While it may just be the beginning of August, it’s almost spooky time at Walt Disney World! The first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom will begin on August 16 with a total of 36 parties through November 1.
My daughter LOVED the Halloween party last year (almost 3 years old at the time)! Meeting the characters all dressed up in their Halloween best was the highlight of her evening.
See our entire Halloween Party recap post right here!
I can’t wait to take both of my kiddos this year to experience all of the fun that Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party has to offer!
From Trick-or-Treating down Main Street to the spooky yet fun Boo-To-You parade, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has so much for young kiddos to enjoy! Here are my tips to make sure your time at the Halloween Party is maximized and that everyone leaves with a smile on their face!
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with Young Kids
Plan your Day Wisely
One thing I definitely recommend with young kiddos before a late-night full of party fun, is to take it easy that morning and afternoon. Don’t overdo it! This is the one day of your Walt Disney World vacation where I recommend letting everyone sleep in. Don’t rush to rope-drop, instead take it nice and easy and try not to overfill that day with activities.
Be sure to also allow time for a nice nap! Give your kiddos the chance to recharge so that they’re well-rested and excited for the evening!
Arrive Early
The party start time is officially 7pm but you can enter the Magic Kingdom as early as 4pm with your party ticket! Arrive between 4 and 5 pm. A lot of the more popular characters will begin greeting guests between 5 and 5:30pm. Take advantage of this, especially if your kiddos want to meet a lot of characters during the party.
Even if characters aren’t high on your toddlers list, I still encourage you to arrive early. Book FastPasses during the 4-7pm hour and take advantage of those. I don’t recommend spending the majority of your party time on rides; instead, enjoy all of the party exclusive offerings.
Eat an Early Dinner
Just like arriving early to the Magic Kingdom should be prioritized, an early dinner will definitely help too. Make sure your kiddos are fed and ready to go once the party officially kicks off. I don’t recommend making dining reservations during the party time. You don’t want to eat up an hour of your party sitting down and eating.
If you’d like to sit down and eat before the party, plan to do so between 4 and 5pm.
Also, don’t hesitate to eat lightly before the party! There will be a lot of fun party exclusive treats available that you may want to try!
Pack Accordingly
Make sure you bring a costume for your kiddo to wear (nothing too hot, Florida is still really warm at this time of year). I also recommend bringing a change of clothes in case the costume excitement only lasts an hour.
The last clothing item I highly recommend bringing is pajamas. Your kiddos are going to be up past their bedtime. Once they start getting tired, switch them over to their jammies. That way if they fall asleep in the stroller, they’re ready for bed as soon as you get back to your resort or car.
We also like to bring our kid’s trick-or-treat bags. They will give you a plastic bag when you enter the party but in our experience, you can get a TON of candy and the bag will get really heavy for them to carry. I like to empty their personal bag into the plastic bags that Disney provides, that way they’re not lugging around a heavy candy bag through the trick-or-treat locations.
Choose Showtimes Wisely
There are multiple showtimes each night for the performances (except for the fireworks — there’s only one showtime for those).
- Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular – 8:30pm | 10:45 pm | 12:00 am
- Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade – 9:15pm | 11:15 pm
- Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular (Fireworks) – 10:15 pm
If you know your kiddos cannot stay up super late and don’t plan to stay at the party until midnight, make sure you prioritize the first parade and show. My daughter loved both of these last year so don’t skip them!
If your kiddos won’t last past the fireworks, I would recommend heading to the castle for the 8:30 Hocus Pocus show. Then make your way towards the front of the park (near the train station) to watch the Boo-To-You parade. And then stay in place for the fireworks! Once those are over you’ll have an easy path to the exit and will beat the crowd of people who also choose to leave after the fireworks are over!
If your kiddos will stay until the party is over, watch the second Hocus Pocus show and the second parade — they’re much less crowded.
With a little bit of planning, your young kiddos will have the very best time at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party! And you will to! Halloween at Disney is one of my absolute favorite times of the year! I highly recommend enjoying a party if it works with your vacation dates.
Follow along on all of our Walt Disney World fun on Instagram @brbgoingtodisney! I share tips and tricks LIVE from the parks each week on Stories! See you there!
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