I tried every spooky-themed hamburger and hot dog at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Here are the ones worth snacking on at Disney World's exclusive seasonal party.
The most magical Halloween party on Earth may serve up treats like pumpkin cupcakes and candy corn soft-serve, but this year, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is upping its game with a collection of more savory things to eat.
A separately-ticketed event that occurs after Magic Kingdom Park has closed for the evening on select nights through Halloween, MNSSHP is known for its creative sweet treats. (This year, the event menu even includes a mind-bending almond flour cake that looks like corn on the cob, but tastes sugary sweet.) But after trick-or-treating throughout the theme park, sipping Haunted Mansion-themed milkshakes while watching Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade and stopping for spooky churros between meeting beloved Disney characters in their Halloween costumes, it's easy to work up an appetite that needs something a bit more ... protein-heavy.
Enter Walt Disney World's food and beverage team, who have added an array of savory dishes to this year's MNSSHP menu. The real stars of this year's line-up are the anything-but-typical hamburger and hot dog creations, some of which are even available during the day at Magic Kingdom, no pricey event ticket required.
Meg Franz is the food and beverage project manager for Magic Kingdom and tells Yahoo Life the addition of these delicious entrees is no trick, and all treat.
"Honestly the Halloween party, as we know, is all about the sweets," Frans says. "You get such great trick-or-treating throughout the park, so we really wanted to try to balance it out this year to be able to offer more savory offerings to our guests."
All sugary drinks and baked goods aside, Franz says Disney Parks has seen that its guests need some late-night snack options that won't give them a sugar rush. "With the party being open so late, people want to eat dinner," she says, "So we wanted to make sure we had a good balance of both here in the park."
On a recent visit to MNSSHP, I made my way through the park taste-testing each Halloween-themed hot dog and hamburger. And, while there was a clear favorite among my family, each one was unique and gave off the perfect amount of party food vibes. These are the best savory treats in the 2022 MNSSHP lineup, ranked.
4. Pain and Panic Hot Dog, Casey's Corner
Hades' shape-shifting minions from Hercules, Pain and Panic, get a nod in this hot dog, found at Casey's Corner on Main Street U.S.A. The Pain and Panic Hot Dog is an all-beef dog with sweet and spicy onion relish and sriracha mustard, topped with spicy "cheese-flavored snacks," according to the Disney Parks Blog. (Our guess is those crunchy treats are Flamin' Hot Cheetos.)
Far from our favorite dish of the night, everyone in my group found the onion relish a bit confusing. The best way to describe the flavor, we decided, is apple pie filling-like onions. The sweetness of the relish, combined with the spiciness of the mustard and crunchy Cheetos, wasn't the treat we thought it would be, but we did like that the dish could be ordered both in a six and twelve-inch size and that it's available all Halloween long, not only at MNSSHP.
As an added bonus, Casey's Corner also serves a Hocus Pocus-themed black tea slushy, perfect for washing down those spicy flavors.
3. Un Poco Loco Tots, The Friar's Nook
While tater tots aren't known for their protein content, the chorizo sausage topping on these Un Poco Loco Tots, served only during MNSSHP at the Friar's Nook in Fantasyland, make them a solid dinner choice.
The spicy cheese sauce had the perfect amount of kick and the crumbled chorizo on top rounded out the Coco-themed savory dish perfectly. Add in a hint of green onion and it's a savory snack guaranteed to make you keep going back for another forkful.
Visiting Magic Kingdom during spooky season but not for MNSSHP? The Friars Nook also serves treats like the Wild Toad Brat Burger, a tribute to the now defunct Mr. Toad's Wild Ride attraction served year-round in the parks for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary celebration.
2. Bayou Burger, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café
Served both at MNSSHP and on regular days at Magic Kingdom this Halloween season, the Bayou Burger is an all-beef burger patty topped with jalape?o pimento cheese, andouille sausage and garlic pickles.
Available at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café, this delicious burger pays tribute to the Devil's Bayou, the swampland from the Princess and the Frog. While we didn't run into Madame Medusa or Dr. Facilier while eating it, everyone in my group agreed that this treat was among the best we ordered at MNSSHP. (We did see the villainous Dr. Facilier later in the night, during Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade.)
The jalape?o pimento cheese had the perfect amount of spice to it, and while I could have taken or left the andouille sausage, my husband pointed out that it couldn't be "from the Louisiana bayou" without it.
1. Hades Hot Dog, The Friar's Nook
Worth buying a ticket to MNSSHP over, the Hades Hot Dog, also served at the Friar's Nook, is a party-exclusive delight. This beef and pork hot dog is topped with spicy relish and pickles and topped with house-made violet mustard.
A clear winner in our ranking, the spicy relish and pickle mixture was flavorful and contained the perfect amount of heat and tartness. And, while we'd never tried purple mustard before, the contrast of the condiment again the rest of the dish was perfectly wicked.
On our next trip to MNSSHP, we'll be sure to ask for a side of the spicy cheese sauce from those Un Poco Loco Tots, as it would be the ultimate dipping sauce for the golden brown tots.
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