Welcome back to the most magical blog on Earth! Today we’ll be diving deep into a topic that isn’t as often explored when discussing Walt Disney World: the events that occur after park closing! This includes holidays spectaculars such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Today I’m going to cover all the basics: what these events are, the benefits of attending, and on how to make the most out of your night at Disney if you decide to attend! So without further ado, let’s dive right in to these “not-so-secret” Disney World parties!
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
This after hours event is a seasonal ticketed event that takes place after park closing in Disney World to celebrate- you guessed it- Halloween! Like the other after hours events, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party requires a separate ticket to enter the park, and is exclusively hosted in Magic Kingdom. Guests are encouraged to dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes (bonus points if they’re Disney themed!), and can even meet their favorite Disney characters- who are also dressed uo for Halloween. There are many parts that make this magical event shine, including food, trick-or-treating, a parade, fireworks, and a Hocus Pocus themed show!
Trick-or-Treating
Trick-or-Treating is offered at many stations throughout Magic Kingdom, usually illuminated by a blow up candy corn icon. At each location, guests of all age are allowed to splurge their sweet-tooth by going through the trick-or-treating pathway at each location (or waiting in line on busy nights) and then receiving some holiday cheer from Cast Members at the end. When I attended the party back in 2019, we found that there were different candy offerings at each trick-or-treating station, making it worthwhile to travel throughout the park. We received gold coins near Pirates of the Caribbean, and delicious applesauce squeezers in front of the Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland!
Apart from Trick-or-Treating sweets, there are deliciously spooky food offerings that can be found throughout the park- just in time for Halloween! Most of these are exclusive to the Halloween Party (meaning you can only get them at the event), and change from year to year; so, if you want to know what special food is being offered if/when you attend the Halloween Party, I would recommend checking the My Disney Experience app or asking a Cast Member!
Boo-to-You Parade
The Boo-to-You Parade occurs twice every evening of the party, and features all of the favorite Disney characters (dressed up in their favorite Halloween costumes!). Typically the shows occur at 9:15 and 11:15 pm, and wind through the “normal” Magic Kingdom parade route- wrapping through Frontierland, Liberty Square, and finishing by walking up Main Street. Although the entire parade is impressive, the show-stopper is certainly the Headless Horseman who leads the parade!
Ride Overlays
The most popular ride overlays for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are Pirates of The Caribbean and Space Mountain. While Pirates of the Caribbean hosts live pirates each night of the party to interact with guests throughout the ride, Space Mountain turns all of its lights completely off for a spooky ride. I was able to ride both overlays when I went to the Halloween Party, and I will say that Pirates with so much more fun with live pirates throughout the ride, and Space Mountain was a lot more frightening completely blacked out!
Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular
This fireworks show has to truly be the most spectacular one I have ever seen (and I am not saying that lightly!). This 15-minute feature showcases projections on Cinderella’s Castle, breathtaking fireworks, and even appearances from Jack Skellington himself! The projections on the castle range from candy, to dancing skeletons, and even feature a Halloween story with the Fab 5 (Mickey, Donald, Daisy, Mini, and Goofy- and Pluto of course)! The fact that Disney was able to pull off so many special effects to create an amazing show- and tell a separate story within that show- makes this a truly must-see fireworks spectacular.
Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular
Even though I only got to see half of the show (they had to cut it short due to incoming weather), I loved it! This show features catchy songs, favorite Disney villains, and of course, the Sanderson Sisters! The song and dance numbers combined with hilarious acting from the Sanderson Sisters make the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular an amazing and worthwhile show to watch.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
This after hours event takes place in the weeks right after the Halloween Party ends, usually from the beginning of November to the start of January. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is very similar to the Halloween Party in what it offers, although it centers around a completely different holiday. Though I’ve never been able to attend this party myself, it is definitely something that I would love to try in the future!
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show
This fireworks show is usually only shown once per night, around 10pm. Similar to the Halloween show, this show features both dazzling fireworks and projections onto Cinderella Castle! Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show stars Minnie herself, hence the name, as she shares what she loves about the holiday season, and features classic holiday songs such as “Carol of the Bells” and “Deck the Halls”.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
This parade, similar to the Halloween counterpart, is shown twice an evening, at 8:30 and 11pm. Similar to the Halloween parade, this parade is completely themed to the Christmas holiday season, featuring toy soldiers, reindeer, a plethora of candy, fan-favorite characters dressed in their best holiday fits, and even candy-girl baton twirlers. The grand finale to finish the parade is, of course, Santa Claus.
Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration
This show is a stage show that is performed in front of Cinderella Castle and occurs several times per night- 7:40pm, 9:25pm, 10:35pm, and 11:55pm, usually. This show features favorite Disney characters (such as Minnie and Mickey), dancing reindeer, as well as two soloists who perform holiday carols. As each carol changes, so does the plot, as the show contains “mini stories” within each carol; however, there is no overarching plot, the point of this show is to experience Christmas carol classics performed by Disney characters.
Cookies and Cocoa
Similar to the trick-or-treating that occurs during the Halloween Party, there are numerous station set up throughout Magic Kingdom that tell guests where they can get complimentary holiday cookies and beverages. These stations are marked by blow-up candy-cane patterned beacons, and guests can walk through (or wait in line if it is busy) to get their holiday treats. Depending on what station guests visit, they can be treated to either eggnog, apple cider, or hot cocoa. The cookie flavors vary by location as well, featuring sugar cookies, snickerdoodle, gingerbread, buttercream-frosted gingerbread cookies, and chocolate chip cookies.
Like the Halloween Party, the Christmas Party also features unique treats that can only be purchased during event hours; however, since they rotate and are updated from year to year, the best place to find what treats are offered is through the My Disney Experience app or by asking a Cast Member.
Ride Overlays
There are actually more ride overlays for the Christmas Party than the Halloween Party! Tomorrowland Speedway becomes adorned in fun holiday-themed lights every evening, Space Mountain features flashing holiday lights and snazzy Christmas Carols, Mad Tea Party also features holiday lights and fun Christmas tunes, and Jungle Cruise becomes “Jingle Cruise” for the season- adorned with festive decorations throughout the ride and holiday-themed jokes from all of the Skippers!
In Conclusion … the holidays seasons at Walt Disney World are a ton of fun! Although tickets can be pricey (ranging from $100-$200 depending on the night), each night of the parties is full of opportunities for exclusive shows, parades, firework spectaculars, ride overlays, and free food! Even though the events technically start at 7pm, guests with tickets can enter at 4; my best advice is to get there as early as possible and enjoy everything that you want to from the party (and everything that you can!). Since these events permit a small amount of people (compared to everyday crowds) into the park, it is the perfect time to take advantage of the short lines (especially with the more popular attractions) and ride as many rides as possible. No matter what you end up doing with your night, however, you are sure to have fun, and celebrate the holiday spirit at Disney World.
I really like the way you incorporated different parts of Disney into this post in so many ways. You didn’t just talk about one thing, which definitely kept me interested and wondering what was next. From rides, to food, to drinks, and the experience, it comes together really well, and this was one of my favorite posts of yours.
I love the Disney World at Christmas time. It is definitely my favorite time to go to Disney, especially since it is not too hot that time of year. Disney is for sure an expensive trip, but if you have the funds and time to spare, I think it could be a really magical time to give to your children.
This is such a cool post! I did not even know these ‘after hours’ events existed! It is so interesting how there are so many things to do in Disney that many people do not even know about! The holiday season seems so magical, and going to Disney seems perfect. The shows, fireworks, food, everything seems so exciting! I might have to go there one winter! The cookies and cocoa is so cute! It is like mini trick-or-treating! I love it! Great post!
Disney is already such a fun place to be, so I can’t even imagine how fun it must be to visit over a holiday. The themed castle displays seem really beautiful, and I see why people love to watch them. Disney is already an investment, so it would definitely be fun to go over a holiday and try at least once.