If you’re a fan of all things spooky season and also a die-hard Disney fan, then you simply can’t miss Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!
The big Halloween event of the year takes place in Magic Kingdom on select nights from August through November. This year, it’s already in full swing and we were there on the first night to check it out! But during that visit, there was something surprising we discovered.
There are several things that might draw you to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP). There’s exclusive merchandise, short wait times for rides, special entertainment that you won’t see elsewhere, and trick-or-treating. But in addition to all of those things, there are also rare characters!
Disney World uses MNSSHP as a great opportunity to bring out rare character meet and greets. This year alone, we spotted Genie, Abu, Eeyore, Piglet, the Queen of Hearts, the Seven Dwarfs, Jack Skellington, Sally, and more. The meet and greats are spread throughout the park and some of them can get REALLY long lines! (For real — Jack and Sally had a three-hour wait on the first night.)
But if you paid for a party ticket, you probably don’t want to spend too much of your time standing in line to meet just one set of characters. For some people, the solution to this is to hop in line as early as possible or to skip the parades or fireworks to do a meet-and-greet instead. In the past, a common solution has been to get in line towards the end of the night…but this year, there’s a problem with that!
During our visit to MNSSHP, we noticed that several character queues were closed EARLY! These character meets were advertised to last through the whole night, but some of the lines were cut off as early as 11PM. That’s an entire hour before the party ended!
Mainly the meet and greets that closed early were the ones with higher wait times — Jack and Sally, the Seven Dwarfs, and Winnie the Pooh and friends. Disney likely cuts off those lines early so that they can end the meet and greets promptly when the park closes, but it can be a problem if you were trying to wait until later in the evening so you could get a shorter wait time.
So how does this affect your trip to MNSSHP? Well, if you’re planning on doing some of those popular character meets, you’ll want to knock them out early on OR plan to go during the parade or fireworks times for the lowest crowds. Sometimes, the lines for the meet and greets form before the party starts, so you can hop in the queue early and only have to use a few minutes of actual party time.
We’ll keep you in the loop with any more Halloween news and offerings in Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB. And if you’re heading to the Halloween party this year, make sure to check out our full guide!
Click Here for Our Guide to the Halloween Party!
IT'S SPOOK-TACULAR!
Get ready for the spookiest season of the year at Disney World with our guide -- Halloween at Disney World: DFB's Spook-tacular Guide!
From the thrills of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party to the enchanting resort decorations that'll send shivers down your spine, our guide is packed with tips and tricks to help you squeeze every ounce of ghoulish fun out of your visit. Plus, we've got the inside scoop on all the limited-time-only bone-chilling activities happening across the parks!
Get the Halloween at Disney World: DFB's Spook-tacular Guide to make your frightfully delightful adventure even more magical!
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Are you going to the Halloween party this year? Tell us in the comments!
Roz says
Thank you for being honest about the not so happy things at WDW. That means a lot to your readers. Good job !