13 ways to make Mickey’s Halloween Party Not So Scary

Are you’re planning on going to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom? For first timers it could be a bit overwhelming.

There is a lot to do, the ride, dance parties, shows and trick-or-treating. How can you do it all?

Here are 13 tips to help you navigate 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 or 3 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.

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: There are a lot of specialty characters that do not regularly appear. Figure out who you want your picture taken with. The map has the locations of where you can find the characters.

7. Go Trick-Or Treating, wisely: We throw in wisely because there is a strategy. While you will be given a small bag as you enter, you can bring your own larger bag if you want, and you will be able to fill it. Because the temperature can still be quite warm out for the August and September parties, you may want to go for the candy into the night or near the end. Finding melted chocolate in your bag is no fun. We do suggest going to one place early so you have something to snack on if you wish, but do the bulk of your stops closer to the end of the night. There will be no lines and they will be handing out candy by the handful. In addition, if you have allergies, there are two allergy center trick-or-treating locations. Check out the map.

8.  Enjoy the second parade: This seems obvious, but many people will line for the first showing of Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade.  Go on and do other things, get on some rides, get those autographs, take some photos. Catch the second parade.

9. Do not miss the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular. This show is in front of Cinderella Castle and has three showings, 8:30 p.m, 10:45 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.

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.

12. Do not miss the Happy HalloWishes Fireworks: This is another piece of entertainment you will thoroughly enjoy as The Ghost Host from the Haunted Mansion invites you to “drop in” as Disney Villains light up the night with fireworks and some great wicked music. It also has the 180-degree fireworks. You are going to want to watch the fireworks with the castle in front of you so you can see the projections. However, do not stand directly in front, either move to the side slightly or behind the Walt and Mickey statute so you can see all of the fireworks. Otherwise, the castle will block some of your view.

13:  The rides: There are no FastPass+ during the evening, and you won’t need it. The tickets are limited and after 7 p.m. the lines go down tremendously. There are three rides that have had special Halloween additions added: Pirates of the Caribbean, the Mad Tea Party and Sapce Mountain.