Boo to you! We can't help but get excited about one of our favorite times of year — Halloween at Disney World! Main Street, U.S.A. becomes a frightfully fun alley with pumpkins, scarecrows and more. Most decor can be found at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney Springs, though all of the theme parks and resorts offer specialty food and drink and merchandise.
Most people plan to attend Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, a separately ticketed event with exciting entertainment, trick-or-treating and a chance to wear costumes! It's one of our favorite events of the year and is a big reason to visit in the fall!
We've created our top 10 tips for planning a Halloween trip to Disney World so you can enjoy all the seasonal offerings. Here's everything to know for Halloween at Disney World!
Tips for Halloween at Disney World
1. Pick Your Trip Dates
While most places only celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31, it's a whole season at Disney World! Halloween at Disney World starts Aug. 7 and runs through Halloween night. September traditionally offers some of the lower crowd levels of the year (check out our best times to visit Disney World). We recommend most days in September and weekdays in October (except Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend).
Here are the dates for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2026:
- Aug. 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30
- Sept. 1, 4, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29
- Oct. 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31
With 2026 dates and tickets available for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, you'll want to think about which party you would want to attend and how that might affect your other park days (which, by the way, if you're traveling earlier in the Halloween season, you can still take advantage of the 4-Park Magic Ticket!). Some people like to attend a party on their arrival day (though be wary of possible flight delays) or on their "rest" day.
Boo to you! Savings on Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party have materialized with discount party tickets through Undercover Tourist! As an extra treat, you can lock in your spooky season Walt Disney World Resort vacation package or hotel stay for a refundable $200 deposit.
2. Book Your Vacation Early
Once you decide when you are visiting, you'll want to purchase your tickets (did you know your favorite frogs offer discount tickets to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party? Tickets are on sale now!).
Party dates typically do not sell out on the first day of sale, but nearly all dates will sell out at some point. The first party and Oct. 31 are often the first dates to sell out (and 2025 was no exception to this!). If you are at all considering attending the party, we highly recommend booking tickets as soon as possible. There are often only a few parties that overlap your trip dates, so don't delay too long on booking your party tickets!
Likewise, booking your Disney World hotel stay early gives you better availability. Did you know that Undercover Tourist can help you save on your entire Disney World vacation — hotel, tickets (including party tickets!) and a vacation package? That's right! Plus, when you book a Disney World Vacation Package or hotel stay, you can lock it in for a refundable $200 through Undercover Tourist.
3. Know the Weather
Florida in August and September is very hot and humid, with temperatures often in the 90s. It cools down a little in October. Be sure to bring sunscreen and reapply often. In the afternoons, especially, try to include some indoor attractions and activities to help cool off. It can also be rainy during the fall, so be sure to have ponchos or umbrellas.
Fall at Disney World is still a great time to visit; you just want to be prepared for a variety of weather situations.
4. Pack Appropriately
Due to the weather, you'll want to be sure to adjust your packing list. As we mentioned, sunscreen and rain gear are a must, along with refillable water bottles, extra socks (trust me) and a cooling fan. Here's our year-round packing guide for more details.
If bringing Halloween costumes, consider the climate and try to opt for short-sleeved, lightweight material. While small trick-or-treat bags are provided at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, some people like to bring larger tote bags to get lots of candy!
5. Understand the Costume Rules
Another reason Halloween at Disney World is so special is that adults have the opportunity to wear costumes. During regular park hours, costumes are not permitted for guests ages 14 and older — the exception being Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! Costumes are strongly encouraged for this separately ticketed event, so the whole family can get dressed up. Be sure to follow any costume guidelines and keep the weather in mind. With high temperatures and humidity (especially in August and September), be prepared to modify your costume to be more weather-friendly, or opt for a themed shirt or DisneyBound.
6. Make a Plan
You'll want to have a plan in place when attending Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, as the hours will fly by! The separately ticketed event runs on select nights from 7 p.m. to midnight and offers rare characters, special entertainment, trick-or-treating and more!
As a treat to you, we have our complete guide on what to expect, as well as our park plan for a step-by-step guide to a fun yet efficient party. We've also created the list of characters, a foodie guide and even have specific tips on attending with tweens and tweens. We'll be updating all of these posts as we have more details about the 2026 event!
7. Note the Park Hours
Whether you are planning on attending Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or not, you'll want to be aware of party dates during your trip. In 2026, parties take place on select Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. In October, parties also take place on Thursdays. Additionally, there is one Thursday party on Sept. 24 and one Saturday party on Oct. 31. On party nights, Magic Kingdom closes at 6 p.m. to day guests. This means those without a party wristband will be directed to the exit. If you have a Park Hopper ticket, this is the perfect time to hop over to another park! You can see which nights Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is taking place on our Orlando Crowd Calendar.
Some people avoid going to Magic Kingdom on the day of the party since there are shorter park hours. If you have a Park Hopper, you can often find slightly lower crowds that day, but you'll want to depart in the afternoon to avoid peak crowds. Party guests may enter at 4 p.m. and the park gets significantly more crowded with the overlap of guests, especially on Main Street.
On party nights, there are also no showings of regular fireworks, so you'll need to be strategic on what nights to watch the beloved nighttime spectacular, Happily Ever After, and the new nighttime parade, Disney Starlight!
8. Savor Themed Food and Drink
Most of the theme parks, resort hotels and Disney Springs offer spooktacular treats during the Halloween season. From sweet to spicy, there's plenty of specialty food and drink to enjoy. Check out our Halloween foodie guide for all the delicious details!
9. Enjoy Other Halloween Activities
While Magic Kingdom is the focus of Halloween at Disney World, you can still experience the fall fun throughout the resort. Disney Springs also decorates with fun seasonal displays and photo-ops. On select dates during EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, partake in a scavenger hunt to find character-inspired pumpkins with Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuits! Over at Disney's Hollywood Studios, meet Mickey and friends in special Halloween outfits with the seasonal character dining at Hollywood & Vine.
Some of the resort hotels may have limited decor and themed activities. Some people will decorate their windows or, better yet, deck out their campsites at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. (Just know that these decorations are guests' personal property!)
You'll, of course, find lots of Halloween merchandise throughout the resort. The larger merchandise displays can typically be found at the Emporium at Magic Kingdom and World of Disney at Disney Springs.
10. Have Fun!
This goes without saying, but Halloween at Disney World is such a fun time to visit! We recommend doing at least one fall trip for some not-so-scary festivities. Combining Halloween AND Disney — yes, please!
What's your favorite thing about Halloween at Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Our Guide to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Related: Tips for Planning Your Terrifying Trip to Halloween Horror Nights Orlando
Hoppy planning!
