Hi y’all! While it may be way too early to be discussing Halloween for some of you, I live near Walt Disney World, which means it’s been Halloween since August 16th. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is in full swing here at Disney World until October 31st. I myself am attending the party tomorrow, Sept 10th and I cannot wait! Today, I am going to be sharing with you some of my tips for a successful MNSSHP.
If you don’t already have tickets to MNSSHP or want to learn more about it, check it out on Disney’s website.
Here are my top 5 tips to making the most of your not-so-scary Halloween party!
1. Have a game plan
While MNSSHP is a special ticketed event and crowds may be smaller than typical park days, it is important to have a game plan going into it! Be sure to know what activities, attractions, and meet and greets are a MUST for you and your family before you go. The blog wdwinfo.com has a great post that includes the map for the event so you can take a peek at times and locations before you go. There is also a whole list of character meet and greets that you may not want to miss. If there’s a character you need to meet I recommend heading there first, even before the party starts, because lines get long fast (especially for Jack & Sally).
Character Meet and Greet Guide (all of these are subject to change at any time):
- Main Street, U.S.A. – Mickey Mouse, Tinker Bell, Jack Skellington and Sally
- Adventureland – Aladdin with Abu, Princess Jasmine, Jafar, Genie
Tarzan, Jane and Terk
Captain Jack Sparrow
Moana (Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room) - Frontierland – Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit
- Liberty Square – Grave Diggers (Liberty Square Gazebo)
- Fantasyland – Belle and Gaston (Gaston’s Tavern)
Alice, the Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum and the Queen of Hearts
Ariel & Prince Eric
Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet
Cinderella & Princess Elena, Rapunzel and Tiana (Princess Fairytale Hall)
Anastasia and Drizella - Storybook Circus – The Seven Dwarfs
Donald, Daisy and Minnie Mouse
Pirate Goofy
Cruella De Vil - Tomorrowland – Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear
Elvis Stitch (Inside Stitch’s Great Escape!)
2. Plan on viewing the FIRST showing of the parade and stage show.
I see many people recommending to see the final parades/shows of the night because the crowd thins out. While this is true and a great point, all shows and parades can be cancelled at any time for any reason, such as rain. A few years back rain cancelled ALL of the stage shows AND parades scheduled for the evening. Thankfully we stuck around and at midnight (technically the end of the party) they were able to squeeze in the parade followed by the stage show at 12:30 am. However, you many not get so lucky. So many people don’t even go see the shows or parade. While I know short wait times are tempting, remember you’re paying around $100 FOR the Halloween party and its special offerings!
3. Take advantage of the free perks.
While you are paying around $100 (give or take) for an event ticket, it’s still a pretty good deal. You do not need an additional park ticket to come to the event! PLUS, you can get into Magic Kingdom at 4pm, which gives you 8 total hours of park time with a ticket that costs less than a 1 day pass to the park. Also, THE CANDY. I cannot describe to you how much candy Grant and I left with last year. The prior year we didn’t even visit any of the candy stops, but last year we hit them all and had almost 2 bags EACH. That being said, I recommend taking a bigger bag for your candy lol. Finally, check out the map I linked before for special PhotoPass magic shots that are exclusive to the event!
4. Consider trying the event-exclusive food.
MNSSHP has tons of food offerings that are exclusive to the party that can be found all over the park! And of course, I cannot fail to mention all of the party-exclusive popcorn buckets they have to offer. All of these special offers can be found on the party guide map. While they have some new beverages and snacks I am excited to try, I highly recommend the Hades Nachos from Pecos Bill if you’re a buffalo chicken lover!
5. Dress for the weather.
I truly cannot stress this enough. I understand some people have been planning their costumes for months. But remember, you will be in Florida where it is HOT and RAINY. For Grant and I’s first MNSSHP together two years ago, we dressed up as Kronk and Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove (pic below). Grant had layers on, I had intense makeup, and we both had unbreathable fabrics. We were HOT and MISERABLE all night. Last year we opted for shorts and Halloween tees and had much more fun! So while I encourage you to dress for the occasion, just keep in mind what you’re getting yourself and potentially your children into.
Well, that’s about it! I hope you enjoyed this quick post about MNSSHP. I hope it was helpful to y’all who requested it! I cannot wait until our party and maybe I’ll be back with a party roundup post (update: here’s a link!). Let me know your comments and questions below and whether you’re going to MNSSHP this year!
Thanks for reading,
xoxo
Jayme
I loved this post! This year was my first time attending the party and I went super early bc one of my best friends was in town and said she had to go to the party! We also did Cruella’s Halloween Hideaway at Tony’s and had the. Best. Time. Free booze, desserts, heavy appetizers. Plus hanging out with a cruella and getting great seats for the parade without waiting around for them! To me, it was maybe a one time thing, but totally worth it!
Hey Rachel! Thanks for reading, glad you liked it! I would love to do one of the special events at one of the parties at some point. Glad to hear y’all enjoyed yourselves.
These are great tips on the party. Have fun at the party tonight and can’t wait to read your roundup post about your time there.
Great list! We still have never been to this party! Kind of sad to miss Oogie Boogie’s Bash this year at Disneyland!
Thank you! We’ve never done any parties one the West Coast, but it’s definitely on my bucket list!