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Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026 Lands: 38 Nights, August 7 Start, and Stitch Hosts a New Dance Party in Tomorrowland
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Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026 Lands: 38 Nights, August 7 Start, and Stitch Hosts a New Dance Party in Tomorrowland

Michael Travels
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Published
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Updated

Top WDW news, Tuesday April 28, 2026. Two days after Disney teased Halfway to Halloween with cobwebs and Mickey-shaped tarot cards, the actual reveal landed today on the Disney Parks Blog. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026 is set, and there is a lot to dig through.

The headline numbers:

  • 38 select nights, running August 7 through October 31, 2026. August 7 is the earliest start date in recent memory, more than a week earlier than 2025's August 15 and earlier than any opener since the party returned in 2022.
  • Tickets $119 to $229 plus tax, holding flat from 2025.
  • Tickets on sale May 5 for select Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin guests, and Shades of Green guests, then May 12 for the general public.
  • $10 off for Walt Disney World Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members on event nights from August 7 through October 2.
  • Party hours are 7 p.m. to midnight, with ticketed early entry into Magic Kingdom as early as 4 p.m.
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026 official key art with Cinderella Castle in pink and purple Halloween lighting.
The official 2026 MNSSHP key art Disney dropped this morning. Image: Disney Parks Blog.

The new bit you actually want to know about

Stitch is taking over the Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland this year. Disney's words:

"New this year, Stitch is hosting an ever-changing dance party at the Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland with the help of his friends Lilo and Angel. After getting his paws on Lilo's Costume Trunk, every accessory he tries on will spark a theme swap and keep the party playfully unpredictable all night long."

So Lilo, Stitch, and Angel (Experiment 624, the pink one) are all in the rotation. Angel has been a beloved deep-cut for years; this is her biggest party-night spotlight to date. The "costume trunk drives the theme swap" mechanic is the genuinely fun part. The set list will reportedly shift on the fly depending on what Stitch pulls out next.

What's coming back

The headliners that anchored 2025 are all returning:

  • Mickey's "Boo-to-You" Halloween Parade, with the Headless Horseman riding ahead of the parade route as the opener.
  • Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, the Jack Skellington-hosted fireworks and castle-projection show.
  • Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage.
  • Trick-or-treat trails, costume permission for adults, the Space Mountain Halloween overlay, and a fresh batch of rare characters in their party costumes.
Costumed performers and Disney Villains marching down Main Street USA during Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade at Magic Kingdom.
Mickey's "Boo-to-You" Halloween Parade is back. Image: Disney Parks Blog.

The August 7 thing

The earliest-ever start date is the operationally interesting beat here. Disney has crept the calendar earlier almost every year (2023 started August 11, 2024 started August 9, 2025 started August 15). Pulling 2026 back to August 7 lets Disney run a full first weekend of party nights before kids start heading back to school in much of the South, while still capturing the back-to-school traveler segment that hits Florida in mid-to-late August.

For planners: opening-weekend Fridays in August have historically landed near the lower end of MNSSHP's per-date pricing tiers. Disney has not yet published this year's date-by-date breakdown, but $119 plus tax is the floor and August nights typically sit closest to it.

Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks burst over Cinderella Castle, with Jack Skellington projected onto the castle facade.
Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular returns. Image: Disney Parks Blog.

Quick planner tips

  • Set a calendar alert for the morning of May 5 if you're a resort guest. Disney has not yet posted an official sale time for 2026; based on past years, premium dates (mid-October weekends, Halloween night) have historically moved fast on opening day.
  • The $10 AP/DVC discount cuts off October 2. If you're using the discount, the entire calendar from August 7 through October 2 is fair game; from October 3 onward you pay full price.
  • 4 p.m. ticketed early entry with no separate park reservation is a 3-hour pre-party head start. Book a 4 p.m. dinner reservation and you basically get a full park day on a party ticket.

Sources

Image credits. All images: Disney Parks Blog.

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