Man oh man, tis the spooky season again. It's crazy to me because last year while living in Disney it felt like Halloween stretched on forever but since I'm no longer there it is such a different feeling. If your family is coming to Disney during October or you are an annual passholder then I would definitely look into going to at least one Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) at Magic Kingdom (MK) because *spoiler alert* it's really not so scary. All 'Boo-To-You' jokes aside, this is such a fun Disney World event to go to. I went to two last year and have no regrets because number one, you get to prance around Disney World in a costume and number two, all of the candy! Also... in my *very* humble opinion MNSSHP > Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party but here's why you should go to this not so scary Halloween party.
Cute Halloween Ride Overlay + Park Theming
From rides to Magic Kingdom in general, there is a really cute Halloween overlay that Disney puts time and thought into. Some rides that have the Halloween overlay include Mad Tea Party (as seen above), Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and this year they added Monsters. Inc Laugh Floor to the list. These Halloween themed changes can be stuff from the lights being different to the music being spooky and Halloween-esque. Also *insider tip* since the number of tickets sold are limited, rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan's Flight typically have shorter wait times. Both of the times that I went on Mine Train during my college program were during MNSSHP because of how short the wait times were.
Special Characters + Photopass
I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of character interaction but my best friend is so we compromised and met characters. I'm kidding, I'm kidding but in all seriousness there are some great characters that come out for the party. Pictured to the top on the side, we met Cruella who was roaming Magic Kingdom in search of puppies to make into a fine coat. She honestly is a pretty great character to meet and we both loved her. We also met Moana by the Enchanted Tiki Room and even got to strike a fierce pose with her after she gave us her favorite candy. Not pictured on the side, but we also got to meet the Tweedles and the Queen of Hearts. The Tweedles were very funny with us and made jokes while the Queen meant business and was very stern with us in our photos. As far as photopass, neither of us had a memory maker so that deterred us from taking many photos with the photopass. I have seen some of the photos and the extra magic that photopass puts into the photos and it is pretty cool. One of the biggest things is the photo with the headless horseman in front of the entrance to Magic Kingdom which, of course, you can only get during MNSSHP.
Fireworks + Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular
Starting off with the fireworks, this year they changed the show. This is Disney's Not so Spooky Spectacular which is described as an "all new-new Halloween spectacular featuring lasers, fireworks, and more!" In my opinion, last year's show was similar to Happily Ever After where there is a castle projection with a choreographed song and fireworks show behind displaying a bit of a story/theme. I doubt that this aspect of the show has changed but I think that it is a show that is definitely worth seeing at least once. Next up is the Hocus Pocus castle show and full disclosure, I haven't seen the show. I watched Hocus Pocus once with my best friend (also shown in the photos above) and I wasn't really that into it. I know, boo me off the stage or whatever you want but sorry not sorry. The description for this show is, "Chills, thrills and villains await during a wickedly fun celebration hosted by the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus." Both the fireworks and castle show are unique to the Halloween party and if your group is more into the entertainment side of Disney then I'd recommend looking into showtimes.
Boo-To-You Halloween Parade
Sadly I don't have any photos or videos of this great parade but honestly the parade is a must do. If you like Festival of Fantasy (the parade that occurs daily through MK) then you'll love Boo-To-You. You get to see Mickey and the gang in their cute Halloween costumes welcoming everyone to Mickey's Halloween party. There are also some notable characters such as the grave diggers, ghosts, headless horseman, and more that make an appearance during this parade. The choreography as well as the music is just great together and if you want to check it out for yourself then click right here. I would recommend going to the later show because it is less crowded and also getting there early to be able to get a seat on the sidewalk right next to a garbage can so you can lean against it. I know it sounds kind of gross but MNSSHP is like running a marathon with trying to squeeze everything into a few hours and you'll without a doubt be tired if you go to the later parade time.
Candy Trails
Spots in Magic Kingdom such as Mickey's PhilharMagic and Pinocchio Village Haus turn into treat trails. This just means that cast members are standing in these buildings next to large barrels or boxes of candy to dump handfuls of candy into your candy bag. Everyone gets a treat bag when you come in for the party but you can also bring your own if you want to go big or go home. Although you may be inclined to bring your own bag rest assured that the bags they give you have plenty of room for smuggling large quantities of candy. I had three other roommates and we all dumped our MNSSHP candy in one communal bowl and we had candy months after Halloween was over. It's pretty fun to go trick-or-treating in Magic Kingdom and you probably won't need to go to the store and buy candy if you go before Halloween. Or eat it all yourself, I definitely won't judge.
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Do you really think I could talk about MNSSHP without talking about the food? I think not. Just like dessert you always have to save the best for last. I looked online and saw that the menu has changed slightly from 2018 to 2019. There are some new things but for the most part, it looks the same. Pictured to the side on top is the Jack and Sally Push Cake Pop in the Jack design. The cake pop design is slightly different this year but you can find this cake pop at carts near Cinderella's Castle. The cake pop overall is just very heavy and there is a lot of icing on top and in between the layers of cake. Nothing wrong with that but I'd just recommend this dessert for someone who is hungrier or if you want to split it up, it is enough for two people. Another returning treat that I got was the Hades Nachos, which can be found at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. The nachos are black bean tortilla chips topped with buffalo chicken and creamy nacho cheese. As always, there are extra garnishes to add a little more flavor to your nachos at the toppings bar. My friend also ordered the very picture perfect, Maleficent Cone (pictured below the cake pop). This is lime soft-serve with chocolate Maleficent horns, topped with purple sugar, in a black waffle cone. Find this treat, fit for a queen (or king) at Storybook Treats. One new and noteworthy party exclusive treat is the Snake Eyes. This sweet treat is a combination of Sprite, green apple, and lemonade garnished with gummy worms and light up dice, and can also be found at Storybook Treats.
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