Disney plans for a new show at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party! This new show “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” features the ladies from Hocus Pocus, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary with appearances by Oogie, Boogies, Maleficent, Dr. Facilier and other villains. The sisters are using all their magic to throw the vest evil Halloween party ever.
Photo via Disney.
If Disney does it well this could be an amazing new addition to the hard ticketed Halloween Party. Considering Hocus Pocus is 22 years old it is a surprising, but this movie is a classic and Disney does like to take their time when adding new features to their parks. Disney does stipulate that it will only be shown on certain nights in the Magic Kingdom from September 15-November 1st so be sure to arrive early and stake out your spot to see this one of a kind show!
When to visit Walt Disney World is a much debated and purely personal decision. There are many factors to consider when deciding which time of year is right for your family. If you’ve got kids, you need to think about whether you want to pull them out of school, time off work can be a problem, not to mention the traffic at the parks themselves. I’m going to give you a list of considerations to include when trying to decide when to plan your trip.
1. How’s the weather?
Do you loathe hot and humid weather? Yeah, me too. If you have a hard time not melting in the heat, stay away from Florida from May to October. The summer heat and humidity are brutal. If a little warm weather is just what you’re after, September (after Labor Day) is a great time to visit as crowds tend to be lighter.
2. Party Animals
Ain’t no party like a Disney party! If you want to experience Halloween like you never have before, visit in the fall when Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is happening. If Christmas is more your speed, wait a few months and go for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. These events are seasonal and include lots of magical things you can’t see without a party ticket!
3. May the force be with you.
Have you got a Star Wars fan in your family? You might enjoy going during Star Wars Weekends. These run in May and June at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and include lots of special Star Wars events you can’t see other times of the year. Mickey and the gang show up in Jedi gear and there’s even a special Star Wars character meal!
4. Food & Wine
If you’re a foodie or a wine connoisseur, you’ll want to head to Epcot’s Food & Wine festival. This runs from September to November and includes lots of special food kiosks just for the event. Crowds tend to be a bit heavier, especially on the weekends, but is still manageable.
5. Crowded house
If crowds really aren’t your jam, avoid all holidays, including Christmas, Easter, New Year’s Eve, and Independence Day. The parks are packed to the gills and you could even get turned away at the gate. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
A fatal accident was reported at the Richard Petty Driving Experience outside of the Magic Kingdom on April 12, 2015. A 36 year old male passenger was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was taken to the hospital. Richard Petty Driving Experience is slated to close on August 8th. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-richard-petty-fatality-20150412-story.html
According to a report from WDW News Today, using Selfie Sticks while on attractions at Walt Disney World has been banned. This use of these have gotten very popular so it is unsurprising that Disney has decided to ban the use of them for the safety of everyone on an attraction.
Tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are now on sale. If you are planning to go it is a great idea to purchase in advance. Not only do they sell out but tickets are also more expensive at the gate.
Photo via Disney.com
Additionally, Night of Joy tickets are also now for sale. This hard ticket even takes place on September 11 and 12, 2015 in the Magic Kingdom. Night of Joy is two nights of Christian music and family fun from 7pm-1am and features these performers
Be sure to get your tickets early since some of the parties can and will sell out!
If you are unfamiliar with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you should know it is a hard ticketed event that takes place in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on select dates in the fall. There is a limited number of tickets sold and after 7pm the park is closed to only those with party tickets. This is a really amazing event with fireworks, a special parade and rare character meets.
September: 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28 (All September dates at a cost of $62 for adults and $57 for children under the age of 10)
October: 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31 (Dates in October range from $67-77 for adults and $62-72 for children under the age of 10)
Things to do during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:
Character Meet & Greets. During the party there are several meet and greets of lesser seen characters around the park! The 7 Dwarves (seen with or without Snow White) will be especially popular this year with the opening of the new Mine Train ride, but some princes, Jack Skellington and Sally, Winnie the Pooh and Friends (in Halloween costumes!), and more are also scheduled to appear.
Seven Dwarves meet & greet
Snow White & The Prince meet and greet
Boo To You Halloween Parade. I am normally not a parade person and in my opinion the 3:00 parade is hit or miss… and I usually take a pass. But this parade is my absolute favorite attraction in all of Disney World! From the headless horseman’s ride at the start of the parade to the gravediggers and more this is a show NOT to be missed.
HalloWishes. A special extra pyrotechnic fireworks show only put on for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
Rides! One of the greatest benefits to attending a “hard ticket” event at Disney is that the crowds are lower than a normal day. This often means rides have little to no wait and you can often walk right on! For me, a Halloween party isn’t a Halloween party without a ride on Pirate’s of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, at the very least.
Tips:
You can enter the Magic Kingdom beginning at 4pm with your party tickets. The party doesn’t begin until 7pm but that’s 3 hours of extra park time! Make use of it, even just to grab some dinner before the party starts.
Think about having a relaxing morning at your resort or Downtown Disney on party day, especially if you’ve got little ones. A nap before the event will help everyone stay happy until the end of the party at midnight!
While normally very crowded, my favorite place to view the Boo To You Halloween parade and the Hallowishes fireworks show is on the train station platform at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. I’ve had good luck nabbing a great spot there even 20 minutes before the second parade was set to begin!
Don’t waste time Trick-or-Treating. Sure, the kids will want candy but the lines can get long and you can buy a bag of your favorite candy (this isn’t special Disney candy, just grocery store stuff) for a lot less than the cost of your ticket 😉
Wear a costume! Children and adults alike dress up for this event, or at the very least wear a festive holiday tee shirt 🙂
Dole Whipped 