Walt Disney World has announced a free tote bag that will be available during select dates of the 2025 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, exclusively for eligible Disney Vacation Club members. Here are dates & details, plus our commentary about why this is happening and the trajectory of Membership Extras, and how that could change the direct vs. resale calculus.
Note that many of these dates coincide with the upcoming DVC Welcome Home Weeks, which returns from August 14 through September 16, 2025 and sounds much better than last year! The Welcome Home Weeks member appreciation event features free tasty treats, special experiences, and extra aggressive discounts exclusively for eligible Disney Vacation Club Members.
This is in addition to the growing list of Disney Vacation Club Membership Extras, which currently lists 317 Member Benefits according to Disney. As discussed in the commentary, we’re reasonably optimistic that the list of worthwhile Membership Extras will continue to grow in the coming years. See our List of the Top 10 Disney Vacation Club Member Perks for the best of the bunch. Now, details about the free Halloween tote bag during the 2025 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party…
On select nights of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, eligible Disney Vacation Club Members can swing by McKim’s Mile House – A Member Lounge to pick up a free DVC Halloween tote bag. This special freebie is included with your Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party admission on select nights!
Free MNSSHP Tote Bag DATES
- Friday, August 15, 2025
- Friday, August 22, 2025
- Friday, August 29, 2025
- Friday, September 5, 2025
- Friday, September 12, 2025
- Friday, September 19, 2025
- Friday, September 26, 2025
- Friday, October 3, 2025
- Friday, October 10, 2025
- Friday, October 17, 2025
- Friday, October 24, 2025
- Friday, October 31, 2025
So basically, the free tote bag is available every Friday night during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party season.
The free Halloween tote bag will be available for pick up at McKim’s Mile House – A Member Lounge im Magic Kingdom from 7PM to midnight.
Please note that McKim’s Mile House lounge will otherwise be closed during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and regular lounge amenities and services will not be available during the event. Meaning you cannot stop by for a free tote and also grab a quick caffeine fix from the Coke Freestyle machines while you’re in the building.
Disney Vacation Club Members who are eligible for Membership Extras benefits may enjoy this offer (meaning DVC owners who purchased directly from Disney or resale owners who bought before the rule change and are grandfathered in). A valid Disney Vacation Club Digital Membership Card and photo ID are required at check-in, and the Member listed on the Digital Membership Card must be in attendance to receive a Halloween tote bag.
Members must also have valid admission to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on the event date. A Member may bring up to 4 guests per Membership Card, or the number of guests on their Resort reservation. No word on whether each guest gets a free tote bag, but we assume so. Otherwise, what’s the point? They get to line up and walk through McKim’s Mile House for absolutely no reason?
It is interesting that the free tote bag is available on Fridays, but no other dates during MNSSHP season. We wouldn’t read too much into this, and definitely would not speculate that this is being done because ticket sales are slower on Fridays than other nights. That almost certainly isn’t the case.
More likely, they only having the staffing and/or supply to do this one night per week, and they picked Friday for consistency and maximum impact. I haven’t looked at the ‘Membership Magic Beyond’ slate recently (although I just did oddly get a marketing email pitching me on joining…with less than half the year remaining), but perhaps there’s a scheduling quirk due to that and the start of Party Season. Either way, this happening on Friday nights is not noteworthy.
The one thing that I do think is noteworthy is that this is happening at all.
I don’t want to completely rehash the commentary about Welcome Home Weeks, but the same idea does apply. Disney Vacation Club is clearly making moves with generalized guest goodwill front of mind. Disney used to do a lot more little things that they call “surprise and delight,” which are little unexpected things that both surprise guests and delight them.
This is another example of that, or the fabled Disney Difference. The benefits of happy DVC Members should be fairly obvious, but nevertheless, it’s something that Disney “forgot” to an extent from mid-2020 to early 2023 (roughly). In the couple of years since, we’ve seen the pendulum start to swing back in the other direction, with Disney Vacation Club “realizing” that a happy membership base is important. This is doubly true when they’re trying to sell almost a half-dozen different resorts, plus Disney Lakeshore Lodge on the way soon.
Above all else, that’s why Disney Vacation Club is suddenly doing more little things like this. It isn’t to increase occupancy during these months; that’s already sky-high through the remainder of the year. (And even if it weren’t, DVC doesn’t have an incentive to boost occupancy–they’re arguably better off with lower utilization!)
It’s also not to juice ticket sales of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Every single one of those dates would sell out regardless. Even if they wouldn’t sell out, it’s not as if a free tote bag would be what convinced a family of 4 to drop $800+ on event tickets. That’s what the DVC and AP discount on MNSSHP is aimed at accomplishing–and even that is arguably unnecessary.
The point here is that Disney Vacation Club does not need to do this. There’s no immediate, direct positive impact for DVC or Walt Disney World. It’s all about playing the long game, ensuring a happy membership that is more likely to add-on points at Island Tower or Disney Lakeshore Lodge when that goes on sale. Or that they’ll drag along their non-DVC friends to get the free tote bag, see the inside of McKim’s Mile House, etc. It’s a smart move on Disney’s part, and a refreshing return to long-term thinking!
From a guest perspective, it’s also worth looking at the trajectory of things like this.
Member morale was at its lowest from roughly March 2020 to April 2023. The former date marked the closure of the parks & resorts and the latter the return of Annual Pass sales. In between, there were a lot of issues, from the infamous ‘Point Pool Problem’ to poor guest service to long hold times on the phone to more I’m probably forgetting.
Since then, things have gotten better. In my view, they’ve gotten a lot better. If I were a prospective purchaser of Disney Vacation Club, I would absolutely be taking the trajectory of DVC and Membership Extras into account, as opposed to the status quo or recent past, when deciding whether to buy direct vs. resale. Skate to where the puck will be, as the saying goes.
This is definitely not to say that a free tote bag bridges the $10,000+ gap (or whatever it is) between direct purchases and the resale market. Obviously not. But this is and pricing is not the only difference, and if I were a prospective purchaser today, I’d be forward-looking as opposed to backwards-looking when evaluating the pros & cons of each option. The decision you make is obviously personal, there’s just more to consider.
Ultimately, I love that Disney Vacation Club is doing more and more Membership Extras and think it bodes well for the future. It could mean an expansion and restoration of other perks, as Disney aims to both sell a ton more points and also entice fans to visit now that pent-up demand has faded.
The company recognizing that going above and beyond and making guests feel warm and fuzzy about their visits is a good thing that’s mutually advantageous and, hopefully, will be a philosophy that’s extended beyond just Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members. If there are any doubts about this internally, perhaps leadership should read one of the many books written about delivering exemplary Disney guest service and follow their own advice.
If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about the ever-growing list of DVC Membership Extras? Excited this will be happening during your trip, disappointed that you’ll miss it, or do you not really care? Longer term, are you optimistic that this bodes well for Disney heading in the right direction with more “surprise and delight” offerings and trying to exceed expectations, or think this is just a one-off? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!