Mickey’s Not so scary Halloween Party was such a big event, it took two posts to review it… With that said, this is the second post… The first one is further down the page.

It was now time to view the “Boo-to-You” Halloween parade. Good friend Bryan Ripper (All About the Mouse podcast) recommended viewing the parade from Liberty Square. So I made my way over and sat in front of the Hall of Presidents. 18^th Century America proved to be a great vantage point, especially for the pre-parade arrival of the Headless Horseman. He whipped through, holding his Jack-O-Lantern high over his head.

The parade itself was very enjoyable. From seeing Disney characters wearing Halloween Costumes to fantastic floats, this parade has a lot to offer. Highlights include the Haunted Mansion float, with our favorite hitchhiking apparitions in command, accompanied by dancing ghosts and followed by a small army of gravediggers… and the Pirates of the Caribbean float with a spot-on Jack Sparrow captaining from above. I was impressed with the whole parade, not only the details but also for the overall length. This parade does not feel like an afterthought, something I felt about the Villains castle show earlier that evening. And the “Boo-to-you” song is very infectious.

The next large event of the evening was the evening fireworks show “Happy HalloWishes”, another spectacular offering. The show is divided up into a variety of Halloween music, with fireworks and lighting precisely timed to the beat. Cinderella Castle plays a big part in the show as a firework explodes on it to denote the arrival of the next “guest”, even if it is a ghost flying skyward.

Both the “Boo-to-you” parade and the Hallowishes were definitely the highlight of the evening for me, but there were other things going on as well.

There are dance parties happening at a couple locations and more obviously, trick-or-treating at many locations throughout the park. No matter if you are in costume or not, they’ll fill up your goody bag. There is nothing second rate about the candy they give out either… Snickers… Three Musketeers… Milky Way… all your favorites in bite sized servings.

One of the highlights of the evening takes advantage of the limited number of attendees allowed at the event. Even though the event was sold out, I never had to wait more than five minutes in line for any of the rides I hit. Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates, Winnie the Pooh… no lines at all.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is an obvious response to the popularity of Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. Although they both take over a theme park, the similarities end there. Whereas Universal’s event goes for horror and fear, Disney’s focus is on family fun. It won’t appeal to everyone, but it certainly works for me.