10/10/2026
Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party
🖤RIDE OR DIE VLOG🖤
Slightly delayed day 2 blog, because we've been too busy actually doing the trip to write about it. We're now on day 9, so consider this me playing catch-up. Apologies!
With Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on the cards for the evening, we had a lazy morning lounging by the pool at Surfside until it was time to get ready and head out. By "get ready" I mean trying on four outfits and settling on black. Quelle surprise.
The party is fancy dress friendly, and every single year we say "next year we'll dress up". It has never once happened. There's always next year. So we're taking couple costume suggestions. Rules: no morph suits and nothing furry, because it's hot as hell here in October and we'd like to leave Magic Kingdom alive. Drop your ideas below 👇
We got into Magic Kingdom at about 5. You can get in from 4, but we're on holiday and apparently we're also incapable of leaving a hotel room on time. We wandered up Main Street to take in the vibes and get some b-roll, then went to collect our party bags and wristbands, because we like to accessorise.
The entrance path was Haunted Mansion themed this year, and the butler and Lady Fermotta were out greeting everyone on the way in. Nothing says "welcome to the party" like being checked in by the dead.
We grabbed a paper map (yes, paper, we're vintage) and sat down to study the event snack menu. After much deliberation we went savoury first and headed to Cosmic Ray's for the Fang-tastic Garlic Butter Burger (Angus beef with Boursin and brie fondue, crispy onions and garlic pickles on a toasted black bun) with the Black Garlic, Truffle and Parmesan Fries (fries topped with black garlic truffle aioli and parmesan). 10/10, delicious. We shared one between us to leave room for more snacks, and it still defeated us both. Couldn't finish the fries. The portions over here are huge, even at events. After years of research (eating) we've learned that if we don't share, we both enter food coma era and have to bail by 9pm like pensioners.
Then we inhaled the last of our food, power walked over to Tron and met up with our friends Becky and Jake from Orlando Accomplice. Go check them out if you don't already, they have an amazing vlog channel, podcast and Insta covering Orlando trips and tips. Tron was a 5 minute wait, so first ride ticked off! Wait times at the party are always low and we love MK at night, which is why we do this event every year and will continue to do so until our knees file a formal complaint.
Like I said, party tickets get you in from 4pm and the party officially starts at 7. Get in early. The day crowds clear out and you can tick off rides while everyone else is still standing in the Hub arguing about which land to go to first.
From Tron we went to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, which has been updated since last year. The new laser guns make it much easier to score big, especially when the ride breaks down and leaves you parked in front of the same target for a few minutes. Did I take advantage of this? I did not. I came 4th out of 4. Last. Out of four people. Jake came top and was awarded the prestigious title of Cosmic Commando 😂
The crowds were gathering in front of the castle for the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, where the Sanderson Sisters take over the castle stage and call in a load of Disney villains to help brew their party potion. We didn't stick around. It's a great show, but it never changes, we've seen it plenty, and it's on several times a night. In October it's 7:35pm, 9:05pm, 10:35pm and midnight, so we use it to our advantage. While everyone's rammed in front of the castle, the rides empty out. So we slipped round the back to jump on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a must in the dark. We'd also made a semi-conscious decision not to prioritise the treat trails this year. Every year we eat the sweets purely because they're free, then feel sick for a week. This trip we're attempting self-control. LOL. We'll see how long that lasts. I'm currently elbow deep in a family-size bag of mint M&Ms back in the room. They don't count though, they're magical. That's science.
Seven Dwarfs was pretty much a walk-on, despite a posted wait of 20 minutes. (Disney, you liars, we love you.) This ride is a different beast after dark. It's so fun and the views are lush all lit up.
The MNSSHP parade, Boo To You, is awesome. There are lots of characters you don't normally see, all dressed up for spooky season. The Haunted Mansion ballroom scene gets a prime spot with the floating dancers, and the gravediggers with their spark-throwing shovels are a highlight. The parade theme song will permanently live in your head, like it's a small world but less creepy.
Then we bugged it over to Big Thunder Mountain, the best ride in MK in my humble opinion, especially at night. (Are we spotting a theme? We are night people. We are basically bats.) It's been a while because it was closed for refurb when we were here last year. It's much smoother now, with new carts, and the cave section has been blinged right up. Finally, a refurb that actually did something.
We had a mooch round the shops for the event merch while Jake and Becky went for a Dole Whip. The Halloween theming this year is a return to the traditional, with lots of orange and old school artwork. Personally I love it. It feels like cosy Halloween 🎃 There's lots of Headless Horseman stuff, and he's on the limited edition popcorn bucket too. My bank account and I are not speaking.
We met up with Becky and Jake again to watch the fireworks, which was a great way to round off the night. We've done this event every year for a while now, so we don't feel the pressure to stay to the bitter end. Don't get me wrong, I would. But I need Holli to be able to walk the next day. We had the Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror tour booked at Universal for 8:45 the next morning: six houses, lights on, full day. Her back is already betraying her and we're not even a week in. So we said goodnight to the guys and hobbled to the car like two Victorian ghosts.
So, is MNSSHP worth it? Yes. Fight me. Magic Kingdom at night is a different place, and the whole park goes full Halloween. You get rare characters for meet and greets that you won't see on a normal day, event-only food and merch, the Boo To You parade, fireworks, and trick-or-treat trails if you have more self-control than us. Ride waits are short too, which is half the reason we keep coming back.
The details:
* It runs on 38 select nights, from early August to 31 October.
* The party is 7pm to midnight, but your ticket gets you in from 4pm. Use those early hours for rides!
* 2026 tickets were $119 to $229 per person plus tax, depending on the date. August is the cheapest, and Halloween night costs roughly a kidney.
* Tickets go on sale in May and sell out fast. Every single 2026 night is now sold out, so if you want to go next year, set a reminder.
* Our top tips: share your food, wear comfy shoes, don't do a full park day beforehand, and don't play Buzz Lightyear against Jake.
We're sharing the whole trip on our Insta and over on YouTube, so come say hi 😊
