Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together at Magic Kingdom is costlier than ever earlier than, with tickets costing as much as $199 every and promoting out yearly. We’re right here that can assist you determine whether or not Walt Disney World’s fall seasonal occasion is “price it” for you–plus commentary on whether or not MNSSHP presents adequate worth for cash to us. (Up to date October 2, 2024.)
One of many difficulties in assessing whether or not Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together justifies the excessive worth is that there aren’t any straightforward comparisons. Shopping for a single-day ticket to Magic Kingdom isn’t an apples to apples equal, nor are there any “Enchanting Further” upcharges (at the moment) which can be viable options to MNSSHP.
As such, figuring out whether or not Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together is definitely worth the cash requires a have a look at options to the exhausting ticket occasion, its core parts, previous precedent, and extra. It’s a patchwork method, however that’s sorta the character of the beast relating to these “is it price it?” questions and all issues Walt Disney World.
Largely, it’s because there’s at all times an inarticulable x-factor relating to Disney. An emotional or nostalgic pull that causes many individuals to miss goal on-paper comparisons. We justify a lot on the premise of perceived benefits or substance. If we’re being sincere with ourselves, the truth is that it normally boils all the way down to one thing way more emotional, nebulous, or intangible.
That is true not simply with Walt Disney World diehards. A big swath of the general public is prepared to pay premium pricing for Disney’s product and that’s as a result of there’s the notion that there’s no “substitute good.” Positive, there are different Halloween occasions–most likely a half-dozen of them simply in Central Florida–however none of them have the identical elementary attraction to the goal demo as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together.
(We are saying this as individuals who love Halloween Horror Nights, however are cognizant of the truth that we’re outliers. The 2 occasions are hardly direct rivals, which is patently apparent to anybody who attends each and easily seems round.)
Subjectively, it’s tough to argue that lots of what Disney presents is price the price on paper. Whether or not that be upcharge choices, rack charges for Deluxe Resorts, or a mess of different issues. Comparable “actual world” counterparts nearly at all times provide higher worth for cash. Similar goes for previous incarnations of Walt Disney World’s personal choices–you pay extra and get much less in 2024 than you probably did in 2014.
Objectively, it’s a completely totally different story. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together has bought out utterly for each of the final two years, and there’s no signal of demand slowing in 2025 or past. Within the clearest and most simple sense, the market has already spoken and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together is price it.
Whereas followers like us may complain about ever-increasing costs, discuss is affordable. We proceed to vote with our wallets and reaffirm that not solely is MNSSHP nonetheless price it, however that it’s underpriced–as evidenced by the occasion promoting out sooner and extra steadily than ever earlier than. Walt Disney World has but to seek out the ceiling on what company are prepared to pay earlier than balking at MNSSHP. Truthfully, we’re sort of scared about what that quantity could be.
Principally, this preface is our cop out. A roundabout approach of claiming that the whole lot at Walt Disney World is price it, and nothing is. Admitting that that is an train in futility, as emotion and nostalgia are large drivers for Walt Disney World and worth for these issues may be very a lot within the eye of the beholder.
Nonetheless, it’s an train we’ll undertake simply the identical, attempting to find out if the ever-increasing ticket costs for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together will be justified in any approach.
Costs are most likely an excellent place to begin an evaluation of price, so let’s start there. Tickets for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together ranged in worth from $119 to $199. That is up very barely over the course of the final couple years.
Though it hasn’t gone up a lot in the previous couple of years, these are large worth will increase as in comparison with 2019. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary tickets price between $79 and $135 again then. That’s an unimaginable distinction. (On condition that tickets have bought so nicely for the previous few years, we concern an enormous enhance is coming in 2025.)
On the upside, we’ve noticed decrease ‘seems like’ crowds at each MNSSHP and MVMCP within the final two years as contrasted with 2019. After a constructive response and better visitor satisfaction for the Halloween After Hours occasion a number of years again, we strongly suspect Walt Disney World decreased the capability cap by round 20% (give or take). That’s not sufficient to offset the worth enhance in proportion phrases, however it’s noteworthy.
By way of historic pricing, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together didn’t break the $100/night time barrier till 2016. We first began attending in 2007, and budgeted ~$50 for each the Halloween and Christmas Get together for the primary a number of years we went.
I don’t understand how a lot worth there’s in evaluating costs right this moment to again within the “good ole days” of the Nice Recession. The world is a really totally different place than it was in 2007-2009. Whereas we might desire pricing from again then, the financial system and actual wages are unquestionably higher. Consequently, demand is loads larger for MNSSHP than it was then.
Nonetheless, I additionally don’t assume it fairly passes the scent check to say “this occasion that’s considerably the identical because it was in 2007, besides extra crowded and costlier, is now higher than it was then.” Demand can clarify Disney’s underlying rationale for worth will increase, however not reply questions of price. However maybe that’s a bit too within the weeds.
What’s most likely extra helpful than eager for the previous is dollar-cost comparisons to the current. We are able to evaluate MNSSHP ticket costs to the price of a 1-day ticket to Magic Kingdom. Common day admission ranges from $134 to $179 in the course of the months of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together.
Not so coincidentally, day ticket costs are literally similar to MNSSHP ticket costs on a date by date foundation for the remaining occasion nights. Some are about the identical; Friday nights in October being $20 costlier.
If we had to decide on between a full day in Magic Kingdom and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together this time of yr, we’d choose the latter immediately. It presents decrease crowds, higher environment, enjoyable leisure, and is at night time throughout a time of yr that’s usually scorching.
So long as MNSSHP continues to be comparably priced to single-day Magic Kingdom tickets within the fall, you’ll be able to count on it to proceed promoting out shortly in 2025 and past–barring a recession or different main change. It’s because an growing variety of company are buying Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween as an alternative of day tickets.
That is enjoying out in a methods large and small, from vacationers shopping for shorter period tickets (3 days as an alternative of 4) to locals skipping out on Annual Passes and getting their “Disney repair” throughout Get together Season. The latter is a big issue, as Floridians are being priced out of APs or opting to take a yr off from them, however nonetheless wish to do Walt Disney World every now and then. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together is a method to scratch that itch, so to talk. That is positively occurring, as evidenced by the bigger mix-in crowds ready to enter at 4 pm.
Nevertheless, we are able to’t assist however assume that it is a false alternative–or that the dynamic may revert sooner or later within the not too distant future. That’s as a result of Walt Disney World has provided ticket offers for every of the final two years for each Floridians and most people, providing multi-day admission ranging in worth from $59 per day to $99 per day (the decrease finish of the spectrum was for Floridians).
It’s honest to say that followers in search of a single-day Disney repair aren’t going to need 2-day to 4-day tickets, however some are. And if it’s a alternative between 4 days for $235 to $396 or Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together for $149, I’m selecting the multi-day possibility, even on the larger worth. (With Epic Universe looming, it’s secure to say these ticket offers will return for Fall 2025–even perhaps higher than ever!)
Nonetheless, there’s a query of the worth proposition of MNSSHP vs. common 1-day tickets for a lot of company.
We’ve been urging Walt Disney World trip planners to do Magic Kingdom on occasion days, which quantities to as many as 10 hours within the park (plus one other 30-60 minutes in case you depend Early Entry). Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween begins at 7 pm and runs till 12 am, however as famous above, party-goers can really enter the park starting at 4 pm, for a grand whole of as much as 8 hours.
From a qualitative perspective, the argument could possibly be made that these 8 hours in the course of the occasion are superior to the ten hours in the course of the day. If that math is hard to sq., it means you haven’t visited Florida in the course of the months of August via October. Level being, night hours are extra nice than the daytime.
That is really nearly as good of some extent as any to deal with crowds. Perceptions of crowds varies broadly primarily based on locations and priorities. As soon as the leisure begins, Fundamental Avenue and the realm in entrance of Cinderella Fort will be congested at occasions. The entrance of Magic Kingdom sees a disproportionate quantity of crowds, so that you may assume MNSSHP may be very crowded–worse than a standard day–in case you hang around across the entrance of the park ready for leisure.
In the meantime, over in Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Frontierland, there are sometimes huge open walkways throughout the very same events, at the very same occasions. Whereas not as quick as After Hours occasions, wait occasions for many points of interest with out overlays are below 10 minutes. Friends who use MNSSHP as a method to do rides with minimal waits and keep away from Fundamental Avenue may understand crowds to be round 2/10 or so.
That’s about on par with a standard day in Magic Kingdom throughout occasion season with a 6 pm closing. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween is rather less busy if we’re utilizing nothing however the goal measure of wait occasions. Conversely, the occasion can worse if we’re utilizing the extremely subjective measure of congestion.
Circling again to the subject of ticket price, a lot of that is irrelevant to most Walt Disney World trip planners. The overwhelming majority of attendees aren’t deciding between a 1-day ticket and MNSSHP, they’re deciding between MNSSHP and (probably) one fewer day on their multi-day tickets.
As such, the incremental price of including (or subtracting) a day to multi-day tickets is the important thing consideration. On this case, that’s an additional ~$10 to ~$30 as in comparison with $139 to $199. Immediately it’s an enormous distinction. The qualitative benefit of night versus daytime in Magic Kingdom melts away.
When assessing worth, MNSSHP followers usually level to the “free” trick-or-treating. That is misguided. When you spent all the night time doing nothing however trick-or-treating, you’d find yourself with a sweet haul having a good market worth of $8.97 from Walmart or CVS. (Or ~$234 at Walt Disney World reward store costs.) As somebody who enjoys having tooth, I’ll additionally admit to being biased towards consuming copious quantities of sugar. However critically, the precise worth of sweet is just not a successful “argument” relating to the price of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together.
Given all of that, we’re left with no higher choices for assessing worth than by ascribing worth to the core competencies of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together: Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, Mickey’s Boo to You Parade, and Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular Fireworks. These three items of leisure are the cornerstones of the occasion.
Walt Disney World followers can quibble over whether or not HalloWishes is best than the present fireworks or if Boo to You is nearly as good because the Christmas parade, every deliver one thing totally different to the desk. They’re all nicely price seeing and every provide one thing spectacular.
If we had been to faux the leisure at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together bought Lightning Lane entry, it’s probably that seeing every one among these would price round $25. Assuming you don’t wish to repeat any of them, that’s $75 of leisure plus a time price of about 3 hours of the occasion itself.
Add in one other $25 for atmospheric acts and ambiance, and also you’re at $100. Then there are character meet & greets, trick-or-treating, attraction overlays, and the time you’re capable of entry Magic Kingdom. In principle, that will get you to the typical ticket worth, assuming you worth all of these issues.
After all, you’ll be able to modify these numbers upwards and downwards primarily based in your occasion’s priorities and what you worth. It’s attainable the additional time in Magic Kingdom or doing common points of interest with quick strains is price considerably extra to you, however the leisure is price considerably much less. Perhaps the person parts had been barely price it for you 5 years in the past and now actually aren’t.
Maybe merely being there amongst different company sporting costumes for Halloween whereas your children are capable of trick-or-treat in a enjoyable and secure setting is priceless. It’s additionally attainable you’re wholly involved with having the very best trip attainable and are prepared to spare no expense to attain that. (In that case, unsure why you even are studying this.) Once more, worth is within the eye of the beholder.
To that time, I figured it’s price sharing our perspective as attendees for the final decade-plus. We’re whole suckers for these events, and we completely love the environment on the occasions. That is equally true for each MNSSHP and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together.
From 11 pm till every time we go away is our favourite time at Magic Kingdom, and the events are immensely satisfying on a private degree primarily based on that end-of-night environment alone. Lots in regards to the Walt Disney World expertise for diehards is revisiting fond reminiscences, and we now have a ton of them from late nights at MNSSHP and MVMCP.
The tip of the night throughout these events transports me again to 2007-2010, and I’d pay a silly sum of money only for that feeling. It’s not rational, however it’s what it’s. (When you’re an informal visitor or first-timer, it’s price understanding that loads of the Walt Disney World expertise boils all the way down to chasing nostalgia for diehards, whether or not they’re prepared to confess it or not.)
With that stated, if the query is whether or not Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together is definitely worth the cash to us primarily based on the present occasion itself, the reply might be not.
For us, MNSSHP peaked in 2015 or 2016. Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular had debuted, the occasion was comparatively uncrowded, there have been extra meet & greets, HalloWishes was nonetheless round, and ticket costs had been considerably decrease. There have been adjustments since then by way of trip overlays and different adjustments, however none of that basically strikes the needle sufficient for me to offset the upper price.
Frankly, if I might select between the MNSSHP of 2016 or 2024 at similar costs, I’d nonetheless choose 2016. There have been lots of little cuts and different methods the standard of the expertise has been eroded. Throughout that very same timeframe, nearly nothing of worth has been added to justify the upper costs.
The underside line is that we splurge on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together as a result of we wish to do it–with out regard for its worth proposition. It’s a type of issues we all know isn’t fairly what it as soon as was, however since we don’t personal a time machine (but), we proceed attending. It’s a extremely enjoyable expertise and nonetheless “shut sufficient” on worth that we give it a go (for now).
At this level, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together is one thing we might do each different yr if it had been only a matter of non-public enjoyment. Writing in regards to the occasion is what ideas the scales for us, and makes it simpler to justify paying the ever-increasing costs to attend.
After all, all of that is extremely private. Though it’s much more costly than MNSSHP, I can not think about lacking Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together. The necessity to write about it excuse additionally exists with MVMCP, however we’d completely attend yearly for private enjoyment. That comes all the way down to much more nostalgia, preferring Christmas, climate, and the spirit of the season. (Christmas in November is much more enjoyable for us than Halloween in August.)
Finally, the ambiance, fireworks, plus two showings of each the Boo to You parade and Hocus Pocus present present adequate worth for us to maintain returning, with the whole lot else being icing on the cake. We additionally get to revisit fond reminiscences and nostalgia for MNSSHP–however greater than something, that ought to underscore why it’s so tough to find out whether or not Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together is definitely worth the cash.
There’s additionally the truth that we ascribed lots of worth to the time after 11 pm, which could be downright laughable to these of you who’re dad and mom of babies. We didn’t even scratch the floor there–or of how costly this will get for bigger events. The purpose is that there’s no one-size-fits-all reply. One of the best we are able to provide is the rambling evaluation above, and the hope that it gives adequate “meals for thought” such you could make a private willpower for your loved ones.
Ultimately, we at all times have an excellent time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together. Not as a lot as we did again within the day (particularly with the price in thoughts), however nonetheless sufficient enjoyable to proceed going yr after yr. At the same time as Annual Passholders who’ve achieved the occasion dozens of occasions, we nonetheless stay up for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together–the occasion is certainly not as “price it” to us because it was once, however we preserve going. As with different followers, the votes we might with our wallets most likely say much more than these few thousand phrases.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? When you’re fascinated with studying extra about accommodations, our Walt Disney World Resorts Opinions web page is an efficient place to begin. For the place to eat, check out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions web page. If you wish to lower your expenses on tickets or decide which sort you must get, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel have a look at unconventional issues you must take in your journey. When you arrive on the parks, our Walt Disney World “Experience Guides” are nice for figuring out what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of those subjects and a lot extra, the very best place to begin is our complete Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information to benefit from your expertise!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together at Walt Disney World within the final two years? What did you consider the crowds? Suppose it was definitely worth the excessive ticket worth? Ideas on the Boo to You Parade, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, fireworks, or every other leisure? Every other ideas, likes or dislikes? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
