The Complete Guide To Mickey’s Halloween Party At Disneyland

For a few special nights throughout September and October each year, frightening villains, spooky costumes, fantastic tricks, and delicious treats will take over the Disneyland Resort.

Mickey’s Halloween Party raises the bar for Halloween celebrations with an exclusive fireworks spectacular, a Frightfully Fun parade, and an overabundance of the sugary good stuff.

Celebrate Halloween Time At The Disney Resort

Autumn marks the beginning of Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort.

Disneyland and the Disney California Adventure Park (DCA) are dressed head-to-toe in their Halloween best; orange banners line Main Street, U.S.A., favorite Disney characters sport their best costumes, an enormous Mickey Mouse jack-o-lantern takes over Town Square, and a smiling Oogie Boogie lurks at the entrance to DCA.

Though Halloween Time and Mickey’s Halloween Party overlap, it’s important to realize the difference between the two.

Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort includes special holiday treats, Halloween and Fall decor, spooky entertainment, and two haunted ride overlays.

During this time, Space Mountain is transformed into a frightening Ghost Galaxy and the Haunted Mansion is taken over by a spooky winter wonderland as Jack Skellington and his Nightmare Before Christmas henchmen try their best to decorate for the upcoming happier holidays.

Disneyland Resort hotel guests can also book a Spooktacular In-Room Surprise which includes personalized souvenirs, goodies, and treats!

Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort also offers a Happiest Haunts Tour for an additional fee.

While you’ll be able to experience the holiday decor, get a sugar high from all of the Halloween-themed treats, catch a costumed character or two, and enjoy the two ride overlays with a regular theme park ticket or Park Hopper, there are a few truly special Halloween treats that will only be available with a ticket to Mickey’s Halloween Party. Keep reading to learn more!

Tickets

Mickey’s Halloween Party is a hard-ticketed event, meaning that the park closes to regular guests early, and a separate ticket is required for each person wishing to attend the party. A regular theme park ticket or Park Hopper will not allow you access to this event.

Disneyland does not offer a military discount (and never has) on this California party as

Ticket sales for this event will open a few months before the party is scheduled and sell out quickly. Disneyland Annual Passholders (APs) and Disney Credit Card members are able to begin purchasing tickets one week before ticket sales open to the public, so make sure to take advantage of this head start!

The cheaper dates usually sell out the quickest, but if you’re able to snatch a ticket for one, do it! Not only will this save you money, you might also be able to avoid a larger crowd; since these tickets are based on popularity (like regular Disneyland tickets nowadays), a cheaper price means less of a crowd. Ticket prices are raised if Disneyland is expecting larger crowds.

INSIDER TIP: Mickey’s Halloween Party tickets are less than normal Disneyland Park Hopper tickets, and allow access to both parks. In fact, the party is 4 hours long, and guests with party tickets can get into the parks 3 hours prior. That’s 7 hours of Disneyland and/or DCA for much less than the normal ticket price!

Once you’ve purchased your tickets and it’s time to head to the parks to get your party on, you’ll be given a wristband. These wristbands are given out as you enter the park. Do not take it off. Cast Members will be looking for these wristbands all night, and you’ll be asked to leave without one.

No Military Discount

Unfortunately, there are no Military discounts for these tickets as Walt Disney World does in Florida. however, if you’re a Disneyland Passholder, you may be eligible for a few bucks off! Also, make sure you only purchase these tickets directly through Disney. Tickets for this event being sold anywhere else are fraudulent, and you won’t be allowed into the party with one.

What’s Included With A Mickey’s Halloween Party Ticket?

• Access to both Disneyland and DCA up to 3 hours before the scheduled event time.
• Your very own trick-or-treat bag and unlimited use of all Treat Trails throughout the park. If you think you’ll need more space than the bag you’ll be given (which is about the size of a small grocery bag), you’re welcome to bring your own – even a pillowcase!
• Disneyland attractions and rides throughout the park, including the popular ride overlays: Haunted Mansion Holiday and Ghost Galaxy.
• An exclusive showing of the Halloween Screams fireworks spectacular that can only be seen with a Mickey’s Halloween Party ticket. This is the big-ticket event of the party and is considered to be one of the best fireworks shows Disneyland has to offer.
• Meet-and-greets with Disney characters in their Halloween costumes and some of the most popular Disney villains. There will be quite a few characters that you won’t be able to see in the parks on normal operating days.
• A close-up look at the Headless Horseman as he rides at an eerily slow pace down Main Street, making way for the parade to follow.
• A Frightfully Fun Parade that, like the fireworks spectacular, can only be seen with a Mickey’s Halloween Party ticket.
• A plethora of candy, and when I say plethora, I mean plethora. Treat Trails are literally just that; trails that are made up of several treat stations, each of which will give you a handful of candy and sweets. One Treat Trail may be the equivalent of visiting 5-7 houses! Now that’s what I call smart trick-or-treating!
• A dance party complete with lively music and the opportunity to eat, drink, and be scary throughout the park!

Free parking is NOT included in the ticket price. This is a recent change.

There is a Dinner Package at the Blue Bayou that is available for event guests at an additional price of $69 per adult and $29 per child, plus tax and gratuity. Discounts do not apply. This package includes a 3-course, prix-fixe dinner (starter, entrée and dessert) at the Blue Bayou Restaurant and a voucher that provides access to the Frightfully Fun Parade reserved viewing area

Costumes

It’s important to review all costume guidelines before you go. If your costume does not fit within the parameters, you may be asked to change, which (depending on where you parked or where you’re staying) can take a huge chunk of time out of your spooktacular night.

This party is the only time that Disneyland guests older than 10 can wear costumes into the parks. And some people really take advantage of it! You’ll see everything from homemade, DIY costumes to extravagant replicas of costumes worn by your favorite Disney characters!

Costumes do not have to be Disney related.

Tips For The Best Halloween Party Ever!

• Save your trick-or-treating for later. Hitting up the Treat Trails at the beginning of the party will result in some unnecessarily long lines. These lines will die down as the party goes on, and you and your little ones will still get more than your fill of sweets – without the lines – later on.
• Also, unless your main goal is trick-or-treating, don’t spend too much of your time at the Treat Trails; you can always find candy elsewhere, for only a few bucks a bag. It’s the short wait times, villain meet-and-greets, and nighttime spectaculars that truly make this party one of the best!
• Make sure to catch the projections on the Sleeping Beauty Castle and It’s A Small World. You’ll enjoy dancing Fantasia broomsticks, Jack Skellington-inspired jack-o-lanterns, and a few of Dumbo’s crazy dreams! There are also projections on the Main Street storefronts.
• Stay late. Get the most out of your tickets and stay until the very end if you’re able to; the crowds will die down after the Halloween Screams fireworks spectacular and the Frightfully Fun Parade, giving you even quicker access to the rides and Treat Trails.
• Be aware that there will not be Monorail access. Disneyland Resort hotel guests will have to find another way back to their rooms.
• Don’t miss the character meet-and-greets throughout the park if character interactions are your thing! Many of the greatest character interactions happen during this event!
• Make sure to catch Disneyland’s Dapper Dans as their Halloween doppelgangers, The Cadaver Dans. They’ll put on a spectacularly spooky show along the Rivers of America, which will be shrouded in an eerie, glowing mist.
• Make the most of your three extra hours. Hit up DCA before the party at Disneyland to check out the decor there!
• Upon entering the park, pick up a map of where to find characters and the locations of the Treat Trails. Not only will it help you navigate the party with ease and make the most of your dollar, it also makes for a great free souvenir!
• Pick and choose the activities you’d like to do most before attending the party. There’s so much to do and – usually – not enough time.
• Costumes are optional (you won’t feel out of place whether you wear one or don’t), but really help to get you in the spooky spirit!
• Hit up some rides and other attractions during the first showing of the the Frightfully Fun Parade. Many guests will be at the parade, giving you shorter wait times for character interactions, Treat Trails, and rides.
• If you’re interested in seeing the parade at some point during the party, go to the second showing; you’ll have better luck finding great last-minute seats, instead of wasting time saving a spot. (A quick note: even though you’ll have better luck with last-minute seating, it’s not guaranteed. If you’re worried about getting a great spot, arrive 30 minutes early.)
• If you plan to visit Disneyland for a few days and will be purchasing multiple-day Park Hoppers, save those for other days, and do something else the morning of the party. That way, you’ll get an extra half-day at Disneyland without paying full-price to add another day to your Park Hoppers!
• Treat Trail lines are usually longer close to the park entrance.

Is Mickey’s Halloween Party Worth The Money?

This frightfully fantastic Halloween party may be perfect for you if…

• You only want to spend a few hours in the Disney parks and don’t want to pay full price.
• You’re looking for a family-friendly version of Halloween fun.
• You or your kids really love character interactions and would die for some extra attention from your favorite characters.
• You love the idea of short wait times for some of Disneyland’s most popular rides.
• You’re an adult who loves trick-or-treating, but hates awkwardly knocking on the neighbor’s doors to do so.
• You (or your kids) want a plethora of candy without having to traverse the entire neighborhood.
• You’re a southern California local who wants to visit Disneyland, but not pay full price.
• You’re a tourist who only has one day to spend in the parks and wants to avoid long lines and – again – not pay full price.

So there you have it! All the information, tips, and tricks you’ll need for a spooktacular Halloween at the Happiest Place on Earth. What are your favorite parts of Mickey’s Halloween Party? Or if you have yet to attend, what are you most excited for?