HalloweenTime at DLR Info and Photo Superthread #3

[Xaeldz]

Does anybody know if they used the flames in the Halloween fireworks show? I remember looking at videos from last years, and the flames were absent.

 

[mommaU4]

Modegard, Eddygirl, MommaU4, can you say more about the UE? Did you use a regular ticket to get into the park for the morning, or just your MHP tickets to enter when it's OK for party guests? People keel saying that you have to use a PH day because we will be in both DCA and DL, so I wondered about your experience.
Any hints at the sweet treat or anything a mama would want to know before taking young children on the tour? Please PM me if you fear ruining any surprises for others on the board. I want the kids to be surprised, not *me*.

I have a Deluxe annual pass and used that to get into DL earlier in the day. We then took a break in the afternoon back at the hotel, and returned to DL around 3:50 to check in at the tour desk (near City Hall) for the 4:00 tour. I used my pass to get into the park again, but by that time you could use your Halloween party ticket. We were given name tags and asked to wait until everyone had arrived. Tour started a few minutes late while we waited for everyone.

It felt a bit like follow the leader, and with all the people cutting in front of us the back half of the group did get separated from our guide twice and had to play catch up. That's where a mic and headphones would have come in handy, or a flag or something.

We went to Haunted Mansion, then to Big Thunder which was closed temporarily, then to Matterhorn, then Space Mountain, then out to DCA where we stopped for a sweet treat of candy corn gourmet marshmellows, then to Tower of Terror, and that's where it ended. We entered DCA as a group, no one showed any tickets. At each stop we were looking for clues to a "quest". (If you want to know the exact story you can PM me) Riding was optional and you were welcome to sit out. At the end, we were given a pumpkin rice krispy treat, a Maleficent pin, wristbands for the party, trick-or-treat bags, and escorted back to Disneyland as a group.

He told us to have our party tickets out and ready to be scanned but they never did. They just waved us all in through a big gate.

The story line was very cute. Nothing that would scare even a very young child in any way. In fact, there were some adult couples who were there without kids and they were sort of doing the eye roll. I think it was a little too cutesy and childish for them. I just went with it and had fun.

Interesting that they aren't using the mic's. It was so convenient in WDW. What time was the tour? And what time were you let into the party by?

I was surprised they weren't using them. I have a friend who took the tour two years ago, and they used the mics then, and would talk the entire time as you walked along. This was stop and talk, then walk, then stop and talk, etc. And, if it was a busy area, you had to really huddle in close to hear.

The tour was at 4, and we were back in DL in time for the party at 7.

Thank for the info! We are really looking forward to the tour and Halloween party. I was sure they would start the tour in DCA and end in DL because of the party when you do UE, strange they would not. Oh well.

Was Friday night very crowded for the party? I heard it was sold out.

I am hoping it will still be hot when we get there next week! In Alberta it is windy, cold and rainy this week. I am dreaming of that California sunshine and the heat!

It was a bit strange. Not sure the reasoning of going back and forth. Seems like they would have come up with a storyline that allowed you to go from DCA and end at the party in DL. It was still cute, just a lot of walking to do right before all the walking at the party.

Friday was very crowded. It was sold out, as you said, and you could really tell. When we first got there, crowds were filing out of the park on one side of Main Street, and party goers were entering down the other side, so the entire street was a sea of people.

Also when we first arrived, they were very strict about asking to see wrist bands. We wanted to eat before trick-or-treating, and went to Jolly Holiday Bakery. They had someone at the door checking wrist bands and wouldn't let you in even to order food if you didn't have one. It was party guests only.

Funny story, we made a bathroom break after dinner and they even had cast members standing in front of the bathroom asking to see our wristbands! LOL I guess if we didn't we wouldn't have been allowed to use the bathroom.

 

[theworldneedscolor]

I have a reservation at Cafe Orleans for 5:30 the night of October 12th. It sounds like it is really crowded around then, so what time should we get to the parks to make it on time?

 

[SueTGGR]

Does anybody know if they used the flames in the Halloween fireworks show? I remember looking at videos from last years, and the flames were absent.

There were LOTS of flames

 

[dhorner233]

This might tell you more about the characters:

Thank you! I see the princesses are in the Small World Mall. I also see the villains are on Main St. I thought they were going to be back on the Ranch. But, Mickey, Minnie and the Toy Story characters are back there.

 

[Eeee-va]

This might tell you more about the characters:

Thank you so much for the scans!

What is a Stromtropper, though? Did they not pay George Lucas the appropriate licensing fees?

 

[Susiesark]

Interesting article.
Disneyland cracks down on Party crashers

I received an e-mail from a regular reader Sharon asking about my experience at the first Mickey's Halloween Party of the 2012, held Friday night at Disneyland. She knew that I had written in 2010 and 2011 about how easy it could be for someone without a ticket to "crash" the extra-cost, after-hours Halloween parties, and wanted to know if I'd noticed an improvement this year.


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As it happens, last-minute preparations for MouseAdventure kept me away from Friday's party, but I heard from several readers who did attend. Based on their reports, it sounds like Disney has dramatically increased and improved security at the event to prevent party crashers, a change I wholeheartedly welcome. I've given Disney managers some grief over their mishandling of this event in past years, and I'm happy to give them kudos for helping to ensure that Halloween party guests get the exclusive access they paid for.


Cast members distribute large shiny wristbands and the start of Mickey's Halloween Party. Photo by Doug Williams.

Reader Doug Williams said the first change he noticed is that wristbands for this event are now big reflective bands printed with a number, a #1 for this first event. "I assume the number is to assist cast members in seeing what night the band was for," he said, adding "I would think this would to be cut down on annual passholders that try double dipping for the party." I saw several people still wearing their wristbands the next day, and have to agree that they are definitely easier to spot, which means someone hanging out without one is more likely to be noticed.


Readers felt the lines to meet Jack Sparrow and other popular characters were much shorter than last year thanks to enhanced wristband enforcement. Photo by Doug Williams.

Once the event started at 7p.m., Doug says, "cast members were in full force at just about every crossing asking to see [wrist]bands. This was obviously increased enforcement. It wasn't to the point that it was annoying but it was constant." Readers Ken and Teresa also attended Friday's party, and said wristband enforcement kept up well beyond 10 p.m., with cast members in the guise of "costume checkers" asking everyone to show off the "most important part of their costume" at checkpoints throughout the park.

Doug said a station was set up inside Frontierland to issue wristbands to event ticket-holders who had entered the park earlier in the day could have their event tickets scanned and receive the wristband needed to stay for the event. While he felt the station could have been better signed and organized, the added location likely helped cut down on the problem I noted last year where I was able to collect a wristband without showing any proof I had even purchased a ticket to the event.


Phineas and Ferb have a new meet-and-greet location during Mickey's Halloween Party. Photo by Doug Williams.

Doug mentioned that the treat stations had the normal candy selection, but found it odd that Ghirardelli is no longer a candy sponsor considering the company just opened a location at Disney California Adventure. Teresa said the "healthy" treat options again included dried cranberries and freeze-dried apple slices, but noted that the fresh carrot and apple packs were harder to find.

The benefits of the enhanced wristband enforcement were noticeable to Doug when it came time to see characters. "What was a 30+ minute line to see Jack Sparrow or Captain Hook last year was barely 15 minutes this year." He also enjoyed the new Villains meet-and-greet on Town Square. "New villains would come out on a black carriage pulled by a white horse." [We saw] Jafar, Maleficent, Cruella, Dr. Facilier, Evil Queen, to name a few. Again, lines were very reasonable to get to the characters."

Doug also noted that the crowds on Main Street during the fireworks were notably lighter. "As we stood on Main Street though it was obvious that the 'sold out' crowd was not nearly as large in past years, once again I think a credit to wristband enforcement." Ken and Teresa said the lines at the rides were also noticeably shorter, with cast members at every attraction checking for wristbands.

If you're coming to the Halloween party this year. Doug suggests parking in the Toy Story lot instead of the Mickey and Friends parking structure. "Good organization going and coming, making for a smooth ending to the evening."

 

[Kilted Candyman]

Yes, they were asking everyone constantly to show their bands. I got asked 4 times getting a soda. Dogs were also more present than anytime before. Saw at least 5 times.

Jim

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

I have a reservation at Cafe Orleans for 5:30 the night of October 12th. It sounds like it is really crowded around then, so what time should we get to the parks to make it on time?

I would give myself an hour just to be safe, but you really shouldn't have any issues. My son and I will be there right after you at 5:40. We will be in the parks in the morning to hit rides, then take an afternoon break and go change into costumes. We will probably come back in right at 4 just to grab a FP for something. It will be crowded from 4-7. We plan to hit SM and HM early in the day, those two seem to be pretty crowded during the parties.

 

[figment_jii]

Now onto the Haunted Mansion Holiday ride itself...the scene behind the loading area

Then onto the endless hallway with little zero floating behind a large pile of bones...this was one of the hardest pictures to get because it's so dark and Zero is so small!

Then the coffin that makes a very fine Christmas present...

Madam Leota is now floating among lots of holiday ornaments and tarot cards

Then onto the ballroom with the Gingerbread House...this years was very tall, but the house itself was very small. Zero flew around the top and a ghostly train circled the bottom.

Then it was onto the attic, which was filled with toys that "were strange and bizarre and on the attack!"

Then onto the graveyard that was filled with ghostly white snow...first we see Jack in his Sandy Claws suite with Zero

The angels and pumpkins

A flying skeleton reindeer

Finally, Oogie Boogy waiting for you at the end

And as you exit the ride, Sally waving good-bye.

Next up will be some photos from Mickey's Halloween Party!

 

[SueTGGR]

I got a few off of my horrible camera. It gets so stuck on using the flash and it is a pain to turn it off so I end up not taking pictures because of it. It is also weird that photbucket doesn't work well with rotated pictures so they look squished but there is one she had just finished that was going to be Sally. If you want to view all of the ones I have here is the link for the album: http://s471.photobucket.com/albums/rr72/SueTGGR/Trick or Treat Party 9_2012/
But a few pumpkins, that were closed off during the party as was the whole Tent section in the Roundup area.

 

[dhorner233]

Yes, they were asking everyone constantly to show their bands. I got asked 4 times getting a soda. Dogs were also more present than anytime before. Saw at least 5 times.

Jim

Dogs? What were the dogs for?

 

[figment_jii]

Dogs? What were the dogs for?

Security uses dogs. We saw one walking down the parade route before the Cavalcade started.

 

[Kilala]

That is new to me. I never heard of them using dogs before.

 

[Mel522]

Then onto the ballroom with the Gingerbread House...this years was very tall, but the house itself was very small. Zero flew around the top and a ghostly train circled the bottom.

You had the same problem I did with the Gingerbread House. The railing blocks the actual house. I wish it was a little smaller, or a little taller.

 

[Kilted Candyman]

Does anybody know if they used the flames in the Halloween fireworks show? I remember looking at videos from last years, and the flames were absent.

Yes there was fire. Strong enough we could feel it on the other side of the Walt statue.

Jim

 

[Kilala]

I just looked on MHP tickets and the 5th is avaible again.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you to Beth, Sue, Jim, figment_jii, Modegard, Eddygirl, etc. (I'm sure I'm omitting someone important), for the fantastic photos, information and updates on the UE, on the MHP, the scans of the map, etc. (I was laughing at Eeee-va's post about the "Stromtroppers" - oh dear, how could they let that slip past the proofreaders, assuming it was a mistake??). This information is very valuable and in hot demand right now! I really, really appreciate it!

Thank you, Susiesark, for the interesting article, too! It's good to know that crowds seem to be thinner in certain areas and that efforts are definitely being made to fish out the people without wrist bands.

In Sue's pumpkin pictures from the Carnival/Jamboree/Round-Up/Ranch, I noticed something that proves my point about a subject I brought up in the Halloween Time podcast last week. I was saying (during our call-in show) that a character pumpkin you see this year will not look like a pumpkin of that same character from last year. (I said that a Jack Skellington pumpkin this year will not look like the versions from 2011 or 2010.)

One of Sue's photos shows a Yoda pumpkin from this year - and he is totally different from the Yoda pumpkin of last year, except for the same basic facial features and ears. He's wearing a different robe, for one thing. Those carvers find new ways to make character pumpkins look different every year!

 

[iKristin]

I just added a bunch more Disneyland Halloween Time ringtone/text tone sounds to my download post including Haunted Mansion Holiday, Original Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy!!! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3000833

 

[figment_jii]

Some more photos from Mickey's Halloween Party (9/28). When we got to the park late-morning, there were signs at the entrance saying that the tickets for tonight's party were sold out.

At 4 pm, when party ticket holders were allowed in, there were special turnstiles set aside for us. Only folks with ticket were allowed to use these because they funneled directly into CM with wristbands. The trick-or-treat bags were stashed in rolling bins with the party logo on the side (very cute). As others have mentioned, the wrist bands were shiny yellow with a giant "#1" on the them.

At the end of Main Street, around the hub, were the Mickey pumpkin head balloons. They're really cute.

The projections on the castle changed depending on the music. My favorite were the projections of the three hitchhiking ghosts.

Over in Frontierland, they had the Halloween Tree all lit up. My family and I made a point of going to see it this year because we completely missed it last year (not quite sure how we did that...)

By the Halloween Tree, they were projecting cat eyes onto the building wall.

The Piratepalooza dance party was already in full swing. Saw lots of characters there. It was pretty cute...lots of children dancing in the middle with the characters and the parents standing around the perimeter watching (and taking photos).

One of my favorite effects at MHP is the dry ice fog on the Rivers of America. It makes the Columbia look very eerie. When the fog just finishes, it almost obscures the Columbia. It wasn't very cold on Friday, so the fog disputed pretty quickly, but the jets kept adding more throughout the night.

Looking the other way, the Mark Twain also looked pretty eerie through the dry ice fog.

A lot of the trick-or-treat trails/spots were marked by a giant Mickey ghost balloon. There were also signs to let you know where the trail started. Some trails had multiple stops, while others only had one.

One of the treat trails as inside the Diamond Horseshoe building. They had the inside decorated. There was a Mickey pumpkin balloon in the middle (the treat trail went around the perimeter of the room). On the stage they had some changing portraits (kind of like the ones normally in the HM) and some ghost cut-outs on the balcony.

This year's candy had a pretty good assortment. We got Snickers, Milky Ways, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kats, Almond Joys, Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls (lots of those), and other things. They had Craisins, apple slices, and raisins as well.

Next up, the photos from the fireworks and Cavalcade!