Are Disney World's after-hours parties worth it?

14.11.2023 - 16:37 / thepointsguy.com / Peter Pan

Walt Disney World's after-hours parties, like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, offer guests a unique opportunity to visit Disney World's theme parks at night after they've closed to daytime guests. This means lower crowds, shorter wait times and experiences that are only available to party guests.

Disney after the daytime crowds leave sounds great, right?

The tougher challenge is that the after-hours perks come with a price that can be hard to justify on top of your other Disney vacation expenses, such as multi-day park tickets or even annual passes, since you will need specific event tickets that cost $100-$200 per person range, depending on the event.

Let's take a closer look at some of Disney World's most popular after-hours parties to see how they rank for crowds, exclusive experiences and included perks to help you answer the age-old question, "To party, or not to party."

Held each year at Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party usually kicks off in mid-August and runs on select nights through late October or early November. It may seem like a lot of tricks and treats when most of the country celebrates just one night of Halloween. However, the long run gives out-of-town guests ample opportunity to experience the event.

On event nights, Magic Kingdom closes early for daytime guests, typically by 6 p.m., and only those with a party ticket can stay for the evening's festivities. Guests are encouraged to dress in costumes, and your favorite Disney characters dress up for the occasion, too.

Tickets for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party cost between $109 and $199 plus tax for adults or $99 and $189 for kids ages 3-9. Discounts are available for Disney Vacation Club members and annual pass holders. Click here to purchase tickets.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party begins at 7 p.m. and ends at midnight, but guests with tickets to the party can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4 p.m. This means even without a regular park ticket, you can spend up to eight hours in the park.

Because the ticket prices can climb to nearly $200 on certain nights, skipping a regular daytime ticket and entering the park early for the Halloween party is one of the best money-saving strategies.

Regardless of your priorities for the night, the reduced crowds should give you ample time to see and do everything you want to do if you arrive around the 4 p.m. early entry time.

The wait times for rides are much shorter than average during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. For example, popular rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan's Flight often have wait times between 60 and 90 minutes during the day but have waits around half that time (between 30 and 45