HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread #3 -- SEASON BEGINS 9/13/13!--PARTY BEGINS 9/30/13!

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by PHXscuba

OK, that job Disney should hire ME for!!

I totally understand and excuse errors in personal writing, blogs, texting (my phone typing looks like Klingon), but if you are a multi-bajillion-dollar corporation charging a premium for a magical experience, spend 20 minutes letting someone else read the copy one more time!! I recall Bumbershoot having the same complaint about the badly edited menus -- the big pretty ones outside the restaurants.

Rant over!

PHXscuba

I know what you mean, PHX!

Isn't it awful that they let those things slip through the cracks? They need to hire both of us. I would not be going for a job answering questions on the phone. I would be aiming for what I have already done and know that I'm good at -- which is writing and proofreading, and generally being detail-oriented! People used to pay me decent $$ to proofread their work and clean it up for them (light copy editing). That's why I cringed in horror when I saw the Strom Tropper and Tinkle Bell typos last year. Inexcusable! Disney needs my help, and I need a job!!

Creative writing is a different animal, of course. People choose to express their messages and points in different ways, some of which are reflective of a more conversational style. Typos can occur when typing in haste.

A huge behemoth of a company like Disney (that is putting out basic information in certain areas of its websites or in its printed material) should be exceptionally detail-oriented and comb over everything to be sure that nothing embarrassing is going out to the masses!

[tksbaskets]

Originally Posted by gbp02

Is the fastpass at Haunted Mansion Holiday open every day during the Halloween season? I plan to be there from Sept 21-24 and would like to FP this ride.

I went back to look at my solo Halloween trip report and figured out I never tried to fetch a FP for the HM. I did see that I went right when Adventureland opened and got right on. Hope that helps.

TK

[DisneyFan3113]

Does the DL train run during MHP? Or is it an "all on-foot" deal? Couldn't resist asking. Also, does the Happiest Haunts tour (is that the name?) change at all if you do it as part of the Ultimate Experience? Like, do you get any bonus rides you wouldn't get normally, or is it just the same but with MHP afterwards?

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by DisneyFan3113

Does the DL train run during MHP? Or is it an "all on-foot" deal? Couldn't resist asking. Also, does the Happiest Haunts tour (is that the name?) change at all if you do it as part of the Ultimate Experience? Like, do you get any bonus rides you wouldn't get normally, or is it just the same but with MHP afterwards?

DisneyFan3113 --

I was waiting to see if any of the folks who did the Ultimate Experience party-tour combo last year were going to answer you.

I found mommaU4's Ultimate Experience recaps from last year (the second one is more detailed), so hopefully this info will give a better idea of what exactly was included, and if it is any different from the tour alone:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=828

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=842



And here is a post from kim3339, also from last year, with a mention about the UE:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=332

You know, I don't recall if the train was running during my MHP or not. That's a good question! I was not paying any attention because I was literally roaming all over Disneyland, hitting all the treat trails and then waiting for the fireworks.

I checked some info from last year and I think it was on or around June 25th when the Disney Parks Blog did their official blog on Halloween Time and Mickey's Halloween Party, but I think we knew the dates before that (if I recall correctly) from seeing them on the AP section of the website.

So I would guess that June 24th (Monday) of this year -- or close to it -- could be a date when we could likely get something official from the Parks Blog. I keep thinking that we will hear something before that date, though. We usually hear things before the Parks Blog gets around to releasing info.

[DisneyFan3113]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

DisneyFan3113 --

I was waiting to see if any of the folks who did the Ultimate Experience party-tour combo last year were going to answer you.

I found mommaU4's Ultimate Experience recaps from last year (the second one is more detailed), so hopefully this info will give a better idea of what exactly was included, and if it is any different from the tour alone:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=828

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=842



And here is a post from kim3339, also from last year, with a mention about the UE:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=332

You know, I don't recall if the train was running during my MHP or not. That's a good question! I was not paying any attention because I was literally roaming all over Disneyland, hitting all the treat trails and then waiting for the fireworks.

I checked some info from last year and I think it was on or around June 25th when the Disney Parks Blog did their official blog on Halloween Time and Mickey's Halloween Party, but I think we knew the dates before that (if I recall correctly) from seeing them on the AP section of the website.

So I would guess that June 24th (Monday) of this year -- or close to it -- could be a date when we could likely get something official from the Parks Blog. I keep thinking that we will hear something before that date, though. We usually hear things before the Parks Blog gets around to releasing info.

Thank you for the links!! I'll be sure to check those out later. I doubt we'll even use the train since there's so much going on, but the kids tend to get tired towards the end of the night so it would a nice option. Not a huge deal, though. Anyway, if the Parks Blog about Halloweentime comes out on the 24th or 25th, I'll be good. (But I must admit I'm getting a little antsy about the MHP dates... argh, I hate waiting! Hopefully we'll hear something soon.)

[dnamertz]

Did anyone go to multiple Halloween Parties last year (one on a week night and one on a Friday night)? I'd like to know how much more crowded the Friday parties are than the week night parties?

Also, are all the trick-or-treat lines and all the characters available for the full party or do some of them start disappearing in the last hour or two?

Another question, are FPs operating during the party, and if so do the times reset when the party starts? In other words, if the people in the park earlier in the day get a FP, could the FP return time possibly extend into the party time (when those people might not be in the park because they won't be attending the party). I'm just wondering if FPs for some rides might not be available during the party because they were taken up earlier in the day prior to the party starting.

Final question (for now), on regular nights Main Street stays open for an hour after the official park closing time. Is this also true after the Halloween Party?

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by dnamertz

Did anyone go to multiple Halloween Parties last year (one on a week night and one on a Friday night)? I'd like to know how much more crowded the Friday parties are than the week night parties?

Also, are all the trick-or-treat lines and all the characters available for the full party or do some of them start disappearing in the last hour or two?

Another question, are FPs operating during the party, and if so do the times reset when the party starts? In other words, if the people in the park earlier in the day get a FP, could the FP return time possibly extend into the party time (when those people might not be in the park because they won't be attending the party). I'm just wondering if FPs for some rides might not be available during the party because they were taken up earlier in the day prior to the party starting.

Final question (for now), on regular nights Main Street stays open for an hour after the official park closing time. Is this also true after the Halloween Party?

dnamertz --

I was waiting to see if anyone else responded (like Kristin or Kilala -- anyone who did more than one party last year) and answered any or all of your questions before I said anything. Since no one has replied yet -- and the further this thread drops down the page it will be less likely that someone sees it to answer you, I will comment on your questions.

Crowd Differences from One Night to Another: Here's the thing that has to be remembered -- all of the parties sold out last year. (Well, at the very least, all but one party -- the party night right before Halloween -- sold out, and I actually think that one sold out too, but at the last minute.) Not only that, but the parties seemed to sell out faster than they had in previous years, which took a lot of us by surprise.

So -- even though I'm not sure exactly how many tickets Disney sells to their parties -- let's just pick a number and say that they sell 10,000 tickets (which may be way too low, or way too high, but it is only being used for the purpose of providing an example) for each night. If Disney is selling 10,000 tickets to each party, and each party sells out, there can't really be a "this night was more crowded than that night" type of answer because all of the sold out parties would basically involve the same number of people in the park, give or take last minute-no-shows or whatever.

What could happen -- just as it happens in the parks during the daytime -- is that people in the park congregate in different areas. So, one night might involve crowds congregating in one area and other nights might involve crowds congregating in other areas, which could add to the feeling of one night being more crowded than another, even if the number of tickets sold was exactly the same.

There are at least a few of us who think that Disney has been over-selling the tickets to the parties, and the parties are all beginning to feel less "exclusive," so my guess is that Disney increased the number of tickets sold last year even more. And, again, all but possibly the pre-Halloween party night sold out (and that night probably did sell out at the last minute) last year.

Treat Trail and Character Photo Spot Closures: I don't think the treat trails and character lines disappear/close a full hour or two early -- after all, people are paying to enjoy those specific aspects of the party so it would be a rip-off if Disney took them away that early. But I wouldn't be shocked if the trails and the character lines shut down a wee bit before party closing. I don't know if they do that -- but I wouldn't be surprised. I just don't think they'd close early enough to make a significant difference. A lot of people hit the treat stations at the end of the party so I assume that most of them must remain open.

I know that characters switch off. At one photo spot you may see Jack Sparrow. Jack suddenly takes a break, so Captain Hook and Tinker Bell step in. I was once waiting in a line for Jessie from Toy Story, and suddenly she left...but Woody and the Green Army Men stepped in (which was much better for me!). So, as far as I can recall -- and someone please correct me if I am wrong -- the actual photo spots stay open throughout the entire party, but the characters at each spot may differ over the course of the evening.

Main Street after Party Ends: As for Main Street -- hopefully someone will let us know about that for sure. I know that there was at least one treat station set up on Main Street last year, and at the very end of each night the CMs usually hand out tons of candy to guests leaving the park. I don't know if Main Street stays open beyond that time, for shopping. It would be interesting to know.

Fast Pass: I don't know about Fast Pass -- remember, a lot of the lines for rides will be non-existent or very short. Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, of course, will have lines.

I hope that helps a little until one of our multi-night party attendees from 2012 speaks up! (Hint hint...Kristin...Kilala...anyone else who went to more than one party last year?)

[lchute1158]

Are the tickets on sale yet at DL? I can only find WDW Halloween tickets.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

[wolfpack1]

If DL does the same thing they did at WDW, the main street shops are open a little after the party is over, at least that is what I remembered two years ago.

Also I don't think Fastpasses work during the event either but reading some of the responses in the thread, I think the Friday night parties sell out faster than the Tuesday parties but like someone said pretty much if its sold out its sold out.

I am just hoping to get ones for when we are in town this year.

[Sherry E]

Originally Posted by lchute1158

Are the tickets on sale yet at DL? I can only find WDW Halloween tickets.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

lchute1158 --

Not yet. Within days we should know when they will be on sale, I think. The dates for the party usually go up on the AP section of the DLR website first, because AP holders (along with DVC owners and Disney Visa card holders) can buy tickets in advance of the sales to the general public.

Last year the Disney Parks Blog posted a blog about Halloween Time and the Halloween Party on June 25th, but we knew the party dates before that time. So I am guessing the dates will suddenly pop up in the next few days, and there will be a Blog or Disneyland News piece following shortly thereafter. Of course, things could be different this year. The tickets will go on sale by July -- no question about that -- but the actual announcements and revelation of information may or may not be delayed.

Originally Posted by wolfpack1

If DL does the same thing they did at WDW, the main street shops are open a little after the party is over, at least that is what I remembered two years ago.

Also I don't think Fastpasses work during the event either but reading some of the responses in the thread, I think the Friday night parties sell out faster than the Tuesday parties but like someone said pretty much if its sold out its sold out.

I am just hoping to get ones for when we are in town this year.

wolfpack1 -

I'm the someone who said that if the nights are sold out, they're sold out, and there isn't really a more crowded vs. less crowded comparison to be made, necessarily, except for that crowds tend to gather and congregate in different areas, which could make a difference in how crowded it seems on a given night. But if there are 10,000 people in the park on a Tuesday and 10,000 on a Friday (or whatever the number of tickets sold may be), then there are 10,000 people in the park on both nights.

Last year, all bets were off as far as when any nights sold out. It used to be that the first party night and Halloween night sold out first, and the rest of the party nights didn't sell out for a long time -- if at all. Last year was a whole different ballgame and the nights were selling out one after another after another, with only the party immediately before Halloween (a Monday night) remaining 'open' until at least a couple of days before it took place.

[dnamertz]

Originally Posted by Sherry E

dnamertz --

I was waiting to see if anyone else responded (like Kristin or Kilala -- anyone who did more than one party last year) and answered any or all of your questions before I said anything. Since no one has replied yet -- and the further this thread drops down the page it will be less likely that someone sees it to answer you, I will comment on your questions.

Crowd Differences from One Night to Another: Here's the thing that has to be remembered -- all of the parties sold out last year. (Well, at the very least, all but one party -- the party night right before Halloween -- sold out, and I actually think that one sold out too, but at the last minute.) Not only that, but the parties seemed to sell out faster than they had in previous years, which took a lot of us by surprise.

So -- even though I'm not sure exactly how many tickets Disney sells to their parties -- let's just pick a number and say that they sell 10,000 tickets (which may be way too low, or way too high, but it is only being used for the purpose of providing an example) for each night. If Disney is selling 10,000 tickets to each party, and each party sells out, there can't really be a "this night was more crowded than that night" type of answer because all of the sold out parties would basically involve the same number of people in the park, give or take last minute-no-shows or whatever.

What could happen -- just as it happens in the parks during the daytime -- is that people in the park congregate in different areas. So, one night might involve crowds congregating in one area and other nights might involve crowds congregating in other areas, which could add to the feeling of one night being more crowded than another, even if the number of tickets sold was exactly the same.

There are at least a few of us who think that Disney has been over-selling the tickets to the parties, and the parties are all beginning to feel less "exclusive," so my guess is that Disney increased the number of tickets sold last year even more. And, again, all but possibly the pre-Halloween party night sold out (and that night probably did sell out at the last minute) last year.

Treat Trail and Character Photo Spot Closures: I don't think the treat trails and character lines disappear/close a full hour or two early -- after all, people are paying to enjoy those specific aspects of the party so it would be a rip-off if Disney took them away that early. But I wouldn't be shocked if the trails and the character lines shut down a wee bit before party closing. I don't know if they do that -- but I wouldn't be surprised. I just don't think they'd close early enough to make a significant difference. A lot of people hit the treat stations at the end of the party so I assume that most of them must remain open.

I know that characters switch off. At one photo spot you may see Jack Sparrow. Jack suddenly takes a break, so Captain Hook and Tinker Bell step in. I was once waiting in a line for Jessie from Toy Story, and suddenly she left...but Woody and the Green Army Men stepped in (which was much better for me!). So, as far as I can recall -- and someone please correct me if I am wrong -- the actual photo spots stay open throughout the entire party, but the characters at each spot may differ over the course of the evening.

Main Street after Party Ends: As for Main Street -- hopefully someone will let us know about that for sure. I know that there was at least one treat station set up on Main Street last year, and at the very end of each night the CMs usually hand out tons of candy to guests leaving the park. I don't know if Main Street stays open beyond that time, for shopping. It would be interesting to know.

Fast Pass: I don't know about Fast Pass -- remember, a lot of the lines for rides will be non-existent or very short. Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, of course, will have lines.

I hope that helps a little until one of our multi-night party attendees from 2012 speaks up! (Hint hint...Kristin...Kilala...anyone else who went to more than one party last year?)

Thanks for the response. Assuming the shows are sold out and they offer the same number of tickets to each show, I'm wondering if the week night party gets less crowded later at night strictly because it's a week night.

Space Mt and HM are the main reason I was asking about FPs. I've heard these rides have very long lines during the parties.