Walt Disney World Resort guests visiting from mid-August through October have the opportunity to purchase separate tickets for this popular evening event which is offered several times a week in the Magic Kingdom from 7pm-Midnight, with early park access provided beginning at 4pm.
Here are my top ten tips for this unspooky (but so fun) event!
1. Choose your costume wisely. There are important rules to follow concerning what costumes are allowed in the park and they vary between children and adults (notably, no full face masks allowed for adults). In addition, central Florida is HOT during the entirety of the party dates. Make sure you choose lightweight, comfortable costumes that won’t adversely affect your enjoyment of the attractions. For adults (and/or kids), I recommend Disneybounding, or a festive t-shirt.
2. Help kids put the party bracelets on: new in 2023, the bracelets are fabric and the clasp cannot be loosened, only tightened. If it does get too tight visit Guest Services to have it cut off and be issued a new one.
3. Eat a meal before you enter the park for the party. Most restaurants close when the party officially starts at 7pm, and it’s not a good use of valuable (i.e. pricey) party time to attend a sit down meal. If you want to eat a meal in the park before the party officially begins I would recommend Skipper Canteen (table service) or Be Our Guest (table service) with a 4:30ish reservation time, or stop by Columbia Harbor House (quick service). While most restaurants close at 7pm, the special Halloween treats only available for purchase during the party will not be available until 7pm.
4. Choose one of the following to prioritize: rides or special character meets. Lines for character meets can get VERY long (even 3+ hours is common for very popular ones such as Jack Skellington with Sally, or the Seven Dwarfs). Whichever one of these you choose, jump on them as soon as you enter the park for the party.
5. The Boo-to-You parade and the Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Fireworks are both key aspects of the party and are do-not-miss. While the fireworks are offered once, the parade is offered twice. If you can swing it, the second parade is less crowded. The stage show is also a lot of fun, and is offered multiple times during the party – catch it, too, if you can!
6. Watch the forecast closely as this is a stormy time of year for the region. If it looks like storms will be arriving early, or late, listen for announcements for changing times for the parade and fireworks and switch around your touring plan accordingly.
7. Don’t line up for candy too early: there is more than enough for everyone! Candy is distributed at several locations during the party (marked on the party map), but it gets heavy and the chocolate ones melt quickly. Get some rides or character meets under your belt before you start gathering candy — candy lines will continue to shorten as the evening goes on. Note: If a member of your group has a food allergy they can instead collect teal colored tokens at the candy stations to exchange for allergen-free treats at two locations in the park: Liberty Square and Town Hall Theater.
8. The newest attraction in Magic Kingdom, TRON, is accessed via a virtual queue during the party — and it’s especially cool to ride at night. Join the virtual queue via the My Disney Experience app at 6pm to receive a ride time. This is the only way to access TRON during the party.
9. If you purchased the Memory Maker photography service it makes for a fun souvenir to pose for a couple of the special magic shot photos only available during the event!
10. Just like with everything Disney, choose a small number of activities that sound like the most fun to you and then leave time to just soak up the amazing atmosphere. Happy Halloween!
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