WATCH: A Toddler's First Halloween at Disney (Shocker: There Was Lots of Candy Consumed)

Going to Disney for the first time is a memorable experience for any family: but when you add in trick-or-treating, glow-in-the-dark mouse ears, and fireworks over Cinderella castle, it turns into the trip of a lifetime.

My husband Jonathan and I recently took our two-year-old daughter Lucy to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, a night of ghosts and goblins held throughout September and October. (Disneyland Resort in California also hosts its own version.)

disney world halloween toddler
disney world halloween toddler

The Bloom family, ready for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (Photo: Jonathan Bloom)

Traveling is great at this time of the year. The weather is a little cooler. It’s less crowded. And with a preschooler you’re not tied to a school schedule.

We stayed at the Grand Floridian, which also made it easier, as it’s just one Monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom, which is the perfect destination for toddlers, with its concentration of classic kid-friendly rides: Dumbo the Flying Elephant, the Mad Tea Party, It’s a Small World.

Related: WATCH: Halloween at Disney — The Most Epic Trick-or-Treating Extravaganza in the World

dumbo ride disney world halloween
dumbo ride disney world halloween

Riding on Dumbo — a big hit (Photo: Jonathan Bloom)

Staying at a resort hotel enabled us to pop back and forth for naptime and pool breaks. Plus, we got to spy on My Disney Girl’s Perfectly Princess Tea Party, which is held in the perfectly pink Tea Room at the Grand Floridian and costs over $250 for one child and one adult (!) and was consistently sold out. Sorry, Lucy, maybe when you’re older.

Related: An Ode to 11 Disney Rides of the Past

costume shopping disney halloween
costume shopping disney halloween

Picking out her costume (Photo: Jonathan Bloom)

Lucy is a huge fan of Minnie Mouse, so we decided to wait until we got to Disney to do her costume shopping. What better place to find a polka-dot dress than the Emporium on Main Street USA, which has a section devoted to everything Minnie? Lucy was obsessed with the Minnie-themed rollaboard suitcase, which she wheeled all over the store.

disney halloween minnie suitcase
disney halloween minnie suitcase

On a roll (Photo: Jonathan Bloom)

Jonathan and I thought only kids would be in costume for the Halloween party. And oh boy, were we wrong. Lucky for us, Disney has plenty of shops open all night. We got a kick out of trying on hats at the milliner on Main Street. I was torn between a black Maleficent headdress and a set of glowing Mouse ears that supposedly flickers in time to the music in the park (I’m still not sure I believe it). Jonathan went for a goofy knit that Lucy was convinced was Elmo. (Wrong company!)

Related: Disney World Goes High-Tech — and High-Class — for Your Next Vacation

disney halloween costume minnie main street
disney halloween costume minnie main street

Lucy in costume on Main Street USA (Photo: Jonathan Bloom)

There was nothing like exploring the park after dark, seeing all the lights, and… candy! Lucy quickly learned to trick or treat like a pro, with her light-up pumpkin basket to gather all the goods. And because we couldn’t resist, we also let her indulge in a chocolate-covered apple, a Rice Krispies Treats lollipop, and other sweets you can’t get at other times of the year.

disney halloween decorations
disney halloween decorations

The park, dressed up for Halloween (Photo: Jonathan Bloom)

During the party, many of the rides and attractions in the Magic Kingdom are open, which usually means shorter lines than in the daytime — though not so for the Haunted Mansion, and with good reason. My only regret was that we didn’t get Lucy one of the glowing Mickey balloons and a spooky Mickey doll (though maybe that would have been for me)… but there’s always next year.

Related: Forget the Wait! 9 Ways to Spend Less Time in Line at Disney World

disney halloween scary mickey doll
disney halloween scary mickey doll

A Mickey doll you’ll only find on Halloween (Photo: Jonathan Bloom)

Twice a night, Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade marches down Main Street. People start finding spots early to watch the ghoulish floats. A pre-parade kicks it off with kids dancing in the street. Now THAT is happiest time at the happiest place on earth. Later on, when the characters from Monsters Inc. held a big dance party in Tomorrowland, Lucy got a little freaked out, but she recovered quickly and got her fun on.

disney halloween monsters inc dance party
disney halloween monsters inc dance party

Up close with Monsters Inc. (Photo: Jonathan Bloom)

One of the highlights of the night is the Happy HalloWishes fireworks, a 360-degree spectacle above the castle. I’ve seen plenty of fireworks in my lifetime, but usually from far away. This was Lucy’s first, and I think she’s been spoiled for the rest of her life.

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