With trick-or-treat trails, short attraction waits, and a boo-tiful fireworks spectacular, Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Park proves yet again that is is one of the top to-do’s of the season.

Usually during the Halloween, horror fans look to be scared by the likes of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and Knott’s Scary Farm. However, if you’re like me and hate killer clowns, oozing guts, and menacing maniacs then you might prefer something not-so-scary. In fact, it’s quite pleasant and family-friendly, to boot.

Disney does Halloween the only way Disney can by creating an experience fun for the WHOLE family. With Mickey Mouse as your host you can expect to see your favorite characters (and Disney villains) all night long ready for photo ops. Plus, you can ride your favorite attractions with little to no wait times and enjoy entertainment shown exclusively for Mickey’s Halloween Party including the brand-new “Frightfully Fun Parade” and the fan-favorite Halloween Screams Fireworks.

If you will not have the opportunity to enjoy the classic offering then take a sneak peek at what lies in store…

Frightfully Fun Parade

One of the most hyped-up events of the night was the new “Frightfully Fun Parade,” a new offering for Mickey’s Halloween Party. To get a good seat it’s recommended that you arrive at least an hour before the parade start time. The new offering seems to be hit or miss for people. Despite being a welcomed bolstering of the event offerings over years past, it some how still fell short of my expectations for a Disney parade. It’s just too short! This had to be one of the shortest parades produced and I expected more.

Still, it was great to see the characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” highlighted by Jack and Sally, and the villains from your favorite Disney films, and of course everyone’s favorite Hitchhiking Ghosts on the Haunted Mansion float (mercifully NOT decked out for a Scary Christmas).

Halloween Screams

The fab-boo-lous Halloween Screams fireworks spectacular comes after the Frightfully Fun Parade and delivers the expected WOW moment for the evenint. Sleeping Beauty Castle lights up with projections, and the fireworks light up the night sky in synch with the tunes from different Disney animations. Of course, Jack Skellington’s ghost dog Zero soars across the sky.

More Cheer to Uncover

Ring out the bells, there’s more to the Halloween Party than exclusive entertainment. Getting candy at all the treat trails is a breeze and despite the long lines, Cast Members make it an effort to ensure guests get through quickly. Afraid that your little trick-or-treaters will consume to many sweets? No worries. While candy is obviously the choice-pickings there’a also apple slices, carrots, and nutrient bars that are also given along the trails.

A Night with Character

Say “cheese” with The Big Cheese himself as Mickey and his pals are out all night for pictures. The longest lines of the night were to take pictures with the classic crew of characters, but who could resist? If you want to avoid the long lines, I suggest this is one of the first things you do.

Thrills by Night, Waits are Light

Popular attractions with at least 60-minute wait times on a busy day can be ridden two or three times during the party. Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Tours all at one point had a 5-mutes wait time, or no wait at all. One of the biggest surprises of the night was of how many rides were open. An impression was given that only select rides would be open, but for the most part all of the fan favorites were operating for the event.

The End

According to the Disneyland website Mickey’s Halloween Party is SOLD OUT for 2016. A pro tip for next year? Buy tickets early and call the Disneyland customer service number as their ticket inventory is different than online resources. One thing is for sure, once you attend Mickey’s Halloween Party you’ll be screaming to come back again!

Photos provided by Pat Dengler.