Known throughout the kingdom as the best Halloween bash ever, kids and grown-ups alike are eager to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Held on select nights starting September 1st through October 31st, the tone of the party is pure Disney fun and magic with just enough fright to lend extra excitement.
What happens during the Not-So-Scary Part?
- Disney Villains Dance Mix and Mingle – Villains from Disney movies put on quite a show in front of Cinderella’s castle several times followed by character meet and greets. Little girls love meeting the Beast and boys are fascinated by Captain Hook’s hook.
- Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade – Led by the headless horseman, this parade down Main Street USA is a delightful take on all things scary or not-so-scary. The grave diggers from the Haunted Mansion are among crowd favorites but my family prefers the headless horseman and his horse.
- Happy HalloWishes – Don’t think for one minute that a special party pre-empts fireworks. Disney Villains once again take center stage to bring a loud and slightly ominous Halloween fireworks display sure to please all the kingdom’s spirits.
- Character Dance Parties – Make sure to wear your dancing shoes and meet characters at Tomorrowland’s Monstrous Scream-O-Ween or Woody’s Happy Harvest Round Up in Liberty Square. Both are great fun.
- Trick-or-Treating and Attraction Riding – As with any extra event in the Magic Kingdom, 9 or 10 of the top attractions will be open for riding. Scattered throughout the kingdom are generous candy stations for trick-or-treating.
What to wear and what not to wear
Part of the fun of this particular event is dressing up so don’t be a fuddy-duddy about it.
Couples or two kids – Costumes like Lady and the Tramp, Simba and Nala, Woody and Jesse or any princess and her prince make excellent costumes.
Families – Family oriented costumes are almost endless in choice but my favorites are Mary Poppins or Monster’s Inc. characters.
Groups of friends – Any Disney movie makes great costuming for groups but a favorite was seeing an entire dance team in Lion King show style costumes. I have to admit the birds were our personal favorites. They were adorable. Alice in Wonderland lends itself to excellent group or large family costuming as well.
Young children – 101 Dalmations costumes or the Alien toys from Toy Story’s Claw machine make great costumes for little ones.
Teenagers – Disney Villains are always fun to portray among the teen crowd. Among the easiest to imitate are Snow White’s evil stepmother or Cinderella’s equally evil stepmother and sisters or Scar from The Lion King.
Note: Your costume doesn’t have to be Disney related. I wore a Tweety Bird costume one year and took a lot of teasing from Cast Members but they also gave me extra candy.
Be aware: No costume should be offensive or violent. Keep in mind you’ll be riding attractions so costumes that are too large or drag the ground will not be appropriate or comfortable. They should not contain sharp or pointed objects that may harm another guest. Weapons, even toy weapons (with the exception of flashlight sabers) are not allowed. Masks may be worn but must not obstruct your eyes.
It’s best to obtain tickets early for this event since it sells out quickly. We thought we were too late one year after making a last minute trip to Orlando. We called Disney and were told the event was sold out but the Concierge at our hotel, Hawthorn Lake Buena Vista, was able to arrange Disney tickets at a good price. In fact, many Disney Good Neighbor Hotels will often have deals you won’t get anywhere else.
If you have a mix of ages from little to teen, consider taking the young ones back to the hotel and allowing the teenagers to enjoy Villain’s Sinister Soiree: A Wicked Takeover of Cinderella’s Castle.
It’s an extra special event where villains party in the castle until the wee hours of the morning. Attendees must also be present at the Not-So-Scary event prior to joining the party but as a special treat to teens, it can’t be beat. Call 407-939-5262 or check with your hotel’s concierge. Have fun and Happy Halloween!
Michelle Rise is a homemaker and Mother of 5 and travel enthusiast. With many years of experience trekking through Disney parks with her Family, Michelle has become
an expert on navigating families through Disney. She also enjoys travel to most other destinations worldwide and when not writing about her experiences or teaching her children to drive, Michelle can be found chasing the family dog up rainbow mountain with her husband of over 25 years, Ben. You can follow Michelle on Twitter, @Rise7Up, for all of her latest writings.
That sounds like such a fun time!
I love these costume ideas! My daughter and I really got a kick out of Darla from Finding Nemo!
Sound like a fun place to go. The costume ideas are great.
These costumes are so creative! What wonderful ideas!
I live in Orlando, and can’t wait to go to this next year when my daughter is old enough to enjoy it!