Disney World’s first After Hours BOO Bash party debuted on August 10th, and we gave you a front-row look at our experience.

We’ve already discussed the differences between BOO Bash and Disney World’s past Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, but we wanted to break down our experience at the party and really take a look at how the parties differ. If you’ve attended Not-So-Scary but weren’t too sure about BOO Bash, this may help you make a decision.

We’re breaking down key elements of both parties and what BOO Bash ticket holders actually get (and don’t!) from this special event.

Hours and Price

We arrived at the gates of Magic Kingdom at 7PM, which is the earliest ticket holders for BOO Bash can enter Magic Kingdom, though the party didn’t officially begin until 9:30PM and ran until 12:30AM. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, in contrast, was a five-hour event from 7PM to midnight, and ticket holders were able to enter Magic Kingdom beginning at 4PM.

When we arrived for BOO Bash, we discovered that tickets for the event were being sold at the gate. Prices for BOO Bash tickets range from $129 to $199, depending on the date, whereas Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets were sold in the past ranging from $85 to $149 for adults, and $80 to $144 for kids, also depending on the date.

So essentially we had LESS time at BOO Bash than we got at Not-So-Scary for a higher ticket price.

Click here for dates and pricing for BOO Bash!

Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-treating was still a thing at BOO Bash, with several treat stations located throughout Magic Kingdom. We received an event map at wristband distribution with every treat location listed, which made it easy to find them. We also received a complimentary treat bag.

We were able to get a LOT of candy, so if trick-or-treating was one of your favorite parts of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, you’re still able to enjoy it at BOO Bash.

And as with Not-So-Scary, Disney offers allergy-friendly treats, which you can find in Liberty Square.

So you still have the opportunity to take home TONS of candy from BOO Bash!

Read more about the BOO Bash treat locations here!

Parades and Shows

At Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, guests were treated to the event exclusive Boo-To-You Halloween Parade and the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular Stage Show in front of Cinderella Castle. BOO Bash has replaced those shows with Halloween Cavalcades, which are kind of like mini parades. There is the Mickey’s Happy Halloween Cavalcade, which stars Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto in their Halloween costumes.

The Disney Villain Halloween Cavalcade let us catch a glimpse of some of Disney World’s rarer characters, like Captain Hook, the Queen of Hearts, and Bowler Hat Guy!

Jack, Sally, and Oogie Boogie swayed to “This is Halloween” in Jack’s Nightmare Cavalcade.

And we got to see Maleficent in dragon form in Maleficent’s Fiery Prowl, though make a note that no fire was actually involved.

BOO Bash does NOT have a parade or castle show, so if you are a big entertainment fan, you may not walk away satisfied.

Photos and videos of BOO Bash’s Halloween Cavalcades are here!

Holiday-Themed Character Appearances

Another thing missing from BOO Bash is photo opportunities with characters in their Halloween costumes, especially with rare characters like Jack and Sally. While Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party had lots of character photo ops. BOO Bash gives you the chance to take socially distanced photos of characters in Halloween costumes in several locations around Magic Kingdom. We saw Goofy in his pirate costume…

…and Piglet in his fairy costume, along with other residents of Hundred Acre Wood in their Halloween best!

We couldn’t get enough of Madame Carlotta’s spooky tales told from the Haunted Mansion lawn.

There’s plenty of opportunities to catch characters in Halloween costumes, just know that they will be at a distance. And as a note, there aren’t nearly as many characters to see. The rare characters and villains were a huge draw at Not-So-Scary, and that’s severely lacking at BOO Bash.

See photos and videos of EVERY character of BOO Bash here!

Holiday-Themed PhotoPass Photos

And just like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, BOO Bash offers guests special Halloween PhotoPass Magic Shots! You could be snapped “holding” an enchanted pumpkin…

…or hitching a ride with the Hitchhiking Ghosts!

There are several other Halloween Magic Shot options available at BOO Bash so you can go home with a bunch of spooky photos!

Click here for all the BOO Bash PhotoPass Magic Shots!

Entertainment

BOO Bash held performances of the Cadaver Dans Barbershop Quartet, who were also present for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The Cadaver Dans are the “scary” version of the Dapper Dans, and they sing some of Disney’s spookier songs.

There was also a DJ Dance Party and lots of other entertainment to enjoy.

Read ALL the entertainment for BOO Bash here!

Rides

A select number of rides are available during BOO Bash, which also occurred with Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. However, Not-So-Scary put Halloween overlays over a few rides, which were only visible during the party, and BOO Bash did NOT have any Halloween ride overlays.

We experienced low wait times, so you could take advantage of the lower crowd levels and ride more rides than you otherwise would be able to!

If you were hoping for some Halloween ride decorations, you won’t find that at BOO Bash this year.

Here’s a list of every ride that’s open for BOO Bash!

Event-Exclusive Treats

There were a number of BOO Bash exclusive treats we HAD to try, and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party also offered special event treats. We tried the Prince John Sucker, which was a sour apple-lemonade slushy that came with a ring pop.

It was a bit sticky but the green color was so fun!

Read our review of the Prince John Sucker here!

We also got the Maleficent Churro, which was covered in chocolate cookie crumbles and purple icing.

You can find the Maleficent Churro at outdoor snack cards on Main Street, USA only during BOO Bash! Mickey’s Not-So-Scary used to offer many more limited edition/exclusive treats.

Read our review of the Maleficent Churros here!

BOO Bash does offer ticket holders complimentary treats at various popcorn carts, including ice cream, popcorn, and drinks. This is something Not-So-Scary did not offer.

Remember, BOO Bash ticket prices ARE higher than Not-So-Scary’s were, but they do include some freebies.

Click here to learn about some specialty food options at BOO Bash!

Fireworks

Because we entered Magic Kingdom as early as we were allowed at 7PM, we were able to catch the Happily Ever After fireworks at 8:45PM before the park closed for BOO Bash. Unlike at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party, there are NO special event BOO Bash Halloween fireworks. If you do not arrive before BOO Bash begins at 9 or 9:30PM (depending on the date), you will not see any fireworks.

If you do want to see fireworks, we recommend taking advantage of the early gate entrance at 7PM. Happily Ever After fireworks will not be returning after October 1st, so if you hold an August or September BOO Bash ticket, this might be a good chance to catch them. Make sure to check the schedule for fireworks showtimes.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party had event-exclusive fireworks called Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, which featured Halloween music, spooky castle projections, and of course, fireworks.

Here’s a video of Happily Ever After fireworks before BOO Bash!

That was our experience at Disney World’s first After Hours BOO Bash! There are some big differences and also a few perks for BOO Bash. Overall, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary offered more in terms of limited-edition food and entertainment, but BOO Bash did deliver when it came to low crowds and wait times. Keep reading DFB for ALL your Disney World news!

Click here for the ultimate guide to BOO Bash!

 What do you think about BOO Bash? Tell us in the comments!