13 spelltacular party tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
So you’re planning on going to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. You’ve been reading up on it, scouring social media and are psyched.
You figure a few rides, some meet and greets, trick-or-treating, parade, fireworks and boom, your done.
Not that we don’t want to make that sound like a good plan, but you may need to re-think a few things. And, you do need to enter the park with a game plan. First, however, make sure you get the tickets early (if you have not done so already).
Here are 13 tips, in honor of Halloween, for the party:
1. Have a plan of attack: Do you really want to ride the rides, do you want to see the shows, do you want autographs. Check out the map here, before you get to the park. You can even save the image to your phone. This will let you get the lay of the land and when things are happening. Prioritize what you really want to do.
2. Have a late lunch before you get to the park: It might sound strange, but plan on a 2 p.m. lunch with some protein. While there are a number of quick service locations around the Magic Kingdom, there are only a couple of places which will be open later in the evening and you don’t want to waste your first few hours of the night eating in the park. Acknowledge that the night is going to be full of sugar. There is candy everywhere and great specialty desserts around the park. You can find those here.
3. Dress up: Stop shaking your head. Get in the spirit. You don’t need an elaborate costume, mostly because it will still be warm and you don’t want to be soaked in sweat all night. This is where Disney Bounding is at its best. Red shorts, a black top, Mickey Mouse ears, yellow sneakers and you’re all set. For those who like to go all out. Here are the rules. Remember, this is the only time of year adults can dress up, so enjoy.
4. Arrive early. Yes, you will be allowed into the park starting at 4 p.m. Go forth and enjoy, get a full night’s worth of park. The party starts at 7 p.m. and the crowds won’t thin until then, but the three extra hours is a great perk.
5. Purchase merchandise early. As we said, you will be allowed in at 4 p.m. The stores that have party merchandise will allow those with the party wristbands to the area where the party merchandise is so you can purchase. Do it early. Don’t waffle. You want to make sure you get the t-shirts you want in your size and saying, I’ll pick it up later is always the kiss of death. Remember, you an always return what you don’t want, you can’t purchase something the store doesn’t have.
6. Prioritize your Meet and Greets. On the first night of the party the line for Jack Skellington and Sally was already two hours long by 5 p.m. And, the cast members said three hours is more the norm. There are a lot of specialty characters that do not regularly appear. Figure out who you want your picture taken with. Here is where you can find everyone.
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| Mickey’s Boo-To-You Parade. |
Main Street, U.S.A.
Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
Liberty Square
Jack Skellington and Sally
Fantasyland
Anastasia and Drizella
Seven Dwarfs
Rapunzel
Queen of Hearts, Alice, Tweedle-Dee, Tweedle-Dum
Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger
Ariel and Eric
Belle and Gaston
Minnie Mouse
Cinderella
Cruella DeVil
Daisy
Princess Tiana
Princess Elena
Donald
Tomorrowland
Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear a.k.a. Lotso *
Adventureland
Tarzan and Jane
Moana
Captain Jack Sparrow
Aladdin, Abu, Genie, Jasmine, Jafar
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| Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular. |
9. Do not miss the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular. This show is in front of Cinderella Castle and has three showings, 8:15 p.m, 10:55 p.m and Midnight. Again, do not miss this show. If not the best show Disney has produced for the Forecourt stage it is in the top three. This has humor, good music and lots of Disney characters. People of all ages will get a kick out of this show.
10. Get a Magic shot taken. Disney Photo Pass photographers will be in key areas and they have a number of specialty shots they can take, including having you next to the Headless Horseman, or an animated shot where dancing ghosts appear. Locations and more information can be found here.
11. People watch. This is the time of year when it’s OK to look at others who are dressed up. It’s even fine to go over and tell them that you love their costume. We saw many people approaching each other and have pictures taken.
