Last Friday night, my daughter and I attended our sixth Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom— we've been almost every year since she was two years old! I think that says something for this event, which is one of our all-time favorites.
My daughter and I had a blast, as always, and I thought Disney kicked up the event a notch with more characters, decorations, and epic amounts of fog from the fog machines ... to give the park and even spookier look!
I could go on and on in an even longer post on what makes MNSSHP so great, but it would be much more fun to show you through some of my pictures from the 2012 event. Here are seven reasons why you should attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party with your family:
The Costumes
My daughter LOVES dressing up for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Since we attend the event early every year (always one of the first dates) she gets to wear her costume a full month in advance of Halloween. This makes me happy because she gets more use out of the costume and it's fun to see her get so excited about dressing up! This year she went as Lagoona Blue from Monster High.
My niece also attended her first party (my sister went 9 months pregnant last year!) and went as Rapunzel from Tangled.
Dressing up is not required, but I would encourage it. Keep in mind, Florida is still hot and muggy in September and early October, so you might want to bring a backup outfit if your child has a costume with a lot of fabric. Abby, my niece, was over that princess dress by the end of the night!
The Candy
If you want candy, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party has candy-- And there's no limit on how much you can take home with you! Each guest is given a trick-or-treat bag as they enter the park (yes, even adults!), and various treat stations are scattered around the park to fill up at.
My favorite treat stop is inside Pinocchio Village Haus for the Werther's Caramel Apple Filled Hard Candies. These candies made their debut last year at the 2011 party and I am so happy they returned. I may or may not have many extra trips through this line 😉
Some of our loot-- we actually had more chocolate this year than I remember from previous years. Other new additions were Peeps...
and Chiquita bananas!! After walking the park for a couple of hours, these bananas provided some much-needed nutrition.
The Characters
I love seeing the Disney characters dressed up in their Halloween costumes. I noticed MANY more villains out for photos this year, but we didn't stop for pictures. MNSSHP is the time to do meet & greets because most of the character seen during the party don't normally make appearances in the Disney parks during regular hours.
The Decorations
No explanation necessary -- it's just fun to see the park with a new look!
The Attractions
Seriously -- if you want to ride the rides ... this is the time to do it! We walked on to every ride open in the park, including Space Mountain! I know I've said this before, but this is worth the price of admission alone.
Here's some of that fog I was telling you about in front of Pirates of the Caribbean -- spooky, right?
Even the dueling Dumbo ride at Storybook Circus in the new Fantasyland was a walk-on!
Which is very cool at night, by the way.
The Parade
There haven't been too many changes to the Boo to You! Parade over the years, but I think I like it that way. This parade is one of my favorites and if you need a tip on where to view it, sit on the sidewalk at the entrance of the park across from the train station. You'll be the last one to see the parade, but you're very close to the exit! Most people forget that the parade comes through here.
The Price
The best thing about Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is the price. Tickets start at just $50.95 for children, and $55.95 for adults, when purchased in advance (plus tax). That's a considerable savings over a 1-day base ticket to the Magic Kingdom with the added benefit of costumes, candy, additional character meet & greets and rides without wait times! Another bonus is the park closes down to regular guests at 7:00 pm, so you have five hours of park time (the party ends at midnight) without excessive crowds or heat from the sun. Really, it's the best time to visit the Magic Kingdom!
Helpful links:
- 2012 Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party map -- to help you plan your night at the park
- More Tips for Attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween 2012 Party Dates:
September: 11, 14, 18 21, 25, 28, 30
October: 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30 and 31
November: 2
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.disneyworld.com/halloween.
Special thanks to Walt Disney World for providing media tickets to my family. All opinions are my own.
Beth Barbara
That is a great post. I am so excited to go. Your daughter's outfit was adorable, and your niece made a very pretty Rapunzel!
Anne - Mommy Has to Work
I would love to go again!!
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell
I want to go, I want to go, I want to go!!!!!
Kristina Vanni
Fun! I love the festivities of Disney - how neat it must be for Halloween!
HilLesha
So awesome!
Becca @ Mama B
We are going next weekend and I CAN NOT WAIT!
Louise
That looks so much fun
Tesa @ 2 Wired 2 Tired
It looks like so much fun! I would love to see the attractions, they look so cute! And those caramel filled candies sound fantastic!
Ty @ Mama of 3 Munchkins
Looks like a lot of fun!
Emily @FamilyNLifeLV
I'm really looking forward to taking my son here this Halloween!! In just about 1 month!! Woot!!
Kathleen
Great reasons. I really only need one though, Its at Disney!!!!
April Decheine
Looks like a great place to visit, my kids would of loved attending this!
Colleen
How cool, we are going up next month but probably to Animal Kingdom.
Zipporah Sandler
Looks so festive
Leilani
Looks amazing! I can't wait to take my girls.
Jenn @therebelchick
I am really trying to talk my daughter into going this year. She thinks she is too old. LOL
Jennifer
I was there last Friday too. You named the best reasons to go! ps. do you know you can get into the park early even with just a regular MNSSHP ticket?
Courtney
Looks like you had an incredible time! now I want a caramel apple 🙂
Stefani
I so wish I lived closer to Disney. I would get a year pass (if they have one) and go all the time. I would love to take all kinds of pictures.
Kelly
This is where I want to be on Halloween!!
Theresa
Wow! That looks awesome!
[email protected] The Thrifynistas
This looks like so much fun.
Lolo
So, so fun. We must go!
Toni
What a fun event!!!!
Hanan
I so wish we were closer, so I could take the girls!!
London Day Tripper
This is an early halloween treat for both young ones and not so young. My niece would surely really have a blast here. I can't wait to have time with them soon.
Crystal @ Simply Being Mommy
I wanna go! Man, we've never been during this time though.
Penelope (NYC Blogger)
You had me at Mickey…the rest is frosting (but wow, awsome frosting! Parades, costumes, candy, woohoo!)
London Day Tripper
Just booked some tickets for this! Cant wait to experience this. Feels like I'm a child again.
Jenn
I got to go a few years back and loved it! Hope to take my kids one day.
Donna
I would love to take my son!
Global Travel Blog
Christmas is coming! One of the great treat for kids is to bring them in a amusement park! This is a good choice.
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