The 2018 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom kicks off in just a few weeks! Tickets have been on sale for a while but as of the writing of this post, no dates are sold out yet. This year the party starts on August 17 and runs on 32 select nights through October 31st. Ticket prices vary by night based on historic crowd size. If you can attend the party on August 28,  September 3, 9, 11, 16, 18, or 23rd you will get the most bang for your buck because these dates have the lowest ticket price and usually the smallest crowds.

Top 10 Must-Dos at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is my favorite special event at the Magic Kingdom all year long. It is truly fun for the whole family.

photo credit Disney Ali Nasser, photographer

10. Special Merchandise and Treats

Disney is known for their specialty cupcakes and there are always a few ghoulish treats to try during the Halloween party. In past years there has even been candy corn soft serve, so check your party guide map to find a new treat to try. Party t-shirts, pins and Magic Bands are always in demand at the Emporium and other locations in the park. If you are a Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom fan, make sure you pick up your special Halloween party card at the Main St Fire House.

9. Early Entry

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party starts at 7pm. If you have a ticket to the party you can enter the Magic Kingdom starting at 4pm. That is 3 bonus hours of park time! If you are on vacation with a Magic Your Way ticket, you can spend the day at your resort, Disney Springs or at a water park and save a day’s ticket.

If you arrive at 4:00pm I recommend you use that time wisely. Ride a few rides, eat dinner and then by 6:30pm head to the location of the character meet and greet you must do. We will talk about these in a but but get in line early!

8. Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet

Venture into Frontierland and you just might encounter the ghostly group known as the Cadaver Dans. They really like “axing” Guests questions… and answering with puns as part of their “dead pan” humor!

7. Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular

In “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular,” the mischievous Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” return to the mortal world for one night during the Halloween season. With only a few hours to run amuck, the three sisters decide to use their magic to throw the best, evil Halloween party this side of the graveyard!

With the help of the Disney villains, Winifred, Mary and Sarah gather together sinister shadows, nefarious nightmares and the power of their frightful friends to conjure the ultimate Hocus Pocus Party Potion and cast a spell on everyone in the Magic Kingdom Park. “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” features appearances by Dr. Facilier, Oogie Boogie, Maleficent and other great Disney villains, along with dancers, projections and special effects that combine to make this show a not-to-be-missed Halloween treat.

6. Character Meet and Greets

As I mentioned before Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a great place to get some unique pictures and autographs. Of course the character with the longest line is always Jack Skellington. Other characters that can usually be found during the party are Snow White and all 7 dwarfs, Jafar, Lotso, Cruella de Vil, Queen of Hearts and more. The locations are on your party guide map.

5. Rides

For me a lot of my night is spent near the hub or trick-or-treating but I do try to ride at least 3 rides during the party. Haunted Mansion- It just isn’t Halloween without a ride in a Doom Buggy and you have to see Madame Carlotta and Madame Rinata who sit on the lawn of the Haunted Mansion entertaining guests in line. Peter Pan-You have to ride this when the lines are short so you can go through the regular queue. This queue is so well done, but if you always fastpass the ride, you miss the queue. 7 Dwarfs Mine Train- This ride is fun any time but it is the best at night. Take advantage of the shorter wait times during the party and sing Heigh-Ho!

photo credit Disney Gene Duncan, photographer

4. Costume

It’s a Halloween party so most people dress up, it’s part of the fun. There are new rules imposed by Disney but before we get to those I ahve a few common sense tips.

1. This is Florida, dress appropriately. Especially in September, the temperature will still be hot, even at night. Wear light fabric costumes.
2. Don’t make your child wear an itchy costume over their street clothes, they will over heat. I see this every year, poor miserable kids because they have cheap, itchy costumes on over their street clothes.
3. Make sure you can move, walk and sit in your costume. If you can’t sit on a ride with the ride restraint harnessed, you can’t ride.
4. Wear comfortable shoes. Yes, it is acceptable for your princess to wear sneakers with her Cinderella dress.

Disney’s Costume Rules

Disney reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or attire that could detract from the experience of other Guests.

• All Guests may dress as their favorite character, but may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
• Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
• Costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
• Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.

Guests who do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry into, and/or removed from, unless his or her costume can be modified to meet the above standards.

For Guests ages 13 and under:

• Costumes and some masks may be worn, as long as the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible.

For Guests ages 14 and older:

• Layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged and may be subject to additional security screening.
• Costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. (e.g. full-length Princess dresses)
• Capes may be worn if the length does not go below the waist.
• Themed T-shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, and hats are acceptable.
• Acceptable accessories include: transparent wings, plastic light sabers, toy swords, and tutus. Headwear may be worn as long as it does not cover the face.
• May not wear masks of any kind.

I’ll admit, I’m confused about the “no weapon” rule but light sabers and swords are permitted. They are weapons too.

3. Trick or Treat

Yes, trick or treating takes up time but it is so worth it. Disney partners with quality candy companies and gives out lots of candy. Be prepared to lug your candy bags all night long. Treat locations are on your party map.

2. Hallowishes

Celebrate the hallowed spooky season with a high-flying spider web of spine-tingling pyrotechnic effects and haunting melodies. The Ghost Host from the Haunted Mansion invites you to “drop in” as Disney Villains light up the night with fireworks and a wicked version of melodies from Disney’s past that echo through the night—and creepy colors crawl over Cinderella Castle.

The “scare-abration” gets into full swing when some of the Disney Villains we most love to hate—including Maleficent, Ursula, Cruella de Vil, Jafar and Oogie Boogie—croon their scary tunes and do their best to steal the show.

Hallowishes is only shown once per night so plan accordingly. You don’t want to miss this fireworks spectacular.

1. Boo to You Parade

I know a lot of people just aren’t parade people. Boo to You is not your typical parade. From the entry of the headless horseman to the grave diggers and hitchhiking ghosts this parade is full of Halloween fun. There 2 parades during each party, the second one is usually less crowded. We usually find our spot near the hub in time for Celebrate the Magic and stay put for Hallowishes, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular and the Boo to You Parade.

If you still need to plan your trip to Walt Disney World for this fall or order your party tickets, please Email me and we can get planning.

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About Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire

“Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” immerses guests in a 23-minute royal musical celebration on the Cinderella Castle stage at Magic Kingdom Park. Mickey Mouse and his pals unite in a tale of friendship featuring songs and characters from Disney’s contemporary classics “Princess and the Frog,” “Tangled” and “Frozen.”

“In ‘Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire,’ 15 Disney characters from different stories come together to showcase how diversity and the discoveries you make through friendships shape who you are,” said Show Director, Walt Disney World Entertainment, Tara Anderson.

From the land of the bewitching bayous, Goofy has invited Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen to add a little spice of New Orleans jazz to the party.

Donald Duck brings some new friends he met in the land of the enchanted woods, where Daisy Duck introduces us to her special guests, Rapunzel and Flynn. Finally, Mickey Mouse shares a surprise with Minnie Mouse, as he has traveled to the land of the mystic mountains to invite Olaf, Princess Anna, and Queen Elsa, who swirls a blast of her icy magic.

The celebration culminates in a grand dance, marked by a magical daytime fireworks finale.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed the Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire, as did the rest of the audience around me. It is nice to see a show with characters from newer Disney movies mingling with the Fab 5. The storyline is engaging and relevant without being preachy. I love that there are “thugs and ruffians” helping to represent “Tangled” along with Rapunzel and Flynn (Eugene). Of course, any time guests get to see Anna, Elsa and Olaf, the crowd goes wild. The show is performed several times a day. Check your times guide or My Disney Experience app for showtimes.
If you can’t get to the Magic Kingdom any time soon, my friend, BigFatPanda has a wonderful video of the entire show. If you would like to see the show in person, Email me. I am a Certified Disney Vacation Planner with Destinations to Travel, an Earmarked Disney Travel Agency. My planning services are free to you!

Have a Magical Day!

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Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic

The show is sponsored by Stoneyfield Yo Kids Organic Yogurt so, it opens with a Disney Magic of Healthy Living segment. Most people were a bit confused, the skater’s costumes looked like something out of High School Musical, one guy even had a basketball, but when the music started it was a song from Teen Beach 2. While the song was more current, the costumes didn’t fit the song.

Next up was the Pinnochio section. The Blue Fairy was beautiful and her skating was magical. I appreciated seeing Jiminey Cricket as well. I’m old and I love the classics so I enjoyed seeing some of my old friends.

The underlying story tying the Disney movies together was that Goofy and Donald Duck wanted to make a movie. Mickey and Minnie encouraged them by telling them that they needed to start with a good story. Between every few acts the four friends would appear and move this story line along.

Marlin, Dory, Nemo, Crush and Squirt entertained the crowds with a very abbreviated version on Finding Nemo. Crush definitely got the biggest cheers. I was hoping he’d break into “Go with the Flow” from Finding Nemo the Musical at Disney’s Animal Kingdom…but he didn’t.

Beauty and the Beast took to the ice next. Belle is Beth’s favorite princess and one of mine too so we thoroughly enjoyed seeing Belle, Beast, Gaston, Lumiere, Cogsworth and Fifi skate around and re-cap this tale as old as time.

Knowing that it just isn’t possible to feature every Disney movie ever made, the next section was a Disney Princess section including Cinderella and Prince Charming, Ariel and Eric, Snow White and her Prince, Tiana and Prince Naveen as well as Jasmine and Aladdin.

Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen along with Jasmine and Aladdin @disneyonice @amaliearena #disneyonice

A video posted by Cindy Schultz (@mommaven) on May 13, 2016 at 4:31pm PDT

Act one closed out with a Frozen featuring Anna, Elsa, Hans, Kristoff and of course, Olaf! I did not get to see Frozen on Ice when it toured a few years ago so I was very excited to see this section of the show. There are some difficult elements of the movie to try to reproduce in a traveling show. They used pyrotechnics instead of Elsa magically shooting ice out of her hands. Elsa’s ice palace was represented by a staircase and some fabric that hung down from the ceiling giving most of the audience only a silhouette of the queen.

Act two opened with an Aladdin section which started with Aladdin and Abu but quickly transitioned to the Genie and “Never had a Friend Like You.” After that we had Toy Story with Sarge, the Green Army Men, Buzz, Woody and Jessie.

Beth got this great picture of Woody

Mulan was up next. This segment was well done and covered the basis of the story of this very heroic woman.

Last but not least, we see The Lion King! Rafiki, Timon and Puumba were awesome! Simba and Nala’s costumes left a bit to be desired. Meagan even said that it wasn’t Simba cause it didn’t look like him (out of the mouths of babes). Costumes aside, this was a great section of the show. It segued right into the finale, which brought 50 characters out on this ice to the song, “Circle of Life”.

We had a lot of fun at Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic. Meagan squealed so much before, during and after the show, I wonder if she has any voice today. Tickets are still available for the Saturday and Sunday shows in Tampa. If you missed it this time visit DisneyonIce.com to see when they will be in your area!

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Last night I, along with my favorite 7yo and his parents went to see Disney on Ice-Let’s Celebrate at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. We have seen Many Disney on Ice Shows over the years and this one ranks #2 for us, Toy Story 3 back in 2011 is still our favorite. I think the amount of Disney characters throughout the show and the cohesive theme were what made this show so good. You can visit DisneyOnIce.com to see when a show is coming to your area.

About Disney On Ice-Let’s Celebrate

It’s one colossal party on ice, with all your favorite Disney friends! Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they celebrate a Very Merry Unbirthday Party with Alice and the Mad Hatter; Mardi Gras with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen; a Royal Valentine’s Day Ball with the Disney Princesses; a Hawaiian luau with Lilo & Stitch; a winter wonderland with Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear; a Halloween haunt with the Disney Villains and more in a magical medley of holidays, celebrations and festivals from around the globe. Come join the party when this spectacular ice show visits your hometown!

Mom Maven’s Thoughts-Disney on Ice-Let’s Celebrate

Act One was phenomenal! The opening number was full of Disney characters, the un-birthday celebration was a lot of fun. Sorcerer Mickey and his magic brooms cleaning up the un-birthday party was a very nice bit of classic Disney coupled with precision skating maneuvers. The Halloween Section with Jack Skellington and the Villians was well done, but there was a lot of smoke which made it hard to see at times. The huge Act One Valentine’s Day section was my favorite part. This included the Fairy Godmother, Minnie wishing for her prince charming and several of the Disney Princesses and their princes. The final number of this section was one of my favorite Disney songs, “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted!

Act Two was a bit less cohesive. It started celebrating summer vacation with Lilo, Stitch, Nani and David but then the show changed. Suddenly Mickey was using some electronic device, which wasn’t a part of Act One, to locate places with peace and quiet. Instead of finding what he was looking for he ventured to a Chinese New Year celebration and Carnivale in Brazil while Minnie went to Japan for the Cherry Blossom Festival. This whole section felt like they ran out of US celebrations and were reaching to fill time. The Act Two finale was “Winter Wonderland/Happy Holidays”. It was obvious by the set pieces and Santa Goofy that they were celebrating Christmas but they kept saying “Happy Holidays”. In our opinion, if you are saying “Happy Holidays” then why not celebrate Hanukkah in the piece as well, maybe add some Kwanzaa too. It seemed too politically correct…but not really and several adults near us were commenting about it on the way out of the show.

Matthew, the 7yo was happy because he just wanted to see “Magic Mickey” aka Sorcerer Mickey. Dad enjoyed the show except for the “Happy Holidays” issue. Mom, myself and several of the children around us were confused because it looked like Ariel was wearing Rapunzel’s dress throughout the show. In the opening number several of us were wondering why Rapunzel had red wavy hair, similar to Merida. Then in the Valentine’s section we realized it was Ariel in Rapunzel’s dress and this was still confusing. The reason we realized it was Ariel was because she and Eric skated to “Kiss the Girl” and she had a starfish in her hair. It confused adults and children alike. I tried to get a picture of her but unfortunately none of them came out well enough. This is actually a picture I took of the Disney On Ice YouTube video to illustrate my point.

Overall, we enjoyed the show. It is good wholesome family fun at a reasonable ticket price. Just remember to feed your family before you come and let them know you won’t be buying any overpriced souvenirs during the show, $15 snow cones and $12 popcorn is just ridiculous. We watched the family in front of us spend $112 on snow cones and popcorn before the show and then it was like every other roaming salesperson saw that they were suckers and they all swarmed them with overpriced lemonades, light up toys and swords-to no avail because they were now broke from the snacks they had purchased.

Have you seen this show? Do you plan on seeing it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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photo courtesy of Walt Disney World

We entered the queue and went right into Mickey’s dressing room. There was a family with 3 young boys meeting with Mickey and he was telling jokes with them. I was over the moon!! I was absolutely giddy waiting for my turn to talk with Mickey Mouse! When it was my turn hubby recorded my conversation about the Haunted Mansion with Mickey.

I hope you could hear it all. Mickey was so afraid that one of the “happy haunts” had followed us home, he went running all over the room looking for them!

Meeting the talking Mickey Mouse is a must-do for everyone visiting the Magic Kingdom. I suggest visiting during a parade or using Fastpass+ to enjoy this magical, memorable experience.

Have you met talking Mickey yet? What did you talk about? Are you excited about meeting him on your next visit?

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In a few weeks I’ll be holding a ticket giveaway but I suggest you get your tickets now. You can save $5.00 on select shows by using code MOM5 when you purchase your tickets.

To help get your littles excited about the upcoming show you can download a coloring sheet and Mickey Ears for them to play with now.

Make sure you are subscribed to my blog so that you will know when to enter the ticket giveaway!

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The queue is simple, yet well decorated with photos of Mickey and Minnie’s travels around the world. It was fun looking at the pictures and while waiting in line with your kids you can discuss where the famous landmarks are and sneak in a bit of learning to your vacation. We had about a 20 minute wait to see The Big Cheese and his sweetie on the day we visited. So far Fastpass isn’t available for the Adventurers Outpost like it is for the meet and greet at the Magic Kingdom but it could be added in the future if needed.

I love that Mickey and Minnie are dressed for adventure when you meet them in Animal Kingdom! The room is well decorated with suitcases and travel gear in the corner making you feel like they are ready to head off on another adventure as soon as they are done greeting their guests.

I love having my picture taken with Mickey Mouse, who doesn’t? Next time you visit Animal Kingdom, stop by the Adventurers Outpost and spend a few minutes with Mickey and Minnie.

Minnie Mouse-Cindy-John-Mickey Mouse

Mouse House Memories

Join Mouse House Memories

1. Write a post about Disney and add it to the Linky. Make sure you link to the actual post and not to your home page. Links that go to a home page will be deleted. Linky will be open Monday-Sunday of each week.
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Do you have great memories of Fantasmic? Write up a quick blog post and link it up below.

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This picture isn’t of my family meeting Mickey Mouse, but I took the picture. Back in 2007 friends of ours were preparing to move out of Florida but before they left they wanted to take their girls to Walt Disney World for the first time. Mom & dad had been to Walt Disney World many years prior but the girls had never been. They bought the Florida Resident Play 4 Days pass and asked me to help plan their visit.

They were overwhelmed with information about things like Fastpasses, Extra Magic Hours and more so we decided to join them for day 1 of their visit and show them the ropes. we spent the day at the Magic Kingdom and made sure we did a lot of character meet & greets. The highlight of a very magical day was watching the girls meet Mickey Mouse. The youngest girl was in awe when we were in line because, in her words, “Mickey Mouse owns Disney World”. The wonder in her eyes when we walked into the room in the judges tent was just magical.

Your turn! Write your post and link it up here.

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