Celebrating the holidays at Walt Disney World enhance the splendor and fun people of all ages can experience. During the Halloween season Americans are expected to spend billions on the holiday purchasing candy, costumes, party supplies, and decorations. Many families will spend over $50 on costumes and around $50 on candy. One alternative (or addition depending on how much you enjoy the holiday) to typical trick-or-treating is attending the annual Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney’s Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

How to Prepare For Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Step 1: The first step if you are not a local in Orlando is to plan your vacation during the special event time frame. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party usually runs from mid September through the end of October.

Step 2: Once your visit is planned you will need to purchase tickets. Purchasing tickets in advance will save visitors around $6 per ticket. This is $24 for a family of four or equivalent to four “Mickey Ice Cream Bars” in the park.

Step 3: Choose the right costume. Even though the park is only open to guest who have made special event ticket purchases, the rides and attractions are still open for those guest. Choose a costume that will allow you to enjoy the thrills of the Magic Kingdom along with the special event activities.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Costume Ideas

Many visitors wear Disney themed costumes such as Buzz Lightyear, Tinker Bell, or Minnie Mouse, but it isn’t necessary. Since it is a family oriented event for guest of all ages, Disney request costumes remain in good taste and encourage the avoidance of gory or extra scary costumes. Here are some helpful tips for costume ideas:

Tip 1: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (located at Downtown Disney or in Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom–reservations required) is a great way to dress your little princess up for the big night. This is a salon where little girls are transformed into their favorite princess in a matter of minutes from hair to make-up and can even include a princess dress. Although cost range from $50 up to nearly $200 it may be out of budget for many guest. For an alternative, simply style your daughter’s hair and purchase a princess dress before you arrive. This will save on cost and time prior to the party.

Tip 2: Join the Pirates League! This is a great way to get the whole family involved in the Halloween event. Perfect for boys or girls and men or women the cost per person is around $30. Each individual receives a pirate name, facial effects such as a beard or mustache, bandana, earring and eye patch, sword and sheath, temporary tattoo, pirate coin necklace, removable teeth or bold makeup, nail polish and face gems (items may vary). It is a great way to get into the celebration with very little added cost. An alternative would be to create your own pirate costume prior to your vacation. This attraction is located in Magic Kingdom, so plan accordingly. Reservations are highly recommended.

Tip 3: Purchase a costume from a local store such as Meijer, Kroger, or Halloween Express and wear it to the party. You can also skip the costume if you would rather enjoy the party and rides in normal clothing. Most adults were not in costume, but the majority of children were.

Tip 4: In lieu of a costume, but still in the spirit of Halloween, some guest choose to get their faces painted. The cost in the parks is around $15 and it minimizes the need to pack costumes or accessories if you are flying to Walt Disney World. If this is your choice, make sure to buy a Park Hopper Pass for your stay and visit Animal Kingdom (Dino Land) or Epcot (World Showcase/Trading Post/Africa) to have your face painted.

NOTE: Currently Magic Kingdom does not offer face painting on the premises while Toon Town is under construction (reopening in 2012). The makeup used for the face painting is professional costume makeup and is non-irritating. After the makeup dries it will stay on your face for days if you let it. It can be washed off with water and a little rubbing so be careful if you decide to take on Splash Mountain! In previous years free face painting was offered in the Magic Kingdom during the event. This may return once Toon Town is reopened.

Step 4: Arrive early. If the event begins at 7 pm make sure to arrive at Magic Kingdom before 6 pm. This will give your family ample time to get adjusted to the park, get a trick-or-treat bag, and locate all of the Goofy Candy Co. spots. Other guest will be leaving the park if they did not purchase special event tickets. This makes for a crowded entry way upon your arrival. Arriving early will also allow you to get a Quick Service meal for dinner, grab a front row seat for the Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade, or ride a few times on Space Mountain.

NOTE: A wrist band is provided to guest who have purchased special event tickets. This allows guest to ride the rides, collect treats, and take photos at Character greetings. Without a wrist band you can watch the parade and fireworks, but won’t be able to purchase or do anything else in the park.

Step 5: Pick a few candy spots to hit. If you wait to hit the spots later on you will receive more candy, but don’t wait too late because they do stop handing out candy around 9 pm. One of the best places to collect candy is near Splash Mountain. When you enter Magic Kingdom head to Frontier Land (left of the castle) and begin collecting candy in the back of the park. You can avoid many of the lines with this approach.

Step 6: Ride rides, watch shows, meet-and-great with your favorite characters, and watch the Happy HalloWishes fireworks display while snacking on your Halloween Candy.

Step 7: If you are enjoying the event with your little ones, you may want to make your way to the transportation about an hour early. Since the event closes at midnight, many guest may want to make their way to an extended hours park, Downtown Disney, or back to their resort. This will create a backlog at the bus and tram stations. Avoid the crowd by getting to the stop early and catching the first or second bus departing.

Attending special events while visiting the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida can create lasting memories. The Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a great addition to any WDW vacation.

What are your favorite Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party memories? Feel free to share your thoughts and recommendations about attending this special event.