Updated October 2015

If you’re like me, you want to make the most of your Disney experience and if you’re thinking of attending Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland, this guide will hopefully help you out.

Come in comfortable clothes.  It’s fun to see all of the different costumes. People come in a variety from the simple to the elaborate, but to have the most fun, maximize your comfort.  You don’t even need a costume to come and have fun.  Plus, remember, you’re still at a Disney theme park.  Lots of walking and riding on attractions.  A very elaborate costume is sometimes hard to manage while getting in and out of Big Thunder Mountain.  Comfort and warmth are important considerations depending on the weather.  Last year, my daughter dressed in a very comfortable costume and it made a world of difference in our enjoyment of the party.

Find a good series of treat stations and go over and over and over again until you’ve had your fill – then go and enjoy the rest of the park.  You might be tempted to go to treat stations all over the park, but for the most part they are all the same.  Instead concentrate on stations in a particular area.  You’ll save tons of time not having to walk from station to station.  Our new favorite is Mickey and Minnie’s houses in Toontown.  Many stations in one treat trail and if you go early, you’ll be able to do it many times even before the official start of the party.  One to avoid?  The one in Frontierland that goes into the Golden Horseshoe Revue.  It’s just too long unless you go there first.  We also had good luck at Small World and later on in the evening, Main Street near the train station was great!  One Cast Member told us that if you hit the treat stations again at the end of the night, they will grab handfuls and stuff your bag!

Buy a bag or bring a backpack.  While they do give you a complimentary treat bag, it won’t hold all the candy you’re sure to get and it’s not the most durable of items.  Plus, you’ll likely have sweaters or sweatshirts or drinks so having a bag or backpack you can easily carry is very much worth it.

Take advantage of early admission.  You can enter the park up to three hours in advance!  Do it!  Go buy your souvenirs.  Grab some dinner.  Get all of that stuff out of the way so you have time for rides and treats all night long – plus the fireworks show, photo ops, and stuff that only happens during party hours.  Speaking of souvenirs – if you love Disney pins, make sure to go and get your pins early just in case they are running low.  Little Green Men Store is probably your best bet, but the new pin store in the music shop on Main Street had a good selection also.  I went in early October and picked up a couple in advance and they were gone by the time we went later in the month – but they did have some new limited edition pins that were also great so I had to get those also.

I hope you enjoy your time at the party as much as we have.  It’s become an annual tradition for us and something we love and enjoy.  Let us know how you like it!

• If you want to read more about our experience at Mickey’s Halloween Party, just click here.