But COVID-19 has changed the format of the party drastically! It is now called Disney’s After Hours Boo-Bash. While you’re still encouraged to dress up, go trick or treating and enjoying the spooky decor atmosphere, so many of the activities and events we’ve seen in years past are gone. Unlike other years, the park is only open for three hours. This means you’ll REALLY have to prioritize what you’re interested in doing!

The Halloween Party can be an overwhelming experience for first-timers. There’s so much to see and do. Even if you arrive as early as possible, it’s still tough to do it all. But with this guide, you’ll be able to create a reasonable itinerary that allows you to earmark what’s most important to you and how to use your time wisely.

Buying Your Tickets

Tickets for this event are SOLD OUT! So unless you have a ticket, you’ll have to plan you’re Halloween Party for next year. We have heard that if you walk up to the gate on the day of the event, they may have some tickets for sale, but since this is a very risky plan, it’s best to just plan on attending next year unless you live near the park.

When To Go

This year, the Boo Bash is being held on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday nights. Typically the busiest night of the party is Halloween night, October 31st. That night is also the most expensive. The closer you get to Halloween, the more crowded the park becomes and the most expensive the tickets are. Weekdays in early October, late September are your best option, although be warned, even in September/October the nights can still be very very hot, so keep that in mind.

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Costume Guidelines

During the Halloween party guests are allowed to wear costumes, something which is banned during the rest of the year for adults. But there are some rules. For anyone over the age of 14, you need to make sure your costumes aren’t inappropriate or could detract from other guests’ experiences. This includes violent or provocative-looking costumes. If you decide to dress up like your favourite Disney character (which had been prohibited in years past) all you need to make sure to do is not pose for pictures or sign autographs. This is to make sure guests don’t get you mixed up with the real character actors.

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You also need to be sure not to bring any toy weapons that resemble or could be mistaken for real weapons. For safety reasons due to the volume of people in the park be sure your costume does not drag on the ground. And no masks allowed. For children, some masks may be worn but they cannot cover the entire face, and eyes must be visible. Wearing a costume really gets you into the spirit and is so much fun. We didn’t have the room in our suitcase to bring character costumes but we wore a whole spooky-Disney-inspired outfit and my old poison apple ears from Disneyland’s Halloween Party a few years ago went down a storm!

Mask Guidelines

Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) while indoors and in Disney buses, monorail and Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status. This includes upon entering and throughout all attractions. Face coverings remain optional for all Guests in outdoor common areas. If you are wearing a costume you want to make sure your mask is easy to take on and off with your costume. Think of this as another opportunity to add an extra bit of flair to your outfit!

When to Arrive

The Boo Bash officially kicks off at 9 pm and 9:30 pm (depending on your date). But you can enter the park as early as 7 pm with your party ticket. Although the Halloween bash won’t have started yet, and you won’t be able to start trick-or-treating, this is a great time to get on some rides. Since the Bash is only three hours along, this extra two hours inside the park is a huge advantage to making the most of your time there. You can seek out rides without Halloween overlays to get on before the Bash starts, as these will be the same before and after the party.

Arriving before 9 pm also means you’ll be able to catch the fireworks show. Unlike other years, there are no special Halloween-themed fireworks. The Happily Ever After fireworks show will go off just before the official close park before the Bash.

If you decided you wanted to come to the park during the day as well as the party at night (which would require a party ticket as well as regular park admission), anytime after 7 pm stop by “Ghost-services” to get a party wristband. This will denote to the staff you have paid to attend the party and you won’t be escorted out of the park after 9 pm. For anyone simply entering after 7 pm with a party ticket, you’ll also receive a wristband upon entry. In both cases, when picking up your wristband you’ll also be provided with your trick-or-treat bag!

Trick-or-Treating

Throughout the park, there are dozens of Trick-or-Treat locations where guests get loaded up with treats. While you are given a bag upon entry, many visitors bring their own due to the sheer volume of candy being given out. They give you giant handfuls of candy everywhere you go! And it’s all name brand treats. If a line is short, you can go through it as many times as you want. Sure, as an adult, you could go out and buy your own, but there is something about trick-or-treating which makes you feel like a kid again!

That being said, while it is SUPER fun, I wouldn’t recommend making that you’re primary goal of the night. Sure it’s great to nab candy at treat stations where there’s no line but spending too much time waiting for candy isn’t worth it. If you stay to the very end of the party, walk by treat locations on your way out. There is barely anyone in line and they absolutely fill your bag up with the candy. This is because they’re trying to get rid of by the end of the night. Anything they don’t get rid of they need to lug back to the storage room so they’re more than happy to load you up!

Allergy-Friendly Candy

If you have a child with an allergy or if you yourself have an allergy, when you pick up your treat bags at the start of the night, ask for an “allergy friendly” bag. They use teal blue bags to indicate to cast members that you have an allergy. Head over to the Hall of Presidents where you can score delicious allergy-free candy.

While the candy is super high quality and delicious, there isn’t a huge selection. But for kids who have severe allergies and who often feel like they can’t participate in events like Halloween, it’s a great alternative.

If your allergies aren’t too severe (for instance if you’re sensitive to gluten but no celiac) it might be worth just getting the regular treats and then swapping with friends if you find anything you can’t eat. I think you get more interesting candy that way.

Food at the Boo Bash

To make up for the huge price increase and shorter event time of the Boo Bash, Disney gives all party guests unlimited free bottles of water and soda, free popcorn, mickeys bars and other small ice cream treats. This really makes it, so you don’t need to buy anything additional all night to keep you hydrated and full of salty, sweet treats.

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There are no restaurants open with regular menus during the Boo Bash, so be sure to eat a full dinner before you come to the park. Although there are lots of snacks and sweet treats you’ll find there isn’t anything like a meal available.

During the party, there are exclusive food options available throughout the park. While this is a unique part of the experience, the overall reviews of these treats are pretty underwhelming, and often these treats are more expensive due to their “exclusive nature.” But there are some exceptions. The Maleficent Churro is covered in chocolate cookie crumbles and then drizzled with purple icing and green and purple sprinkles.

Another top tret is the Foolish Mortal Funnel Cake based on that iconic line inside the Haunted Mansion. Who doesn’t love a funnel cake? And this one is covered in purple ice cream, oreo crumbles, green drizzle and m&ms.

If drinks are your thing for a real taste of fall, try out the Apple Ginger Dale Frozen Drink. It’s made of frozen apple cider with ginger ale giving it this perfectly refreshing and spicy taste. It’s topped with whipped cream and a chopped Twix cookie (which you can also ask to omit if you’re allergic.)

Character Meet and Greets

One of the most popular things to do during the event used to be the character’s meet and greets. But because of social distancing, this is no longer an option at the Boo Bash. Instead, various Disney characters in Halloween costumes can be spotted throughout the park. You won’t be able to get up close as you would in the old meet n’ greet, but it’s still great to be able to see them at all in the park.

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If you make your way over to the Frontier Land Balcony, you’ll be able to catch Goofy, Chip ‘n’ Dale. Outside Pirates of the Caribbean, you can find Mickey, Minnie and more in their Halloween outfits. In Pinnochio’s Village House, you’ll discover Foulfellow and Gideon. Outside on the verandah of the Crystal Palace is the Winnie the Pooh characters. The Haunted Mansion is home to Miss Carlotta, Miss Renatta and Broome the Butler.

Rides

22 of the rides inside of Walk Disney World are open during the Boo Bash. Since the admission tickets are costly, the number of people in the park is much lower during the party, lowering wait times. This is especially true as the night gets later. Haunted Mansion has by far the longest wait times, which actually seem to get longer as the night goes on.

There are a few rides that are uniquely entertaining during the party. Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain don’t have Halloween overlays. But the views across the park with the Halloween lighting are beautiful to see from up high. 

The Mad Tea Party ride is definitely worth seeing later in the evening. They have special lighting and music as their Halloween overlay. It makes the ride a bit spookier, and at the end of the night, it’s pretty much a walk-on.

Space Mountain turns into Deep Space Mountain during the Halloween party, and the ride is run in complete darkness. Paired with loud, rock music, it makes for a disorientating and yet exhilarating ride! Although I’m not a thrill rider myself, everyone who rode it said it was incredible. The big fans of Space Mountain said it was their favourite overlay ever.

Entertainment

My favourite Halloween entertainment was always the Hocus Pocus Villain Spooktacular, and I was soooo sad to hear it is no longer a part of the Boo Bash. While there really is no replacing it, you can still see some singing and dancing by the Cadaver Dans. The Cadaver Dans prefer nightly at various times on the Frontier Land Balcony.

Halloween Cavalcades

Unlike years past, there is no large parade through the streets of Disney World. Instead, several smaller “Character Calvacades” roam through the park at various times throughout the night. This Character Calvacades is another excellent opportunity to see your favourite characters, especially the villains, out and about in the park. Each of the four Cavalcades is themed. The first is Mickey’s Happy Halloween Cavalcade, where you can spot Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto and pals. Each one dressed in hauntingly boo-tiful Halloween costumes. This Cavalcade is accompanied by a musical procession.

Next, there is the Disney Villain Halloween Cavalcade. My personal favourite. In this Cavalcade, you can see your favourite villains such as Dr. Facilier, the Queen of Hearts and Jafar. Being their wonderfully wicked selves.

The Jack’s Nightmare Cavalcade features the great Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington himself. He is joined by Sally and Oogie Boogie.

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The last Cavalcade is called the Maleficent’s Fiery Prowl. It features Maleficent the Dragon, who breathes fire down on the audience. It’s one of the most exciting parts of the party!

Merchandise

There is no Boo Bash exclusive merchandise this year but you can still shop Disney’s Halloween merch instead. That being said, since these items can be purchased on a regular trip to the park I would say you’re precious time is spent outside of the gift shop.

Memory Maker Photos

If you’ve purchased Memory Maker for your Disney Vacation, the Boo Bash is one of your best opportunities to get some incredible shots. Throughout the park, there are exclusive photos locations as well as some hilarious and spooky “magic shots“! You can get a shot with the hitchhiking ghosts, make your own poison apple and even be surprised to find a ghost or two in your photos.

Is it Worth It?

If you’re wondering whether or not the party is worth your time and money, well, it’s really in all how you see it. Personally, I LOVED the previous Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. I was very happy to pay extra for that event. But since there are so many restrictions, changes and missing elements, spending $129+ for a three-hour event might not be for everyone. But suppose you’re a huge Disney fan and can’t go without the spooky season in your Disney Experience. In that case, I’m sure you’ll find lots of exciting things to do in the park to make it worth your time and money!

Happy Travels, Adventurers

The post Ultimate Guide to Disney’s After Hours Boo-Bash 2021 first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.