Category: Disney Parks

Even though it’s still the springtime, we’ve got Halloween on our minds!

The spookiest holiday of the year starts early in Disney World with the first day of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party set for August 13th. How we love a late-summer Halloween! That early start might mean that there are some changes to the way the party works this year. If new measures are still in place by August, how might Mickey’s Not So Scary be different? Let’s take a look!

Adults might get to wear masks — just not the fun ones.

If you’ve been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party before, you know that it’s the only time that adults are allowed to wear costumes in Disney World. One of the rules though? “Masks of any kind may not be worn.” Hmm…something tells us they might amend that rule this year!

Now, we’re not saying that you can break out that Frankenstein mask, but it could be recommended (or even mandatory like they are in Disney Springs!) for guests to wear face coverings in the interest of health. After all, August isn’t too far off and according to the phased plans being discussed in Florida and in California, it’s going to take some time for all precautions to be lifted. Health concerns will likely still be a thing!

Now, that’s not to say that your mask will have to be boring! Maybe spruce it up and get one themed to your costume (if Disney allows it). It could be a fun excuse to upgrade your Halloween look in an unexpected way.

There could be some changes to Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular and other entertainment.

As we know, the reopening of Shanghai Disneyland is showing us some changes in the way that entertainment works in the park. As Shanghai becomes the first Disney theme park to reopen, fireworks and parades are not initially returning.

If a similar tack is taken in Disney World, what does that mean for Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular and the Boo-to-You Halloween Parade?

After all, these events often result in large gatherings of crowds, which may still be advised against come August. If social distancing regulations are still in place, then these shows might be swapped out for some smaller featured entertainment.

In Shanghai, the daily parade is being swapped for a periodic character processional, and in lieu of fireworks, the castle comes to life with music and lights in the nighttime.

If necessary, we could see these changes made at Not So Scary. We could definitely imagine something similar to the Villains After Hours Villains Cursed Caravan!

If the shows are not canceled, there may be alterations. Choreography in the show may be altered to allow dancers to distance from one another and there may be little to no guest interaction with parade performers. As for how Disney could regulate crowds to encourage distancing, that remains unknown at this time.

Character meet and greets might be different or be removed altogether.

Speaking of distancing, there may be changes to the way that character meet and greets work to keep guests and Cast Members safe. Shanghai’s reopening already showed us that characters will still be in the park, but at a distance. Could this mean we won’t be able to get our pic with Jack and Sally?

The interesting thing about this change is that meeting rare characters is a BIG draw for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Meeting villains and collecting pics and rare autographs can be quite the experience. If characters are removed or meetings have to happen at a distance, the appeal might be lost on some guests.

Even if these greets do continue as usual, we may see some changes to the way you wait for them. Those waits for the rare characters can be looooong, and that’s a lot of people close together. Perhaps Disney will opt to tape off queue areas to space out guests, like in Shanghai, or possibly even opt to use Virtual Queues for the popular characters!

There could be fewer tickets available.

On top of all these measures, the capacity for the entire party may be lowered. Typically, the parks are still pretty crowded on Not So Scary evenings — especially as you get closer to October. It’s possible that Disney will work to increase distancing by limiting the number of tickets sold for this event.

In this instance, it might be more difficult to get a ticket for your preferred party night. On the bright side, there would be fewer people in the park so you could have a less-crowded experience.

Still, if Disney looks to lower capacity they may run into some issues. Tickets have been on sale for some time already. Would they need to revoke tickets from those who have already purchased them?

On the other hand, parties already have a lowered capacity from a regular park day so it may be that Not So Scary fits into capacity parameters without changes.

Trick-or-treating might not be quite the same.

There have been lots of calls to limit the spread of germs and we might see some efforts made with how trick-or-treating is handled. One big draw of the Halloween parties is the ability to trick-or-treat around the parks, but with queue lines backing up it could be a physical distancing nightmare. Maybe Disney will look to change this process.

It’s possible Disney could utilize pre-packaged bags of candy that you pick up the entrance instead of the trick-or-treating process. Or there could just be changes to the way that Cast Members handle the candy to limit exposure.

It’s possible the lines for trick-or-treating will be distanced like other areas of the park. Nothing has been announced by Disney at this time, but it seems likely some changes could be made to this process.

Whatever happens, brace yourself that things might be different! We can still expect Disney to bring some serious Halloween magic, regardless of the limitations in place. It’s possible the changes will be subtle so the party isn’t overwhelmed by the new precautions. Whatever happens, we’ll keep an eye on the situation and update you as soon as news is released .

Are you planning to head to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney parks, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, Character meet and greets, Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular, face coverings, face masks, Global health crisis, health and safety measures, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, trick or treat