Aloha James, and welcome to planDisney!
We actually spent this past Halloween night hopping around the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and it really was surprising to us how easygoing our experience was that evening. That said, October 31st tends to the one of the busiest dates for
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, and here's a bit of first-hand insight that I can offer about your plans for that night:
- On days when Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party takes place, regular nighttime entertainment and fireworks schedules are subject to change. Last Halloween this meant that Happily Ever After did not have any showtimes that evening, especially since Magic Kingdom Park had closed to day guests at 6:00 P.M. Instead, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular lit up the skies with exclusive party fireworks later that night! (Times are subject to change from year to year and I highly recommend checking the scheduled entertainment and official Park Hours as soon as the Walt Disney World Resort website is updated closer to the spooky season!)
- The early park closure for day guests also meant that The Crystal Palace only remained open beyond that time for guests attending the party who also had reservations; I personally wouldn't recommend waiting to watch the fireworks from here during party hours simply due to the fact that we found the view of the projections on Cinderella Castle to be a bit obscured. For this nighttime spectacular in particular, you'll definitely want to have a closer view in case a towering Jack Skellington shows up to start the show just like he has over the past two years.
- Being one of the most popular ticketed evenings for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, this has historically tended to result in a higher price per ticket compared to earlier party dates. That said, I usually recommend taking advantage of being able to enter Magic Kingdom Park as early as 4:00 P.M. as a party attendee in order to enjoy your meal at The Crystal Palace without missing out on any party-exclusive offerings that you can only experience during the precious nighttime hours you'll have after 7:00 P.M. It's always fun to see our pals from the Hundred-Acre Wood transition from day to evening into their Halloween costumes!
As an alternative, you might have better luck by choosing an evening in October when there isn't a party planned in order to be able to enjoy Happily Ever After (which was typically at 8:30 P.M. last year).
Keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog over the next few weeks for
our annual Halfway to Halloween Celebrations, which usually comes with dates and details to help you plan ahead for your October adventures and please come back again to planDisney for more specific strategies once this information is released!
Season's Screamings,
Prince