By Brian McNichols
Last year I wrote about what we expected to be the least crowded Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties. It proved to be a very popular topic, so here I am again to review the information from last year and give you an even better projection for 2014. Make sure you check out our dedicated page for a complete list of dates as well as a thorough description of what the Halloween party is.
In short, if you’re looking for the best 2014 Halloween Party to attend, we recommend Tuesday, September 16, 2014. Last year we recommended the equivalent party, Tuesday, September 17, 2013, and it turned out to be the party with the lowest wait times by our calculation.
If that date isn’t in your plans, any of the non-Sunday September dates will be good choices, followed by any Tuesday in October. As you may guess from the above, Tuesday is the best day to attend a party. Last year Sunday ended up being the day with the highest in-party attraction wait times, although even then our adjusted average was 11.6 minutes per attraction, so not too shabby.
As it was in 2012, Halloween night was deceivingly high in our ‘best day’ rankings in 2013. October 31st is a very popular party day and often reaches party capacity (which is still much lower than full park capacity). We suspect the low wait times are a result of many guests spending their time meeting characters, trick-or-treating, and securing the best spots for the parades rather than riding rides.
In 2014 Halloween falls on a Friday night. For the past two years parties were held on the Friday after Halloween, November 2, 2012 and November 1, 2013, both of which were among the highest wait times. All that is just a long-winded way of saying that you should avoid the October 31, 2014 party if you want to avoid the crowds.
If you are considering other dates, here are our predicted rankings of attraction wait times at each of the 2014 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties.
[Please note that the military discount ends following the September 28 party. The Advance Annual Pass and Disney Vacation Club discounts end following the October 21 party, but are also not available for the parties on October 10 or 17.]
Party Date
Attraction Wait Times Rank
Advance Purchase Price for an Adult Ticket
Notes
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Lowest Wait Times
$66.03
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
2
$66.03
Friday , September 12, 2014
3
$66.03
Sunday, September 28, 2014
4
$66.03
Monday, September 1, 2014
5 (Estimated)
$66.03
“Estimated” because we do not have any previous data. Disney has never held a Halloween party this early.
Friday, October 3, 2014
6
$71.36
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
7
$66.03
Thursday, October 30, 2014
8
$75.62
Crowds will be heavy for character meets and parades.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
9
$71.36
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013. Crowds will be heavy for character meets and parades.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
10
$71.36
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
11
$71.36
Friday, September 26, 2014
12
$66.03
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013.
Monday, October 13, 2014
13
$71.36
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013.
Friday, September 19, 2014
14
$66.03
Sunday, September 14, 2014
15 (Estimated)
$66.03
“Estimated” because there is no equivalent 2013 date
Thursday, October 16, 2014
16
$71.36
Sold out 2 days in advance in 2013.
Friday, October 31, 2014
17
$82.01
Sold out 27 days in advance in 2013. Crowds will be heavy for character meets and parades.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
18
$71.36
Firday, October 17, 2014
19
$71.36
Sunday, September 21, 2014
20
$66.03
Sunday, October 5, 2014
21
$71.36
Thursday, October 9, 2014
22
$71.36
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013.
Friday, October 24, 2014
23
$75.62
Sunday, October 19, 2014
24
$71.36
Thursday, October 23, 2014
25
$71.36
Friday, October 10, 2014
Highest Wait Times
$75.62
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013.
To determine all of the above, we looked at posted wait times from key attractions including Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world, and The Barnstormer. We narrowed it down to times between 7pm and midnight, which is when the park is limited to party guests. Some quick notes about our research:
Our wait times only include attractions−not character meet and greets, special shows, or parades. The characters, in particular, often have long lines, especially for rare characters like the Seven Dwarfs. Regardless of which party you attend, some of the character lines will be long. If those are a must do, do them as early in the evening as possible.
In general the wait times during the Halloween parties are quite low, averaging only about 10 minutes. If there are any attractions that you have really been wanting to do, experiencing them during the Halloween party might just be the time.
Looking for more information? Erin Foster wrote an amazing overview of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party that will help you whether this is your first trip or your 100th (and if it’s your 100th, you might have a problem…being too awesome). There is also a wonderful recap of 2013′s Halloween Party available for even more Halloweenieness (that made up word is even a stretch for me).
If you consider yourself handy with the camera, or if you simply want better pictures, you can’t go wrong with Tom Bricker’s tips on photographing the Halloween party.
Now that you are armed with the most powerful weapon…knowledge, you can plan your 2014 trip to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. This blog post will help you find all of the party dates and prices.
Hopefully this analysis will help you choose the best Halloween Party to attend. Make sure to check back here later, where we’ll soon be breaking down Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, as well.
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Least Crowded Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2014 Dates is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.