Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland

Mickey's 2016 Halloween Party:
The Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration continues through September 5, 2016 and as soon as that is over, Disneyland will be rolling out the decorations for the Halloween season.  The Halloween Season at Disneyland will return this year from September 9 through October 31, including 17 nights of Mickey’s Halloween Party.  

What Do You Need to Know?

Dates for Mickey's 2016 Halloween Party were announced earlier this week:

• September: 
• Friday, Sept. 23; Monday, Sept. 26; Wednesday, Sept. 28; and Friday, Sept. 30; 

• October: 
• Monday, Oct. 3; Wednesday, Oct. 5; Friday, Oct. 7; Monday, Oct. 10; Wednesday, Oct. 12; Friday, Oct. 14; Monday, Oct. 17; Wednesday, Oct. 19; Friday, Oct. 21; Monday, Oct. 24; Wednesday, Oct. 26; Saturday, Oct. 29; and Monday, Oct. 31

Tickets go on sale later this month starting July 21 for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders, Disney Rewards Visa card holders and Disney Vacation Club members.  

Starting July 28, tickets will go on sale to the general public.

• Advance ticket purchases range from $79 to $99, with annual passholders getting a slight discount for some days of the event. Note that prices will go up to $89 or $99 for date of event ticket sales.  This is an increase from 2015 prices.

• Note that even if you have a ticket to Disneyland for a given Halloween Party date, you will still need to purchase a ticket to the Halloween event.  Your ticket lets you enjoy Disneyland Park for up to 3 hours before Mickey’s Halloween Party starts, typically around 6 PM or 7 PM, and then you can enjoy up to 5 hours of Halloween fun, including special Halloween-themed attractions, Character Greetings, fireworks, and the all-new ride of the Headless Horseman and more.  

• Tickets are required for all ages 3 and up and when you enter the Halloween Party you'll be given special wristbands to wear to show you have valid tickets for the event and all other non-ticket holders without wristbands will slowly be led out of Disneyland once the party starts.

If you're planning on attending, I recommend booking ahead of time so you won’t miss out on this popular celebration.  Booking in advance will also help you save money over the same-day admission price and allow you to purchase tickets before certain dates sell-out. 


What Can You Expect?
If you've never been to Mickey's Halloween Party you can expect lots of things you won't typically see during other times of the year including:

• Halloween decorations and themed music celebrating the season throughout Disneyland

• Trick-or-treat stations and trails offering candy and healthy goodies

• A chance to see popular Disney characters in their Halloween costumes 

• A chance to see Disney Villains you don't typically see other times of the year 

• The ride of the Headless Horseman, which is an all-new experience this year 

• A special Halloween themed fireworks celebration, Halloween Screams, which will be presented exclusively during Mickey’s Halloween Party

When you enter Disneyland and at the start of Mickey’s Halloween Party, you’ll be handed a small souvenir treat bag to collect your night’s candy collection. You'll also be given a special map you can use to follow along designated Treat Trails and the locations of all of the Disney characters.

You can also expect less crowds that you'd typically experience since the event requires a special event ticket.  

Have your costume ready to go as everyone is allowed to wear a Halloween costume during the event, as long as the costume meets the guidelines set forth by Disneyland.  You can read more about those guidelines at the Disneyland website.

 

Tips to Maximize Your Experience

It always is a good idea to have a plan and review the locations and times of where characters will be, treat trail locations and what ride times are.  If you're planning a trip, be sure to check out my Top Four Tips to Maximize Your Next Disneyland Trip before you go.

For Mickey's Halloween Party, I recommend the following tips below based on my experience at the 2015 version of Mickey's Halloween Party:

• Pick a Good Date
• Pay attention to the date you select for your trip for Mickey’s Halloween Party as some nights will be busier than others.  

• Weekdays will be less busy than weekends and dates closer to Halloween will be the busiest.  

• Disney prices the Halloween event based on historical demand, so you can safely assume a lower priced Halloween party date will be generally less busy and can help avoid major crowds. 

• Arrive Early!
• If you enter the park early (up to three hours before the Halloween party time), Toontown will be closed to non-ticket holders and will be open only for Halloween party guests.  

• In ToonTown you'll find all of your favorite characters dressed in their Halloween costumes making it a great opportunity to get photos with all of your favorite characters before the Halloween crowds start rolling in closer to the start time. 

• Avoid the Long Lines for Treats
• Try to avoid any long treat lines you come across because while some areas will have long waits, you can likely walk right into other treat trails and stations with minimal to no wait time.  

• If you see a long line for a treat trail/station, pass it up and keep going until you find a shorter line or an empty line.

• Go on Rides Later in the Evening
• Avoid rides at the beginning of the party (typically either 6 or 7 PM), unless the lines are short.  Waits for ride times will drop significantly after the non-event guests slowly trickle out of Disneyland and as guests begin filling up their treat bags.  
• Use this time to visit your favorite characters first instead because those lines will get longer as the night goes on.

If you're interested in learning more, seeing what promotions are currently available or booking a Disneyland Vacation Package for your 2016 Halloween trip, start here.