MickeyBlog News for August 18th, 2025
The best time of the year has arrived! Welcome to Halloween season at Walt Disney World!
We’ll all smile like Grim Grinning Ghosts in this week’s MickeyBlog News!
Party Time
(Matt Stroshane, Photographer)
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2025 has arrived, and…here. Just watch this:
If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, you and I are very different people. You should notice the upload date for that clip, too.
MickeyBlog recorded it on the opening night of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP).
Yes, this year’s after-hours holiday party got its start on Friday, and MickeyBlog was there.
Disney
We had started the week by confirming all the PhotoPass locations for the 2025 version of the event.
Then, our ace photographer captured pictures of the Halloween pumpkins arriving at Magic Kingdom.
Soon afterward, we learned that the Hitchhiking Ghosts would return at this year’s party.
So, we were already feeling it, and that was before we got our first taste of a Pumpkin Spice Coffee at Joffrey’s.
Joffrey’s
Oh, yeah. It’s pumpkin spice season! And that’s not all. Disney has officially kicked off Halloween at the parks.
Our team happily spent Friday enjoying all the highlights of the 2025 version of MNSSHP.
Sure, the phrase “better than ever” gets tossed around a lot, but… We’ve got Mother Gothel this year!
We also caught our first glimpse of the exclusive party merchandise, and check out this treat bag!
You’ll notice our bag was full. We know the deal.
More Party Details
Trick-or-Treat Bag & Map
You can check out this year’s party map, and we’ve also posted the showtimes for all the various entertainment options at MNSSHP.
Here’s a glimpse of one of the photo ops, the Hitchhiking Ghosts, and we tracked down every character.
So, you should have no problem finding them during your visit. This is when I reiterate a basic truth.
If you haven’t purchased your Halloween party tickets yet, it’s imperative that you do so now!
MickeyTravels can book your next Disney vacation!
Only a handful of events have remaining tickets. So, you should speak with a MickeyTravels agent.
These Authorized Disney Vacation Planners know which dates still have tickets.
Book with MickeyTravels now!
They’re also Diamond Earmarked, signifying that they’re the best of the best, yet they offer their services free of charge.
You can’t beat free, right? And you want to visit this year’s Halloween party, right? Then get to it!
Jack Skellington and Sally Meet-and-Greet – Town Square Theater
I mean, you could interact with the new-look Jack Skellington or hang out with Daisy Duck and Goofy.
Plus, this year’s new snacks are exquisite. Like, I don’t even know what this is, but yum! Oh, and there are beignets.
Halloween Mickey and Minnie
Most importantly, you can meet Mickey & Minnie Mouse together for the first time. What could be better than that?
Minnie Van Airport Rides Return
We’ve got a pleasant bit of unexpected news this week, and it involves Minnie Vans.
I swear by this form of transportation, as it’s the most Disney thing imaginable.
Minnie Van
We’ve taken several Minnie Van rides over the years, and they’ve always been delightful.
The one thing we haven’t ever done is book a Minnie Van ride to/from the airport.
That’s because Disney wasn’t offering the option during any of the trips we would have considered it.
Well, I’m happy to report that’s about to change, as Minnie Van rides to and from the airport are about to become permanent.
Minnie Van
There’s a catch, though. Right now, the only people who can book a Minnie Van airport ride are those staying at Deluxe Tier resorts.
Kristin Sabol has provided all the details here, but the gist is that you’ll pay $200 one way, which is admittedly steep.
Still, the comfort of knowing that a Disney Cast Member will drive you may justify the splurge.
Disney Miscellany
Photo: Disney
We’ve got some surprising news to discuss about Destination D23 2025.
Disney has published the full D23 schedule, but something’s missing. There’s not a theme park panel this year!
Photo: Disney
We’ll have to wait and see what the company has planned for this event, but I’m recalibrating my expectations.
Destination D23 may be lacking in massive theme park reveals.
Photo: Disney
I hope that’s not the case, but it would explain the early reveal of The Magic of Disney Animation.
At the parks, the early plans for The Beak and the Barrel could have gone better.
We thought we knew when reservations would begin. Alas, Disney suffered technical difficulties.
To the company’s credit, I think that was the first major snafu all year, which is pretty good.
Photo: MyDisneyExperience
So, Disney delayed the opening of the reservation window until this week. Specifically, you can book on August 20th at 7 p.m.
At Disneyland Resort, we’ve got a couple of updates, starting with Radiator Springs Racers.
Disney
Disney will refurbish this ride starting this week, and we now know when it’ll reopen.
Meanwhile, the Oogie Boogie Bash has revealed a couple of new characters, one of whom is Maleficent.
While that’s a great addition, the other puts the stars in my eyes. Syndrome is coming to Oogie Boogie Bash! How great is that?
Back at Walt Disney World, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will join Lightning Lane next month.
Photo: Disney
Disney also revealed the menus and pricing for the 2025 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.
Somehow, that’s not even the best part. We’re getting a Guardians of the Galaxy booth this year!
Disney Miscellany II
We’re also watching the weather a bit this week. It’s probably/hopefully not going to impact Disney, but Hurricane Erin has formed.
Disney Cruise Line was impacted, though. The Disney Treasure changed its itinerary to avoid the inclement weather.
Photo: Disney
This past week proved significant for Disney Cruise Line in other ways, too.
I’m happy to report that the Disney Destiny, DCL’s next ship, just performed its “Sail-Out.”
Somehow, that’s not even the best news! Travel + Leisure revealed that DCL is the best Large-Ship Cruise Line in the world!
Having finally been on a Disney cruise, I can assure you that the voters got this one right.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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Feature Photo: Disney
