Mickey’s not so scary halloween! It’s exactly like it sounds- a halloween fanfare for the kiddos that’s not too scary (but it does have some scary parts!).
Located at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, it’s a seperate ticket event that you can come to with your family. A fun event where you can dress up and see a totally different Magic Kingdom! Seriously! WOW. They do a lot to make this event extra special.
But, you and I know, taking younger kids somewhere is totally different than older teens or an adults only trip!
That’s why we’re going to cover all of the important details for taking kids under 5 to MNSSHP.
🎃 For most babies under 24 months, MNSSHP is a late night adventure that they will likely sleep through.
🎃 2-4 year olds might enjoy most or all of the festivities, depending on their tolerance to some scary costumes/loud noises/staying up super late.
🎃 Kids 5 and up will have the most fun since they understand Halloween is for play, can stay up later to enjoy the fun, and don’t mind flashy lights or loud noises.
If you just want the regular Mickey’s Not So Scary Guide for all ages, we’ve got that one too!
But there’s so many more details, like the best things to do with your toddlers and preschoolers, the best pictures to take and where to grab your food! Plus you need to know some tips and hacks for making it extra fun and easy!
It’s a bucket list item with our kids- but there are quite a few people that don’t like to bring their babies or toddlers- or they don’t even know it’s an option. Unlike the other halloween events at Orlando Theme Parks, MNSSHP is really family friendly.
How Kid Friendly is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween?
On a scale of 1 to 10, Mickey’s Not So Scary is a solid 7.5. There’s lots of fun exclusive characters to meet, and there’s lines for candy and special treats. You’ll see many many kids there from all ages.
It’s so exciting to dress up as a family, and you get to see some really incredible and themed family outfits! Plus, if you do go to MNSSHP, you get all of the fun halloween pictures in front of the castle, and there’s some really great magic shots.
I have to warn you 🛑 that it can be too much for some kids.
Because it is not 100% kid friendly! 🎃 Some of the costumes and villains are very realistic and can be a lot for a younger child to experience.
My kids personally don’t like the villain scenes in Disney Movies, and I can’t blame them. They are bad guys. We’ve taught them to watch out for scary people. So taking them to an event where the villains prance around in parades is sometimes scary or confusing.
To see how kid friendly this would be for your child, spend time watching The Haunted Mansion, and check out the Not So Scary Parade on Youtube. Does your child do ok with the Villians in the movies? Or do they run and hide?
Then you’ll be able to see if this doesn’t bother your child, or if you’ll need to wait a few more years before they understand it’s all make believe! OR you can just avoid the parade and the castle stage show, and focus on meeting the fun exclusive characters and getting candy!
AND IF YOUR CHILD IS TOO SCARED- might I suggest the very fun halloween character meal at Hollywood and Vine? It is so perfect for pictures!
Is MNSSHP too loud for babies and toddlers?
There are two really big events at the Mickey’s Halloween Party that can be really loud for babies and toddlers.
But first things first, since the party starts a 7, you can get in the gate at 4. From 4-7 not a lot is going on, and this is a great time to get photos and make a game plan with your map! Then you can head straight to the characters you’d like to meet.
What’s too loud for most little ones is the Castle Show and the Parade. During the Castle show, if you have a baby or young toddler, consider standing by the Plaza Ice Cream Shop or over by the TomorrowLand Terrace. That way you can watch the show without the surprise and delight causing a surprise and scare in your kids!
Then there’s the parade. While *most* of the parade isn’t too loud, there are a few villains that get carried away, and there are gravediggers that literally grate the pavement with their shovels.
Both of these will be too much, and I suggest you find a spot in Frontier Land where you can see the show without being in the front line. If you are a few people back from the parade, you can still wave high to The Incredibles and see the Buzz Lightyear.
What should you do with the kids under 5 at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?
There are sooooo many fun things to do with the kids at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
1- Dress up as a family and take some really cool pictures! You can get magic shots done if you have the memory maker, but if you don’t, get them done anyways! You can view them online and decide if you’d like to purchase them individually (around 20-30 dollars) which is a savings when you consider that you’ll grab exactly the picture you want, and none of the one’s you don’t!
There’s a bunch of magic shots, so check those out before the party so you know which ones you’ll want to get!
2- Go trick r treating in a safe and fun place! Trick r treating at theme parks is our all time favorite thing to do with the kids. We’ve been to all the Orlando Theme Parks to trick-r-treat! While Disney’s MNSSHP is the best for food allergies, we really enjoyed the new addition to Universal’s Island’s of Adventure and LEGOLAND and Seaworld are always classics! The best part? All of the other theme parks include trick-r-treating in park admission. A good option if you don’t plan to stay long and want a budget option.
3- Meet Exclusive Characters! There are many Halloween themed characters, and many regular characters in Halloween Dress at this hard ticket party! And you’ll also find characters like Moana, and the Seven Dwarfs, that only come out during these parties (though we aren’t seeing Moana and Seven Dwarfs in 2022)
4- Ride rides! While I don’t always recommend riding rides during these hard ticket events, you’ll find that some of them have fun additions or overlays! We SO enjoy riding Pirates of the Caribbean since they add live actors to the ride! I also recommend doing some of the smaller rides, like The Teacups or Dumbo, since the lines are almost nonexistent.
Top tips for enjoying the nights and making the most of your ticket!
- Bring a Stroller! The odds of your kids falling asleep is very high.Â
- Arrive Early. Your ticket gets you in at 4 when the party starts at 7. DVC members may be able to get in as early as 2 pm!
- Do a sit down dinner. The quick service options have some fun exclusive additions, and the lines are very long during the parties since only a few are open. Grab a reservation for 4 so you can be done just in time for all the fun to happen at 7!Â
- Spend the morning resting and lounging around. This will give you plenty of energy to enjoy the night and not feel like you got beat up the next day.Â
- Take lots of photos! For many people, this is a once in a lifetime, or even just once a year event! Take lots and lots of photos as most of what you see is exclusive to the party.Â
TL;DR MNSSHP with babies, toddlers and preschoolers
Arrive Early in your costumes! Do a sit down dinner, and focus on trick-r-treating, meeting exclusive characters and riding rides. Spend some time checking out the party only merchandise, and catch the parade over in frontierland where the lighting is better and it’s not so scary. Bring a stroller and leave when you’re ready!