It is officially October, but the Halloween party at Disney has already been creating some not so scary fun for a few weeks. If you haven’t been yet, this is the Halloween event not to be missed.
As a local Florida girl, I have spent my share of days at the Disney parks and my favorite event of the year is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. This was our fourth year in attendance, so before I share with you my tips for five things you should bring with you to the party check out these previous posts for more party details and tips:
- About Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
- Mom Tips for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (FYI the character line up changes every year, so it is now similar but different from this post)
- The Scoop on Candy at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Now that you have a basic understanding of the fun, let’s talk about what you should bring.
5 Things To Bring To Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
If it glows, lights up or shines, bring it. One of the best things about MNSSHP is that you get to experience the park at night. (That means less heat.) Sure you can stay after dark other days, but this day is special because the majority of the time you are in the park it will be dark. This is a perfect opportunity to break out some of those glow necklaces you can pick up for $1 this time of year. Also if your kids have light up shoes – wear them. It is so simple and yet because it is dark it adds so much to the evening. If you forget yours at home, you can also purchase Disney-themed Halloween necklaces at the park, but you can never have too many glowing things. So bring your own and buy some more.
HOT TIP – Attach a glowing mouse head necklace to your stroller to make it easier to find in the dark.
Stroller? BRING IT. Eventually there comes a time when parents look at each other and debate, “Do we really need the stroller?” When it comes to MNSSHP the answer is always yes. This was the first year we didn’t have a stroller for our five year old (last year we had a double, this year a single), and man did we miss it. Here is the thing about strollers, when kids are not sitting in them they make an excellent candy bag holder. But as the night wears on, they will want to be in that stroller. Even though our five year old has done Disney several times without a stroller, making it till midnight without one was a struggle. At some point the baby ended up on dad’s shoulders and the big kid took over the stroller.
When in doubt, bring the wheels.
Dress the part. This is a Halloween party after all, so guests young and old will be dressed from head to toe ready to go trick or treating. And when I say head to toe, I mean it. Some of the guests at the party have costumes as good as the Disney characters themselves. While my husband and I elected not to dress up this year, I did wear my Minnie Mouse Pirate ears. Yes, there are plenty of adults who don’t dress up (if you aren’t feeling it), but not the kiddos. Nearly every kiddo is dressed up — or at least in a Disney Halloween shirt. And you don’t want your brood to feel left out. If you don’t want to spoil your Halloween costume just yet, do what we do drag last year’s costume out of the closet, and give it one more round of fun.
HOT Tip – This year Elvis Stich made his park debut. You can find them in Tomorrowland.
Hot Tip – The best trick-or-treat spots are Mickey’s Philharmagic, Pinocchio Village Haus and Monster’s Laugh Floor because there are two candy stops at each trail.
So there you have. Bring these essentials with you for a night at MNSSHP and you will be ready to take on the night.
Here are a couple quick facts:
- Not all of the attractions are open for MNSSHP – check current map for details
- 2018 MNSSHP dates and ticket information can be found here
- Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade runs at 8:15 & 10:30 (the second is less crowded)
- Happy HalloWishes Fireworks are at 9:30
- The party officially starts at 7 pm, but you can arrive as early as 4 pm
- The park closes at midnight
This looks like a great event, I wish I lived near Disney. 🙂
Omg thnx totally forgot some of these things and we r going on tues!!
This is great, thank you. We are going this year for the first time and are very excited. You mentioned you arrive as early as 4pm… Are we allowed in the park if we only have the night event tickets?
Yes, tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary will allow you into the park starting at 4 pm. No earlier, but at 4 pm you are good to go! Have a blast! It really is our favorite event of the year.
Do the adults trick or treat too? We are going and I wasn’t sure 🙂
Yes!!! Treats for everyone! Each member of my family carries a sack, adults included.
FYI for 2016 MNSSHP some table service restaurants will be open. For example, I was able to make a reservation for Be Our Guest at 7:40 and confirmed with a Cast Member that Be Our Guest will be open until 10pm that day.
Thanks! That’s new! I need to make some reservations.
Not all attractions are open. Much of Adventureland, for example, is closed–including my beloved Jungle Cruise. Check around for a 2016 map online to determine which attractions and eateries are open. It’s a blast!
You are right, this is one of the new updates to the party this year. Sad they no longer leave them all open.
Please be careful because while it is “generally” true that you can enter into the park at 4, that is not always the case. I have seen them turn people away because the park was too full. So be careful, these tickets are for 7 to midnight and they are under no obligation to allow you in at 4. As a person who was turned away at 4, I was not happy because I had listenened to all these people telling me to go at 4, and we were turned away. We were able to get in at 6. Plan accordingly and it is a possibility that you may not be able to get in early on a busy night. I would try regardless, but don’t be shocked if they make you wait. Getting in at 4 is not a gurantee, its a courtesy only.