In my opinion, fall is one of the best times to visit Walt Disney World. It’s warm weather, but not too hot, and the events and décor are beat only by Christmas. There is so much happening at Walt Disney World during the fall season, and many people don’t even know the half of it. So, I thought that I would tell you all about what goes on during the fall at WDW, and let you decide if it’s a season you want to visit during, or not. I’ll cover all of the parks, then Disney Springs. Let’s dive in!
When most people thing of fall at Walt Disney World, they think of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and Mickey pumpkins. While that is to be expected, there is so much more that goes on. However, those are the two main things at the Magic Kingdom. This is the park that gets to most fall décor, and has the big ticketed event, known as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, or MNSSHP for those in the know. Which, now you know. This is the biggest draw during the fall season at the Magic Kingdom, and it’s understandable. It’s a huge event that actually starts as early as August, and it’s a great way to have fun and see rare characters. I personally haven’t been to this event, so I can’t speak to the specifics of it, but it is a very popular event for a reason. If you think you might be interested in purchasing tickets to this event, I would suggest looking it up online, read other blog posts about the event, and judge for yourself if you think it’s worth the money to you and your family. The Magic Kingdom gets an extra dose of fall décor during the fall season, mostly in the form of cute jack-o-lanterns, fun scarecrows, and the ever popular Mickey pumpkins. There are also tons of limited-time treats available at the various quick-service restaurants. It’s also a great time for Haunted Mansion fans, since this attraction gets a little extra love during this time of year in the form of special treats and merchandise. If you love fall, then you’ll love the Magic Kingdom during this time of year.
EPCOT is another park that is a big deal during the fall months. It can be summed up into five words: International Food and Wine Festival. It’s an incredible festival that begins in late summer and continues through mid-November. If you want to know more specifics about this festival, check out my previous post about it. I’ll link it down below. Now, while this is a food festival, there are also tons of fun fall activities that appear during this time. There are concerts, scavenger hunts, and even a runDisney event weekend in November. This event is known as the Wine & Dine event, and it’s a big hit with fans of the festival. If you’re interested in this event, I highly recommend checking it out on the runDisney website to get all of the information. Also during peak fall season, Pluto brings out his very own scavenger hunt that takes place in the front half of the park. It’s called Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit. It’s a cute scavenger hunt for character-themed pumpkins scattered throughout EPCOT. Just like other EPCOT scavenger hunts, you can purchase a map at various locations, find the pumpkins, place the appropriate sticker in the correct place, and show your completed map at specific locations to pick out your prize. The prize is usually a small pumpkin of some kind. Last year, it was a tiny trick-or-treat bucket. While we did find all of the pumpkins, we didn’t purchase the map, or get the prize. We were also doing Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt, and didn’t want to have to carry multiple maps around. We did manage to find them all, though. It was really fun, and I will definitely do it the next time I’m in EPCOT while this hunt is going on. So, if you love food and scavenger hunts, be sure to spend time at EPCOT during the fall.
Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom don’t get into the fall festivities as much as the other parks. However, you do occasionally see some window decorations and special treats located within the parks. Sometimes, the animals at Animal Kingdom will get special fall-themed treats or toys. If you’re lucky, you might get to see them. Some of the resorts get into the fall spirit in the form of special treats. Keep your eyes peeled at the Grand Floridian. Sometimes, you can find gorgeous fall-themed chocolate sculptures in some of the restaurants. You’re in for a real treat if you do find them.
The third place at Walt Disney World that gets very much into the fall spirit is Disney Springs. They actually host an event every year called Fall into Magic at Disney Springs. Most people don’t know about it, but they should definitely take the time to enjoy it when they’re there. There’s roaming live entertainment on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights in the Town Center. There’s a Huluween DJ that roams the Marketplace throughout both days and evenings. We also saw various other Halloween characters roaming around the Town Center and the Landing when we were there a few weeks ago. There are special Photopass backdrops at the Photopass center in the Marketplace. There are also tons of special treats at lots of the food establishments. You can find everything about this event, including entertainment and food products and locations, on the event page on the Walt Disney World website. You can also search Fall into Magic at Disney Springs on Google, and you will find a direct link to the website. While I was there, I wasn’t able to see any of the roaming entertainment in the Town Center, but I did enjoy the Hulu-ween DJ and some of the special treats. I got some Jack Skellington ganache at the Ganachery, as well as Pumpkin Crème Brûlée and Caramel-Apple Cheesecake at Amorette’s Patisserie. They were excellent, and only a fraction of the treats available during this event. My advice: don’t skip out on this hidden gem of an event. It’s great, and one to take advantage of. Just be sure that you know where to look to find everything that you know you will enjoy. However, don’t forget to look for the magic everywhere you go. It’s always hidden in plain sight, and you never know what you’ll find.
So, are you excited to experience fall at Walt Disney World? If you’ve been before, what is your favorite thing to do during this particular season? Let me know in the comments below. Be sure to subscribe to the blog for all the latest posts and updates. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for even more Disney fun.
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