Amazing Tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

A friend of mine hit me up this afternoon and asked a simple question.

His family will attend the 2024 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and asked me if I could offer him any tips.

I was slow to respond and my super-genius wife had already told him everything he needed to know.

Still, I went ahead and instinctively answered off the cuff, and I think that between the two of us, we gave some good advice.

So, here are my wife and my admittedly offbeat tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP).

Consider the Weather

My friend is going to a Halloween party in September. The average high temperature in Orlando that month is 89 degrees.

Even the “low” temperature is 74 degrees, indicating that it’ll probably be upper 70s or lower 80s during the party.

I’m all for getting into the spirit of Halloween by dressing in a costume.

Notably, Disney allows this behavior during MNSSHP as opposed to during regular park visits.

You’ll find strict guidelines for what you can wear at Disney, but the company loosens its rules for Halloween. It’s a costume party, right?!

If you want to dress up as your favorite Disney character, I admire your spirit.

What I’ll say is that I tried it once at this time of year. I’d purchased a Stitch costume to make my wife happy.

When I wore it, the heat from that costume made me realize it was one of the dumbest ideas of my life.

I never made it out of the room in costume, choosing to wear shorts instead. And I was much happier and more comfortable.

That’s not to say that you should follow suit. To the contrary, I think dressing up adds to the fun, especially if you have others joining you.

Still, you should pick something that won’t make you feel sweaty and sticky, especially on a hotter day.

This issue is less of a factor in mid-October, but it can be a real problem on some August and September dates.

Do all the Holiday Overlays

Three different attractions will employ Halloween ride overlays.

You shouldn’t have ridiculously high expectations for the changes, as that’s not feasible.

Remember that Disney operates the park for regular guests until the party is nearly ready to begin.

So, there’s only so much that Cast Members can change before MNSSHP starts.

Still, you’ll find some different lighting effects on two of the rides.

One of them is Mad Tea Party, which adds a bit of intensity for the Halloween event. It plays spooky music and looks like this:

Space Mountain goes an entirely different way. The so-called “Deep Space” Mountain experience is pitch black.

This one may freak you out, as it’s an experiment in sensory deprivation. But it’s also my preferred version of the ride.

Finally, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor introduces a Halloween version of its show and also doubles as a candy stop.

You can hang out here and catch your breath while enjoying the unique version of the show. And candy. In fact, hold that thought.

Live Actors Help

A couple of Disney attractions take a different approach to the Halloween party.

At Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, you may find live actors performing.

For example, here’s a Pirates of the Caribbean video from a few years ago.

A Cast Member introduces you to the villainous Gunpowder Pete, warning you of all his crimes.

Then, you later encounter Pete in an unexpected place. He’s standing on a bridge, talking trash to you!

Another Cast Member may surprise you early in the attraction queue as well. They’ll be in a prison, begging you to find a key.

At Haunted Mansion, Lady Rinotta and Butler Broome have been known to entertain guests with their ghastly jokes.

All these encounters are improvisational and well worth your time.

My only word of caution here is that Haunted Mansion will have some of the longest wait times during the party.

I mean, it’s Halloween! Of course, you’re going to visit Haunted Mansion!

Pace Yourself on the Candy

There are times when I’ve been at this party that I felt like I was more Starburst than human.

Not coincidentally, I’ve seen a gastroenterologist multiple times recently. Don’t be dumb like me.

You’re an adult. You should know by now that you CAN say no to candy.

Since I’m eight years old forever, I forget that and tend to tear through all the delicious goodies.

Seriously, “free candy” might be my favorite words in the English language. Please be better than me.

I often spend the day after the Halloween party regretting everything as my stomach constantly reminds me what an idiot I am.

Disney will throw you wave after wave of candy. It’s a seemingly endless resource at MNSSHP.

However, that doesn’t mean you have to say yes to all of it. Even if you do, there’s no need to eat everything that night.

You could feasibly take enough candy home with you to be good through New Year’s.

The last thing you want is to be dressed in a detailed Halloween costume, only to realize that your stomach has betrayed you.

Seriously, I’m a total idiot. Please be smarter. I’m the cautionary tale here.

Prioritize the Characters That Matter to You

Let’s talk about time management for a moment.

This Halloween party is a five-hour event, although a few festivities sometimes start a bit earlier.

What you don’t want to do is waste most of your time standing in line an excessive amount.

After all, these tickets aren’t cheap, and you want to maximize your investment.

Alas, MNSSHP hosts several character greetings, some of which are exceedingly rare.

So, let’s say that you want to meet the Gravediggers at the Haunted Mansion. You must stand in line for them.

Believe it or not, some of these lines can grow comically long.

I wish I were exaggerating when I say that I’ve stood in line for 90 minutes to meet Elvis Stitch and the Hundred Acre Wood crew.

Those are real things that happened, and I questioned the value of my purchase each time.

Then again, I’m a happily married man, and I lost a 1-1 vote on both decisions. Admittedly, Elvis Stitch was pretty good, too.

The point is that you should do what I say and not what I do because I’m a giant hypocrite on this one.

You’ll get much more from your visit if you cherry-pick a couple of character greetings and knock them out early in the evening.

Then, you’ll have plenty of time to do the other stuff that makes Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party so great.

PS: If you don’t love character greetings, just skip them!

You’ll get to do so much during the party while everyone else stands in those lines.

Watch the Shows

The legendary Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade justifies the price of admission to MNSSHP.

Seriously, that song just makes me happy, and the entire parade is overflowing with captivating visuals.

Then, we have the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular, which almost has a magnetic effect on Millennials and Gen Zs.

Finally, there’s the Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular, the Halloween version of the nightly fireworks presentation.

All these shows deserve your time and attention, as each one is exceptional.

Disney performs the first two shows multiple times per night, providing you with a more convenient chance at catching them.

You do NOT want to leave the Halloween Party without having experienced all three. You’re missing the point if you do.

Let us know if you use these amazing tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!

Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!

Feature Photo: Disney