Midway to Halloween 2024 is sort of right here! Walt Disney World and Disneyland will quickly have fun spook season’s reply to Christmas in July with one other week of bulletins, hauntingly useful planning recommendation, and different enjoyable issues. This put up covers what to anticipate, plus our predictions about what’ll be introduced.
For starters, we should always most likely talk about when it is best to count on Midway to Halloween to occur within the first place. Hopefully it’ll occur subsequent week (beginning Might 6, 2024), which is a line we’ve been muttering to ourselves each Friday for the previous few weeks. Actually, we thought it might’ve been someday within the final month. The second half of April would have been in line with previous precedent, or this week on the newest. Clearly, that didn’t occur.
There are probably a few causes for that. The primary is the elephant within the room, Tiana’s Bayou Journey, which nonetheless doesn’t have an official opening date. Its debut was moved ahead to Summer time 2024, which was thrilling information…but it surely’s been radio silence from Walt Disney World since. We’re beginning to fear that the brand new experience is having ‘hiccups’ throughout its late levels of take a look at and regulate, or simply that there isn’t sufficient certainty to set a date.
It’s additionally our perception that Walt Disney World goes to debut extra alongside Tiana’s Bayou Journey as a part of its Summer time 2024 advertising push to entice visitors to plan journeys. Already, we all know that CommuniCore Corridor and Plaza and the “¡Celebración Encanto!” sing-along debut on June 10, 2024.
That very same date, additions for Inside Out 2 and Lion King’s thirtieth Anniversary arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, respectively. Previous to that, there’s the “Disney Desires that Soar” drone present at Disney Springs. However we count on Tiana’s Bayou Journey and probably extra to debut after this, in late June or July 2024.
Provided that Walt Disney World nonetheless hasn’t shared the complete summer time slate, it’s doable that they don’t wish to get forward of themselves and begin speaking Halloween (which truly begins in late summer time). Personally, I’m skeptical of this being the reason. Walt Disney World already introduced dates & particulars for the 2024 EPCOT Meals & Wine Competition, which is post-summer.
I feel potential Walt Disney World visitors are both making summer time or fall journey plans; the previous group is generally households with faculty aged youngsters who can’t select between the 2 seasons. Some individuals are ready for the TBA date to set dates inside the summer time season, to not choose between early July and early September. My guess is that the opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Journey is a non-factor; merely coincidental.
Extra probably, the delay in Midway to Halloween is going on for another cause. The obvious risk could be an absence of sense of urgency. For every of the previous few years, the arduous ticket Halloween events at each Walt Disney World and Disneyland have offered out each single evening. If the inner expectation is that occurs once more, Disney merely doesn’t want as a lot runway for ticket gross sales.
I feel that is most likely the reason. Previously, Disney launched tickets early when there have been fears of a slowdown (2019 is a main instance–they dropped in mid-January resulting from fears about an attendance lull earlier than Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened), and Disneyland all the time releases their get together tickets later as a result of they inevitably promote out.
It’s additionally doable that there’s a superb cause for the delay, as Disney hasn’t firmed up all particulars concerning the upcoming Halloween season. Possibly there’s new leisure or the Haunted Mansion Vacation opening date isn’t but recognized. I’m additionally skeptical of this rationalization, as that might be sidestepped by merely omitting these particulars. The very best rationalization is that Disney desires to get nearer to Halloween for Midway to Halloween.
Anyway, that is the fourth yr Disney Parks is doing #HalfwaytoHalloween, and the notion of it being ‘midway’ to Halloween makes us chuckle just a bit bit. Don’t get me flawed–I like Halloween and love any excuse to have fun holidays prematurely. However being a Walt Disney World common sorta means having a warped sense of seasons.
For regular Individuals, Halloween presumably begins when the air will get crisp, the leaves start altering, and summer time is firmly within the rearview mirror. Possibly round mid-September and even early October. For us, Halloween begins the primary week of August. That is nonetheless very a lot summer time–the most well liked, most humid month and coronary heart of storm season. We’re normally “over” Halloween by the point it begins for most conventional individuals, prepared to maneuver on to Christmas.
Nonetheless, I’m excited to seek out out what the Halloween 2024 season goes to ivolve at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and am wanting ahead to the Midway to Halloween bulletins. I do know a number of you might be, too, as we’ve been getting a number of questions concerning the Halloween events and extra.
Okay, predictions time. The entire cause this put up exists within the first place, as I wish to make a couple of guesses as to what’ll be revealed…
August 9 Begin for MNSSHP – It feels fairly protected to foretell that this yr’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion will begin on August 9, 2024. That’s the Friday of the primary full week of August, and that’s sometimes when it begins (final yr kicked off on August 11). There’s a imprecise risk August 9 is deemed “too early” or, conversely, that Walt Disney World desires to squeeze in one other date of the occasion and begins earlier that week.
Personally, I hope this prediction is flawed. August 9 is the beginning of D23 Expo, and I nonetheless haven’t perfected the know-how to be in two locations directly. If compelled to decide on between the occasions, I’ll need to go together with D23 Expo. That will imply lacking opening evening of MNSSHP for the primary time since possibly 2015 or 2016? I don’t even keep in mind, that’s how lengthy it’s been!
A part of me is holding out a sliver of hope that Disney received’t wish to double-book large occasions on the identical weekend, however I don’t suppose that truly issues. That’s very true if there’s nothing new (of import) on the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion.
Oogie Boogie Bash in August – Previously, Midway to Halloween has largely been ignored by Disneyland Resort–it’s been a Walt Disney World-centric celebration. Disneyland has mainly simply launched dates and possibly new character costumes. So we’re not essentially anticipating any main, substantive particulars from Disneyland concerning the Halloween season or Oogie Boogie Bash. That’s the dangerous information.
The excellent news is that Disneyland is beginning to see pent-up demand exhaust itself and is performing with a larger sense of urgency to maintain individuals coming to the parks. Therefore the unprecedented New Disneyland Summer time & Early Fall 2024 Ticket Deal for ALL Friends, which can embrace the primary month of the Halloween season.
There’s additionally the truth that Disney launched the Full 2024 Calendar of Occasions at Disneyland, which incorporates Halloween Time at Disneyland beginning on August 23, 2024. That is the primary time ever that Halloween has ever kicked off in August at Disneyland. Halloween is basically arriving two weeks early with the August 23, 2024 begin date.
As a result of that calendar was launched late final yr and Disneyland worrying a few drop-off in crowds, I feel we might see a bit extra of a Disneyland presence throughout Midway to Halloween. It’s inside the realm of risk that Disneyland will launch dates for Oogie Boogie Bash throughout Midway to Halloween. I wouldn’t essentially wager on each single date or when ticket gross sales will begin, however the date vary for the events would make sense. One thing like “Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Occasion will return on [start date] and be held on choose nights by means of [end date].”
My hope is that we additionally get a variety of events. With an August begin date, we’d count on to see ~5 dates added to the 2024 Oogie Boogie Bash schedule. Final yr, the arduous ticket occasion was held on 25 choose nights in September and October. This yr, it’s probably there will likely be not less than 30 nights of Oogie Boogie Bash in August, September and October 2024. It wouldn’t shock us if there are as many as 33 events. That will be enormous for spreading out demand and making certain that the get together doesn’t promote out instantly with a number of would-be ticket purchasers developing empty. Talking of which…
All Dates Promote Out – This isn’t actually a Midway to Halloween prediction, because it’s not like Disney goes to name their shot and announce that each one dates of the arduous tickets occasion will promote out. However that is likely to be attention-grabbing from a advertising perspective! Nonetheless, we’re addressing it as a result of it’s a typical query.
Each single date of Oogie Boogie Bash ever has offered out. Final yr, this occurred each throughout AP presales and on the primary day tickets went on sale to most people. Even with extra dates in August, I’d nonetheless wager each on all nights promoting out and it taking place on day considered one of gross sales. Final yr’s Oogie Boogie Bash most likely might’ve offered double or triple the variety of tickets that have been obtainable, and there’s no cause to consider that modifications in 2024.
That is true at the same time as pent-up demand continues to burn out. That’s largely as a result of these arduous ticket events are in style with locals, lots of whom are ex-Annual Passholders who purchase tickets to get their occasional “Disney repair.” It’s additionally true as a result of, as famous above, demand has far exceeded ticket provide for the previous few years. So if pent-up demand has led to an round 10% drop, however Disney might’ve offered double or triple the variety of these tickets final yr…effectively, you do the mathematics.
There’s quite a bit much less demand with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion, regardless that each 2022 and 2023 offered out your complete season. Though the final two years set the file for offered out dates, nothing has been gone till June 30 on the earliest. That’s when Halloween evening offered out in 2022. Final yr, Halloween evening offered out on July 3. In each of the final two years, no different dates offered out till the top of July.
That’s a grand whole of two events annually promoting out earlier than the beginning of August. With that stated, there is normally a “run” on dates promoting out between the start of August and the primary occasion. By then, as many as half of all nights have been promoting out. Final yr, the dates that offered quickest (apart from Halloween) have been the most cost effective nights.
In different phrases, the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion is not going to promote out inside days of tickets occurring sale. That applies to each the presale window and most people window. Whether or not 2024 tickets promote slower or quicker than final yr largely relies on whether or not any new leisure is added. Even then, we’re dates promoting out in July and August, not instantly.
New Character Costumes – For every of the previous few Halloween and Christmas seasons, Mickey & Buddies have been getting new costumes annually for his or her meet & greet appearances round City Sq. at Disneyland. These are an enormous hit with followers, and the costumes are normally actually good for Mickey, Minnie, Daisy & Donald Duck–and particularly Goofy.
I’d count on this pattern to proceed for Halloween 2024, particularly if there’s no different new leisure at Disneyland for the spook season. It’s a simple technique to get visitors coming again and to hype up the Halloween season. It’s been so profitable that I ponder whether the identical will occur at DCA. (Right here’s hoping that Goofy’s Kitchen will get one other costume replace for Halloween, too.)
As enjoyable as that is, I’d be stunned if Walt Disney World follows Disneyland’s lead relating to daytime character costumes at Magic Kingdom. I do suppose it might make sense for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion–and would even be a great way to get visitors over to Animal Kingdom–so right here’s hoping this pattern additionally spreads to Florida in some kind!
Nothing (Huge) New for MNSSHP – There are three items of tentpole leisure throughout Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion. First is the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! stage present that includes the three sinister sisters bewitch and villainous residents of Magic Kingdom. Subsequent, the Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade, that includes frightfully enjoyable floats and characters. Lastly, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular—a wickedly wild fireworks show highlighted by characters and hosted by Jack Skellington.
Boo to You Parade is the oldest of these choices, but it surely’s beloved. It bought a refresh final yr that breathed a bit of latest life into it, however I might nonetheless see one other new parade unit and characters added. I wouldn’t contemplate that “large.” Then there’s the Hocus Pocus stage present, which is now like a decade outdated however has an enormous fan-following. Disney’s perspective there has gotta be don’t repair what isn’t damaged.
That leaves Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, which is just a few years outdated and by far the weakest hyperlink. Jack Skellington is superior, however the remainder of the present is uneven. Followers would go loopy if Disney introduced again HalloWishes however modernized it and included Jack Skellington. That’s most likely a pipe dream till MNSSHP stops promoting out so shortly and an incentive is required to lure again followers. As such, I don’t count on any main modifications for the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion.
$109 to $199 MNSSHP Ticket Value Vary (Once more) – For the final three years, Disney has flirted with breaking the $200 barrier for the Halloween Occasion, however the most all three years has been $199. I feel they may most likely exceed that worth (particularly for Halloween evening), nonetheless promote out, and face minimal backlash (past what already exists), however I doubt they are going to.
Final yr, ticket costs as soon as once more ranged from $109 to $199, however there was a larger distribution of dates on the larger finish of the spectrum–that means the common ticket worth elevated by almost $10. That’s what we’d count on to see occur once more–extra dates on the upper finish of the spectrum and fewer cheaper dates. It’s additionally doable that Walt Disney World will remove AP and DVC reductions as a means of boosting the common per-ticket value with out truly elevating sticker worth.
Or, who is aware of, possibly they’ll do all of that and lift the vary. Each evening offered out final yr at the same time as pent-up demand fizzled out, so clearly Walt Disney World has some room to lift costs with out negatively impacting gross sales.
Finally, these are a few of my predictions for the Halloween season at Walt Disney World, not essentially what’ll be introduced throughout Midway to Halloween. Disney might begin with imprecise particulars, just like the identify of the occasion, date vary, and a line indicating it’ll characteristic “spooky festivities together with leisure, characters, particular performances, décor, lighting, music, deal with stops, and a lot extra!”
It’s additionally probably we’ll get extra particulars about Disney Cruise Line’s Halloween on the Excessive Seas and among the worldwide parks’ plans for Halloween. Keep tuned, we’ll maintain you posted about what’s introduced–and what isn’t!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Now that I’ve made my Midway to Halloween predictions…what are yours? Assume Walt Disney World will begin MNSSHP on August 9, 2024? What about Oogie Boogie Bash starting early? Ideas on pricing or modifications for 2024? Assume any of this can NOT be introduced? Will your loved ones be shopping for or sitting the Halloween arduous ticket occasions out? Are you excited for spook season at WDW, DLR, or DCL? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective on this? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!