🎃 40 Days to Go: A Not-So-Spooky Night to Remember

We’re getting closer! Just over a month until we return to my favorite place on Earth—during one of my favorite times of year. While we count down the days, I’m throwing it back to our most recent Halloween visit to Walt Disney World Studios in fall of 2024. It was a trip filled with firsts, laughter, and a whole lot of candy.

🧡 First-Timers + First-Class Fun

In 2024, we brought some of our favorite people on their very first Disney World adventure—and as a bonus, we got to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! Compared to the 2021 After Hours Boo Bash, the crowds were definitely thicker, but the Halloween magic? Absolutely alive and thriving.

For the first time ever, we skipped the early 4 PM entry and didn’t make a full park day out of it—and honestly, it was perfect. The lines to get our wristbands, candy bags, and to enter the party were breezy. Unless you’re planning to use those early hours for Jack and Sally meet-and-greets, dining reservations, or snagging lower ride times, I say skip the rush. Enjoy your day, arrive refreshed, and get ready to party the night away!

🧛‍♂️ Vampire Stitch & Candy Hacks

As we walked in right before 7 PM, we were greeted by the start of the Halloween

festivities—and yes, we were on the hunt for the elusive Vampire Stitch popcorn bucket. While we waited, the party vibes kicked into high gear.

Then came the trick-or-treat trails. Pro tip: you can always double back. If you’ve ever wondered how some guests leave with pounds of candy, let me tell you—they’re looping those lines like pros. Last year, we brought home over 10 pounds of candy. And the best part? It was close enough to Halloween that we handed it out to our neighborhood trick-or-treaters. (Yes, my husband complained the entire drive home. 😂)

👻 Rides, Mishaps & Parade Magic

We skipped most of the character meet-and-greets to focus on rides—except Haunted Mansion, which heartbreakingly went down for over an hour during the Halloween party. Disney execs… might wanna look into that one!

As the night wore on, our party started to fracture. My husband, who had thrown out his back before the trip, tapped out and headed back to the resort. Our friends followed suit after a couple more rides. But my daughter and I? We had a mission: one last ride on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

After our final ride, I made a beeline for the Emporium to snag the Starbucks cup I’d been eyeing all trip… and that’s when the last parade of the night trapped us.

So, like any good Disney fan, we embraced the moment and soaked in the magic one last time.

✨ Final Thoughts

This trip was filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories. From first-timers to popcorn bucket quests, it reminded me why Disney Halloween is such a special tradition for our family.

Stay tuned—tomorrow we dive into another countdown memory, and the magic keeps building!