Reviews of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (Magic Kingdom)
Reviewed by debg33 Review Date: 10/07/2023
Rating: (7) Recommended
We did the party on Oct 1st. We were lucky we had a beautiful night for the party. The wait times for the lines were much shorter than during the day. It was fun to trick or treat in the park. The fireworks were spectacular and loved the parade, especially since they no longer do a nighttime parade. However, I think they should sell fewer tickets. It was very crowded and difficult to move around. The candy was plentiful. For the cost they should at least include some sort of food. We were lucky to attend a Midnight Magic DVC party a few years ago. It included a meal ticket as well as unlimited mickey ice cream bars among other things and it was no cost to DVC members. It would be nice if they included the ice cream bars as a treat during this event. Everyone should do it at least once. We are glad we did it, but it is a one and done for us.
Pros:
decorations fireworks paradeCons:
costReviewed by Purpie Review Date: 09/23/2020
Rating: (7) Recommended
Whether this is for you depends on your situation financially and what you’re most interested in. Let me explain!
Me, only responsible for my ticket, is affordable. I go with family and they are a party of 4 and the cost adds up. With them, I enjoy the atmosphere, dance party or two and trick-or-treating. On my own, not so appealing.
The parade is great and the atmosphere really puts you in a Halloween mood even if you don’t care about Halloween (me!). We end up with a large haul of good candy, but I could have spend much less and bought candy on my own. You’re paying for the thrill of trick-or treating as an adult!
If you’re a dance party fan, you might really enjoy this.
There are also the special treats, but that’s an extra cost too.
Basically, you’d probably get the best value if you are really into Halloween, dance parties or just want to pay extra to (hopefully) have shorter lines on attractions. Overall, you’re money is getting you a fast pass on some rides, overpriced candy and special treats. The parade is a bonus but not worth the ticket.
I enjoy it but not a must as a neutral Halloween person. With others and paying my ticket, I’ll go. Add 2 more, and that’s a no.
Pros:
Puts you in a Halloween spirit, get to trick or treat like a kid and wear a costume, unique parade, unique treats, dance parties, shorter ride timesCons:
ExpensiveReviewed by colemamma Review Date: 01/28/2020
Rating: (7) Recommended
My teen daughter and I attended MNSSHP October 1st 2019. We enjoyed visiting the candy stations and ended up with 8lbs of candy between the both of us. The party was sold out and Magic Kingdom was packed with people. We didn't expect to ride 7Dwarves Mine or visit any of the characters. Those had lines that were crazy long. We did visit quite a few attractions though- Pirates, People Mover, Buzz Lightyear, Pooh, Haunted Mansion (very long line), Peter Pan, and Small World. We watched the second parade. For us, it was a nice one time experience. I don't know that we feel the need to ever do it again. I would avoid this event like the plague if I had small children or used a scooter or wheelchair. It was not well lit and almost every area was difficult to navigate on foot. Lines were often confusing, especially near Carousel of Progress (candy line)/People Mover. Cast members seemed to be happy and added to the festive atmosphere.
Pros:
fun trick or treating for adults/teens, every cast member we saw was into the Halloween spirit, Haunted Mansion overlay, great paradeCons:
they really over-sell these events, just too crowdedReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 10/09/2019
Rating: (7) Recommended
We have attended MNSSHP many times in past years so we do have some experience of what to expect. We decided to go on Sunday, Oct. 6th expecting lower crowds. Wrong! MK was slammed and my understanding is this party was not sold out. Buyer beware! They are obviously selling a lot more tickets than in years past. It was jam packed right up until midnight. The order ahead for food worked well. Our main goal was to see the new Fireworks show and Boo to You parade which were both amazing! Don't expect to do rides. Stick with experiencing the Halloween festivities and go another day if you can to enjoy the park.
Pros:
Special food items, Castle fireworks, ParadeCons:
Cost- Crowd- Long linesReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 10/08/2019
Rating: (7) Recommended
My son and I attended Not-So-Scary on September 15th. We had a blast! The lines were very low on many of the attractions, trick-or-treat station lines were very reasonable, the parade was great... I have no idea what people are complaining about.
Pros:
Short wait times for rides!Cons:
Character meet lines did seem long.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 12/18/2018
Rating: (7) Recommended
Way too many tickets sold for the night of October 31, 2018. Cast members were not as efficient with crowd control for the first parade. Ride and candy lines were long with 30 minutes plus wait for most rides. Enjoyed the interaction with the Haunted Mansion "ghosts".
Pros:
Park was decorated for Halloween Good candyCons:
Too many people for this day of the event!!!!!Reviewed by Nat Review Date: 09/30/2018
Rating: (7) Recommended
We enjoyed MNSSHP. We all got to dress up and collect candy and meet the seven dwarves! Great night!
Pros:
Candy!Cons:
Lots of peopleReviewed by manatee2420 Review Date: 10/07/2016
Rating: (7) Recommended
My husband, parents, and I attended on September 18th. We made a special trip from Georgia to celebrate. I have long wanted to go to MNSSHP and, being my 30th birthday that day, the timing finally seemed right. To say I had high hopes would be an understatement. I mean, to finally go to my favorite place on earth in the fall and on my birthday no less!
The party seemed much more crowded than I expected. As a teacher bound by school schedules, my husband and I usually go to Disney during the peak summer dates everyone bemoans online as terrible times to go. The September parties were touted online as so much less crowded and more pleasant. I honestly thought the crowds were equal to the most crowded summertime dates. Lines for everything were long. I hated how there were no wait times posted for characters. We waited over an hour to see the Seven Dwarfs. That was to be expected. But, we also waited over an hour to see Minnie/Donald/Daisy when the line appeared to be half as long as the Seven Dwarf line. If we had known it was to be that long, we would've gone and done something else. The line for the MNSSHP pin was at least a half an hour. We didn't stand in it. No pin was worth that after just spending over 2 hours waiting for characters! Best decision we made all night. There were even lines to get your picture taken by the Photopass photographers, which I never saw before!
Following some advice I read online, we intended to watch the later shows as they were "less crowded." Unfortunately, the weather rolled in. They ended up canceling the castle show (before the storm even hit the area) and postponing Wishes indefinitely once the rain poured. We ran for Pirates of the Caribbean, rode it with no wait, and then huddled under the exit area since the trick or treat stations were closed (due to being outside) and we didn't want to be stuck in an inside character line if the rain stopped and Wishes got started. It seemed really dumb to me that Disney would plan a party during hurricane season with so much that gets closed down (trick or treating, shows, character greetings that were mostly outside) when the rain comes. At least put the trick or treating inside somewhere...
The silver lining is that a quarter of 12 the rain stopped. Disney did show Wishes followed immediately by the second Boo to You Parade without the Headless Horseman. The Hocus Pocus show was canceled. I would advise everyone if there is any hint of rain in the forecast (which there probably will be) to ignore any advice you might read online and see the first show of everything. It might be more crowded, but at least you'll get to see it!
So, the party didn't live up to my expectations and I feel hesitant recommending it. Why isn't maybe a choice? If you don't care about characters, the experience would probably be more pleasant since those lines were longest. Most of the rides had short lines, but if you're there to ride, then go during the daytime and skip the extra fee. Dressing up was fun, although it was hotter than expected and polyester doesn't breathe well at all even though my costume was sleeveless. I might consider trying this another year with a different touring plan to see if the experience is better. If it's the same or worse, I won't be attending MNSSHP anymore.
Pros:
Unique characters, great atmosphere, great showsCons:
Crowded, weatherReviewed by TeacherGrandma Review Date: 09/20/2016
Rating: (7) Recommended
I attended the party on 9/16/16, a Friday night. It certainly was festive, and many costumes were almost professional looking. I had no idea people went all out on their costumes. There was a lengthy torrential downpour just as the party began, which lead to standing room only in the Emporium. I thought it was quite crowded (more crowded than 2 of the Christmas parties I attended last year). There were lines for candy, lines for photos, lines for party merchandise, and humungous lines for characters! Wait times for rides were pretty low. Hallowishes was amazing! The Celebrate the Magic was the same version shown every night. I was unable to see the show, which is supposed to be great, and saw most of the second parade on Main Street (could see easily; crowds low). The 5 hours of the party goes by in a flash. Some tough decisions need to be made.
Pros:
Stunning Hallowishes FireworksCons:
Wicked CrowdedReviewed by MouseBound4 Review Date: 10/29/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
We attended MNSSHP Friday night, Oct. 25th. This was our 5th MNSSHP in 10 years. Most enjoyable this visit was definitely the fireworks. Outstanding! Prior to the fireworks was an amazing light show on the castle. We very much enjoyed seeing the creative costumes, especially the groups who dressed as a theme. Each year we see more and more of the adults dressed in costume. Even though so many people were crammed into the park, those people were not on the rides because the ride lines were short or nonexistent. Now for the negatives. The ticket price goes up every year, with nothing to show for the increased cost. It was very crowded, more so than any MNSSHP we attended in the past. The parade is the same year after year. Same music, same floats. Surely they could change it up a bit. Most of the restaurants and shops closed too early. The times and places were not posted for characters. There were so many people leaving the park at the end of the night, it took literally hours to get back to our resort. I agree the party is something you should attend at least once, but those who have already attended in the past may want to consider how best to invest their vacation funds.
