Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party returns to Magic Kingdom in August 2024. Here’s a sneak peak at the entertainment lineup and details for the hard ticket event, plus our commentary about the popularity of MNSSHP after every single night sold out for the last two consecutive years.
This announcement about the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party’s came as part of the Disney Parks “Halfway to Halloween” wicked celebration that features “shriek peeks,” recipes for dreadfully delicious dishes from the parks, not-so-spooky tips, and other random stuff. Above all else, though, Halfway to Halloween is now when announcements are made about the start of the spook season at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and aboard Disney Cruise Line.
To that end, we now have confirmed details & dates for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, held on select nights in Magic Kingdom from August 9 through October 31, 2024. Here are the official details with dates, and more–followed by our commentary about crowds, entertainment, etc…
Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party may be purchased online or by calling 407-939-4240. Event tickets go on sale for guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green starting May 8, 2024. Tickets will be available to all guests starting May 15, 2024.
The dates for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party are:
- August 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30
- September 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29
- October 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31
The 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will range in price from $119 to $199 per ticket, plus tax. Prices vary by date, and are almost always more expensive on weekends and as the event gets deeper into Halloween season (on average, September is more expensive than August and October is more expensive than September).
Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party—valid only for event nights in August and September. Cast Members can also save on select nights. More details can be found on Cast Life Web or My Disney Today.
Last year, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was held on 38 select nights August 11 through November, setting the record for most dates ever. So this year starts two nights earlier, but ends one night earlier. For those keeping score at home, August 9 is the earliest the event has ever started.
Throughout the evening during the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you can:
- Set your sights on the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! Watch 3 sinister sisters bewitch and bedazzle the residents of Magic Kingdom park.
- Witness Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular—a wickedly wild fireworks display featuring some of your favorite Disney Characters and hosted by Jack Skellington from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Boogie down at the Disney Junior Jam at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café—featuring some favorite friends from Disney Junior shows. It’s perfect for young partygoers!
- See beloved Disney Characters during Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade.
- Collect a bag full of candy as you roam the trick-or-treat trails in search of some of your favorite sweets.
- Revel in the extraordinarily enchanting atmosphere of Magic Kingdom park during this limited-capacity event.
As always, the 2024 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will take place from 7:00 pm until midnight. Ticket holders will be admitted to Magic Kingdom as early as 4:00 pm on the valid date of their ticket–giving them even more time to enjoy park favorites before the event begins! These date-specific event tickets do not require an additional day theme park ticket or theme park reservation.
All of the above offerings add something to MNSSHP, but in our view, there’s a ‘holy trinity’ of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party entertainment. The first is Mickey’s Boo to You Parade, which is presented twice during the party. (The second showing is always less crowded since kids can’t stay up that late, but not to the degree it once was.)
Speaking of which, the 2024 Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade will take place at an earlier time – perfect for those guests attending with little ones who want to enjoy the spooky fun before it’s bedtime.
Mickey’s Boo to You Parade is kicked off by a dance crew to hype up the crowd, followed by the Headless Horseman riding down the parade route. Following that, favorite Disney villains stride down Main Street alongside Disney heroes, the iconic Haunted Mansion graveyard diggers and other favorite characters.
Last year’s Boo to You Parade featured a number of changes, the most notable (and publicized) of which was the addition of Minnie Mouse as Winifred Sanderson, Daisy Duck as Sarah Sanderson, and Clarabelle Cow as Mary Sanderson. But that wasn’t all–there were also major changes to the Halloween Hoedown unit (new scarecrow dancers and more) and an expanded Villainous Finale, among other things.
All in all, these were nice incremental upgrades that were all improvements and gave the Boo to You Parade a nice shot in the arm. I’d love to see this become the annual approach, with new costumes and perhaps a fresh unit or refreshed float every year.
Jack-o-lanterns aren’t the only ‘Jack’ at Walt Disney World this Halloween!
The Pumpkin King, a.k.a. Jack Skellington, will once again host the must-see nighttime spectacular, “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular.” Featuring projections, special effects and lighting paired with fireworks, music and iconic Disney characters, you won’t want to miss this.
As always, we highly recommend watching from as close to Cinderella Castle (near Partners is great) as possible. Not only will you be immersed in the perimeter bursts of the fireworks, but you’ll have an up-close view of Jack Skellington, the unequivocal highlight of the show.
The Sanderson Sisters, stars of the iconic “Hocus Pocus” films, will unite for an adventure and call on their comrades to summon the ultimate “Hocus Pocus” Party Potion during the “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” stage show at Cinderella Castle.
Like the movie itself, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular has a cult following among WDW diehards. (Although is it really a cult following if pretty much everyone who loves MNSSHP also loves this show?!)
In Frontierland, you can encounter the ghostly group known as the Cadaver Dans, a Dapper Dans-style quartet will have you howling in laughter to a bone-rattling bevy of tunes.
Walt Disney World has revealed a couple of new additions for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The announcement indicates that you’ll be able to “strike a pose” with Mickey and Minnie in their new costumes during the party, which suggests the dynamic duo are going to be meeting together in Town Square Theater in new looks during the event.
This is great and, frankly, overdue. Disneyland has been doing new character costumes every Halloween and Christmas for Mickey & Friends in Town Square during normal operations the last several years. This has been a huge hit with guests and, especially, repeat visitors like fans and locals. We make a point of getting photos with all of the characters in their new looks each season.
Not only does this add something new for returning guests, but it also should make the Mouse meet & greet far more popular. I can’t count the number of times we’ve waited 5 minutes or less for Mickey at MNSSHP or MVMCP. Meanwhile, Jack Skellington has a triple-digit (literally!) wait time.
Oh, and it certainly helps that these new costumes for Minnie and Mickey are absolutely to die for. Deathly good looks that remind me of a cross between the Phantom Manor (at Disneyland Paris) costumes and the costumes the mice wore for Halloween in Mickey’s Toontown Fair way back in the day (those were primarily orange and purple). Huge kudos on these outfits. Now do Goofy, Donald and Daisy, and Pluto next!
The new meet & greets don’t end there! During the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, guests will also be able to meet Bruno alongside Mirabel in the Fantasy Garden.
This should be another popular one, and is a fantastic move that follows in the footsteps of Disneyland. Oogie Boogie Bash has had Bruno for the last few years, and he’s a shockingly good face character for meet & greets. We’re not the biggest fans of Encanto, but really have enjoyed meeting him at the event–he’s a fun character with a sly personality who’s great for amusing interactions.
Last but hopefully not finally, there will be the new DescenDANCE Party inspired by the upcoming Disney+ movie, “Descendants: The Rise of Red.” I know absolutely nothing about the Descendants, so I have nothing to say about this. I don’t even know who the demo is for this stuff, honestly. I assumed tweens, but Sarah told me that her friends love the Descendants, and I think they’re mostly moms our age. But who knows–maybe Sarah made new friends.
While this is a good start in terms of new-for-2024 additions, my hope is that Walt Disney World has more up its sleeve. It has been a while since Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party had a major refresh, and it’d be nice to see that happen again–especially now that Walt Disney World has new entertainment leadership.
There are a couple of impediments to that, though, and the first is that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has sold out every single event for the last 2 years. If you count Boo Bash, the last 3 years. After a slow start, the second half of the 2019 season also sold really well, too. So there’s not much of an incentive for Disney to make changes. Guests are responding well to what’s already there.
The second reason is somewhat of an outgrowth of the first: don’t fix what isn’t broken. The reason guests respond well to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is because it’s really good. A lot of Walt Disney World-centric fans rave about Oogie Boogie Bash, but I think that’s very much a “grass is greener” thing–and that MNSSHP is still the superior event. Boo to You is an all-time great Disney parade and Hocus Pocus Spelltacular is a modern classic. Both could receive refreshes, but replacements would be foolish.
What I would love to see is a modernized HalloWishes with the Jack Skellington figure and projections. Longtime fans would go crazy for that, and it’s not like anyone would mourn the loss of Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular. Although the fireworks show is newer and has its moments, it’s nothing special. Very few people would mourn its loss–especially if it were replaced by a superior fireworks show.
I’d also love to see the Immersive Treat Trails a la Oogie Boogie Bash. Those are truly next level, and are the highlight of the Halloween party at Disneyland. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if operational differences or casting difficulties between the coasts would make those a non-starter.
Failing that, I’d just like to see more new character meet & greets every year. This is another thing Oogie Boogie Bash does well, and I think it would work at Walt Disney World. We’ve been doing MNSSHP for over 15 years, and many of the meet & greets are the same today as when we started.
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I think the character component has not only gotten stale, but too consistent and predictable. I know Walt Disney World fans crave that, but I think they’d also appreciate some surprises and a ‘you never know what you’re gonna get’ quality. (So long as what you get is cool.) In any case, new costumes for Mickey & Minnie is a good start, as is adding Bruno.
Speaking of things Walt Disney World hasn’t officially announced, here’s the list of attractions that were open during last year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:
Adventureland
- Jungle Cruise
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Swiss Family Treehouse
Frontierland
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Liberty Square
- Haunted Mansion
Fantasyland
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- “It’s a small world”
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mad Tea Party
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Storybook Circus
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- The Barnstormer
Tomorrowland
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Space Mountain
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
Last year, TRON Lightcycle Run used a virtual queue during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
There are a few unknowns when it comes to rides and the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the first being whether TRON Lightcycle Run will use the virtual queue again. We hope not. The new ride smell has worn off–if people want to ride on repeat during the party, let them.
Second, the status of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It’s safe to say the ride will be open by then (knock on wood), but unclear whether it’ll have a virtual queue or standby. Finally, attraction overlays for the party. We assume these will also happen with the usual suspects–Space Mountain, Monsters Laugh Floor, and more.
Now let’s quickly turn to a hot topic: crowds. One of our overlooked stories from last year was Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Less Crowded?! (While the headline is MVMCP, the topic pertains to both parties.) Honestly, I’m surprised…and a little disappointed…that this wasn’t a bigger deal. That article seemed to express the consensus view, especially with annual attendees who do Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party every year–or multiple times per year. We heard from readers and friends who had similar experiences.
Nevertheless, the topic didn’t get nearly as much traction as Is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Too Crowded? from a few years back. Just look at the comment disparity between the two posts! I guess this is a variation of “if it bleeds, it leads.” Even Disney fans prefer negative news for some weird reason.
Of course, this is no guarantee that Walt Disney World will stick with the lower attendance cap for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. They could determine that, on balance, guest satisfaction is higher if the events don’t sell out as easily. (Obviously, guest satisfaction is higher among attendees with a lower cap, but that doesn’t account for guests who get shut out.)
We hope that’s not the case, though. Last year really felt like the goldilocks zone for crowds–not too light or too heavy. (Except in front of Cinderella Castle between the parade and fireworks, but there’s no solving for that. It’s simply too small of an area and too many people want to be there.)
Which brings us to the next common question or concern among readers: when will tickets to the 2024 MNSSHP sell out?
We’ve covered this in a variety of posts leading up to Halfway to Halloween, so we’re not going to fixate on it here. The bottom line is that you do not need to worry about 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets selling out…yet. If you’re reading this when the announcement is first being made during Halfway to Halloween, you have nothing to worry about.
Even with the last couple of years setting the record for sold out dates, no dates have sold out before late June. That’s when Halloween night sold out. From there, usually cheaper dates and the first night sell out sometime in July, with more dates selling out in early August. Once content from the first night of the event floods social media, there’s usually a “run” on tickets for subsequent events–and several more parties sell out around then.
In other words, the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is almost certainly not going to sell out within days of tickets going on sale. That applies to both the presale window and the general public window. So you don’t need to make an on-site reservation just to have access to the presale or stress out. This is nothing like Oogie Boogie Bash. Now that party will sell out fast–and it’ll be a massive headache to buy tickets. But thankfully, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a different story.
Ultimately, we’re excited that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is back again for 2024. Like so many Walt Disney World fans, attending MNSSHP is a fall tradition for us, and we cannot wait to take Baby Bricker for the first time. (Oh no, I guess this means we have to wear matching family costumes…in August. Here’s hoping for better weather than last year!)
Even if nothing else changes beyond what Walt Disney World just announced, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a ton of fun and we highly recommend it. There’s a reason we’ve attended annually–and would do so even if we weren’t bloggers. (Heck, we went over a dozen times in 2019 alone, and there was no “bloggability” reason for that!)
It’s just a really well done event, and a great way to get in the spook season spirit. Sure, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is expensive and it throws a monkey wrench into attendance dynamics multiple nights per week from August through October. However, it’s also a blast–and the highlight of the fall season at Walt Disney World. If you’re visiting this time of year and are looking for a fun add-on or splurge, this is it!
If you’re on the fence about attending this year’s event but are wondering whether it’s worth the money, what each piece of entertainment is like, or anything else, check out our 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide.
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
What are your thoughts about all of this? Excited for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? Will your family be buying or sitting this Halloween event out? What are your thoughts on ticket prices, demand, crowd levels, or the likelihood of the 2024 MNSSHP selling out to the same extent as last year? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
