What to Expect at Mickey's Halloween Party

The Happiest Place on Earth has gotten a bit spookier!  The Disneyland Resort is in full Halloween mode, with its beautiful fall decor, scrumptious fall treats, fun seasonal attractions (Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy)... and most of all, Mickey's Halloween Party.

I've wanted to attend Mickey's Halloween Party for years, and this year I finally got my chance, and it was better than I had ever imagined.   I thought I pretty much knew what to expect at the party, but no matter how much you read about it, there's nothing like being able to experience the magic for yourself! The brief descriptions on the Disney Parks page don't do the actual party justice.   So I've decided to take those Disney Parks descriptions and expand them a bit to give you more information about what actually goes on.  Here's my personal take on the best parts of Mickey's Halloween Party:


Disney Parks says:
Special trick-or-treat stations with candy and healthy goodies.

Bonggamom says:

What's a Halloween party without trick-or-treating?  There are trick-or-treat trails set up all around the park, and each trail has multiple stations, with cast members handing out candy at each station.  They hand out pretty decent candy:  chocolates like M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, Snickers, Twix, Peeps, as well as apple slices, carrots and Craisins.  The lines are long at the beginning of the party, but they move fairly quickly, and they do get shorter as the night goes on.  The kind of candy doesn't seem to differ with each trail, so if candy isn't important to you, it's not necessary to hit each and every trick-or-treat trail in the park. 

photo courtesy of Disneyland Park

Disney Parks says:
New in 2013! Monsters U Dance Party at Tomorrowland Terrace featuring Mike & Sulley in a spirited Monster Scare-Off.

Bonggamom says:
There's something so infectious about dancing to lively music in the company of fun characters who aren't afraid to let go and act a bit silly.  When we got to the Tomorrowland Terrace, Mike and Sulley had not appeared yet, but there were about 6-8 dancers dressed as monster cheerleaders from Monsters University leading the kids around the dance floor. Parents were dancing with their kids, and everyone was having so much fun!

Disney Parks says: 
Mickey's Costume Party Cavalcade, a Halloween parade presented for Party Guests.

Bonggamom says:
I was planning to spend no more than 5 minutes at the parade to take photos, but once we got there, the kids didn't want to leave!  You get to see Disney characters dressed in Halloween costumes, tall pumpkin-headed people on stilts, and giant jack-o-lanterns being wheeled down Main Street.  It's so festive and fun, we ended staying for the entire parade.  I like that this parade is shorter than their regular afternoon parade, and you don't have to sit on Main Street for an hour to get a good spot -- we arrived just 5 minutes before the parade started and we still got a great view.

photo courtesy of Disneyland Park

Disney Parks says:
Disney Villains encounters as they prowl the grounds.
Photo ops with popular Disney and Pixar Pals, and Disney Villains.

Bonggamom says:
Meeting, greeting and photographing characters is one of the most popular activities at Mickey's Halloween Party.  The lines are a mile long, and I didn't see them getting any shorter, no matter how late it got.  But these are once-in-a-blue-moon opportunities -- it's worth the wait, because when else will you get the chance to pose with Jack Skellington, the Disney Villains, Star Wars Stormtroopers, or Mickey and Minnie in their Halloween costumes, all with themed backgrounds?

Disney Parks says:
Access to nearly all attractions, including all the Halloween-themed attractions such as Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and Haunted Mansion Holiday.

Bonggamom says:
This is the perfect time to go on your favorite rides!  Even though tickets to Mickey's Halloween Party were sold out, the lines were extremely manageable. As the night wore on, the lines got even shorter, and we never had to wait more than 10 minutes to go on any ride.

photo courtesy of Disneyland Park

Disney Parks says: 
Halloween Screams, a boo-tiful fireworks spectacular —exclusive viewing for Mickey’s Halloween Party Guests.

Bonggamom says:
It's tempting to say that once you've seen one fireworks show, you've seen them all -- but not with this one.  Disney's fireworks shows are always amazing, with beautiful displays perfectly set to music.  This Halloween version is special even by Disney's standards:  usually guests see Tinkerbell flying around Sleeping Beauty's castle, but here you'll see Jack Skellington's ghost dog Zero!  Also, the music is themed to Disney villains (Poor Unfortunate Souls, Big Bad Wolf, etc...) so it's refreshingly different (but not at all scary).

Disney Parks says:
Dance parties with lively music, creepy crafts and activities for the whole family, and the chance to eat, drink and be (not so) scary throughout the park.

Bonggamom says:
Every corner of Disneyland Park seemed to have some kind of special thing going on, from the Cadaver Dans quartet music show on the Rivers of America to the Disney Villains congregating at the Main Street train station for a musical show.  There is definitely a party atmosphere that runs throughout the entire park during Mickey's Halloween party, and I enjoyed every minute.  I'm sure I saw an extra sparkle in everyone's eyes -- it must be the extra pixie dust sprinkled around the park just for the party :)

Mickey's Halloween Party takes place at Disneyland Park, on 13 special dates: September 27, October 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30, and of course, October 31, Halloween night. This is a separately ticketed event; tickets may be purchased online or at the gate.  Ticket price to Mickey's Halloween Party includes:

*Admission to the Disneyland Park up to 3 hours prior to the event's start time.
*All special activities, entertainment and attractions open during Mickey's Halloween Party
*Complimentary parking for one vehicle. Larger vehicles may require an additional fee.


Disclosure: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post.  Disney Parks provided accommodations and tickets to Mickey's Halloween Party.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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