My family and I had a blast at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party last Saturday night during a special media event. At some media parties, officials want to "guide" you around. But at this one, we were allowed to roam around on our own and use the park like regular guests. We spent about four hours there, and came away with these pointers for you if you decide to trick or treat at the Magic Kingdom:

Get the wristband: Whatever you do, after you walk through the turnstiles, make sure you find one of the cast members dressed in Halloween garb and get a wristband. It is the only way to get on the rides during the party. When we went in, no one stopped us to get one and we made it all the way back to the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin before anyone told us to go back.

Try the refurbished Space Mountain ride: You won't believe that this is the same ride you rode as a kid. It seems longer and there are definitely more drops, twists and turns than before. It’s no Rock 'n' Roller Coaster or Manta, but it’s a lot of fun. A sign at the park said that the ride will be operational throughout the run of the event.

Look at the buildings, look at the ground: Disney's Imagineers have designed some cool images to be projected on walls and sidewalks throughout the park. Spooky pumpkins and ghostly apparitions are all over the place. But remember, nothing is too scary.

Catch the passing parade: Holy cow, is that the headless horseman? It is and he kicks off the Halloween parade. He rides down Main Street atop a horse while carrying a pumpkin just like the guy in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Luckily, he doesn’t throw it anyone. If you have a kid who’s at all skittish, this is a good time to go ride something because everyone else is watching the parade.

Candy, candy, candy: If your kids like the hunt for candy, there is plenty here. You get a small bag when you enter the park and a map showing where the folks are handing it out. There are two lines at each station, and they don’t mind if you go to one and then hop into the other. (And yes, you can get a bag for the grownups too.)

Wear a costume if you want: My husband and I were dressed as tired parents, but we saw plenty of adults joining the kids in dressing up for the festivities. Lots of kids showed up as Buzz, Woody and Jessie but they didn't just stick to Disney' movie chararters. There also were plenty of Star Wars characters among the princesses and fairies. Our favorites of the night: A big group of 20-somethings dressed as the Ghostbusters, a couple dressed as Dr. Drakken and his sidekick Shego from the Kim Possible series, and a whole family that got into the act with every member dressed as a dalmation (even grandpa) -- all but the mom. She was Cruella DeVil.

One last observation: My youngest son was dressed as Mario from Super Mario Bros. and he was not alone. There were kids – boys and girls – and adults dressed as Mario and Luigi. At one point, there were about five Marios on the Buzz Lightyear ride. This might be the hot costume of the season.

~ Sherry Robinson

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[That's Dr. Drakken and Shego from Kim Possible]