Disney World Has More Treats Than Tricks This Season

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party returns on Friday night, earlier than the premium event has started in previous years.

Specially ticketed Halloween events allow national theme parks and regional amusement parks to leverage their operations during seasonally slow times.

With CEO Josh D'Amaro likely to make some content and theme park announcements at next weekend's D23 event, August could live up to this week's well-received earnings report.

Halloween may be nearly three months away, but don't tell that to last night's guests at Walt Disney 's (NYSE: DIS) most visited theme park. Disney World's Magic Kingdom kicked off its Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party event on Friday night, a separately ticketed event running on select nights between now and Oct. 31.

Bringing back the popular event on Aug. 7 is early, even by Disney standards. The nighttime festivities that include trick-or-treat stations, some in-ride enhancements, and several exclusive parade, show, and character meet-and-greet opportunities have opened a few days later in August in recent years.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

You can't blame Disney for getting an early jump on things. Between Florida's hot summertime temperatures, afternoon thunderstorms, and area schools starting up again next week, you may as well optimize the guest experience with evening soirees in cooler, kinder weather after the day guests go home.

The business model works, and guests aren't flinching at paying as much as $229 for the event that runs from 7 p.m. through midnight (though guests with party tickets can enjoy the park as early as 4 p.m., alongside day guests, until the latter are ushered out three hours later). The first five nights have already sold out, and so have five later dates, including Halloween itself.