Magic Kingdom offers fireworks dessert parties during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Additionally, Walt Disney World has exclusive snacks and all-day food options available. This shares what you need to know about the Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Parties including pricing, booking dates, and whether they’re worth it. (Updated July 15, 2023.)
Walt Disney World’s culinary teams have conjured up some frightfully fun delights for you to indulge in during your day trip to Magic Kingdom with more special treats during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. During that event, the highlight for many guests is obviously trick or treating, with candy like M&M’s, Snickers, and more.
In addition to that, several restaurants and snack spots will be open and offering even more Halloween-themed items that are available for purchase. If our experiences in the past–and the stock photos and descriptions Disney has shared–are any indication, some of these are treats, whereas some are tricks…
Before delving into the dining options at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, let’s discuss dessert parties. There are two options this year, the Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing and the Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace.
These upcharges within the upcharge event (or upchargception, as some might call it) offer a variety of Halloween-themed drinks and desserts. This includes Pumpkin Cupcakes with frosting, Chocolate-covered Strawberries, Cheesecake Mousse with chocolate crumble topping and crisp pearls, and a Pistachio White Chocolate Crunch Bar striped with purple chocolate. Here are the details about each of the Halloween dessert parties…
Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace
- A bewitching buffet of sweets and sips at Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant
- Views of Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks from the Tomorrowland Terrace seating area
Sweets & Sips to Savor – A ghostly toast of sparkling beverages and Halloween-themed eats, including:
- Desserts: Chocolate-dipped strawberries, cupcakes, seasonal fruits, cheeses and other ghoulish goodies created daily by Magic Kingdom’s master pastry chef
- Beverages: Sparkling beverages, signature lemonades, coffee and tea, beer and wine
Event Details
- Location: Dessert party held at Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant at Magic Kingdom, with fireworks viewing from a seating area on the restaurant’s terrace
- Time: Check in at the entrance to Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant one hour before the fireworks begin
- Price: $114 (including tax and gratuity) for guests ages 10 and older; $69 (including tax and gratuity) for guests ages 3 to 9
For both dessert parties, tickets are required for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on the same night, and not included in the price of the dessert party.
Bookings for Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace will be available on July 18, 2023 for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party event dates starting August 11, 2023.
Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing
- A bewitching buffet of at Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant
- Views of Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks from a reserved standing area in the Plaza Garden
Sweets & Sips to Savor – A ghostly toast of sparkling beverages and Halloween-themed eats, including:
- Desserts: Chocolate-dipped strawberries, cupcakes, seasonal fruits, cheeses and other ghoulish goodies created daily by Magic Kingdom’s master pastry chef
- Beverages: Sparkling beverages, signature lemonades, coffee and tea, beer and wine
A Spectacular Show – As showtime nears, Cast Members will escort guests to a standing location in the Plaza Garden to view Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks.
Event Details
- Location: Dessert party held at Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant at Magic Kingdom, with fireworks viewing in the Plaza Garden
- Time: Check in at the entrance to Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant 1.5 hours before the fireworks begin
- Price: $99 (including tax and gratuity) for guests ages 10 and older; $59 (including tax and gratuity) for guests ages 3 to 9
Same deal here–Bookings for Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace with Plaza Garden Viewing will be available on July 18, 2023 for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party event dates starting August 11, 2023.
We are not fans of the dessert parties during the hard ticket Halloween and Christmas parties for several reasons. First, they’re more money on top of an already expensive event. Second, they eat up valuable Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party time; you’ll already have a difficult time doing everything, and attending a dessert party only makes that more difficult.
Finally, they simply are not necessary. Neither of the reserved viewing areas are ideal spots for viewing the fireworks, and that’s doubly true with Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks.
This is not simply a matter of frugality. If you gave me the option of viewing the Halloween fireworks from Tomorrowland Terrace or the Plaza Garden for free, I would decline. They simply are not great locations, and the lower crowds during these events makes fireworks viewing easier than a normal night in Magic Kingdom.
Critically, you have a poor view of the unequivocal highlight of the nighttime spectacular from both reserved locations. We watched Not-So-Spooky Spectacular about a dozen times in the last year it was shown, from just about every perspective in the park. See our Guide to Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular for recommendations based on our experiences (the first half is a review, so scroll a little over halfway down for fireworks viewing recommendations).
In short, you should only do the dessert party if you really want Halloween-themed desserts. In that case, why not just buy them at various locations around the park? You’d come out ahead both in monetary and time cost.
Alternatively, do the dessert party on a different night in Magic Kingdom. While we still don’t recommend it, the value calculus is significantly better. Fireworks viewing is more difficult on a normal night (so you actually benefit from the reserved viewing areas), and the opportunity cost is lower. Seriously, these dessert parties are not worth it–they are driven almost entirely by the FOMO machine and not an honest and logical assessment of value for money.
With the dessert party info out of the way, here’s a look at the other dining options available during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom…
Most counter service restaurants are open during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, with relatively reasonable hours. Our strong recommendation would be eating an early dinner, ideally before the event starts.
If you’re planning on doing character meet & greets–particularly the popular ones–you really should consider dining around 4 or 5 pm (too bad Disney doesn’t do early bird specials) so you’re done and can queue up early for your first character.
Alternatively or additionally, secure spots for the first Boo to You Parade and send a runner to grab food. Multi-tasking during downtime scores you serious savvy strategist points, which are currently trading at 1.77 Shrute Bucks (it’s a tough economy, but beet futures have been resilient).
You won’t be the only one with this idea, and the most popular option for that is Casey’s Corner, by a longshot. You’ll see dozens of frightened fathers precariously perching trays of hot dogs while weaving through the crowds, careful not to drop their precious cargo–valued at dozens of Schrute Bucks. Now that oughta be an Olympic sport!
Point being, Casey’s Corner can be an easy and efficient option, but it’s also busy. Nevertheless, it’s what we recommend if you’re watching Boo to You from Main Street. Sleepy Hollow is the closest alternative, and the line there can be just as bad–but far less efficient. Pecos Bill is too far away, and Columbia Harbour House usually closes early. Cosmic Ray’s can be a good option, especially if, like me, you’ve been eyeing that ridiculous Bayou Burger.
Alternatively, there will be a couple of table service restaurants open during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:
- Be Our Guest Restaurant – Indulge in delectable French-inspired fare amidst enchanting décor—très délicieux!
- Cinderella’s Royal Table – Dine inside Cinderella Castle during this one-of-a-kind experience inspired by the classic fairy tale.
Advance Dining Reservations are highly recommended for both of these restaurants during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. These dining experiences are separately priced and are not included in the ticket price for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
As with the dessert parties, we don’t recommend doing table service meals during MNSSHP. There are simply too many other great things to do at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party–it’s unlikely you can do all of the regular entertainment in a single night–to justify putting precious time towards a lengthy, sit-down dinner. It’s just not worth taking the time from the regular awesome entertainment of the Halloween party to do this.
Finally, there are the savory snacks, decadent desserts, and special entrees covered in our Food Guide to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Some of these look fun, but many of them are also available during daytime hours in Magic Kingdom. Unless something really catches your eye and you can’t get it during a normal day in the park, we wouldn’t recommend prioritizing these products.
Ultimately, our take on all of the dining options during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party essentially comes down to the cost in dollars, but more importantly, in time. Both table service dining and dessert parties consume at least an hour, if not more. On a normal night in the park, there’s not much opportunity cost to this–the downtime is nice.
Moreover, the dessert parties would normally offer upside via reserved viewing. None of that is true during the hard ticket events. Eat before you arrive, or stick to counter service and try to multi-task while waiting for something else. It’s always true that time is money at Walt Disney World, but that adage is even more pronounced during these pricey special events!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you planning to do one of the dessert parties at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? What about a table service dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest Restaurant? Will you instead do a counter service meal before the party starts, or strategically while waiting for the first parade? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of the dessert parties or anything else here? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
