Two all-new Haunted Mansion characters debut at Mickey's Not-So-Scary, and the Grave Diggers turned up too

The gates opened on the first Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party of 2026 this afternoon, and the party's welcome street along Main Street, U.S.A. had a surprise waiting: two brand new Haunted Mansion characters.

Blog Mickey, reporting from the park on opening day, put it plainly. "There are not one, but two all-new characters this year."

Meet Blair Lockward. The first new face guests run into is Blair Lockward, described as the Haunted Mansion's chief steward. His job is to greet arrivals and move them briskly toward their first candy stop of the evening. He works from a faux brick platform under a green striped tent, dressed in the Mansion's house colors of dark green and purple, with gargoyle statues perched on the posts beside him and a small plaque reading "31" set into the brickwork.

WDW News Today read the "31" plaque as a nod either to October 31 or to this being the party's 31st year. Disney has not confirmed either reading.

And Lady Fermotta. Farther down the same stretch is Lady Fermotta, the second all-new Mansion character. Blog Mickey placed her at the end of the walk, past the Grave Diggers. She holds court from an elevated platform tangled with bare vines, in a flowing white and blue gown, chatting with guests and waving down to the crowd.

The Grave Diggers stepped off the parade route. WDW News Today called this "a rare character appearance" for the Grave Diggers, who are far more often seen marching in the Boo-To-You parade than standing for a meet and greet. They were standing for photos on the welcome street, shovels in hand, in dark green suiting with purple vests, black neckties and white gloves. The queue was already long when the party started, and WDW News Today advises getting there early if you want the photo.

There is a third greeter, too. Beyond the two named characters, WDW News Today spotted another ghost host on a similar platform, in a green dress under a striped black and green apron, a handkerchief in hand, her stand decorated with gargoyle candelabras and a matching "31" plaque. WDW News Today did not give her a name.

The M&M's characters got the Mansion treatment. The welcome street's Haunted Mansion theme carries over into the M&M's display boards, where the candy characters appear inside ornate silver frames on green striped wallpaper, done up as Mansion-style portraits. Each board is signed with a "Mars Snacking" nameplate.

Ten dates are already gone. Tonight's opening night was one of them. Blog Mickey reported Thursday that August 21 had sold out, which closed out the opening three weeks of the calendar, from opening night through August 21. That was the tenth sellout of the season, leaving 28 of the 38 dates available. Opening night carried the top August price at $159, or $149 for Annual Passholders. Across the full calendar, per person prices span $119 to $229, set by date.

The sold out dates so far: August 7, 11, 14, 18 and 21, September 4 and 8, and October 9, 13 and 31.

If you are going. Your party ticket gets you into Magic Kingdom starting at 4:00pm, and the event itself runs until midnight, so there are up to eight hours to work with. The headline entertainment is Mickey's Boo-To-You Halloween Parade and the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, plus fireworks over Cinderella Castle. Select attractions get Halloween overlays for the night. The one Blog Mickey names is Space Mountain, which runs in the dark under a spooky soundtrack.

Sources

• Blog Mickey, "All-New Haunted Mansion Characters Greet Guests at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026"
• WDW News Today, "Grave Diggers Make Rare Appearance With Other Haunted Mansion Characters at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026"
• Blog Mickey, "First Three Weeks of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Now Sold Out"

Image credits: Featured image by BlogMickey.com. Interior photos by WDW News Today.