Believe it or not, October is almost here! Fall — with all its pumpkin spice and spooky season and spooky goodness — has officially arrived, with the holiday season and the end of the year on the horizon, but that doesn’t mean the perks stop there!

Those visiting Disney World during October can find several perks tied to the season, a few of which are disappearing before the calendar flips to November!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is one of Disney World’s most popular seasonal events, as the spooky spectacular’s offerings of candy, treats, and Halloween-themed characters, entertainment, and theming have all become fall traditions for many. The ticketed event even allows guests over 13 to wear a costume (as long as they follow the rules) inside the Magic Kingdom, a treat that’s usually reserved for guests 13 and under during Disney’s normal operating rules.

October 2026 will see the event presented on the following days: October 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th, and of course Halloween itself, the 31st. As always, Halloween itself marks not just the end of the party, but the end of the season at Disney World, as the transition to Christmas decorations begins just the next day.

A final quick note on the party: The Magic Kingdom closes to non-party guests at 6 PM, though they’ll still be able to enjoy the many Halloween decorations that will be up in the park during the month.

The Food & Wine Festival

Of course, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party isn’t the only annual event that happens during this time of year. The month also plays host to a large chunk of EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival, which runs from August 27th to November 21st this year. As always, the event — which is included in EPCOT admission — is loaded with foods from all around the world spread across the park. October is even seeing the opening of the final four booths at this year’s festival — India, The Alps, Earth Eats, and Coastal Eats — on October 2nd.

In addition to the food, the festival is well known for the included Eat to the Beat concert series. Scheduled acts for October include:

• 1st: Smash Mouth
• 2nd – 4th: Champagne Orchestra
• 5th – 6th: Rey Ruiz (NEW)
• 7th – 8th: Tiffany
• 9th – 11th: Viva Latina
• 12th – 13th: The Fray
• 14th – 15th: STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
• 16th – 18th: Jaclyn Hayden
• 19th – 20th: Ben Rector
• 21st – 22nd: Allen Stone (NEW)
• 23rd – 25th: SoundUp
• 26th – 27: Lauren Alaina (NEW)
• 28th – 29th: Bowling For Soup
• 30th – 31st: Southbound

Extended Evening Hours

Extended Evening Hours offer two extra hours to guests staying at Disney Deluxe Tier or Deluxe Villa resorts at select theme parks on select evenings after the park closes to the general public.

October’s Extended Evening Hours offerings include:

• EPCOT: October 5th, 12th, and 19th from 9 PM to 11 PM
• Hollywood Studios: October 7th, 14th, and 28th from 9 PM to 11 PM
• Animal Kingdom: October 20th and 26th from 6 PM to 8 PM

The Extended Evening Hours perk is available to guests at the following hotels:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort (The extended evening theme park hours benefit applies to Disney Vacation Club Cabins only.)
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
• Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
• Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
• Shades of Green on Walt Disney World Resort

Swan & Dolphin Perks

Speaking of hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotels — uniquely located on Disney property but not owned by Disney — are offering several seasonal perks.

At 5 PM each Saturday in October (October 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st), guests can show off their coolest looks and compete for awesome prizes in a Costume Contest! Plus, anyone in a Halloween costume will receive a special treat from our chef at any of our sit-down restaurants!

The Swan & Dolphin is also offering several events across Halloween weekend, from October 30th – November 1st:

• A Scavenger Hunt Adventure where guests will “embark on a fun quest to find hidden treasures and delightful prizes.”
• An Inflatable Maze with “playful surprises and friendly spooks.”
• Spooky arts and crafts activities.
• Fun and spooky hair braiding styles.
• A poolside DJ spinning a “sinister selection of monstrous mashups.”
• There’s even MORE exclusive fun on Halloween night itself, October 31st:
• Trick-or-Treating

If you’re heading to Disney World this October, be sure to take advantage of all the available perks as the 2026 spooky season builds to Halloween! Stay tuned to DFB for more on Disney World’s ongoing perks!

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Heading to Disney World this October? Let us know in the comments below!