All About Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with Toddlers (2025)

We weren’t quite sure if Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with toddlers would be worth it. But I thought it would be such a fun last hoorah before school started (and I had always wanted to check out this party!), so we booked it.

Now, let me start off by saying that there was so much to do and see during the party that the fun literally seemed never-ending. After going to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with our kids, it was easy to see why people love this party so much!

But the real question is: Is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with toddlers worth it since the party is held late at night and costs extra?

If you want the short answer…YES! It’s SO worth it! But if you don’t want to just take my word for it (or you want more details about all the fun), keep reading!

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Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Overview

When is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party?

The second summer starts coming to an end, the Disney Halloween decorations start going up! And just like that…it’s party time!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs from mid-August through Halloween. It’s held anywhere from 2 to 4 times per week at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

In 2025, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Party dates were announced on May 12. Tickets for Disney World resort and select good neighbor hotel guests went on sale on May 15. All other guests could begin purchasing tickets on May 22.

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

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

What time does the event take place?

The party starts at 7:00 PM and goes until midnight. But with admission to the party, you will be able to arrive early and enter the Magic Kingdom beginning at 4:00 PM.

From 4:00-6:00 PM, you will be able to enjoy regular park hours. This means that any characters you meet during that time will not be dressed in their Halloween costumes, the rides will not have Halloween-themed overlays, and special Halloween snacks will not be offered. 

The park closes to regular park guests at 6:00 PM, and the Halloween party offerings will begin at 7:00 PM.

How do you purchase a ticket to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party?

First things first, you will need to purchase a separate admission ticket for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

That means that even if you have a regular admission ticket to the Magic Kingdom on the day of a Halloween party, you will not be able to stay in the park past 6:00 PM unless you also have a Halloween Party ticket.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets can be purchased on Walt Disney World’s website or by calling the ticketing office. Once you purchase your tickets, make sure they are linked to your My Disney Experience account.

Ticket prices vary by party date, ranging from $119 to $229 per person. You’ll find that the most expensive parties will be the very first party of the season and the parties leading up to and on Halloween night. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members get a slight discount on select nights.

Kids under the age of 3 are free and will not need a ticket (which is a HUGE bonus when going to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with littles).

If you want to attend the party, make sure to purchase your tickets early.  The party can (and most likely will!) sell out.

How do the Cast Members know who has a Halloween party ticket and who doesn’t?

On the night of the party, you will scan into the Magic Kingdom using your Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party admission ticket.

Upon entering, you will receive a wristband to show proof of your admission. Cast Members will check for your wristband during the party to allow you to access certain areas of the park.

If you’re already at the Magic Kingdom prior to 4:00 PM with regular park admission AND you’ve already purchased a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party ticket for that night, make sure to go to a designated area in the park to grab your wristband and trick-or-treat bag between 4:00 and 7:00 PM.

What happens if there is inclement weather?

What you need to know is that when you purchase the tickets, there is some fine print at the bottom that states:

“Entertainment may be canceled due to inclement weather or otherwise. No refunds even if entertainment is cancelled. All attractions, experiences, entertainment, and event elements are subject to restrictions, change, or cancellation without notice.”

It STORMED during the Halloween party that we attended! I’m talking crazy thunder and lightning and HEAVY rain. Entertainment was canceled and delayed throughout the night.

So, my advice? Simple…bring rain gear! And if it starts to rain, put it on and keep partying!

We were lucky that the storm stopped for long enough to be able to see the parade and fireworks toward the end of the night.

And we were so glad that we just sucked it up and stayed despite the weather! If we would’ve headed back to the resort, we would’ve missed some of our favorite parts of the night!

What makes Mickey’s Halloween Party different than a normal day at the park?

Alright, time to talk about the fun stuff!

On party nights, Magic Kingdom park transforms into a Halloween extravaganza. There are several things that are unique to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party that you will not be able to find during regular park hours.

Make sure to grab a special event map/guide as soon as you enter the park. In it, you will find everything you need to know about the Halloween party activities, including the schedule of events and where you can find character meet-and-greets, magic shots, snack sales, trick-or-treat stations, and more.

Let’s chat about the extra special offerings.

Ride Overlays at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Some of the rides at Magic Kingdom get a special Halloween twist during the party:

• Mad Tea Party gets a Halloween upgrade when it comes to the lighting and music.
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor brings out all its funniest Halloween jokes.
• Space Mountain goes completely dark! You’ll be riding a rollercoaster in pitch blackness. (Rider Switch will be available if you want to ride but your toddler can’t!)

One of the biggest perks when it comes to the rides, though, is the extremely short wait times. You won’t be able to book Lightning Lanes during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. But, honestly, you wouldn’t need it anyway!

You’ll be able to walk right onto a lot of the rides. We never waited more than 15 minutes to get on the rides that we did that night.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Entertainment

Oh, where do I even begin with this one?! The entertainment during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party is such a highlight!

Cadaver Dans

The Dapper Dans, a barbershop quartet, turn into the Cadaver Dans just for the Halloween party. You can find them performing several times throughout the night in Frontierland.

Rusty Cutlass

This pirate band is found in Adventureland, and they bring some fun music and liveliness to that area of the park.

Halloween Fun in Storybook Circus

The perfect spot to visit with your little ones! There’s a DJ and some guest appearances by Pluto. I love that there’s an area specifically for the little ones to enjoy.

Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular

You can catch the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular on the castle stage in front of Cinderella’s Castle 3 to 4 times per night. For all of you Hocus Pocus fans, the show is hosted by the Sanderson sisters!

Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade

I’d bet that this is THE most fun Halloween parade you’ll ever see. And I’d also bet that you’ll have this song stuck in your head after hearing it!

Mickey’s Boo-to-You Parade makes its way through the park twice per night (at 8:15 PM and 11:15 PM). 

Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular

Finally, don’t miss Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular!

There is only one showtime during the night, which is at 10:00 PM.

The castle lights up with projections, and the sky lights up with fireworks.  You’ll be in awe of this fireworks display just as much as your kiddo!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Character Meet and Greets

Not only will you see some of your favorite characters all dressed up in their Halloween costumes, but you’ll also see characters that you can’t normally find at the parks (Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas are always a hit!).

In addition to character meet-and-greets, there are also a couple of dance parties with the characters around the park! In 2025, there’s a Disney Jr. Jam dance party and a Zom-Beatz Bash.

The character meet and greets are SUPER popular during the party since you’re able to see rare characters, so you’ll find that some of the lines can get very long. In fact, they can be hours long.

We were able to meet Mickey toward the end of the party without much of a wait, though. That was a huge priority for my middle guy, so we made it happen!

Costumes at Disney World’s Halloween Party

On a normal day at Disney, only kids under the age of 14 are allowed to dress up in a costume.  But, for the Halloween party, costumes are encouraged, no matter what age you are!

There are a few ground rules that Walt Disney World has laid out when it comes to your costume, though. For example, all costumes must be family-friendly. And masks, props that can be mistaken for a real weapon, and full-length dresses that touch the ground are not allowed.

Check Disney’s website for specific costume guidelines prior to the party to make sure your costume will be acceptable.

When deciding what to wear to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and packing for your trip, make sure to think about the weather.  Remember, even at night, Florida can be very hot, especially during the parties that take place earlier in the season.

We decided to keep things simple with our costumes and wore themed t-shirts. It was enough to get us into the Halloween spirit while keeping everyone comfortable.

Need a costume idea for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party? We went as the Toy Story aliens, the claw, and the Pizza Planet delivery guy.

While I would say most people wear Disney-related costumes, your costume does not have to have anything to do with Disney if you don’t want it to.

At the party, you will find that some people go all out with their costume choices (and those elaborate costumes are super fun to see!). Some people don’t wear costumes at all and opt to wear their normal clothes. And most people are somewhere in between!

Bottom line: wear whatever you feel most comfortable in.  

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Snacks

During the party, special Halloween-themed snacks are offered throughout the park. In addition to the spooky snacks, of course, you’ll be able to find the classics like popcorn and ice cream. There will also be a few quick-service and sit-down restaurants open.

If you’re looking for something even more extravagant, you may want to consider booking a dessert party while you watch the fireworks (this costs an extra fee!).

Just remember that the dessert party does take time. So if you don’t want to lose out on time for rides, character meet and greets, or filling up your candy bag, you might want to skip this.

Disney PhotoPass Magic Shots

Throughout the park, you will not only find the PhotoPass photographers taking normal pictures. But you will also find special Magic Shots, where there’s a little Disney magic added to your photo after it’s taken.

If you love Magic Shots, take advantage of these Halloween photo ops because you’ll only find them during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

If you would like to download the photos that were taken during the party, you can purchase Memory Maker, Disney’s photo package that allows you to access photos taken by the PhotoPass photographers in the park.

You can choose to purchase Memory Maker in advance (at a discounted price!) or after you preview the photos. To see the photos taken during the party, check out the My Disney Experience app.

Trick-or-Treating at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Upon entering the park, you’ll be directed to an area to grab your complimentary trick-or-treat bag.

You’re more than welcome to bring your own bag too (because you can get a ton of candy if you visit a lot of the trick-or-treating stations!). But we chose to use the bags Disney provided and just cut ourselves off once the bags were filling up.

You will find trick-or-treating stations set up all around the park.  You can’t miss them! They’ll have big signs in front of them. 

The lines may look long, but they move quickly.  And once you get up to the candy stations, you’ll get handfuls of candy! Plus, you may even see some characters along the trick-or-treat trails, which has been a fun addition in recent years.

If you or your kiddo has allergies, let the cast members know when you pick up your complimentary bag! You will get a special teal trick-or-treat bag.

When you go through the trick-or-treating stations, you will get a token instead of candy. Once you’ve done all the trick-or-treating you want to, head over to the marked areas found on the event guide/map to redeem your allergy-friendly Halloween treats.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Merchandise

The Emporium on Main Street will offer exclusive Halloween party merchandise during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

You’ll find anything from t-shirts to candy bowls. My boys opted for light-up Halloween necklaces (that I’m pretty sure were not exclusive to the Halloween party, but they’re still fun!).

Is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with toddlers or preschoolers worth it?

I can, without a doubt, answer this question with a big YES!

The lower ride wait times, the parade, and the fireworks alone were enough to make us happy with our decision to take our 1, 3, and 5-year-olds to the party! Not to mention how much fun they had trick-or-treating and seeing the characters.

We were nervous that they wouldn’t be able to hang too late into the night. But our 3 and 5-year-olds surprisingly made it through the WHOLE party…without one single whine about being tired. And these are kids that usually have a 7:30 PM bedtime!

Although our older two boys made it to the end of the party without a nap, our one-year-old ended up falling asleep in the stroller partway through the night. There was so much entertainment happening around us at that time, though, that it didn’t bother us a bit to take a break from the rides to let him sleep.

When I asked the older boys what their favorite parts of the party were, they both agreed with the following: trick-or-treating, riding the rides, meeting Mickey, watching the parade, and watching the fireworks. 

The coolest part of it all? They still talk about the party (and ask if we can go back!) long after that Disney trip ended.

Even if it’s your very first Disney vacation, I would highly recommend going to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party…it’s THAT good. Which is saying a lot, seeing that I’m not the biggest Halloween fan out there!

Tips for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with Kids

Have a plan going into the night.

My biggest piece of advice for going to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with toddlers? As with any Disney trip, you won’t be able to do every single thing that’s offered.  And that’s ok!

Go into the party with an idea of what you want to prioritize. If you end up getting to do more, just think of it as a little extra pixie dust!

Have a laid-back day leading up to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Why do I think my boys made it through the entire party? The day leading up to the party, we had NO other plans. 

We hung out by the pool at the resort in the morning, then we made sure to get a long nap in prior to party time.

The laid-back day, followed by all the non-stop fun activities at the party, was the perfect recipe to keep the boys awake to enjoy the night.

Take full advantage of the park time.

With your party ticket, you’re able to enter the park at 4:00 PM. And I highly recommend heading to the park early to take full advantage of all the park time you can get, especially if this is the only park time you have that day.

We arrived at the park around 3:45 PM, and we were welcomed by a HUGE crowd. Just before 4:00 PM, the cast members started allowing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party guests into the park.

We were surprised at how fast the line moved. I actually looked back at a photo taken inside the park, and its time stamp is 4:03 PM!

From 4:00 to 7:00 PM (the official start of the party), we were able to enjoy a couple of rides and meet a few characters, plus grab dinner. Even though the park was still open to regular park guests at that time, crowds were very low.

Eat dinner before the official start of the party.

Don’t take away time from your official party time to eat dinner. There’s just too much to do (and a lot of the restaurants close during the party anyway).

Instead, eat an early dinner before the start of the party, and save party time for the snacks!

We chose to eat a quick dinner at Casey’s Corner around 5:30 PM. Then we grabbed some fun Halloween snacks about halfway through the party.

Decide if character meet and greets are a priority ahead of time.

If characters are a priority for you, you’re going to want to get in line early or visit the characters later at night to try to avoid long wait times. Lines will begin forming even before party time!

If characters aren’t as much of a priority to you, that will definitely open up your time to do other fun things! My kiddos were happy waving to the characters as we passed by, since our priorities were the rides and entertainment.

Watch the parade from a less popular spot.

The Boo-To-You parade is SUPER popular and for good reason.

It was our favorite part of the night! Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the Evil Queen and plenty of other Disney villains, Captain Jack Sparrow, Pixar characters, dancing skeletons, grave diggers, Haunted Mansion ballroom dancers…the list of characters you will see during this parade goes on and on!

My boys waved NON-STOP throughout the entire parade. And I danced the entire time because the song is so dang catchy!

For lower crowds, find a spot toward the beginning of the parade route back in Frontierland or Liberty Square. By doing so, you won’t have to stake your spot out as early, which will give you time to enjoy other fun offerings at the party.

Another option is to watch the second parade of the night, which is usually less crowded. But that might be a little risky to hold out for the later parade if you’re there with little ones.

Come prepared for the weather.

As you saw from our experience, the weather won’t hold out just because there’s a party happening!

Having some ponchos and a stroller rain cover doesn’t take up much room in the basket under the stroller. And you’ll be very happy you brought it along if it does end up raining.

After all, your party tickets will not be refunded for rain, so make the best of it!

Wrap Up: Mickey’s Halloween Party with Toddlers

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is hyped up every year, and it’s easy to see why once you’ve attended a Disney Halloween Party! Between the low crowds and the stellar entertainment, I wouldn’t hesitate to go again if/when we get the chance.

So, Mickey’s Halloween Party with a toddler? I say GO FOR IT! And have a Happy Halloween—Disney style!

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