Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026: All 38 Dates and a New Stitch Dance Party

By entgrove · July 20, 2026 · Updated September 29, 2026

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs 38 nights at Magic Kingdom in 2026, from August 7 through Halloween, and the season is already underway with only August 30 left in the opening month. Stitch hosts a new theme-swapping dance party in Tomorrowland, the Cadaver Dans return, and party ticket holders can enter the park at 4:00 PM for roughly eight hours of party time. Tickets are sold by date at Disneyworld.com/Halloween, and the nights closest to Halloween go first.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs 38 nights at Magic Kingdom in 2026, opening August 7 and closing on Halloween itself. The season is already underway, and the August dates have nearly run out. Stitch hosts a new dance party in Tomorrowland this year, and the Cadaver Dans, the Boo-To-You parade, Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular and Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular are all back on the schedule.

What the party ticket actually buys

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a separate ticketed event held on select nights each fall at Magic Kingdom, which means it is not covered by regular park admission or an annual pass. The ticket buys a version of the park with a much lighter crowd, entertainment that does not run on a regular park night, more than a dozen trick or treat stops, Halloween food and drink, party-only merchandise, extra photo opportunities, and character greetings that are not available during the day. Costumes are welcome for guests of every age, which is the one night of the year that is true at Walt Disney World, subject to Disney's costume guidelines.

The park changes character once the sun drops behind Cinderella Castle. The Headless Horseman riding down the parade route is the moment most first-timers remember, candy stops turn up in nearly every land, a handful of attractions pick up a Halloween overlay for the night, and the Sanderson Sisters hold the castle stage.

All 38 party nights in 2026

• August: 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30
• September: 1, 4, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29
• October: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31

The pattern is worth reading before booking flights. August dates land on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. September holds that pattern and adds one Thursday, September 24. October opens up considerably: every Thursday, most Fridays, most Tuesdays, most Sundays, and Halloween night, which falls on a Saturday in 2026.

The calendar is already moving. Only August 30 is left in the opening month, and the season then picks up again on September 1. The cheapest and quietest nights of the run are the ones that have already gone or are going now: early August and the first half of September.

New and returning entertainment

The addition for 2026 is Stitch, who takes over the Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland with Lilo and Angel. The premise is that Stitch has gotten his paws on Lilo's costume trunk, and every accessory he pulls out swaps the theme of the dance party, so the set changes shape across the night rather than looping, which gives guests a reason to swing back through Tomorrowland more than once.

The Cadaver Dans are confirmed to return as well, the ghoulish barbershop quartet of the recently deceased who turn up around Frontierland to sing in close harmony between the bigger shows. Disney has held back the rest of the entertainment lineup for later announcements.

Tickets, discounts and the 4:00 PM entry window

Party tickets went on sale May 5, 2026 for guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green, then opened to everyone else on May 12. Prices vary by date. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members get a discount, and tickets are sold at Disneyworld.com/Halloween or by phone at 407-934-7639.

The entry window is the detail that first-time party guests miss. A party ticket admits guests to Magic Kingdom at 4:00 PM even though the party itself starts at 7:00 PM, which works out to roughly eight hours in the park on the party ticket alone. Anyone treating the party as a three-hour evening is leaving half of it unused, and those three hours before the party are among the best times to clear the big attractions.

Disney says party dates often sell out, which is the argument for settling on a night before the trip rather than during it.

Trick or treating across Magic Kingdom

More than a dozen trick or treat trails run across the park during the party, each one marked on the party map handed out on the way in. Cast members hand out Mars Wrigley candy at every stop, including M&Ms, Snickers and Starburst, so there is no need to bring a bucket: every guest receives a complimentary treat bag, adults included. Disney says familiar and fiendish faces will turn up along the trails this year to surprise guests working the route.

Costumes are encouraged but not required to collect candy. Disney's published costume guidelines apply to guests of all ages, and planDisney has posted costume tips for anyone still assembling an outfit.

Character greetings you can only get at the party

Jack Skellington and Sally meet guests during the party at one of several party-exclusive greeting stops. At Town Square Theater, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse greet together in their Halloween costumes. Winnie the Pooh appears in his bumblebee costume, and royal couples including Ariel and Eric and Aladdin and Jasmine turn up around the park.

Disney Villains also work the streets during the party, with new faces joining the returning ones this year. They roam rather than hold a fixed queue, so some of the better character moments are the ones guests walk into by accident. A full character lineup, including who appears in special festive attire, is still to come.

Mickey's Boo-To-You Halloween Parade

For a lot of guests the parade is the reason the ticket gets bought. The Headless Horseman opens it, and the gravediggers with their sparking shovels follow before Mickey, Minnie and friends lead a procession of waltzing ghosts, Disney Princesses and villains. Vanellope from Wreck-It Ralph is among the characters in the lineup.

The 2026 parade keeps its 8:15 PM slot, early enough that families with small children can see it and still get out before the night runs long.

Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular

The Sanderson Sisters take the Cinderella Castle forecourt stage for the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, still the most reliably crowded show of the night. Winifred, Sarah and Mary attempt a spell, need help, and get it from a roster of Disney Villains that includes Hades, Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Dr. Facilier and the Evil Queen. Guests are part of the bit, clapping and singing to add ingredients to the cauldron.

Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular

Later in the evening, Jack Skellington narrates a story that turns Cinderella Castle into a haunted house, with Zero leading Mickey and friends inside. Projections wrap the castle while fireworks fill the sky above it, and Ursula, the Queen of Hearts and Oogie Boogie appear at scale over the hub. Spiderwebs, skeletons and a rendition of Grim Grinning Ghosts fill out the rest. It runs once per party night, so the rest of the evening is best built around it.

Merchandise, food and ride overlays

Party merchandise is sold only at Magic Kingdom and only during the event, while supplies last, which is worth planning around if there is something specific you want. The Not-So-Scary crewneck and adult tees use classic Halloween colors with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and the Headless Horseman.

The headline item for collectors is a new pair of Mickey ears. They glow in the dark, and the bat bow detaches, so the same headband works with more than one outfit. The most popular pieces tend to thin out well before Halloween.

On the food side, the party Foodie Guide covers the savory items, sweets and snacks sold only during the event. Several attractions get a Halloween treatment again this year with special lighting and music, though Disney has not yet said which ones.

What this means for guests

With the season already running, the question is which night rather than whether to go. A party ticket makes sense for anyone who can give up a full evening to it, because eight hours of park time, a parade, a castle show, fireworks and a dozen candy stops is a lot of programming for one night. It makes less sense for a family determined to ride everything, since the party-exclusive greeting queues eat directly into ride time.

Dates sell out, and the ones closest to Halloween go first. Anyone with a specific night in mind, especially October 31 itself, should treat the ticket as the thing to lock in before the hotel: a Saturday Halloween is the single most in-demand party of the year. A few pieces are still missing, including the full character lineup, which attractions get the overlay treatment, and who turns up in special attire. Dates and per-night prices are at Disneyworld.com/Halloween.