Boo Bash After Hours

Disney’s Boo Bash After Hours

It may still be nine thousand degrees where you live, but Halloween IS right around the corner. And though we MousekeMoms can’t agree about Pumpkin Spice or when it should be served, we do agree that Halloween celebrations are always welcome. So….we just had to be there for the very first night of Disney’s Boo Bash After Hours Event.

MousekeCocktail

You can not get a MousekeCocktail at a Magic Kingdom After Hours event. Sorry. But you can get one of these exclusive frosty libations…..

Apple Ginger DaleFrozen apple cider mixed with ginger ale topped with whipped cream and chopped Twix

Mocha Chocolate Chip – Frozen mocha topped with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and a sugar acorn

Prince John Sucker – Tart green apple lemonade slush topped with whipped cream and a ring pop

If you want to recreate these at home after your trip to Boo Bash – you could add Bourbon to any one of these and create yourself a yummy fall MousekeCocktail. You’re welcome.

Boo Bash 411

Disney’s Boo Bash After hours event is scheduled to run on select nights August 10 through October 31. Hours are either 9pm to 12am, or 9:30pm to 12:30am depending on the date. While the park closes to regularly ticketed guests at the start of the party, party guests can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 7pm. So, that’s 3 hours of party plus 2 hours of regular MK time included with your ticket. Ticket cost is $129 to $199 per adult or child, depending on the date. 

Note: Boo Bash is  considered an AFTER HOURS EVENT, not a PARTY. It may just seem like wording, but Disney does make distinctions. 

Hours and Pricing are different.  Capacity is rumored to be lower (ie they sell fewer tickets) to after hours events, which translates into fewer crowds and lines than at a seasonal party.

As an After Hours Event, the later start time allows for all guests to see Happily Ever After during the time the park is open to both party guests and regular ticket-holders.

And finally, a Cast Member at the Main Street Emporium informed us there is no exclusive merchandise for After Hours Events, only for parties. We could have sworn Disney Villains After Hours of yesteryear offered exclusive merchandise for sale (right? let us know in the comments). Nevertheless, without exclusive merch, you can still score some great Disney Halloween Merchandise. If you’re looking for a VIP souvenir you can only get at the party, you’ll have to settle for one of the non-exclusive options pictured below.

Halloween Merch

What to Expect at Boo Bash

So far, crowds have been low at Boo Bash, and as an After Hours Event, we expect capacity to be pretty limited even as Halloween gets closer. On opening night, crowds congregated in the Hub to watch the soon-to-be-retired Happily Ever After.

Party guests can enter Magic Kingdom as Early as 7pm, and regular ticket holders can stay in the park until 9pm. Happily Ever After shows just before the party begins and the park closes to day guests. After everyone gets to see the show, Cast Members usher those without event tickets out of the park.

Rides: 

We MousekeMoms opted to skip Happily Ever After and use our time to grab some grub and ride some rides. We were able to walk right on to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (twice!) and Haunted Mansion. Wait times for all rides were minimal, and even Seven Dwarfs Mine Train never got higher than 25 minutes all night.

Snacks: Disney currently serves lots of Halloween snack options throughout the season. But at Boo Bash, in addition to the exclusive beverages we mentioned above, you may also opt to purchase the Maleficent churro pictured below. And included with admission are unlimited bottles of water, soft drinks, popcorn, and novelty ice cream.

Magic Shots:

Magic Shots are simply PhotoPass Photos with a little surprise Magic added. At Boo Bash, you can choose from 7 specially themed Magic Shots throughout the park. Photos can then be viewed and purchased with the My Disney Experience App. 

We always have Memory Maker when we go to Disney World. This entitles us to download all of our PhotoPass photos, including Boo Bash Magic Shots. You can pose for those pictured below AND:

  • Brew with a spooky cauldron
  • Scream at a fiery Jack-o-Lantern
  • Hold the Black Pearl in a glass bottle
  • Hang with Maleficent in Dragon form
  • Stroll down an eerie Main Street.
 
Boo Bash Magic Shots
IMG_2336

Trick or Treating:

We counted 7 trick or treating areas within the park on party night. Guests receive complimentary bags and can visit the treat locations to stock up on candy provided by Mars Wrigley. There is an allergy friendly station as well.

Boo Bash Trick or treating

Characters:

For many, the characters you could meet at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party were worth the price of admission. Rare characters cam out to play those nights.

Unfortunately, traditional character meet and greets haven’t returned to WDW, even for Boo Bash. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t catch a selfie with some of costumed characters and kindred spirits:

  • Gideon and Honest John at Pinocchio Village Haus
  • Chip and Dale on the Frontierland Balcony
  • Pirate Goofy at Pirates of the Caribbeean
  • Winnie the Pooh and Friends at Crystal Palace
  • Miss Carlotta and Miss Renatta and Broome the Butler at Haunted Mansion
Madame Carlotta

Entertainment:

You can also say hi to some of your favorite Disney pals and the most infamous Disney Villains during one of the many character cavalcades throughout the night. These short parades each run twice a night, so it’s easy to catch them. No need to wait around for a long parade to start. You can choose from:

  • Mickeys Happy Halloween Cavalcade
  • Disney Villains Halloween Cavalcade
  • Jack’s Nightmare Cavalcade
  • Maleficent’s Fiery Prowl
Boo Bash Cavalcades

And don’t forget to stop and listen to the Cadaver Dans. They’re so good it’s creepy.

Cadaver Dans

Our Thoughts

Overall, we had a ball at Boo Bash. The atmosphere is fun and festive. Music and lighting add to the vibe,  I challenge anyone to find better people watching. Remember, unlike during regular park hours, Disney DOES encourage guests to wear costumes to Boo Bash. So even if you aren’t one to go all out with your costume, you can really enjoy checking out all the people who do. 

There is SO MUCH to do at Boo Bash . If you are wondering if you will ‘get your money’s worth’ the answer is yes. But know you can not do it all. You need to have a plan. Use all the information here to balance out your priorities. Me? I love the Magic Shots, but Jen is partial to the Cavalcades. Decide which ones really matter to you.

We suggest arriving no later than 7pm. Make sure you get a bite to eat BEFORE the park closes to regular guests because restaurants are not open during the party. Of course, save room for the included snacks and ice cream at Boo Bash too.

Boo Bash offers one of the last opportunities to see Happily Ever After before it retires, so be sure to catch it if it is important to you. We opted instead to focus on rides during the show. Since the party hadn’t officially started yet, none of the exclusive party offerings were available yet. There were NO lines. 

Once the party starts, prioritize your Magic Shots as these lines can actually get pretty long. Get the ones most important to you at the beginning of the night. Mix in some trick-or-treating, ice cream, rides, and a cavalcade or two, and we think you’ve got the recipe for a pretty good Boo Bash After Hours night.

Halloween Castle

MousekeTip

Don’t go to a park on your party day. It will just make for a really long and brutal day. Instead, have a pool day or a Disney Springs day. We even relaxed at Blizzard Beach the day we went. In fact, you may want to consider an Epcot or rest day AFTER your event night too. Rest up and arrive before 7 with your plan. Boo Bash is great fun, but it’s a late night. 

For more details and thoughts, be sure to listen to our podcast. What do you think? Are you excited for Boo Bash this year? What would your top priorities be? Let us know!

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