Tips for taking kids to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

My family and I make it a point to go to Mickey’s Halloween Party as often as we can. Of course, we love Disney and share Tips for going to Disney with our Kids, but today I’m focusing on Mickey’s Not So Scary Party.

Benefits of going to Mickey’s Not So Scary Party: 

There’s a reason Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party sells out every year — it’s packed with Halloween magic! You’ll enjoy shorter wait times for rides, exclusive shows and parades like Boo-To-You and the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, trick-or-treating throughout Magic Kingdom, and the rare chance to meet or spot “hard-to-find” Disney villains — like Jack Skellington & Sally or Mother Gothel — who usually only appear during the party. It’s a fun, family-friendly night that feels extra special compared to a regular park day. I also love how the park is beautifully decorated for fall with glowing pumpkins, autumn garlands, and Halloween lights everywhere you look.

If you’re debating going to Disney’s Halloween Party while you’re at the theme park, my vote is to go for it!

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Mickey’s Not So Scary Party is a fun-filled night of Halloween festivities that runs on select dates from August through October 31. We’ve always gone in September and October, but the fact that it’s open longer makes it even better!  The after-hours party takes place at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Although it is a late-night event, this light-hearted romp through the spookiest season of the year is ideal for children. It’s the most magical place to trick or treat, and there are much more fun and entertainment around every corner. If you have little monsters to bring along for the fun, take these tips. They will help you use your time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party wisely.

Do I need a separate ticket for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween?

Mickey’s Not So Scary Party is a paid event that has sold out completely for the last three years. The party pass costs are not included in your normal pass, so you will need to purchase an extra ticket for each guest.
The ticket price changes depending on what month and day of the week you choose. Dates closer to Halloween are pricier, so you may want to plan a night early in the season if going on Halloween Night is not crucial to you.

How much are tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween?

Tickets for the party are for a separate, after-hours event with its own ticket price, which varies by date. The lowest-priced tickets are for select dates in August, while the most expensive tickets are for nights in October (with Oct 30 and 31st being the most expensive).

As of 2025, pricing begins around $119 for the lower-demand nights and goes up to ~$229 (plus tax) for the most premium nights (e.g., late October/October 31). This is a considerable increase from just a few years ago. In 2019, the tickets cost between $79 and $135. Even so, the tickets sell out every year, and I don’t see that slowing down any time soon. 

In comparison, a regular one-day admission ticket to Magic Kingdom, as of 2025, ranges from $144 to $189 during the months of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.  

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2025 Dates:

• August 2025: 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29
• September 2025: 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30
• October 2025: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Costume Guidelines

Little ones are always encouraged to wear costumes as long as they adhere to Disney’s official costume policy. About half of the guests that are at the party dress up (although I remember seeing most of the kids in costume.) Halloween is one time of year when the policy makes more allowances for kids and adults to dress up. Although all are encouraged to dress for the event, make sure your costumes are appropriate for the park by checking the costume guidelines before committing to them.

Here are the Mickey’s Not So Scary Party Costume Rules, taken right from the source: DisneyWorld.com

General Mickey’s Not So Scary Party Costume Guidelines:

• Disney reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or could detract from the experience of other Guests.
• All Guests may dress as their favorite character, but may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
• Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
• Costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
• Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.
• Guests who do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry into, and/or removed from, the park unless his or her costume can be modified to meet the above standards.

General Mickey’s Not So Scary Party Costume Guidelines for Guests ages 13 and under: 

• Costumes and some masks may be worn, as long as the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible.

General Mickey’s Not So Scary Party Costume Guidelines for Guests ages 14 and older: 

• Layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged and may be subject to additional security screening.
• Costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. (e.g., full-length Princess dresses)
• Capes may be worn if the length does not go below the waist.
• Themed T-shirts, blouses, sweatshirts and hats are acceptable.
• Acceptable accessories include transparent wings, plastic light sabers, toy swords, and tutus. Headwear may be worn as long as it does not cover the face.
• Masks of any kind may not be worn.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Party Costume Ideas

My suggestion is not to buy anything expensive or hard to wear.   We often put the kids (our four kids & my niece & nephew) in DIY outfits, like “Army Men” or  “Ballerinas”… last year the boys were “Zombie Football Players”.  They just wore a jersey & put a little zombie makeup on their faces.

Yes, you’ll see some very elaborate costumes, and they are fun to admire, but my best advice is to wear something that is comfortable, lightweight, and easy to get around in.   We aim for simple costumes… not a costume like our son’s DIY Claw machine Costume from a box!  lol!

Since you are in Florida, and the sun does not go down before the party begins, you want to remember that you don’t want to be too hot in a costume.    Yes, it cools down a bit in the summer, but it is still pretty warm (and humid) that time of year in Florida.

For more inspiration & ideas, you can check out our Guide to Disney Costume for Girls or these adorable TUTU costumes, or our 5 favorite DIY costume ideas  

What Time Can You Arrive for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? 

Although Mickey’s Not So Scary Party starts officially at 7:00 pm, Disney’s Halloween party guests are allowed to enter the park starting at 4 p.m. Disney does not make a point to advertise the earlier time of 4:00, but the Cast Member who helped me write today’s post said that it is definitely true. I also have experienced this with my family. We always go early, around 3:30, so we can enter the park at 4:00 and have eight hours in the park.

Arriving at 4:00 vs. 7:00 is a great way to maximize your cost of entry.  When our children were even younger, this was ideal, because they couldn’t stay up for the whole night, but we were still able to enjoy hours of the party. By getting an early start on the evening, you are able to bank some time, so as it gets later and your child gets sleepy, you can call it a night without apprehension.

Do guests without a party ticket have to leave the park?

Yes. Disney handles this nicely. “It is a separate ticket event so once the party begins all non ticket holders will be asked to leave the park. Disney does this in a unique way by starting at the back of the park with cast members doing what they call a sweep. They hold signs stating that if you do not have a ticket you will be asked to leave at 7pm or when the start time is. Event ticket holders will receive a wristband when they enter and any guest without this band will not be allowed to ride any attractions or shop in any of the shops. They have become fairly strict with this over the last few years too. So get all the shopping done before 7pm or you will be out of luck on party evenings. Cast members will also be on the look out for hold overs who think they can stay to watch the parade. They will go up and down the street asking to see everyone’s wrist band and to show it.” – disney.com

If you have purchased a party ticket on top of your general admission daily ticket, you can just stay in the park. You’ll just go to a touchpoint (easy to find) and get your “party wristband” and Trick-or-Treat bag. This eliminates the need to go back to the entrance.   If a cast member sees that you are not wearing your wristband, they will ask you to go to a touchpoint to pick yours up, or they will ask you to leave the park.  If you came only for the party, after 4:00, you will get your Party Wristband upon arrival.

Should You Skip the Day Ticket and Just Buy the Disney Halloween Party Ticket?

This is up to you, depending on how tired you or your children might be after a day of Disney. Remember: the tickets are in addition to the general tickets for the day, so you are essentially buying two tickets per person if you go in the day and at night.

We often skip the park that day and only buy the tickets for the Not So Scary Halloween Party.  We spend the day swimming, hanging out, resting a bit, and then getting the kids ready in their Halloween Costumes.

Since Mickey’s Not So Scary Party is at night, it’s a good idea not to go to any of the parks during the day. This is especially true if you have small children. Carting them around all day can wear you out, and you want to be rested for the party. Use the daytime to lounge around your hotel or do something low-key.

You Can Skip First Performances

The Hocus Pocus Show and Boo to You parade have multiple performances throughout the night. Guests line up and wait well in advance for the first performances, and the crowds for these are much larger than later performances in the evening.

You can take advantage of those early showtimes by hitting up attractions or visiting a character location while everyone else is securing a seat. Likewise, you are not going to have trouble getting a good spot to watch the parade later in the evening.

Character Lines can get long for these photo ops since the villains are out during this time,  so be prepared and try to head to those places first (before the lines get too long!)  If you aren’t planning on meeting the characters, head to the rides and enjoy the shorter wait times! Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mad Tea Party, etc., have minimal wait times during the performances.

DISNEY VILLAIN MEETING TIP: If you want to meet a villain, prioritize your must-see character early in the evening so you don’t miss the experience. We lined up right at park-entry/wristband time to catch Jack & Sally before their line exploded — it can reach 90 minutes or more later in the night!

TREAT TIP: We stop at the “Trick or Treat Stations” on our way to our next ride. So, we essentially weave it into our night, instead of just going from Treat station to Treat station.
The kids would spot one (you can’t miss the big orange “TREAT” signs) while we were walking to the next ride. We would hop in that trick-or-treat line, get our candy, and head to the next ride (where they would eat the candy while waiting in line). It was like a mini dessert party in between each ride!  🙂

Can you ride rides at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? 

Yes, you can ride rides during this special event!  To be honest, that is the reason we go.  Since most of the guests are participating in the Halloween party activities, we enjoy the rides with much shorter wait times.  Sometimes we can ride our favorite rides back to back if we find that the lines are super short.

TIP: During Mickey’s Not So Scary Party, there are two times for Mickey’s “Book-To-You” Halloween Parade: 9:15 and 11:15.  We only go to one, and then we ride the rides during the other one. (I LOVE this parade and so do our kids!)

Oh- and if you can hold on until midnight, you’ll find that the lines start to get shorter and shorter as the younger kids tire out and leave the park with their families. Sometimes, we won’t have to wait in line at all!

What rides are open during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?

Almost everything in Magic Kingdom!  While there are so many things to do at the party, from treats and parades to dance parties and shows, you can also find that most of the rides are open. Some of the rides in Magic Kingdom are even slightly modified to give them a spookier vibe.

• Mad Tea Party has new lighting effects
• Pirates of the Caribbean features interactive pirates that even come onto the ride
• Space Mountain goes completely black and changes the music.   The rocket ship’s new soundtrack and special effects make this one that you can’t miss!

Should You Stay Until the End of Mickey’s Not So Scary Party?

We always stay until pretty close to the end, but we leave when there is about half an hour left (to beat the crowd). One year, we stayed until the park closed, and we waited in line to leave the park for SO long. The crowd on Main Street is crazy when it’s time for the park to close, so we would rather leave early than try to maneuver our way through the crowd without losing each other.

Plus, it is such a rush of people that having kids (or strollers) is very hard if you leave with the crowd. It is hard to stay together, so if you do stay until the end, my tip is that if you have a child, make a “buddy system” and pair each child with an adult. Hold hands until you are out of the park. Also, have a meeting spot outside of the park in case you get separated from the rest of your group.

Is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Worth It?

In my opinion, yes! It’s absolutely worth it — and still my favorite time to go to Disney World. The lines are shorter, the weather feels cooler after sunset, and the park transforms into a Halloween dream filled with treats, music, and magic. You’ll even spot rare villains and characters, and there’s plenty of “free” candy to keep everyone happy. What’s not to love?!

Do you want MORE Disney Tips?

These posts, listed below, will give you the information that you are looking for to have the best trip… or just to enjoy a little Disney magic at home!

•  Disney World Vacation Planning Tips
• Going to Disney for Half-Price 
• Free Things to Do at the Disney Resorts (even if you aren’t staying there)
• Disney Land Tips – What to do when it is crowded (instead of waiting in line)
• Disney Themed Party Ideas 
• Spooky Cookies your family will love!