Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of the extra ticketed events offered at Walt Disney World. It operates from the end of August through to November on select nights in Magic Kingdom. Unlike Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights (which I will openly admit I am far too much of a wuss to attend), the Disney Halloween party is open to all ages and as a kid, I would have absolutely adored it, possibly even more than I loved it as an adult! So, although from the gushing first few sentences, you can probably gather which side of the fence I sit on, here’s my review of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
So what is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? How is it different to a standard day at Magic Kingdom?
Disney makes sure there are plenty of extra special, unique things to see and do if you’re a Halloween party-goer. The event has unique eats and merchandise available, meet and greets with characters who are rarely seen on average park days, special ride overlays and of course three shows which can only be experienced at the party. Not only this, but you get the chance to ride all the Magic Kingdom attractions in the dark and witness the spooktacular atmosphere lovingly created by all the Disney staff who really get into the spirit of the party. Besides, who wouldn’t want the opportunity to trick or treat down Main Street!?
So what did we love about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?
The atmosphere was electric! Despite being a whole month away from actual Halloween, everyone still made a huge effort to dress up and get into the spooky spirit. Everyone was in such a great mood and seeing the amazement and joy on kids faces was incredibly cute, you couldn’t help but be put in the best mood. It amazed me how much effort had been put into all the decoration for the event and how much the staff seemed to be having as much fun as the party-goers. If Disney is the happiest place on earth, Disney hosting a Halloween party is the happiest place in the solar system!
I loved the abundance of opportunities as a Disney guest to utilise your memory maker at the party. There were photographers everywhere with excellent decorated backdrops, props and unique magic shots to enjoy, these made great, lasting souvenirs for us to look back on when we got home to the UK.
Though it wasn’t something we prioritised this time, there were loads of unique character meet and greets. Characters not usually seen on average park days such as Sally and Jack from ‘A Nightmare Before Christmas,’ Lotso the Bear from ‘Toy Story 3’ and Cruella Devil are just some of the characters you can find on the Halloween party nights. Also, you can see the Original Mickey gang in fun Halloween costume too. If you’re an autograph collector or love the interaction with the Disney characters, the meet and greets at Halloween are definitely a must for you!
If you’re an adrenaline junkie the spooky overlay on Space Mountain should definitely be on your list! You get to ride in complete darkness which adds a whole new level of excitement to this attraction, we literally had no idea where we were or when the drops and turns were coming, it was intense!
The unique food was pretty cool. I would have loved to try more of the Halloween items up for grabs but unfortunately our tummies were full (we’d snacked before we left the hotel – rookie error) and we ran out of time but, I could have gone back time and time again to get a chance to bag myself all the themed goodies. The headless horseman cheesecake was a personal favourite of mine.
The trick or treating experience was great fun. With the map to guide you and being completely disorientated by the darkness and decoration, it’s like part trick or treat, part treasure hunt trying to make your way around to all the candy stops. For us, it was also a fun way of trying lots of American sweets, and they most certainly didn’t scrimp on the goodies, almost 2 weeks later and I still have candy left! For me, it brought back happy childhood memories and yielded great sugary rewards!
The pinnacle of the event for us had to be the three shows. The ‘Boo to you parade’ had so much to look at I thought my eyes might explode. The Disney villains took the Magic Kingdom Streets by storm with ghoulish theming and lots of fun and dancing. After that, Jack opened ‘Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular’ Firework display, this certainly did not disappoint, and like the new Happily Ever After firework display now showing nightly at Magic Kingdom, the castle projections, theming, fireworks and music were phenomenal. However, everyone’s favourite show was the ‘Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular’ which really brought down the house during witching hour to finish off the night with a bang. In my opinion, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party is worth it just to experience these three shows!
OK, So we LOVED IT, but was there anything we didn’t like?
The crowds for us are always a bug-bear, if I could have Disney all to myself and not have to share I totally would! Even in September the party was BUSY, but not unbearably so and I will begrudgingly admit that the party-goers added to the addictive atmosphere. However, there were queues and a lot of jostling for the best places to see shows and fireworks which more than anything frustrated me because it ate into my party time!
There is so much to do, there isn’t enough time to see and do everything. Now, I like to experience things to the full and it frustrated me that the party hours weren’t long enough to ride all the rides, see all the shows, collect all the candy, shop and sample all the snacks available and meet all the characters in one night. I know it’s a family event but I’d have loved for the party to start earlier and finish a little later so you have chance to see and do more, especially as crowd levels do slow your progress somewhat.
Though the effort made at the party is of a very high standard, the one area which I think maybe lacked a little were the rides. Now I may be being a little picky here and I know whatever they do, they have to be able to undo before 7am opening the next morning, but compared to the effort put into the rest of the event, the ride overlays left more to be desired. Space Mountain was a cool concept and was really enjoyable, and the look of the teacups with the fog and lights really fit the Halloween theme. However, there’s a reason many Disney reviewers advise skipping the rides and it’s because they don’t have as much wow factor as many think they could.
So Would We Advise Going To Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?
Heck Yes!! Whether you’re flying solo, have little ones or are just big kids yourselves, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t enjoy this event! It adds a great extra bit of magic for those who have experienced Disney a few times before and is a unique experience that any Disney or Halloween fan is going to love. I think if you’re a Disney first-timer, then maybe there will be enough to see and do without adding on the Halloween party too ( you can save it until next time because I can tell you now, you will be back!), but equally if you’re visiting in Autumn, then why not spoil yourself and book to go anyway!? My friends who were recently Disney first-timers hadn’t originally booked to go to the Halloween party, but fell in love with Walt Disney World so entirely that they promptly purchased tickets while out there, so that’s always an option too.
So there you have it, my honest review of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, a spellbinding combination of Disney magic and Halloween fun that anyone would struggle not to enjoy!
If you like this review or would like to know more about Disney or Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, check out the link to my other Disney posts here or email me if your questions remain unanswered on thejetsetvet@hotmail.com.
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