Planning any visit to a Disney theme park can be special and stressful at the same time. Depending on the time of year you visit you have plenty of things to take into account including temps, special events and parties, and whether you’re a laid back kind of vacationer or want to try everything all at once. Here’s tips and tricks from the family that’s made 10 trips to Walt Disney World in half as many years to follow for packing for Halloween at Disney to make your family’s visit a breeze!
Disclosure: I was sent awesome, customizable samples from Zazzle to give you fine folks the scoop on what makes it a perfect choice for creating special Disney vacation touches for your family. All opinions are mine!
It’s Hot- Even in October!
While yes, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) begins in early September and runs through Halloween (and sometimes even into November!), it can still get stifling hot during those months and folks from cooler climates feel like melting even on party nights- we’re guilty of this. No matter how gorgeous that costume is of yours, sweating from head to toe is not fun. Keep it light and remember the new party costume rules when planning what to wear. Speaking of rules…
Remember the Disney Halloween Party Rules and Plan Your Costumes Around Them
While it’s true, you don’t need a costume to enjoy the party, I truly feel that wearing one ups the fun. We are kind of obsessed with costuming at this point and love to go all out, but I’ve seen folks with Halloween t-shirts and plain clothes guests have a blast, too.
Regarding WDW’s official standpoint for adult costuming, here’s the scoop:
- Disney reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or attire that could detract from the experience of other Guests.
- All Guests may dress as their favorite character, but may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
- Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
- Costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
- Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.
- Guests who do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry into, and/or removed from, unless his or her costume can be modified to meet the above standards.
For Guests ages 13 and under:
- Costumes and some masks may be worn, as long as the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible.
For Guests ages 14 and older:
- Layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged and may be subject to additional security screening.
- Costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. (e.g. full-length Princess dresses)
- Capes may be worn if the length does not go below the waist.
- Themed T-shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, and hats are acceptable.
- Acceptable accessories include: transparent wings, plastic light sabers, toy swords, and tutus. Headwear may be worn as long as it does not cover the face.
- May not wear masks of any kind.
Mickey Ears Make for the Perfect Accessory Day and (Party) Night
On our very first visit to Magic Kingdom many years ago, the first thing my daughter wanted to purchase was a set of Minnie Mouse ears. Since then she’s purchased a few other pairs and wears them for every season in the parks but a super easy costume is a fun Halloween short and a set of Mickey Mouse ears.
Customizing Is Always Fun!
With each trip we make to the House of Mouse, I love purchasing customized shirts and accessories to make our visit fun- plus it’s the one time I can get Mr. Locke to wear a shirt with his name on it! Think about how cute your family would look in front of Cinderella Castle with matching shirts. Hey, they can even be matching-ish shirts.
And if you’re not crafty, my new favorite way to customize is with Zazzle. For this upcoming visit to WDW for Halloween, I found a ton of super fun tees that I could personalize with our names and nicknames, a sketchbook for The Kid so she can sit on a bench in the parks and draw (her favorite past time!), and the coolest Mickey Monogram Tote that I cannot wait to take on the plane! Of course, Zazzle has pre-made templates that I could tweak, but I found the most fun in really letting my imagination go wild and adding a quote from our favorite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus. I could go as simple or as intricate as I wanted and there were so many shirt and bag styles to choose from- even American Apparel styles. Since Mr. Locke’s favorite Disney character is Donald Duck, it was a no brainer to customize a shirt with the sassy guy!
Laundry Facilities Are Your Best Friend
If you’re heading to Disney for more than a few days you may find your suitcase bursting at the seams- I’m so guilty of that. An easy remedy is to pack lighter and take advantage of the on-property laundry facilities during down time. I pack a few detergent pods in my suitcase and have done laundry mid-trip or the night before we leave to come home- there’s nothing like opening the suitcases and remembering that all of our clothes are clean.
Buy a Costume in the Parks to Save Luggage Space
The larger gift shops at each theme park have children’s Disney costumes for sale so if your wee ones are on the fence as to what they want to dress up as for MNSSHP or in the parks every day, budgeting for a costume purchase on your vacation is probably a good idea. They can wear the costumes during the day and on party nights as well and it’s so adorable to see all of those pirates and princesses walking around the parks.
Have a Castmember Transform You for Halloween
If you’re planning a visit to Pirate’s League or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and MNSSHP, make a reservation for the day of the party so the kids can walk around in costume during the day and for the party as well and it will save you time!
Remember to Pack an Extra Bag for Candy!
If the kiddos love to spend time during the Halloween party trick-or-treating, a larger bag for storing all of that candy is a must. Sure, castmembers will give you as many bags as you need, but a sturdier one to dump the candy in is the way to go (we’re going to use the Mickey Monogram Tote from Zazzle for it!)
Comfy Shoes Look Great with Any Outfit or Costume
Think comfort over looks for this one. No matter how cute that costume is, the agony from walking miles in the parks will catch up to you and those painful winces with each step you take will show up in photos. Make sure you wear super comfy shoes for both touring the parks and on party nights- and if you’re not too keen on seeing them in pics, ask a Photopass Photographer to shoot you and the family from the knees up. Yep, there’s comfy shoes in this photo!
Leave a Reply