Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2025: What to Expect, Dates & Dining Tips
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is returning to Magic Kingdom in 2025 with a frightfully fun mix of spooky entertainment, rare character sightings, and sweet surprises. This beloved after-hours event runs on select nights from August 15 through October 31, 2025.
Whether you’re planning your first visit or you’re a happy haunt returning home, here’s what you need to know to make the most of your party night.
2025 Party Dates & Ticket Info
- August: 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29
- September: 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30
- October: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31
This is a separately ticketed event held at Magic Kingdom from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, with park entry available as early as 4:00 PM for ticketholders. Ticket prices range from $119 to $229, depending on the date.
Tickets go on sale:
- May 15 for guests with reservations at select Disney Resort hotels
- May 22 for all other guests
When You Arrive
When you check in, you’ll get a wristband, trick-or-treat bag and a an event map of all the special MNSSHP activities, food, and attractions. The park officially closes to non-event guests at 6:00 PM and cast members will start ushering guests out of the park if they don’t have an event wristband. The last stage show is at midnight and the official end of the party, but you can hang around and shop for a bit before the park completely shuts down for the night.
Dining During the Party
There is no shortage of Halloween snacks – both savory and sweet. Many quick-service dining locations remain open during the party with exclusive Halloween snacks and drinks available for purchase.
If you don’t want to make a meal out of spooky snack options or Quick Service party specials, sit down to a relaxing Table Service meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest Restaurant—serving party-exclusive menu items starting at 4:00 PM on event nights, for party Guests only. (Please note that these dining experiences are separately priced and are not included in the ticket price for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.)
There’s another separately priced dining option offered during the party — the Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party. The experience is just like the usual Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties, but with not-so-spooky themed food options. There are two party options — Plaza Garden Viewing and Tomorrowland Terrace. The former checks in earlier and comes with a spot in the reserved viewing area in the plaza garden area and the for the latter you stay seated on the Tomorrowland Terrace during the fireworks show. The Terrace viewing option is more expensive at $119 for guests ages 10 and older; $75 for guests ages 3 to 9, while the Plaza Garden option is $99 for guests ages 10 and older; $59 for guests ages 3 to 9. Personally I prefer the Plaza Garden option because you have a more direct view of the castle and fireworks, while the Tomorrowland Terrace has a more offset view. If the fireworks are cancelled due to inclement weather, the Dessert Party will still take place.
Party Highlights
The main attractions are, of course, the Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, and Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks show.
Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade
I’m a parade gal, so that’s my favorite. It’s the only time you’ll see the Headless Horseman riding through the park. Plus the most recent addition, Max Goof dressed as Powerline hosting a pre-parade dance party down Main Street. Not to be overshadowed, the grave diggers from the Haunted Mansion—iconic! There’s clearly a lot I love about this parade. It begins in Frontierland and runs twice during the party at 9:15 PM and 11:15 PM. (Note that Max Goof is not part of the full parade and only shows up on Main Street shortly after the Headless Horseman kicks off the parade.)
The Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
Join the Sanderson Sisters as they summon Disney villains for a high-energy castle stage show with music, spells, and mischief. This stage show is an excellent opportunity to see Disney villains that you don’t see often in the parks. The show lasts about 20 minutes and there are typically three show times, (8:35 PM, 10:45 PM, midnight) with an additional fourth show time option during October party dates (7:40 PM, 8:35 PM, 10:45 PM, midnight).
The Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Fireworks
This MNSSHP exclusive fireworks show is incredible and narrated by an amazing state of the art Jack Skellington puppet. The show follows Mickey and friends on a spooky trick-or-treating experience inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas. The fireworks show is scheduled for 10:15 but be sure to double-check ahead of time since this is a once-a-night event.
The Cadaver Dans
They don’t get top billing like the Sanderson Sisters, but the Dapper transform into the Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet for MNSSHP. They perform multiple times throughout the night in Frontierland. Their jokes don’t get any better as the Cadaver Dans but their performance is still definitely worth stopping for a few minutes to give them a listen.
Not-So-Spooky Activities
Trick-or-Treating
Trick-or-treating is ongoing from 7:00 PM to Midnight. While trick-or-treating is a cornerstone of the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party theme, it’s also a kind of a waste of time unless you’ve got young kids that really want to do it. You’re not getting amazing candy, just the same mini-size stuff you get at Target. So I’d say just make a couple of stops later in the evening and focus on other things.
Rare Character Meet-and-Greets
There are a lot of special characters out for the party, like Jack and Sally, Stitch as Elvis, and Pooh & Friends. You may even spot the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts lurking around the Tea Cups. Good news is that you can meet some of them before the party even starts. New for 2025—At Town Square Theater, Mickey and Minnie will, for the first time, greet guests together in their Halloween costumes.
Seasonally Spooky Ride Overlays
MNSSHP nights draw a big crowd but with all of the additional entertainment options it can be a good time to go ride some rides — especially ones that get a special Halloween treatment for the party. At the Mad Tea Party, the teacups get spooky lights and music. Pirates of the Caribbean has been known to have special characters in the queue and on the ride. Space Mountain turns into Deep Space Mountain and runs completely dark. My favorite is The Haunted Mansion — it gets the best treatment with spooky lights and mist, and special ghostly characters.
Get Your Ghostly Groove On
There are two dance parties happening during 2025 MNSSHP nights – the Disney Jr. Jam at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café—featuring some favorite friends from Disney Jr. shows, and an all new dance party that celebrates the new Disney Channel film ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires at the Tomorrowland Rockettower Plaza Stage. The dance parties for mainly for the kids and tweens, but anyone can join in if they want to bust a move. They all run from 7:00 PM to midnight so you can stop in anytime between activities to let the kids burn off some of the trick-or-treat sugar rush.
Not-So-Spooky Extras
The Merch
There’s always special MNSSHP merchandise that is only available to party guests. It varies from year to year but there’s almost always party specific earbands, collector pins and various shirts. Cast members start putting out the party merch between 6:00 PM when the park closes to guests without party tickets and 7:00 PM when the party officially kicks off. The more popular items sometimes sell out early so it’s a good idea to make a pass through the Emporium when the party starts and grab whatever you’ve got your heart set on. (Pro Tip: The party pins nearly always sell out before the party ends, so if you want one grab it early.)
Magic Shots
If you purchased Photo Pass there are several opportunities for special magic shots you’ll only have the opportunity to get during the Not-So-Spooky Halloween party. One of the best is in front of the Haunted Mansion.
Costumes
This event is one of the few times that adults are allowed to wear full costumes into the parks. (There are rules though.) Just remember that it will still be super hot in Florida – even in October – so plan your costumes accordingly. I’ve done the party with a costume and without a costume and honestly I think I prefer no costume, or a comfortable Disney-bound outfit approach. I’d say that it’s about a 50-50 split between full costumes and no costumes for adults. Nearly everyone at MNSSHP is festive in some way—be it full costumes, seasonal shirts, or just Halloween ear-bands and light-up necklaces. Be festive in the way you’re most comfortable.
The Takeaway: Be Realistic With Your Plans
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party is always an amazing time but, as with most Disney World experiences, there’s really no way to do it all. So make your life easier and know your priorities before you go. Are you more interested in the special snacks and beverages, or are parades and stage shows your jam? Are you here for the dance parties and ride overlays or is camping out the perfect spot for fireworks more important to you? Trust me, you’ll have a much better time if you just plan of a few ‘must do’ experiences and then just go with the flow of the evening.
Pro Tips:
- PICK YOUR PRIORITIES: Don’t try to do it all – you’ll just end up disappointed. You can’t do it all, but you can make sure you enjoy what you do.
- EARLY ENTRY: You do not need to purchase a park ticket or make a park reservation, as long as you have a valid ticket for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party you will be allowed entry into the Magic Kingdom park. Take advantage of this and ride some rides or book an early dinner reservation.
- TRICK-OR-TREAT… OR NOT: Unless you’ve got little kids that insist on trick-or-treating, skip it for one of the special party snacks. If your littles want to trick-or-treat, wait a couple of hours for the lines to be shorter.
- COSTUMES – LESS IS MORE: Don’t overdo it on costumes or you’ll just roast in the Florida heat. Trust me, it’s easier to enjoy the party in a lightweight costume or just a festive t-shirt.
- PARADE CROWDS: The second run is typically less crowded. The first run is a good time to ride some rides or grab some dinner.
- DESSERT PARTY = MISSING THE PARADE: If you book the fireworks dessert party with plaza garden viewing, you won’t have a good view of the Boo-to-You parade first run. You can partially see and hear it, but you won’t be able to take any good photos or truly enjoy the parade performers.
- DINING: Use MouseWatcher alerts to snag MNSSHP dining package reservations or dessert party spots if you miss out on release day.