Magic Kingdom Is Complicated Right Now…Here's Why That's a GOOD Thing

Magic Kingdom is a complicated place right now.

On the one hand, it is full of popular attractions that can draw big crowds. Plus, it is the home of the oh-so-fun Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on select nights from now through November 1st. And while the Halloween Party has some great offerings for those who buy a ticket and choose to attend, it can cause some serious issues for regular day guests NOT going to the party (including changes in the fireworks schedule and early park closures). But…it can also be a big advantage!

On nights when Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is held, Magic Kingdom closes at 6PM for regular day guests who do NOT have a ticket for the party. (The Party isn’t open to everyone. You MUST buy a separate ticket for it. )

This 6PM closure can be a really bad thing for regular day guests who are caught by surprise. It means regular guests won’t get to see the Happily Ever After fireworks on those nights and they’ll get significantly LESS time in the park than on other days.

That’s why we often advise regular guests to SKIP Magic Kingdom on Not-So-Scary Halloween Party days unless you have a Park Hopper ticket and can easily go to another park once Magic Kingdom closes early for the day (that way you still get a good value from your ticket).

But there’s a compelling reason why you might want to IGNORE that advice.

While visiting Magic Kingdom on a Halloween Party day might significantly cut into the hours you have to visit the park, it can also provide you with a unique advantage — lower crowds! When we visited Magic Kingdom on August 15th (on which day a Halloween Party was scheduled to take place) we noticed some seriously lower crowds during the day.

From character meets…

…to snack stands, the crowds were pretty light! It seems many guests may have gotten “the memo” to avoid Magic Kingdom on an early closure day, leading to much smaller crowds.

Now, this advice is still a complicated one to deal with. Should you go to Magic Kingdom on a Halloween Party day when you only have a 1-park per day ticket? Not necessarily. While the low crowds is a great perk, you’ll still get significantly LESS time in the park because of the 6PM closure and you’ll miss out on things like the fireworks. That gives you a lot less value for your money.

BUT if you have a Park Hopper ticket and can then go to another park after Magic Kingdom closes early for the Halloween Party, then visiting on a Party day might be an awesome way to experience more in the park with shorter lines.

The wait times really say it all. At around 3:06PM ET on August 15th, the longest waits were just 60 minutes for Peter Pan’s Flight and to Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train only had a 40-minute wait, Space Mountain was at a 30-minute wait, and Pirates of the Caribbean was at a 10-minute wait!

Keep in mind that those with tickets to the Halloween Party can start entering Magic Kingdom as early as 4PM ET (though the Party doesn’t officially start until 7PM) so once 4PM hits crowds can get intense. You’ll want to try to do as much as you can before that time!

Keep in mind, this is what we saw on August 15th and crowd levels can and do vary by day. But still, it’s an interesting thing to note and something you might be able to experience if you take advantage of the unique situation!

For more about the Halloween Party (and to see if it’s worth buying a ticket for), see our video below! And stay tuned for more news.