1.Arrive early! You can get into the park at 4pm for the Halloween Party. We left the hotel with plenty of time to get in line for our wristbands and take full advantage of our park time. The party doesn’t officially start until 7pm and it is a ticketed event that you have to buy separately from the park ticket for the day. You may want to consider buying your tickets in advance as they have been known to sell out. No one is allowed in the park after 7pm without a wristband. They do a really good job clearing everyone out too.
2. Schedule Fast Passes. This is a little known secret that you can actually schedule 3 fast passes before they turn them off for the party at 6:00pm. We scheduled one for 3:30-4:30, 4:30-5:30, and 5:30-6pm. I waited to the last minute and still got our favorites including Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Space Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean. The Haunted Manson was available but the boys were too scared. Maybe next time!
3. Bring your costumes to change into before the party. You can wear them into the park too if you like. However, keep in mind that it is hot and toasty in Florida and wearing costumes the whole time could end up in a sweaty mess or worse a child meltdown. We changed in the air conditioned bathrooms at the front of Adventureland. The bonus is that we got a picture in front of the castle with our Halloween shirts and costumes.
4. Pick up a party guide. Or save the attached photos to your phone for this year. The guide will tell you the times of all the shows, location of treat stations, character meet & greets, and more. Trust me you will need to have a game plan before arriving if you want to maximize your time at the party.
5. Bring your own trick or treat bags. The plastic bags that are provided at the event are pretty small and may easily break. We packed our own personalized ones that we got last year from Fallen Star Couture Gifts. I am so glad we did because the cast members gave very LARGE handfuls of candy at each station.
6. Visit the treat stations before and after the parade. We visited a couple treat stations before the parade then while family members were keeping our spots for the next show, we visited a few more. We made it back just in time for the next show to start. The lines may look long but move really fast. There are even allergy friendly options available upon request.
7. You don’t want to miss the BOO to You Parade! It was awesome! The parade happens two times each night and usually the second one is less crowded. I have never seen a parade at Disney that I did not like but this one has to be my favorite. The performers are all amazing including The Grace Diggers, The Skeleton Band, The Headless Horseman, and all our favorite characters. That being said, make sure you get to the parade at least 30 minutes in advance to get a good spot.
8. Skip the table service dinner! There is just not enough time to do everything. Instead grab some quick service snacks or light meal. Disney even offers mobile ordering at select locations. If you have a sweet tooth, check out some of the special Halloween treats just for the party like the Headless Horseman Cheesecake, Pumpkin Spice Milkshake, Amuck Cupcakes, Snake Eyes, and Jack Skellington & Sally Push Pops. We also purchased the Mickey Pumpkin Balloon Bucket for popcorn. Because all three boys wanted one and to keep this mom’s sanity, we actually ended up with three of them before we headed home. On the Disney Cruise Line, you can get the same popcorn buckets and it is only $1.50 to refill them for the nightly shows.
9. Definitely add the Hocus Pocus Villian Spelltacular and NEW Not So Spooky Spectacular Fireworks to your itinerary. Look for a parade spot early by Cinderella’s Castle and watch Hocus Pocus Villian Spelltacular. Then you will be in a prime spot for the start of the parade. Stay in the same spot for the Not So Spooky Spectacular Fireworks. You really don’t have to even move for most of the night. We had family members keep our spot while we ran to get snacks and visit a couple trick or treat stations between shows.
10. Line up early for the rarely seen characters. Some of the characters not normally available for meet and greets come out for the MNSSHP like the Seven Dwarfs, Pooh Characters, Jack Skellington and Sally, and more. Check the guide for the location and times of the meet and greets. Also don’t forget something for them to sign like a pillowcase, autograph book, photo frame mat or whatever else you like. We skipped the meet & greets at the party because we were going on the Disney Fantasy the next day. We knew, from previous experience, that there would be several opportunities to meet the same characters including Jack Skellington and Sally on the ship.
Disney does an extraordinary job decorating Magic Kingdom for the Halloween season. They even change it up for the party including decorations, lighting, and music. It really is something you will want to experience with your whole family and add it to your bucket list for your next visit. Comment below with your favorite part of the MNSSHP?
