Questioning in regards to the least-crowded or most-crowded nights to attend the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration? This covers the perfect & worst dates to purchase tickets for Magic Kingdom’s particular occasion, so you may plan your trip round avoiding these crowds. (Up to date Could 17, 2024.)
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration happens in Magic Kingdom on 38 choose nights August 9 by means of October 31, from 7 p.m. till midnight. The MNSSHP ‘season’ begins sooner than ever this yr, which has turn out to be one thing of a development. Unsurprisingly, the dates closest to Halloween are all the time the busiest (and most costly!), however when you’ve got different choices, when must you attend?
To that time, in the case of selecting the least-crowded Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration, the primary rule of thumb is that the cheaper nights are the much less busy ones and the costliest nights are busiest. As with all issues Walt Disney World, costs are dictated by demand. Pay extra, get greater crowds–spend much less, get decrease crowds. Type of backwards, however you in all probability get why it really works this fashion.
There are quite a few completely different ticket value groupings, with all the least expensive dates being in August and early September. There are some exceptions to this, however usually, the sooner within the season, the cheaper the costs–and vice-versa.
Costs get progressively costlier in October, at which level many dates are over $170 per ticket. It’s fairly straightforward to identify some traits just by Disney’s calendar of accessible celebration dates. Nonetheless, not all dates in the identical value tier might be equally busy.
Earlier than we get going, one factor price noting is that, selecting the “greatest” dates to go to and avoiding the “worst” issues much less and fewer. For each of the final two years, each single evening of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration has bought out.
There’s no cause to imagine that’ll change this yr, at the same time as pent-up demand continues to die down. On the contrary, we totally count on no less than 90% of the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration dates to promote out. Possibly 100%!
You may assume that “it doesn’t matter if each single celebration sells out.” Nonetheless, our expertise has been that this isn’t true for a few causes. We’ve attended dozens of MNSSHPs through the years (actually–I’ve misplaced rely, nevertheless it’s been no less than 40 events), together with quite a few “bought out” events in August and October.
In our completely anecdotal expertise, the events in October have been, on common, busier than those in August. After all, issues might be completely different this yr, nevertheless it’s our perception that October tends to be busier as a result of Walt Disney World will increase the capability cap later within the season because of the solar setting earlier, which permits for extra stage present performances. Plus, the climate is simply typically higher so maybe they really feel prefer it’s high quality to boost the attendance restrict because the occasion is extra snug.
Talking of climate, visitor restoration additionally possible comes into play. If/when nights of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration are rained out earlier within the season, Walt Disney World gives “make up” tickets to some company who search them from Visitor Relations. This will happen even for celebration dates which can be already bought out. All of that is on the discretion of Forged Members and isn’t totally constant, however we strongly imagine that visitor restoration and comped tickets can improve crowds later within the season.
One other factor to notice is that, throughout the board, traces have gotten longer to enter Magic Kingdom proper at 4 p.m. for the beginning of the pre-party mix-in. There has all the time been an preliminary rush of company at 4 pm, however prior to now, many individuals didn’t know they might enter Magic Kingdom early. This has modified in recent times as Walt Disney World higher advertises the perk, presumably to assist justify the worth will increase.
My sturdy suspicion is that an growing variety of company are buying Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween as a substitute of day tickets, fairly than along with common admission. This might be taking part in out in a methods large and small, from vacationers shopping for shorter length tickets (3 days as a substitute of 4) to locals skipping out on Annual Passes and getting their “Disney repair” throughout Celebration Season.
When Disneyland actually began growing costs on Annual Passes a number of years in the past and diminished choices for locals, many Californians began skipping APs and as a substitute doing Mickey’s Halloween Celebration (now Oogie Boogie Bash). We imagine the identical factor is now occurring at Walt Disney World with MNSSHP. These priced-out locals eager to get their repair would additionally clarify why MNSSHP is promoting even sooner than final yr, regardless of pent-up demand in any other case slowing.
It additionally explains the bigger crowd previous to 4 pm. These are higher-knowledge company who additionally need to get as a lot worth out of the celebration ticket as doable. This can be a distinction to vacationers with multi-day tickets which will embrace a park day previous to the beginning of MNSSHP, who don’t have any incentive to reach proper at 4 pm. Anyway, plan accordingly along with your arrival time and don’t fret while you inevitably see an enormous line–or amorphous mass of individuals. That is the brand new regular, and it’s not indicative of how crowded MNSSHP might be. (Regardless that the group appears colossal, it’s nonetheless a small proportion of all attendees.)
Assuming each date doesn’t promote out (in all probability an incorrect assumption), the “greatest observe” that we’d advocate is attending a celebration on a Tuesday in August. Traditionally, these have been the dates which can be least prone to promote out. Not solely are they early within the season, however they’re weeknights.
Conversely, weekends (non-school nights) are typically busiest, particularly later within the season. Even Friday in August might be much less busy than Fridays in September and October. The one exception to that is usually the primary celebration, which is all the time busy attributable to vloggers, bloggers, influencers, all the followers who need to be “first,” and Walt Disney World company doing late summer season trip who’re leaving that weekend and don’t have another MNSSHP nights throughout their journey.
Nonetheless, we’re not so positive about that in the case of the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration. Not solely is the primary evening considerably costlier, nevertheless it conflicts with the 2024 D23 Expo. Granted, that occasion is held in Anaheim, California–on the opposite facet of the nation. However nearly everybody “from the web” will select that over MNSSHP. We’re!
We nonetheless wouldn’t advocate the primary evening of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration on August 9, 2024. Realistically, there are only some hundred bloggers/vloggers/influencers/and many others., whereas there are literally thousands of vacationers visiting that week who’ve August 9 as the one celebration they will attend. That’s the larger demo, even when “folks from the web” are the louder and extra seen one. I might be completely mistaken, however I might not count on the primary evening to be gradual attributable to D23 Expo. That occasion will make an influence, however not that large of 1.
If you happen to can’t go in August, early to mid-September on a Tuesday evening would be the most suitable choice.
We predict that the August 20 or August 27, 2024 celebration would be the least busy of the complete season…however there’s the slight likelihood celebrating Halloween in August may not sit effectively with you. Therefore our prediction that it’ll be the least crowded celebration!
That is true even when each single date sells out. Final yr, all dates bought out, and wait time information signifies that the events in late August and early September have been much less busy than the averages in October. After all, wait instances usually are not the one measure of crowds–and even crucial one–in the case of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration.
Congestion in entrance of Cinderella Citadel and on Fundamental Avenue is arguably extra necessary, however there’s no great way of measuring that. (It’s doable that decrease wait instances imply the occasion attendees are elsewhere in Magic Kingdom, contributing to better crowding elsewhere. We’re skeptical of that, although.)
Traditionally, there are typically three guidelines for a way busy Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration might be:
- Tuesday nights are all the time the least crowded
- Friday nights are probably the most crowded
- The events get progressively busier the nearer you get to Halloween
We take into account these pretty onerous and quick guidelines as a result of locals/Annual Passholders don’t need to take their youngsters to the Halloween celebration on a faculty evening, and since they really begin pondering about Halloween while you get nearer to Halloween.
As such, just about any Tuesday evening by means of September 17 could be day to attend, as would Sundays by means of September 15.
There’s one Monday evening celebration this yr–on September 2, which is Labor Day. Sometimes, that’s not a busy weekend at Walt Disney World by vacation requirements and most Southerners doing lengthy weekend journeys will head house by then. It wouldn’t be my first selection, however I’d positively decide the celebration on September 2, 2024 over the one on September 6. The Friday one will nearly definitely be worse.
Mainly, vacationers go to the events on no matter evening they really feel like going (they’re on trip, it’s all the identical to them), however locals who might go any evening of the season select extra rigorously. They’re those who tip the scales by way of congestion.
With that mentioned, overarching crowd traits additionally come into play–if there are fewer vacationers, it stands to cause that there’s additionally much less demand for MNSSHP. As a normal matter, October can be extra crowded than mid-August by means of September, which positively provides to it. In the previous couple of years, October has turn out to be busier and busier at Walt Disney World, and we don’t count on that development to vary.
Vacationers additionally don’t have the identical luxurious of selecting and selecting nights, having only some days from which to decide on throughout their journeys. However locals with the complete calendar in entrance of them need to dress up and take their youngsters in a while weekend nights, as soon as Halloween is definitely on their radar and so they have made costumes.
Plus, locals know that Florida remains to be scorching and humid in September, and usually cooler in October, making these cumbersome or ornate costumes extra possible later within the season.
Whereas crowd stage suggestions for the complete calendar of dates is effectively past the scope of our data and experience, we predict if you happen to comply with the go Tuesday, don’t go Friday rule (expanded to ‘go college nights, don’t go weekend nights’), and/or plan for a visit earlier within the Halloween (if you happen to nonetheless have that luxurious–if not, there’s all the time subsequent yr), you’ll be fairly effectively set.
One other straightforward trick that it’s best to use for figuring out whether or not Disney is projecting a selected celebration to have low or excessive attendance is to have a look at the worth of tickets for that celebration, and obtainable reductions.
Disney doesn’t provide Disney Trip Membership or Annual Passholder reductions out of some sense of company benevolence, it does so to encourage company to attend the cheaper events as a result of they’ve decrease attendance. How this may be useful in your planning is while you see an anomaly celebration, price-wise.
For instance, if there’s a weeknight celebration that ought to have low attendance however has no reductions obtainable and is priced greater, then maybe that’s as a result of Disney is aware of one thing we don’t. Possibly there’s a conference or athletic group that’s anticipated to make a big ticket purchase.
No matter all the different ideas that we’ve got, you might be fairly sure that if a celebration prices much less, it is going to be much less crowded. If a celebration prices extra, it is going to be extra crowded. Disney has mastered the artwork of manipulating attendance patterns with reductions and pricing tips in an effort to extra evenly re-distribute crowds. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration isn’t any exception to this rule.
The one factor to doubtlessly consider, or use as a “tie-breaker” when two dates you’re contemplating are priced the identical is to consider potential demographics of the events. In our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration Information, we strongly encourage company to not do points of interest through the celebration regardless of the shorter wait instances, as a result of there may be plenty of celebration leisure (a lot that you could’t see all of it in a single celebration), and rides might be accomplished on a standard day within the Magic Kingdom.
Annual Passholders and locals are extra inclined to comply with this as a result of they’ve common entry to the points of interest within the Magic Kingdom, and will do them any ole time. In contrast, many vacationers would not have such entry, and are prepared to pay a premium to attend the occasion for shorter traces, plus some Halloween leisure.
Think about when locals usually tend to be attending the events you’re contemplating (based mostly on the above) within the case of a “tie” by way of pricing, and both go to or keep away from that celebration relying upon whether or not characters/leisure are extra necessary to you, or doing points of interest with shorter waits is extra necessary to you. Clearly, it’s your determination, however we advocate selecting the tourist-filled nights if you happen to can and specializing in points of interest throughout a unique day within the Magic Kingdom.
With 38 celebration nights, chances are high your Walt Disney World trip might be impacted by Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration no matter whether or not you attend. There’s additionally the matter of Magic Kingdom through the day on occasion nights, and it’s best to completely plan round this.
In brief, Magic Kingdom is least busy on days with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration within the night and extra busy on days that MNSSHP isn’t occurring. It’s because the Halloween Celebration is separately-ticketed, which causes Magic Kingdom to shut early on MNSSHP nights. Many day company keep away from Magic Kingdom on celebration dates as a result of the park hours are shorter and fireworks usually are not proven to common company. This leads to considerably lighter crowds earlier than the celebration.
These identical company then flock to non-party days in Magic Kingdom. Regardless that the park has longer hours on these dates, you’re going to get much less accomplished than you may earlier than ~5 pm on a celebration day. As long as you’re snug lacking the fireworks or are high quality watching from a resort restaurant or the TTC, we extremely advocate doing all of your days in Magic Kingdom on celebration dates.
Keep away from Saturdays in Magic Kingdom throughout celebration season, which can possible have 9/10 or 10/10 crowd ranges. Additionally avoid any days which can be in between two or extra Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration nights. That is much less necessary in August and September when attendance ranges are decrease, however is completely important in October.
When you’ve got a Park Hopper ticket, go to Magic Kingdom through the day on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration nights, after which head to a different park at round 4 pm. Animal Kingdom will all the time be your best choice for lower-crowd evenings through the fall. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is one other stable possibility. Epcot tends to be the “hopper park” (particularly throughout Meals & Wine Pageant) so we’re much less inclined to advocate it.
If you happen to don’t have a Park Hopper ticket…we’d strongly advocate upgrading to 1. So far as splurges go, it is a beneficial one to have throughout celebration season at Walt Disney World.
In observe, since our Halloween celebration visits don’t function in a vacuum, we love the celebration in late September. We view this because the “candy spot” as a result of it permits us to plan a visit round each Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration and higher climate. It was that this additionally allowed us to attend the early days Epcot’s Worldwide Meals & Wine Pageant, however with that being moved ahead a few weeks just about yearly, it now begins in August…similar to the Halloween Celebration.
Additionally just like the Halloween celebration, the Meals & Wine Pageant is much less busy on weekdays. Going earlier within the Meals & Wine ‘season’ permits us to take pleasure in that, plus Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration throughout a less-busy September date, and climate that has cooled because the begin of the events in September. However don’t inform anybody else about this candy spot…it’s our secret!
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Your Ideas…
Which dates are your favorites for doing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration? Have you ever had extra success going earlier within the season versus ready till October? What about Tuesday v. Friday v. Sunday nights? Assume “bought out” in August nonetheless has fewer folks than “bought out” in October? When are you planning to go this yr? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
