Definitely no secret! If you know me in real life or follow me on my socials, you know that the Disney Halloween Party is a favorite of mine!!! I always joke that if I had one more day to live, I would want to hit up Epcot Food & Wine and then stroll into the Not So Scary Halloween Party in the evening with my fam & besties. Yes, that is right! I love the Halloween party THAT MUCH!!

Instead of writing a post on all the reasons I love Not So Scary because let me be real, that would be sorta lame. I figured I would share my tips! I have been many times and have many tips and hacks that might just make your Not So Scary Halloween Party experience that much more epic!!!

1. Enter The Park At 4PM!

Thats right! The party might not start until 7, but you can enter Magic Kingdom at 4pm! That is 3 extra hours of rides, food and pictures!!!! We usually use this time to take all the epic family photos and to eat before the party starts!

2. Costumes

These parties are unique because they are actually the only time that adults are allowed to enter a Disney theme park in costume!! You best believe I take advantage!!!! I would say about 30-40% of people do dress up!! Although it is definitely not required, obviously!! I do encourage you to take advantage!! Just make sure you dress up knowing it may be 90 degrees outside! You will be melting, so no super heavy costumes so you do not sweat to death!!!!

3. Eat a good dinner before you go

​As much as I love Disney food, the parks are very limited on food options once the party starts! I remember one year walking forever to find a stand selling something as simple as water! Not So Scary is a special event, so it does make sense business-wise to not run all the food stands! Eat dinner before you enter the park or do what we do, make a reservation at Crystal Palace for around 5-6pm! That way you are in the park, eating a fabulous Disney Character Dinner Buffet and are nice and full once the party starts!

4. Bring Water

As I mentioned above, I literally walked forever trying to find a water stand many years back! Ever since I have made sure to just bring a water bottle with me and I fill it up at the various water fountains around the park! Usually most restrooms have a water fountain right outside! Not only does this save you the hassle of searching for water, it will also save you $$$$!

5. Splurge On Memory Maker!

I know it can be pricy, but there are so many fun Magic Shots unique to this special event!!! Definitely worth it in my book! Magic Shots are what you see above! Pictures with added Disney Magic!!!! Memory Maker can also be purchased the day of the Halloween party for a daily rate, so if you want to wait before you splurge, you can definitely do so and just pay once you see all your epic photos!!

6. Save Boujee Dining For Another Time!

Eating inside of Cinderella Castle might be fabulous, but it takes up so much time! I would save it for another time. The Halloween Party has so much awesomeness going on, and Cinderella Royal Table is a total time sucker!!! Same things with purchasing parade upgrades!! You all know I like to be fancy whenever possible, but this is one time I chose not to be! Parade upgrades again, total time sucker and you miss so much of the actual party trying to get your moneys worth! Save it for another time.

7. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Map

Definetly pick one up when you enter the park!! This handy dandy map will have all of the event times and locations so you know what is going on when and where!!! You can also download the Disney Parks App! The app will actually alert you through out the night giving you tips, show and parade time updates!

8. Mickey's "Boo To You" Parade

offered at 9:15PM and 11:00PM - the second parade is usually ridiculously less crowded than the first. Get there super early if possible because seeing the Headless Horseman ride through the parade route is always a fan favorite at these parties!!

Omg folks!!!! 5 more days until we are hitting up Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!!! Literally one of my favorite events ever!! I always joke and say if I had one day to live, I would want to hit up Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival and then chill with Mickey and his pals at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!!!

since I can’t hold back my excitement, I thought I would make Halloween Mickey Mouse Cinnamon Rolls! You can find similar ones during Mickey’s Halloween party!! Enjoy!!

You can’t think about Disney without thinking of Dole Whips! At least I can’t. One of the most iconic Disney treats if you ask me!!!! Since we won’t be heading back to see Mickey for at least a few more month, I figured it was time to break out the blender and make our own Dole Whips at home. This way we can satisfy our cravings while counting down the days until our next Disney trip. Enjoy!!!

Who else is ridiculously excited for the new Toy Story movie hitting theaters this June?!?! Last year Disney World gave us Slinky Dog Dash & Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land! This year we are getting a new film!!!

​Can.Not.Wait!!!!!
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To get extra hyped for Toy Story, my daughter wanted to make Toy Story Alien Cookies! Safe to say she nailed them! Enjoy!!!

Serve & Enjoy!!!

Disney water parks!! I swear so many people forget they even exist! Honestly, we were that family for many years as well. I lived in Orlando FOREVER, so once I moved away, I never thought about hitting up Disney’s Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon when visiting my old stomping grounds. I always had my eyes set on Cinderella’s Castle and eating and drinking around the world!

Now that my daughter is slightly older and has literally done EVERYTHING in the main parks, we decided to check out Blizzard Beach! She has been craving something new and Blizzard Beach was exactly that!!!

Now that I have been to Blizzard Beach with and without my child, I feel I can give you legit tips to help you plan your next trip to Disney’s Blizzard Beach!

Need a block of chairs?! Looking for prime seating at the “beach”? Driving yourself to the park?! You will definitely want to arrive early. The parking lot is pretty small, so the good spots get taken instantly. Also, those awesome lounge chairs right on the beach? Those will be taken within the first 20 minutes the park opens. If you do however show up later in the day, take a stroll down the lazy river. You will find additional seating. It’s just not a glam as sitting beachside.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach is actually a pretty fabulous looking park! So many cute photo opportunities!!!! Make sure you have a camera or have your smart phone fully charged!!! You may even want to splurge on one of those waterproof plastic phone cases you can scoop up at Walmart if you want more adventurous ride shots! You won’t want to miss the many Insta-worthy photo opportunities throughout Disney’s Blizzard Beach!

This is the question I’ve been asked for years! Even though this was my daughters first time hitting up a Disney water park, I would still urge my friends to hit up Blizzard Beach if you have little ones in tow. Blizzard Beach is known for it’s family rides where Typhoon Lagoon is more adventurous! My super honest opinion would be to skip the water parks all together until your kids are at least 5. The kiddie areas are pretty sweet, but not paying THAT much for a park ticket sweet. Unless there are older kids enjoying the park in your party, just don’t waste the money.

Yes, you can rent a locker, but on days when I hit up a park with the bare minimum, I usually decide against it. Lockers can be expensive and when all I have is towels, smart phones and sunscreen in my Beach bag, I don’t find a locker worth it.

Blizzard Beach is bigger than you would think! You will be doing A LOT of walking!!!! Taking flip flops on and off all day gets pretty old! Next time we hit up Blizzard Beach you best believe I’m going to Walmart or getting a pair of water shoes Primed to me so I can just keep those suckers on the entire day without taking them on and off in between rides!

Disney Waterparks DO NOT offer free towels to use! However, you can “rent” a towel for the day for $2 a towel. I would just pack your own towels, even if they are the plain ole white hotel towels! Better than paying for a towel if you ask me!

Disney is usually fantastic when it comes to food. Over priced , YES! Delicious, YES! However, Disney’s Blizzard Beach doesn’t offer killer food. For $10 I had a basic chicken stir fry. I wasn’t too impressed since I can make a better stir fry at home. I would definitely bring my own snacks next time. Yes, you can do that! And wait to eat our main meal later in the day. For the prices we paid for food in the park, we could have had a culinary experience somewhere fabulous at Disney Springs!

This is the one thing that is worth every penny!!!!! You can purchase refillable cups when you enter the park. The best $11.99 you will spend since you can get unlimited non-alcoholic beverages!!!! We purchased one and my daughter and I shared. I would get a drink and then she would get a drink!

I made a set of Mickey Mouse Cupcakes about a month ago and y’all went totally nuts for them!!! Such an easy peasy D.I.Y project using store bought cupcakes and everyone’s favorite cookies, OREO!!!

I couldn’t let Mickey be without his beloved Minnie, so the other day my daughter and I decided to give Mickey his other half. Wilton Bows and Wilton Polka Dot Cupcake Wraps from Hobby Lobby and we had ourselves the cutest Minnie Mouse Cupcakes EVER!!!

Enjoy!!!

Ta-Da!!! Just like that you have Minnie Mouse Cupcakes!!! So easy to make even your kiddos can do it themselves!!!

Rainforest Cafe!!! One of my childhood favorite restaurants!!! I swear this an OG staple. Rainforest Cafe has survived all of the Disney changes of the years. It was there during the Pleasure Island Days, Downtown Disney and now the Disney Springs Era! Love that one of the restaurants I looked forward to on Disney trips as a child is there for my very own daughter to experience.

You can make reservations on the Disney Reservations website!!! Just make sure to do this in advance. It is included in the Disney Dining Plan, so it does book quickly!

​No reservation?! My tip would be to get to the restaurant on the early-side for dinner. We arrived a little before 5pm on a weekday during February Break and walked right in with zero reservation. When we left however, there was a line to even talk to the hostess to put your name on the list.

The good old news is, Rainforest Cafe gives you a wait time and you can go wander Disney Springs while waiting for your table. Just head back to the hostess stand at your “call time.” Perfect opportunity to do that last minute shopping you were holding off doing!

The food at The Rainforest Cafe reminds me of every other chain restaurant since the menu includes items like salads, pasta, sandwiches, seafood, burgers and poultry dishes, as well as a variety of vegetarian selections!

The food is exactly what you would expect from a chain restaurant. Yummy, but nothing out of this world! My steak was delicious, but not steak house delicious. We were there more for the atmosphere anyways, so I wasn’t expecting a culinary masterpiece.

However, Rainforest Cafe does get two thumbs up on the kids menu. My daughter is an extremely picky eater. So picky she wont even eat chicken nuggets. So it was nice to see other kid-friendly items such as pizza and apple sauce.

Also expect to pay a tad bit more to eat at this specific location. You are on Disney Property, so everything is a tad bit more pricey!

The main criticisms that The Rainforest Cafe gets is the steep pricing for a restaurant you can find in malls around the country. I guess this all depends on where you live. We live in a small town in NY where the Rainforest Cafe is a special treat. We would have to drive a few hours and cross the Canadian boarder to dine at one.

My opinion is if you have small children, the Rainforest Cafe is an absolute must! So much entertainment while you eat. How can you not love a meal where you don’t have to come up with ways to keep the kids entertained while you try to finish your meal? Older kids will get a kick out of the gift shop. So much cool memorabilia!!!!

The Rainforest Cafe also has fun drinks that come in adorable reusable mugs. My daughter always gets a kick out of these. She feels so special getting to order a “fancy” drink off of the menu.

Rainforest Cafe will always get two thumbs up from our family! I will continue to dine there as long as my daughter finds it “cool”. Heck, I may even drag her there as a teen because I myself will always be a fan. #KidAtHeart