BREAKING NEWS: Disney Releases Dates for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – Tickets On Sale Soon

Happy Halfway to Halloween! From April 20-23, Disney Park is celebrating #HalfwaytoHalloween, and to kick off, we’ve got some big news on the super popular Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We got party dates and when tickets go on sale! Catch all the details below.

Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Alexis Mack:

It’s Halfway to Halloween here at Walt Disney World Resort and, in celebration of the wicked occasion, I’m excited to share that Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will return to Magic Kingdom Park late this summer and will run through this fall. Get ready for a spooktacular celebration with plenty of tricks and treats when the series of parties kicks off August 11.

With spellbinding entertainment, favorite Disney characters dressed in their Halloween best and more, celebrate the most haunting time of the year at Walt Disney World Resort. This limited-capacity, nighttime event starts at 7 p.m. and allows guests to experience shorter wait times on attractions, themed food and beverage and more. Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green can purchase tickets starting April 27, and tickets will be available to all guests starting May 2. The event dates are:

• • • August: 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29
    • September: 1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29
    • October: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31
    • November: 1

In honor of #HalfwayToHalloween, check out some of the most ghoulish moments to look forward to when this guest-favorite event returns.

Watch a Ghostly Promenade with “Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade”

It’s good to be bad, and your favorite Disney villains are back to stride down Main Street, U.S.A., alongside Disney heroes, the iconic Haunted Mansion graveyard diggers and other favorite characters. You may even spot some ghoulish new faces this year.

Get the Party Startled With “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular”

Jack-o-lanterns aren’t the only ‘Jack’ at Walt Disney World this Halloween! The Pumpkin King, a.k.a. Jack Skellington, will once again host the must-see nighttime spectacular, “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular.” Featuring projections, special effects and lighting paired with fireworks, music and iconic Disney characters, you won’t want to miss this!

Trick-or-Treat Yourself to Candy and Sweets

M&M’S, SKITTLES, and SNICKERS, OH MY! Guests can satisfy their sweet tooth at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party by stopping by trick-or-treating locations throughout Magic Kingdom Park.

See a Spellbinding Spectacle With the Sanderson Sisters    

The Sanderson Sisters, stars of the iconic “Hocus Pocus” films, will unite for an adventure and call on their comrades to summon the ultimate “Hocus Pocus” Party Potion during the “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” stage show at Cinderella Castle.

Also during the party, you may have the opportunity to experience some of your favorite attractions including Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the newly opened TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise. TRON Lightcycle / Run will use a virtual queue* during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, allowing guests to enjoy all the festivities while they wait to enter the Grid. Stay tuned for more details!

You won’t want to miss the hair-raising happenings at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party this year, so be sure to get your tickets. Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green can purchase tickets starting April 27, and tickets will be available to all guests starting May 2. Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more exciting details about all the scream-worthy surprises in store as Disney Parks celebrate #HalfwayToHalloween.

*Virtual queues are limited and subject to availability, times are subject to change, and joining a virtual queue does not guarantee entrance to any experience.

Dates and Pricing

RELATED ARTICLE: 13 Tips & Tricks for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

by Chad and Cindy Nykamp

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is Disney World’s most popular special ticket event, and it’s not hard to see why. This party is awesome! If you’re heading to a Halloween party, here are 13 tips and tricks for the best Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party possible!

Editor’s Note: The article below refers to 2022 pricing and dates. We include this related article for future planning, but please note that 2023 dates and pricing will be different.

1 – It’s Very Popular (It’s Going to Be Busy)

The Halloween party is very popular. It’s on most people’s must-do lists when they are visiting Disney World in the fall. The first party was in October 1995 and only occurred on one night. Since 1995, the party has grown. In 2022, there are thirty-seven party dates! We think it’s helpful to have the right expectations on crowd levels so you can have the best night possible. It will be busy. Main Street USA will be packed most of the night. The unique party activities draw the crowds, so you’ll see reasonable waits for attractions. However, expect very long waits for characters, especially the most popular characters such as Jack Skellington and Sally. That doesn’t mean you won’t have fun, but do not expect an empty park where you will walk onto attractions.

For the first time in the party’s history, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has had every party night sell out for the 2022 season. While ticket sales were slow this summer, after the parties began in August, party dates quickly began selling out, with all party dates selling out in early September. When we visited the party this year, we found the crowds to be much more manageable than in years past on a sold-out night. This has led to speculation that the number of tickets sold for the party in 2022 is less than what it was in 2019, the last year to offer the party, because of the pandemic. So again, be prepared for crowds–this is not an After Hours event where crowds are low.

2 – The Weather is Not So Perfect for Halloween

Think of Halloween weather; you may picture a crisp, chilly fall night. Not at Disney World. Expect a very warm party evening, especially in August and September. In both of these months, highs are still in the lower 90s, so the party will begin in the upper 80s and stay there. It will also be crazy humid through early October. In October, you may find some relief (one year we went to the party, and it was in the 60s!) but usually, you should expect a very warm evening. You’ll want to dress accordingly!

3 – Be Prepared to Come Early

While the Halloween Party hours are from 7:00 pm – 12:00 am, guests can arrive and enter Magic Kingdom at 4:00 pm with their party tickets. We highly recommend that you do this! Enter as soon as possible, and ride attractions on your must-do list. Also, eat your dinner before 7:00 pm so you can focus on the party-only options for the evening when the party begins. The park closes at 6:00 pm to regular-day guests, and this really helps clear out the park just in time for the party to begin at 7:00 pm.

Again, this year, you’ll find the Market Street entry. To help the flow of day guests exiting the park, party guests are being led to the right of Main Street USA to a backstage area usually used to relieve Main Street crowding on busy days. Here, guests receive treat bags and go through a few Treat stops, so you’ll begin the evening with candy right off the bat! It works nicely. However, if you want to experience walking down Main Street USA, you’ll need to hang a left and go back down Main Street.

This setup helped alleviate the traffic jam that usually takes place while many people are trying to enter and exit the park simultaneously. Note that this Market Street entry is open through 8:00 pm. If you come to the party after 8:00, you’ll just be able to walk down Main Street as usual.

4 – Be Prepared to Stay Late

On the flip side, plan on staying very late to get everything you can out of the evening. The party officially ends at midnight, but there are a few reasons to stick around after that. First, you can plan on catching the fantastic stage show, “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular,” at midnight – the last show. The show is about 25 minutes long, and by catching the midnight performance, you’ll free up time during the party to do other things. Also, as long as you are in line for an attraction by 11:59 pm, you’ll be able to ride that attraction.

From 12:00-1:00 am, there are usually many people around. Disney PhotoPass photographers were also still on Main Street, taking photos and out near the Magic Kingdom Entrance. Feel free to take time to get these last photos and enjoy the party ambiance!

5 – Don’t Miss the Amazing Entertainment

The entertainment options for the Halloween party are amazing. There is so much to do you’ll have to be picky and decide beforehand what your must-dos are. At the party, you’ll enjoy Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade (9:15 and 11:15), Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular (10:15), and the stage show Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular (8:35, 10:45, 12:00). In October an additional show will run at 7:40 pm. There are additional dance parties around the park as well, along with the Cadaver Dans in Frontierland.

We feel the Halloween party offers the best entertainment of all special events, period. The parade is a must-do, especially since there is no nighttime parade in the Magic Kingdom anymore. The new fireworks are fantastic, and Hocus Pocus is frightfully good!

We think the Boo to You Halloween Parade is the best parade Disney has ever put together (yes, better than the Christmas parade). However, the best part comes shortly before the official start of the parade when the Headless Horseman rides the parade route. DO NOT MISS THIS! This is the highlight of the party and is worth the price of admission. Seeing the Headless Horseman atop his huge, beautiful black stallion is breathtakingly eerie.

Click here for the Can’t Miss Experiences at the 2022 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for more information on the excellent entertainment options.

6 – Check out Attractions with a Halloween Twist

Once again, three attractions have been given “Halloween Twists” that you don’t want to miss. On Pirates of the Caribbean, you can interact with live pirates who encourage everyone to be on the lookout for Gunpowder Pete, a scoundrel with an eye on the same treasure sought by Captain Jack Sparrow. Over at the Mad Tea Party takes guests on a colorful teacup ride, as special lighting and other effects put a glowing new spin on the attraction at night. And finally, explorers visiting Space Mountain will hurtle through the blackness of deep space to the riffs of a hard-rockin’ soundtrack.

7 – Meet Unique and Hard to Find Characters

The Halloween Party offers a chance to get some photos with some very rare characters and some of our favorite characters in Halloween costumes. These wait times can get very long, especially for Jack and Sally, so be prepared for some pretty long waits! Here are some of the characters you can find at the party:  Abu, Aladdin, Anastasia, Ariel, Belle, Big Al, Daisy Duck, Doc McStuffins, Donald Duck, Drizella, Eeyore, Fancy Nancy, Gaston, Genie, Goofy, Jack Skellington, Jafar, Liverlips, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Piglet, Prince Eric, Princess Jasmine, Sally, Shaker, Tigger, Timon, Vampirina, Wendell and Winnie the Pooh. Check the MyDisney Experience App for character locations during the party.

Character appearances are subject to change.

8 – Come Hungry

We’ve already suggested you come to the party early to eat dinner, but you’ll want to save some room for the many treats available only at the party. For complete details on where to find the items, be sure to read the Foodie Guide for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for all the details!

9 – Wait a bit to Trick or Treat

Fourteen different treat locations around the party will distribute candy throughout the evening. How much candy you receive is up to you. Obviously, the more stations you go to, the more candy you’ll get. Right at the beginning of the party, the lines for candy are longer. You are free to go through the lines as many times as you like, and the candy is given by the handful. We recommend you wait a bit until you can walk through the treat lines with no waits. Finally, don’t worry about getting the garbage candy, the mean old lady down the street always gives out. The party features top-shelf candy choices such as M&M’s, Snickers, Skittles and more. There is a large variety of premium choices, so everyone will find something they like.

10 – Check out the Exclusive Party Merchandise

In addition to the fabulous food choices, many great merchandise options are available. Get your wallets ready! This year the party-specific event merchandise was only offered at Emporium on Main Street USA. There was a very long line (up to 45 minutes at one point) to get to the merchandise all evening. If there is something you want, head to the stores as soon as possible for the best selection!

11 – You Can’t Do It All in One Night

We’ve described some really amazing offerings. The truth is that five hours is not enough time to get it all done. We’d love it if we could meet all the characters and see all the entertainment, but it’s just not possible—at least not without going to the party on multiple nights. It’s best to know before you go that you’ll have to pick and choose what you want to enjoy during the party.

12 – You Really Need a Plan

You can certainly just show up at the party without a plan and have a good time. However, we feel if you want to maximize your time at the party and get the most accomplished, it’s best to have a plan. Think about what you absolutely want to do and see. What characters are you dying (see what we did there?) to meet? What entertainment do you have to see? What items can be saved for another time? The planning process doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Even just taking a few minutes and asking yourself questions like these can help you make a tentative plan for the evening. Even with a plan, you’ll want to be flexible and go with the flow.

Our best suggestion to get the most out of your party experience is to skip the attractions that you can ride on any normal day. Focus on the party-specific experiences first.

13 – The Party is a Whole Lot of Fun!

The main takeaway we want you to have is that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a whole lot of fun and a fantastic way to spend an evening at Magic Kingdom. Between the special event entertainment, food, merchandise, rare characters, and atmosphere, it’s really worth the extra money for the party ticket. It’s our favorite hard ticket event, and it continues to improve every year! We highly recommend it and hope knowing these 13 tips will help you have a spooktacular evening!

Editor’s Note: Our visit to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was not sponsored in any way. We purchased our tickets at the annual passholder rate. As always, our thoughts and recommendations are completely our own.