Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (2008)
Short lines for rides, a terrific parade, free candy, awesome fireworks – we liked these features and more for our first time ever attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) on a Thursday night in October.
By
Travel agents Tim and Anne Larison,
Josh (age 14) and Andrew Larison (age 14))
The Basics
MNSSHP is a ticketed event held on selected nights in late September and October in the Magic Kingdom. TIP: The party starts at 7 pm, but you can get into the Magic Kingdom early with your MNSSHP ticket. On this night Disney opened the gates for MNSSHP ticket holders at 4 pm. Keep this in mind if you are in Disney World for the week and want to save a day of your “park hopper” pass. We spent the day doing other things outside the Parks (seeing a movie at Downtown Disney, playing miniature golf, etc) then we were ready to enter the Magic Kingdom shortly after 4 pm.
Tickets usually go on sale 2 to 3 months before the event. TIP: If you want to go to MNSSHP on Halloween night buy your tickets far in advance. In 2008 we found Halloween night sold out by mid September when we purchased our tickets. There are “premium” nights, “non-premium” nights, and advanced purchase discounts for Disney Vacation Club owners and Annual Pass holders. We liked going on a Thursday night – less crowded than the weekend nights!
The Rides
“The thing I liked most about Mickey’s Halloween Party was the short lines. The line to almost every ride was like a Fastpass line because it was so short. I went on Space Mountain and Splash Mountain more than 5 times each and they were both fun.” Josh reports. “The line for Space Mountain was about 5 minutes long when usually it takes at least 45 minutes or more,” says Andrew.
Not every Magic Kingdom ride is open for the party, but most of the popular ones are operating. We only found a long wait for the Haunted Mansion (wonder why? J) TIP: The shortest lines for the rides are right when the party opens and during the first parade.
Trick or Treating
What would a Halloween party be without trick or treating? Disney sets up several stations throughout the park where name brand candy is given out. When you enter the park you each will receive a bag to hold your free goodies and a map of the Trick or Treat stations. We initially thought we’d let Josh and Andrew do the trick or treating and us old folks would help eat their candy later. Not so! Adults can get into the trick or treat lines too! TIP: Consult the map if you want to visit each of the Trick or Treat stations. In the dark we didn’t always see the entrance to the candy station and passed right by some of them.
TIP: A Disney cast member friend of Tim’s told him that after 11:30 pm the Trick or Treat stations give out the most candy! That’s when Disney tries to get rid of all the leftover candy they have stocked for the night. If you can hold out until the last 30 to 45 minutes of the party (things close down at midnight) you can get quite a haul of free candy!
The Costumes
Don’t have a costume? Don’t worry – you won’t feel out of place. Yet we did see many guests wearing costumes for the party.
The Parade
Mickey’s “Boo To You” parade is one of the highlights of the night. In 2008 the parade was held twice nightly (at 8:15 pm and 10:30 pm). TIP: We found a spot near the Hall Of Presidents to be a perfect spot to watch the parade. While waiting for the parade we were treated to a chorus from 3 “ghosts” of the Haunted Mansion song right in front of us!
Don’t miss the Headless Horseman! His ride is right at the beginning of the parade and he goes by quick!
The parade floats were unique with their Halloween themes, but still included all our favorite Disney characters, including the villains. There were even cast members walking the parade route, handing out candy to the parade watchers.
Fireworks
Disney puts on a wonderful “Happy Hallowishes” fireworks display at 9:30 pm. This was one of the most colorful Magic Kingdom displays we have seen. The castle changing colors and the fireworks coordinated to Halloween music adds to the spooky effects. “The fireworks were amazing and some of them were huge,” says Josh.
Other Activities
We split up for the Halloween Party. Mom and Dad rode a few rides but were more interested in getting good viewing spots for the parade and fireworks display. For Andrew and Josh it was as many rides as they could fit in before midnight, along with a few trick or treat stops! Though we didn’t participate other guests had fun at two dance parties (Stitches Cosmic Dance Party at Cosmic Rays, and the Get Up and Boo-gie Dance Party at Ariel’s Grotto). A Villain’s Mix and Mingle show was performed on the stage in front of the Castle.
Summary
We really enjoyed Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party. While we rate it slightly below December’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party both events are very fun and get you into the spirit of the holiday. Disney really knows how to throw a party!