17 Tips to Enjoy Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom 2022
Hi everyone!
We attended the first two nights of the 2022 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom after its return from a two-year absence. It is nice to have the Party back! This is my 10th year of posting tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and I’ve been attending since the mid-90s, it’s always fun to see what is new or a little different. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a separately ticketed event (Party nights are selling out quickly) and no reservation is needed to attend.
Here are my 17 tips!
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First, here is our Mousesteps Weekly Show #445 with Part 1 of our Not-So-Scary coverage, from the first Party night. Part 2 goes up this weekend!
Tip 1 – Plan ahead and prioritize what is important – There is a lot to see and do during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! You could stay on Main Street U.S.A. much of the evening watching Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, viewing the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular and experiencing Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular fireworks show and not spend much time in the rest of the park. Or you could go meet characters and hit some of the big highlights and not experience other aspects of the Party. You cannot see and do everything in one night. So I often suggest two Parties for guests who want to experience it all. But either way, definitely decide ahead what your priorities are.
Tip 2 – Dress as your favorite Disney character – While I personally don’t follow this tip, a lot of guests – adults and kids – love wearing Disney costumes and cosplay. Rules on what costumes are and aren’t allowed can be found here. In August, there are fewer regular costumes since it’s early in the season and it’s hot.
Tip 3 – Make the most of your ticket and arrive at 4:00 pm – Guests can enter the Magic Kingdom at 4:00 p.m. on the Party ticket. There is a special area behind Main Street (to the right) called the Market Street Welcome where guests can pick up a reusable Party bag with a pack of M&M’s (there are other locations in the Magic Kingdom for guests who are already in the park). Arriving at 4:00 p.m. allows for 8+ full hours of fun!
Market Street is open for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party guests at 4:00 p.m.
Reusable Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party bag
Tip 4 – Meet characters before the Party starts – Jack and Sally are probably the most popular characters each year at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. They began meeting around 4:30 p.m. on the first evening. I recommend getting in line at around 4:00 p.m. and not using up Party time waiting later. On the second night, we met the Pooh characters – they started that night at 6:35 p.m. Then there are quite a few characters who meet during the event once 7:00 p.m. rolls around, including Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater.
Our Jack and Sally meet and greet video
Tip 5 – Pick up your character autograph cards – Jack and Sally have an autograph card and the Winnie the Pooh characters too since they don’t sign autographs. It’s a nice souvenir when you meet these characters.
Jack and Sally autograph card
Tip 6 – Adults can Trick-or-Treat too – Take a bag for everyone, since all guests are welcome to collect candy. And while I am talking candy, I recommend collecting it later in the evening in August and September – much of it is chocolate and it can melt quickly in the heat. Plus lines are shorter at the end of the evening. There are some unique locations to trick-or-treat in, including inside the Country Bear Jamboree and Enchanted Tiki Room.
Country Bear Jamboree treat location
Tip 7 – Allergy friendly offerings are available – Guests can pick up a teal treat bag and trick-or-treat around the park. Cast Members will give out teal tokens, which can be redeemed at an Allergy-Friendly Center in the Magic Kingdom.
Tip 8 – Choose a spot for Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade – Watching the parade in Frontierland is much faster than where we usually go, which is Town Square. Seeing it in Frontierland gives an extra 10-15 minutes to get back to other Party fun. But if you want to see Max Goof as Powerline with the 90s themed pre-parade, that is on Main Street and in Town Square only. There was a fun party of sorts in Frontierland with the Country Bears before the parade started too (which I discovered on the second night). The Headless Horseman rides the entire parade route ahead of the parade.
Our Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade video from opening night
The Headless Horseman rides before Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade
Tip 9 – Don’t miss Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular –Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular debuted in 2019 and returns this year! This is a fantastic fireworks presentation that includes a life-sized Jack Skellington puppet hosting the show, and there are projections on the castle. It’s best seen from close to Cinderella Castle, but you can watch the fireworks from many areas in the Magic Kingdom.
Our Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular video
Tip 10 – Ride Space Mountain in the dark and more– There are several unique attraction experiences with “Halloween twists” that have returned in 2022 – at Pirates of the Caribbean, the Mad Tea Party, and Space Mountain. Pirates of the Caribbean has live actors, Mad Tea Party has special lighting, and Space Mountain is in the dark with new music. There is also a Halloween Twist at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, and it includes two treat stops inside.
Our Pirates of the Caribbean video
Tip 11 – Check out entertainment offerings around the park – The Cadaver Dans, Haunted Mansion characters Butler Broome and Madame Carlotta, along with three different dance parties are part of the entertainment at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party this year. The dance parties are the Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam, Monstrous Scream-O-Ween Ball and the new Zom-Beatz Bash.
It’s time to scream #MNSSHP #NotSoScary pic.twitter.com/wNhZlKgwfu
— Denise at Mousesteps (@Mousesteps) August 13, 2022
Tip 12 – Enjoy attractions with shorter wait times – Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a good night to ride attractions with much shorter wait times. Attractions with Halloween additions tend to be a little longer, but still we waited about 10 minutes for Pirates of the Caribbean later in the evening, and The Haunted Mansion was a walk-on for me twice later on as well. The Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain have great lighting at night during the Party.
The Haunted Mansion at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Tip 13 – Stop at PhotoPass locations through the park – There are special PhotoPass photo opportunities throughout the park. Some are Magic Shots, and there are are also props at some and Halloween photo frames, like one below.
Town Square Photo op
“Hocus Pocus 2” photo frame
Copyright Disney – PhotoPass Magic Shot with Hitchhiking Ghosts
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party shirt
Tip 15 – Trick or Treat during the final hour of the party – Take a nap in the afternoon if you need to, but it is definitely worth pushing through the party until at least midnight if you possibly can (I know it isn’t always possible). Trick or Treat stations can be busy early on, but that isn’t usually the case during the final hour. The first wave of guests leave after the first Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade, but the big exit is after fireworks and treat stations empty out for the most part. Rides are also much less busy at the end of the night.
Stopping for candy at the Country Bear Jamboree
Tip 16 – Stay through midnight (or later) – Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular offers three shows per night currently, the last one is at midnight. This allows guests to enjoy all of the elements of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party until midnight before seeing the show until nearly 12:30 a.m. (weather permitting). There were weather issues on the first night and Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular was not fully presented at all. But we do tend to stay until nearly 1:00 a.m. in the park, seeing the last show and then taking photos down Main Street U.S.A. That gives us just about 9 hours in the park on a Party ticket.
Tip 17 – Pick up your 50th Anniversary Celebration Halloween Print on the way out of the Party – This is a nice takeaway from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, it is more like a small poster (as far as paper quality).
Dates for 2022 are:
- August: 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30
- September: 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30
- October: 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31
Many of the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party nights are already sold out, and for good reason. In my opinion, the party is a decent value and also a lot of fun.
There will be more additions to this article in the coming week, including a few more videos. We have a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party YouTube playlist and I’m posting more articles as well. If you have any questions, let me know!
Happy Halloween!