Hi Celia, welcome to planDisney!
It's always nice when work trips allow for some extra magic hours. You're going to fall in love with Walt Disney World Resort in October. Cinderella pumpkin wreaths line Main Street, U.S.A., in honor of the 50th Anniversary Celebration, and you'll find more treats than tricks at the
Main Street Confectionery. Using the
My Disney Experience mobile app, you can place a
mobile food and beverage order and have your Mickey Pumpkin Apple, Mickey Pumpkin Spice Cupcake, or Large Minnie Spider Web Cookie ready for pickup.
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a special event that takes place in Magic Kingdom Park on select nights through October 31 this year; a separate ticket is required. On Halloween party nights,
Magic Kingdom closes at 6:00 p.m. for general admission Guests. As long as you're in line for an attraction before 6:00 p.m., you'll be able to experience that attraction before heading to the park entrance. After 6:00 p.m., Cast Members will start checking for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party wristbands throughout the park. All general admission Guests will be directed toward the park entrance before the Halloween party officially kicks off at 7:00 p.m.
If you have a
theme park reservation for Magic Kingdom on a day that Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is taking place, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the crowd size before the party Guests begin to arrive at 4:00 p.m. To really maximize the magic during your park day, consider purchasing
Disney Genie+ service, which gives you access to Lightning Lane attractions at
over 20 attractions in Magic Kingdom Park. After Magic Kingdom closes, I recommend grabbing dinner at one of the Disney Resorts Collection hotels on the monorail loop: Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, or Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. You can take the Resort monorail one stop from the entrance of Magic Kingdom Park to
Steakhouse 71, which can also be reached by a 10-minute walk. A 15-minute walk in the other direction takes you to the
Grand Floridian Cafe with evening entertainment provided by the
lobby pianist.
Advance dining reservations are highly recommended.
Another option is to add the
Park Hopper Option to your ticket, which allows you to 'hop' to another theme park (Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, or EPCOT) after park hopping hours begin at 2:00 p.m. Note that a theme park reservation is only required for the first theme park you enter each day.
I hope you have a spooktacular time working and playing in Orlando, Celia. Please stop by planDisney with any other trip-planning questions.
Choose magic,
Jennifer