Wait Times During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

We attended the first two Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties of the season and we learned a few things. 1) A Cruella wig in 89% humidity is a terrible idea, and 2) Anyone attending MNSSHP that is focused on big rides with short waits has some key opportunities.

First it must be said that we generally don’t advise buying a day ticket for the same day you’re planning to attend the Halloween Party. Not only will you likely not have the energy to last until the final Twix bar is handed out at midnight, but you can get in several rides during your party admission if you have a plan and can stay to the end. You should also know that I am not the numbers person on this team. That’s Len Testa and several other brilliant brains running our website and blog. I’m simply Len’s much younger, way better cook of a sister who has also been to multiple Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties each year for nearly a decade. I’ve been alone for work, with kids for fun, and even a few large gatherings for a bit of both. That’s enough of my resume. On to the observations.

Everyone with MNSSHP advice always says “go to the later Parade” or “wait to trick-or-treat” but I can rarely remember hearing exact numbers to back up the waiting. That’s why we captured wait times in the Magic Kingdom at key times for the first two Parties. Let’s review:

What Happens at 7 pm

While your Not-So-Scary ticket allows you to enter the Magic Kingdom at 4 pm, and some of the party-exclusive food is available at 4 pm, the party doesn’t officially start until 7 pm. This means that at 7 pm, the day guests are gone, most of the character meets are open (Jack & Sally open earlier), trick-or-treat locations begin handing out candy, dance parties start, Mobile Order comes back up, and folks crowd in front of the castle for the first Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular. In short, guests are everywhere but on rides. Hence the low waits for the most popular attractions in this park, including a 30-minute posted wait for TRON on both nights that we tracked. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train also enjoyed a low wait around the start of the first two parties, but hang on. It gets better.

What Happens at 8 pm

The first Boo-to-You Parade of the party runs at 8:15 pm. There are lots of reasons people might feel like they need to see the 8:15 pm parade and not the 11:15 pm run. In my experience, anyone with a small child knows that the meltdown clock is ticking, and anyone having met a child knows any waking moment beyond their usual bedtime is risky at best. Add into that lots of candy, heat, humidity, and an uncomfortable costume (like that stupid Cruella wig that we KNEW was a terrible idea when we hit “buy”). Moving on. The possibility of rain is another great reason to get planted for the 8:15 pm parade, especially if you have your heart set on seeing the Headless Horseman and the forecast for later in the evening is questionable.

Guests begin grabbing their spots for the 8:15 pm parade as early as 7:15 pm, but if you’re willing to try your luck at the later performance, we suggest taking advantage of low wait times on your favorite rides. If you’re determined to ride Tiana’s but don’t want a wait, 8 pm is your time. Just make sure you’re on the right side of the road before the Headless Horseman makes his ride because you’ll be trapped once you hear the clip clop of his horse – typically around 10 minutes before the full parade begins.

What Happens at 9:30 pm

There are two runs of the Boo-to-You Parade during each party, but only one chance to catch the Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks at 10 pm. Since much of the show depends on projections (Len & Jim talked about this on the 8/18/25 episode of The Disney Dish Podcast) people mush and smoosh to get as close to the castle as possible. You’ll see folks setting up to wait more than an hour before the show.

If you aren’t set on seeing the fireworks from in front of the castle, you could tackle a few big rides. If you’re looking for one of the best views of the fireworks, head over to Astro Orbiters at 9:40 pm. Anyone who has ever seen the fireworks from these zippy rockets (have you seen the lights since the refurb?!?) definitely remembers that view. FWIW, you’ll be able to see the fireworks (assuming you have a bit of luck) from TRON, Tiana’s, Seven Dwarfs, and the Jungle Cruise, too.

What Happens at 11 pm

Lots. Parents still in the park start doubting their life choices, Cast Members handing out candy at the treat stops are less busy and often more generous with the scoops (we have researched this extensively over the years), and people are waiting to see the 11:05 pm Headless Horseman ride ahead of the 11:15 pm Boo-to-You parade. If you managed to see the earlier parade, you could spend the last hour catching up on the rides you missed, all while snagging candy at one of the 14 open treat locations – the Market Street Welcome closes at 8 pm. We saw a surge at TRON both nights around this time, and this is similar to the waits we saw last year. Note: the walkway from Storybook Circus is closed this year, so if you’re getting off Dumbo to hoof it over to TRON, you’ll need to go through Fantasyland. We checked this pathway during both of the two parties we attended, and it was closed both nights.

So what’s your plan? What time would you head to TRON? What about Seven Dwarfs? Let us know your timeline in the comments!