Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of the parties of the year that Disney throws. Over the course of 5 hours there is so much to do and see, so we’ve compiled a top 10 list of tips and must do’s when visiting the party (in no particular order) .

1. Arrive early

Even though the event doesn’t officially start until 7pm, guests are able to get into the Magic Kingdom starting at 4pm. That’s give you an extra three hours to get some rides in and take pictures of decorations. Don’t expect characters or merchandise to be available before 7pm though, this is just extra bonus time for party-goers. As an added bonus, you are able to make FastPass+ selections for this three hour period. Note that FastPass+ is not offered during the party.

2. Get in line for your favorite character before 7pm

Just because the party starts at 7pm doesn’t mean that the lines do. We got in line for the Seven Dwarfs around 5:30. We knew that this would be a long line (along with Jack and Sally), and by getting in line early we were able to get one of the longest lines out of the way within the first 5 minutes of the party!

3. Know which characters you need to meet (and where they are)

The park maps show meet and greet locations, but not which characters will be there. Kenny The Pirate has a great map available for download that shows which specific characters you can expect to meet and where. After taking a look at the map, prioritize which characters are important to you. If you go in with a plan you should be able to meet most, if not all, of the characters you want to! Our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party review has pictures of characters if you want to see what their costumes look like.

4. Watch the Headless Horseman (and the whole Boo To You parade)

There is just something about the Headless Horseman riding in front of the Boo To You parade that lets you know it’s Halloween. He rides the route about 15 minutes before the parade, so make sure you get there early! I would highly suggest the second parade at 10:30pm. Check out our full review of the parade here, including location and timing tips.

5. Visit Club Villain

Club Villain is a new addition to Mickey’s Not So Scary party this year, and it’s really cool! Taking place in the Diamond Horseshoe, Club Villain is a dance party complete with DJ, strobe lights, and villains. We visited it later in the evening (after the 10:30pm Boo To You parade) and the crowds were light which meant getting as much time as we wanted to dance with Cruella de Vil, Dr. Facilier, Governor Ratcliffe, Lady Tremaine, and the Stepsisters. As these villains don’t meet anywhere else in the park this is a cool opportunity to Meet & Dance. It is a little bit loud, but what do you expect from a dance party? I would definitely suggest it over the Monstrous Scream-O-Ween ball in Tomorrowland if you need to choose between the two.

6. Trick or Treat

What Halloween party would be complete without candy? Disney will give you a trick or treat bag to fill up throughout the night, but I would recommend saving it for one of your last activities if you don’t want to have to carry candy around all night. If you have any allergies with the candy they hand out at the trick or treat locations you can take it to City Hall and trade it for specialty diet alternatives.

7. Get your shopping done early

While you can’t get any merchandise before the party starts at 7pm, I would recommend getting your shopping done in the first couple of hours of the party. Many guests wait to the end, only to realize the merchandise they wanted is gone or the shop is closed. So remember, merchandise in the beginning and candy at the end!

8. Ride the Haunted Mansion (and talk with Lady Renata and Madame Carlotta)

You’re going to a Halloween party, you have to ride the Haunted Mansion! Cast Members are dressed in their Halloween best and you can even talk to a few characters from the Mansion! Lady Renata and Madame Carlotta are sisters who only get out of the Mansion at Halloween and boy do they have stories to tell. If you’re lucky enough, take 5 minutes to talk to them about what they were like in their corruptible, mortal state and how they met their ends.

9. Watch Hallowishes

Quite possibly the best fireworks of the year, Hallowishes replaces Wishes and it’s a show not to be missed. I’ll leave it up to you with regards to where you might want to watch it, but I’ve watched from Main Street U.S.A. and Fantasyland and I prefered Fantasyland due to lighter crowds. You still get the music pumped into Fantasyland and the perimeter fireworks are much more impressive from behind the Castle. Check out this full video of Hallowishes from our friends at WDWMagic.com.

10. Ride some of the big rides

If you find yourself with extra time, jump on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Space Mountain. So far this year, these rides have been less than 15 minute waits. While I would prioritize Meet & Greets, Boo To You parade, and Hallowishes above riding rides, you may never see wait times this low on your next Disney vacations.

So what would you put on your top 10 (or 5) list that I may have missed? Let me know in the comments section below. Thank you for reading and sharing!