Sneak Peak at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2007

Dressed to Thrill
How to create costumes for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Backstage Pass: Walt Disney World® Parks and Resorts Monthly Update
July 2007

It's one thing to deck yourself out in your favorite Halloween duds, but imagine what it's like to create "altogether ooo-ky" looks for hundreds of Disney Characters and performers.

That's what 17-year veteran costuming artist Matt Davidson of Disney Creative Entertainment has to do for Mickey's Not-Scary Halloween Party: select evenings from mid-September through October filled with kinda creepy, sorta kooky Magic Kingdom® evenings filled with trick-or-treating, dancing and clowning with characters, the Happy HalloWishes fireworks spectacular and Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade—plus unlimited use of the most popular attractions.

Disney costuming unmasked!

Matt is such a wonderful guy, he invited us to take you through the mysterious behind-the-scenes process of Disney costuming. It's normally shrouded in deep secrecy—but for you, good reader, it's nothing but the best!
"Let's say you're doing costumes for Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade," Matt said. "The Show Director leads the overall concept. You ask questions about what inspired the ideas. You want to know what kind of music will be playing, because you want to do a lot of research to keep your design in tune for what the characters will be doing and what the floats will look like."

He is brave Sir Donald...

"Donald Duck has been yearning to be the hero for years, so on one of the floats, he's going to be a knight in shining armor with Daisy as his fair princess. You base your design on what you know and can learn about Donald. You think about what you would like to see, and what kids might like to see Donald doing. You want to keep it fresh, but you also want to make sure it's true to what Guests expect of their favorite characters."

Because things can be a little strange at Halloween, with Donald playing the hero, Mickey plays the comical character—a jester! Minnie is dressed as a witch with her bow as a giant bat.

"You take your sketches and ideas to the costumer, who helps you pick out fabrics. You look at what you have in stock and what you want to shop for; you might choose four or five fabrics just for one piece. The fabrics go to the pattern makers and the millinery department makes the hats."

Practice makes perfect

"You watch the parade during rehearsals in the middle of the night, to see what the costumes look like in the actual settings and how the performers work with them. You get a collection of opinions that you happily consider."

"Then the parade becomes a reality and even then there are tweaks here and there. Our Guests are really good about writing to you and letting you know how they like it!"

Clothes make the "world"

That's just a small part of the dreams Matt and his fellow Cast Members make come true every day. And it's not limited to character costumes. They also do all the outfits you see on Walt Disney World Cast Members and even the Audio-Animatronics® figures in the attractions. Take that, Edna Mode!

But for Matt, working with the Disney Characters he grew up with is extra special. "I love doing costumes for characters because they allow me to think like a cartoonist. Their feet are oversized, the designs can be extreme and every costume is an extension of their personality."
And when you join in the fun of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, now you feel like you have an inside track on the magic behind the magic!