party and invite all your favorite Disney villains. This show is really fun and you can catch the last showing at midnight after all the party things have closed. Yes, you may be tired, but Winnie Sanderson will snap you out of it with her voice!

Did I mention the villains? I love seeing so many on stage at once, and their musical number is insane!

9. Skip Jack and Sally Photo Op

If you don’t care about the photo op with Jack Skellington and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, then skip it. The line is super long, and they are chatty. It wastes so much party time unless you get to Magic Kingdom at 3-ish, are one of the first ones to get through the gates, and head straight for their line. They will start meeting around 4 p.m. and then you can get it done before the party even starts. 

During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, you can get photo ops that you can’t get anywhere else, but they will cost you party time. Some people come just for character meet and greets! And I don’t blame them. They are cute. But know what you’re getting into. Lines can be anywhere from 45 minutes to over 2+ hours. 

Was this photo op adorable? Absolutely! Was it worth missing 90 minutes of party time? No. However, Jack and Sally do take their time with you, so it may be worth it if you’re a huge fan. But that’s one of the reasons why the line takes so long.

10. Bring an Extra Bag for Candy

Those little bags of candy fill up fast and they weigh a lot. Bring an extra small backpack to dump out candy into from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. It’ll help distribute the weight and if you have little ones, they won’t complain about heavy bags.

11. Pick Your One Thing

The party is 5 hours long, so you won’t be able to do everything. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do everything you want to do. Maybe you’re into characters. Maybe you’re into candy. Maybe you’re into parades and fireworks. Maybe you’re into rides. Have a plan. Make a list, so you can make the most of your time.

When I’m with a group or my family, we like to have each person pick their one thing that is most important to them. That way, each person in their party has a say in the plan and they get to accomplish their one thing. Everything else is bonus!

If character photos are your thing, here’s the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Character List.

If you’re just here for the ambiance, then you don’t need a plan. It all depends on your expectations. It’s not worth yelling at your family, cast members, etc, if plans get derailed. However, if you do run into hiccups, perhaps take it to guest relations afterwards. 

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is still my favorite party and I had a spooktacular time in 2023! 

If you need Halloween costume ideas, here are some DIY family Descendants costume ideas or my Easy Halloween Costumes. There are tons of things to do at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and the party is well worth the price tag for my family. You can also shop for costumes at the Orlando Character Warehouse outlets. Dress up and enjoy the bootiful ambiance! 

And if you love Halloween and can’t make it to the party this year, try making these Mickey pumpkin donuts or check out these funny Halloween memes!