Figment's HalloweenTime Trip Reports, 2011 to 2018 - Now with 2018 Including MHP!

[figment_jii]

Decor
Disneyland is a fun place to visit during HalloweenTime. While only a portion of the parks are decorated, it's still fun to check out the decorations.

Pumpkin Mickey, Goofy, Donald, Minnie, and Pluto greeted guests over the main ticket gates.

The HalloweenTime sign posts were up along the entrance and Main Street. I had never noticed that there are two different faces; one that is smiling and one that is winking!

There were lots of pumpkins on Main Street (we rode the double decker bus and sat on top to get a good view of the pumpkins).

The windows on Main Street also featured Halloween decor.

The water artists were out. We saw Jack Skellington and Vampire Mickey.

The Frontierland Mercantile had festive decorations outside.

A scrim with HalloweenTime decorations for Toontown.

There was a display of the HalloweenTime souvies and snack/beverage offerings at the AP Days area.

The Ray Bradbury Tree is neat to see in the day and impressive at night.

 

[figment_jii]

Thank you for the awesome Blue Bayou and Mickey's Halloween Party details and photos. We were at the 9/23 party and had a blast! The parade was awesome! We also got a ton of candy and even after DS set it out while 6 of his buddies were here a few nights ago, we still have candy. The CMs were more than generous with the treats.

I'm always amazed at how much candy we collect at the party. I do think it's because the trick-or-treat locations are all treat trails with at least three stops. Most of the time (this year), it seemed like each trail filled the bag they handed out about a quarter of the way (if not more!).

We're doing the Blue Bayou dinner package at the 10/29 party and this post just made me even MORE excited for it! Thank you

I really enjoyed my meal at the Blue Bayou. Have fun!

 

[krispin41]

Thank you for the Blue Bayou report! I have reservations on 10/21 and was contemplating giving them up. I'm flying solo this trip. I'm gonna keep them! (I love me some gumbo too, but that crab cake looked amazing!)

 

[figment_jii]

Comparison of the 2016 DL's MHP and MK's MNSSHP
While some of the elements between the two parties are fairly similar, to me the parties felt very different. Both were a lot of fun and I can't wait to go again (to both). This comparison is based on the parties in 2016. Everything is subject to change!

Parade: DL introduced a new parade last year (Frightfully Fun Parade), which is much closer to a full parade than the previous Cavalcade. Now both MNSSHP and MHP feature the Headless Horseman riding down the parade route ahead of the parade. The Frightfully Fun Parade has some elements that are similar to Boo-To-You (I love the Haunted Mansion sequence in both parades with the dancers with the shovels that are amazing), but generally it is its own parade. Both are very good, but Frightfully Fun is a bit darker overall. Boo-To-You is one of my all time favorite parades.
Headless Horseman (MNSSHP, but same look at DL)

Fireworks: In this case, both shows are really good. DL's Halloween Screams has Zero flying (in place of Tinkerbell or Dumbo), and he's really neat. Jack Skellington is the host, so if you're a Nightmare fan, that should be a treat. I don't think anyone flies during WDW's HalloWishes, but they make really cool use of the castle and "surround fireworks". Some of the music is the same between the two shows.
WDW

DLR

Trick-or-Treating: WDW has treat stations with one big treat trail. DL has almost entirely treat trails (multiple treat stations along the path). In both cases, the trick-or-treating is pretty popular first thing at the party and tends to be more manageable by the second half. The treats themselves seemed pretty similar, although, if the weather is very hot/humid in FL there might not be as much chocolate-based treats.
DLR (WDW was pretty similar):

Cadaver Dans: Both MNSSHP and MHP have the Cadaver Dans, but I personally think the MHP version is better. MNSSHP's group walks down the parade route and are dressed to fit into Frontierland (I'm not sure is they perform at other times or places during the party). MHP's group are dressed as the undertakers for the Haunted Mansion and perform from a raft on the Rivers of America at set show times.
DLR

Dance Parties: WDW and DLR both have character dance parties, which can be fun if you like to do that. I think they're nearly in the same places: Tomorrowland and Frontierland.

Castle Forecourt Show: WDW has a Hocus Pocus themed show on the castle forecourt stage. It's very high energy and features a number of the villains characters. MHP doesn't have anything quite like the Castle Forecourt Show.
WDW

Character Meet and Greets: Both parties have a lot of character meet and greets. You'll find some "rare" characters out (e.g., the seven dwarfs at MNSSHP, Villains at MHP). At DLR a rotating set of villains greet the guests in Town Square (so they do have to cut the line so they can clear it before the parade starts).
DL

Rides: At both parks, most of the big rides are open during the party (some attractions are closed, primarily because they're being used for treat-trails/stations). DLR has Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. None of the rides at WDW have a Halloween overlay.

Food: In both parks not all of the food venues remain open during the party. If you want to eat, I'd grab dinner before the party starts! Be sure to check out any special Halloween-themed items. MNSSHP seems to have more items that are billed as party-exclusives (although, we did see some of them out during the regular day).

Pre-Party: Upon entering MNSSHP, guests are invited to head down a pre-party treat-trail to get some candy (and your trick-or-treat bag). DLR has (for the last few years) had a pre-party in Toontown. The pre-party featured trick-or-treating and character meet and greets (the characters here are in different cosutmes than what they were during the day and during the party, so it's possible to see Mickey (for example) in three different Halloween outfits). It's a lot of fun and a great way to start the party with a lot of candy!

Annual Passholder: If you're an annual passholder, then MHP also (for the last few years) has a special treat location for AP holders. It usually includes some kind of exclusive treat or item (e.g., one year it a draw string bag, another year there was a rice-crispie treat). I don't recall any AP exclusive location/items at MNSSHP.

Tickets: Both DLR and WDW pre-sell tickets to their parties on their respective websites and you can purchase them in person on site. That being said, DL's MHP almost always sells out in advance (see this post for dates of last year's sell outs). MNSSHP tickets tend not to sell out as early (or at all). DLR generally announces the party dates in mid-summer (it's been early July for the last few years). WDW announces their dates in early-Spring (dates for 2017 have already been announced).

 

[figment_jii]

Haunted Mansion Holiday, 2016
Every year at HalloweenTime, the Haunted Mansion is transformed into the Haunted Mansion Holiday. Jack Skellington and his friends re-decorate the Mansion and move in for a bit. Overall, the 2016 version of Haunted Mansion Holiday looked pretty similiar to the previous versions, with one notable addition - a full-sized figure of Sally greets guests in the Graveyard!

Outside the Mansion

The Pet Cemetary

 

[figment_jii]

The Stretching Room

(There is a Hidden Mickey in the stained glass wreath!)

The Hallway

 

[figment_jii]

The Endless Hallway and the Start of the Mansion

Madame Leota and the Hallway

The Ballroom

The Attic

The present for Bill was hidden near the jack-in-the-box head, on the floor.

The Monkey Bride returned in 2016! It was very hard to get a picture of her...she was off the ground, slightly behind the Doombuggies, just as you make the turn in the attic (on the left side).

 

[figment_jii]

The Hatbox Ghost

The Graveyard

It's Sally! She was a pretty cute addition to HMH!

The End

 

[figment_jii]

HalloweenTime, 2017 - Mickey's Halloween Party
Figment Goes to Two Mickey's Halloween Party, 9/22/17 and 9/25/17
We broke tradition this year and did not attend the fist Mickey's Halloween Party of the year. Instead, we attended the second (Friday, 9/22/17) and third (Monday, 9/25/17) parties! There were some small changes this year, but overall the majority of the party was similiar to last year's MHP. As in the past, we had great time and really enjoyed the party and all of the party specific activities.

The Guide Map! These seemed more readily available this year. Last year, they were handing them out with the candy bags, but this year they were in the holders at the ticket entrance. The trick-or-treat bags featured Olaf's Frozen Adventure on one side and Cars 3 on the other side. Be sure to get your bag when you enter the party (they didn't have bags at any other location).

There was signage out in the Esplande letting guests know that Disneyland would be closing at 7:00 pm or 6:00 pm for the party! Both the Friday and Monday parties were sold out online, but the signage indicated that tickets may have still been available at the ticket booths for the Friday night party (in the morning the sign said sold out, but by mid-afternoon, the signs said tickets may be availabile). The signs for the Monday party said the event was sold out all day.

On the Harbor Side entrance, there was a sign reminding guests about the costume rules for MHP. For the most, it seemed like guests were following the costume guidelines. We only saw a few costumes that didn't quite meet the "family friendly" request. As usual, we saw lots of princesses and Disney character costumes.

Inside the park were signs saying that Toontown would close at 5:00 pm or 4:00 pm and that there was a special Toontown Pre-Party Party from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (or 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm). The Toontown Pre-Party basically span the hour before and hour after the start of the party.

There was also a wristband distribution location inside the park. This year, it was located in the old Starcade building in Tomorrowland (behind Star Traders, along the exit walkway from Space Mountain). It should open when the ticket gates open for the special event (three hours before the start of the party). On Friday, they were having trouble with the printers, so they did not start processing tickets at 4:00 pm. We gave up around 4:20 pm and headed out to a dining reservation (Mickey's "Spook-Tacular" Dinner at the Blue Bayou).

Toontown Pre-Party
Starting one hour before the party, MHP guest (with wristbands) can go to Toontown for the Pre-Party. There is some early Trick-or-Treating and character M&G. We only stopped by briefly, but by the time we got there (about 15 minutes after the start), the lines for everything were already very long. I glanced at the characters and it seemed pretty similiar to last year (e.g., Zorro Mickey, candy corn collar Pluto, etc.). The party sign was out, along with some scarecrow stiltwalkers and witches.

Decorations and Other
The Scarecrows were out! I saw one by the Stage Door Cafe and he was quite funny. In the past, there was also one by the Golden Horsehoe, but I forgot to look to see if he was still there.

The Mickey Pumpkin Balloons were out in the Hub.

Ghost Mickey balloons were out in the parks (usually near a treat trail!).

The River of America looked pretty spooky with lots of dry ice!

They were projecting Halloween-themed images on It's a Small World, Main Street, and the Castle throughout the evening.

There was also a projection of Zero on one of the buildings in New Orleans Square!

New this year, were characters on the raft. When the Cadaver Dans were not performing, Donald, Pluto, Chip & Dale in their Pirate attire were entertaining guests along the Rivers of America. They mostly waved, danced a bit, and generally goofed around.

Dragon
The Fantasyland Dragon returned this year, but he moved to a new location. He's now residing in the cave along Big Thunder Trail, next to the little lake. You can hear him walking and snorting and periodically, his eyes glow a variety of colors. I wonder if we should start calling him the Frontierland dragon?

 

[princesszelda]

Yay!!!! So glad you have started your TR! <3

 

[figment_jii]

Villains Square
Town Square had been renamed Villains Square for the evening. There was a treat trail that went around the flag pole and the villains greeted guests throughout the Square. This was one of the changes from the past. In previous years three villains met in front of the train station and guests formed one line to meet all three villains (one at a time). This year, only two villains met at a time in front of the train station and each had their own line. There was no processional this year (the villains just walked out from backstage to their spot). The other change was that there were now roaming villains. I saw the Queen of Hearts, Gaston, Cruella, and Malificent as roamers throughout the evening. Aside from the Queen of Hearts, none of the other villains I saw out there were "head" characters.

On Monday, the first roamer (Queen of Hearts) arrive about 15 minutes after the party started.

The Evil Queen and Dr. Facilier arrived about 30 minutes after the party started at the formal M&G locations. Dr. Facilier arrived first and stood at the location to the left (when facing the train station). The Evil Queen arrived a few moments later and seemed unamused that he was at that spot and informed him (in her best haughty voice) that he had to move to the other spot. The character handler CM tried to intervene, but she just gave him a cold stare and Dr. Facilier moved to the right side spot. It was a pretty funny interaction.

At the end of the evening, Gaston and Malificent were at the formal M&G locations. Both Malificent and Gaston were quite fun to listen to and watch interact with other guests. Malificent was cold, while Gaston kept telling everyone how wonderful he was (very much in character).

Cadaver Dans
One of my family's favorite things to do at MHP is to listen to the Cadaver Dans. They come out on one of the Tom Sawyers Island Rafts and float along the Rivers of America (from the Mark Twain to the Columbia). They perform five times per night (7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:00 pm, 10:00 pm, and 10:45 pm, regardless of the night). The set lasts about 15 minutes and they always do the same songs.

Halloween Screams
Halloween Screams is one of my favorite fireworks shows at Disneyland. Jack Skellington is the host of the show and his dog Zero makes two appearances! Be sure that you can see the third main spire to the left (the one on the square base), otherwise you'll miss out on the globe where Jack (and others) appear. There were no projections on the Matterhorn or Main Street buildings. We watched from two different locations on Main Street and it made a big difference. The first night, we were about parallel to the crossing between Plaza Inn and Jolly Holiday. Unfortunately, the Mickey Pumpkin balloons and trees in the Hub obscured the view of the orb. We still could see the castle, the fireworks, and Zero, but the bottom half of the orb was obstructed.

On the second night, we were slightly further back...about parallel to the crossing between the Refreshment Corner and the Camera Shop. From that location, we could see the whole orb. So the difference of a few hundred feet made a difference. Zero is my favorite part of Halloween Screams, but the whole show is very good. The castle has lots of cool projections and effects.

 

[lcp9]

This is such a stupid question, but can you explain more about how the treat trails work? Like you said there was one around the flagpole...so it is just a CM every few feet handing out candy and it's over in a minute or so or is it like a long trail type of thing? I don't know how many I need to plan on hitting for my kids

 

[figment_jii]

In most cases, each treat trail consists of four treat stations. At each station, there is a CM handing out candy (usually two or three pieces) or a healthy option (usually something like a package of carrots or apple slices). The trails can go fast (if there is no line) or can take a bit of time (if there is a long line). There are treat trails throughout the park and most have the same offerings. The candy is the same between all trails (at least in my experience), the healthy/non-candy options can vary and not all stations have a non-candy option.

 

[figment_jii]

Mickey's "Spook-Tacular" Dinner
We did the MHP Dining Package at the Blue Bayou last year and decided to give it a try again this year. We made a reservation for 4:20 pm (the earliest we could get) in hopes that we would finish up with enough time to check out the Toontown Pre-Party. Dinner took about 90 minutes, and then we had to go get our wristbands, so we didn't have time to go to the Pre-Party.

The Mickey's "Spook-Tacular" Dinner Package has a prix fixe menu, where each guest can choose one starter, entree, and dessert.

Each dinner begins with bread service. It's a combination of a focaccia style bread and rolls.

We ordered one of the Lousiana Lemonades (not included in the price).

Gumbo - A Rich Flavorful Stew with Chicken, Andouille Sausage and Tasso Ham Served with Louisiana Popcorn Rice. The gumbo is one of the starters guests can choose from (Blue Bayou House Salad or the Louisana Spiced Shrimp (upgrade) are the other options). We all opted for the gumbo, which is very yummy. It has lots of flavor, but it's very mild.

For our entrees, we tried three different things. The Bone-In Rib Eye, Surf & Turf, and the Blue Bayou Bouillabaisse. In general, the overall menu was pretty similiar to the Fantasmic! dining packages.

Bone-In Rib Eye - Blue Bayou House-Made Rub, Seasonal Vegetables, and White Cheddar and Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese. The ribeye had good flavor and was cooked nicely. We skipped the Mac & Cheese and asked for the sauteed spinach instead. The spinach was actually pretty good.

Blue Bayou Bouillabaisse - Sustainable Fish Filet, Mussels, Clams, Shrimp, and Spiced Sausage in a Saffron-infused Broth and served with Herbed Bread. The bouillabaisse was really good; it had a bite, but was still very tasty. Just as good as in August!

Surf & Turf - Petite Lobster Tail and Broiled Filet Mignon served with Blue Bayou Au Gratin Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, and Béarnaise Sauce. Overall, the version of this dish was better in August. The filet mignon was very good (tender), but the lobster tail was slightly mushy in places. It was still yummy, but the one in August was better.

Hatbox Ghost - Choclate pecan brownie, layered with Mousse Cake, and a Raspberry Center served with Graveyard Dust. This was the special dessert option with the package. They did a really good job with it, and it tasted good too! The Hatbox Ghost is "printed" on the plate and his hatbox, with his head, is printed on white chocolate. At the right angle, it looks like he's holding his hatbox. Behind the hatbox was the brownie and mousse dome. It was very rich, but quite tasty. The graveyard dust (chcocolate cookie crumbles mixed with some sugar) and bones were a nice touch.

At the end of the meal, each guest is given a "starter" bag of trick-or-treat candy (about 1 pound each), a light-up lanyard, and a FP for entrance into the reserved viewing area.

The viewing for the parade was located near the Plaza Inn and down onto Main Street. The CM at the Blue Bayou indicated that this was only for that night, but we saw the reserved signs up on Monday as well. The FP said to return between 8:00 pm and 8:30 pm, but we saw guests there before then. We arrived a little before 8:00 pm and sat on the curb. The rest of the viewing area ended up be standing and seemed pretty packed. They could have done with a little more space so that guests could spread out a bit.

In terms of value...it's much the same as last year. The route for the first parade was pretty busy, but the second parade had fewer people. It was possible to get a second row spot at the start of the parade on both nights (not necessarily a curb/seated spot). The meal at the Blue Bayou was good, so for my family, it was worth it to do the package. But, I don't think I would do the package if the parade viewing is the only reason you're doing it.

 

[figment_jii]

Headless Horseman
The Headless Horseman returned this year, but with a new "story". They added Ichabod Crane and two towns people ahead of him and he's supposed to be "chasing" them (I think). No one is moving very fast, which makes it look kind of funny, but it's great for picture taking. The Headless Horseman steps off 10 minutes before the parade and rides in the same direction as the parade (so from IaSW to MS the first time, and from MS to IaSW the second time).
In the woods of Sleepy Hollow...long, long ago tip-toed Ichabod Crane nervously slow...for he heard the dreadful legend the townsmen told...of a Halloween spirit fiendish and bold...beware the Headless Horseman on a midnight steed...he's searching for somebody to supply his cursed need...scurry faster school master, tonight you're not alone...the Horseman's the riding after you...it's time to head home...travel quickly, cross the bridge, don't look back, do not delay...if the Headless Horseman gets you, you won't see another day!

 

[figment_jii]

Frighfully Fun Parade
Last year, MHP debuted the Frightfully Fun Parade. It was an improvement over the previous Cavalcade, but there were some complaints that it was too dark. They made some changes that seemed to lighten the overall feel of the parade. Among the big changes were the addition of Mickey and Minnie at the start and the Ursula character to the finale.

The parade begins with title float and, this year, was followed by Mickey, Minnie and some dancers. It was a much lighter way to start the parade and it was nice to see Mickey added into the parade.

Following Mickey and Minnie was the Nightmare Before Christmas group. They were lead by the Mayor of Halloween Town, whose face alternated between being happy and scared. Following him came the vampires and then Jack & Sally. With Zero no longer being on the title float, he now resides on the main NBC float. Both sides of the float have Zero, but with a slightly different backdrop.

Next up is the Haunted Mansion group. They are lead by the ballroom dancers. While the make-up and hair give the impression of being ghostly, the dresses were all very nice and new looking! They're followed by the three hitchhiking ghosts on the Haunted Mansion float. They've added the Grave Digger (no dog) to the back of the float. He's followed by the ghostly miners/grave diggers, who scrape their shovels on the ground to make sparks.

 

[figment_jii]

Frighfully Fun Parade, Continued...
The next group features Dr. Facilier and his "friends" from the other side. The stilt walkers are pretty scary looking, but it's always fun to watch stilt walkers.

The parade finale features the villains. This year, the walking group was lead by Ursula. She' pretty impressive! She's followed by Lady Tremaine and the Stepsisters, Captain Hook, the Queen of Hearts, and Governor Ratcliffe. On the float, there is Cruella, Hades, the Evil Queen, Frollo, Jafar, and Gaston. Frollo and Jafar are on opposite sides of the float, so it's tough to see both (when facing the float as it comes towards you, Jafar is on the left and Frollo is on the right).

 

[figment_jii]

Good-Bye "Show"
There really isn't a "good-bye show" per se. Close to the end of the party, several characters come out and head to the train station. On both nights, I saw Chip & Dale, Donald, and Pluto, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Woody, and Jessie, along with Cruella, the Queen of Hearts, Dr. Facilier, and the Evil Queen (Gason and Maleficent were down at the formal M&G locations). They waved to the guests and interacted among themselves, and then after the announcement ending the party played, they headed backstage. Maleficent and Gaston did stay at the formal M&G location until their lines were finished (so I'd say 15 to 20 minutes after the party ended).

On his way out, Pirate Donald tried to take one of the pumpkins with him!

Treat Trails
There were treat trails scattered throughout the park. The candy and "healthy" treat offerings were largely the same as in year's past. We got almost 20 pounds of candy between the two nights! There were two treat trails along the Big Thunder Trail that had pretty reasonable lines (I don't think a lot of guests thought to look there). The Rivers of America treat trail, with one of the longest lines, was one of the more disappointing treat trails in terms of candy (two stations had candy, one had only Pirates Booty, and one had only apple slices or carrots).

The two best themed treat trails were the Golden Horseshoe and Rancho del Zocolo. The Golden Horsehoe had a lot of skeletons, while the Rancho one was Pirate themed. There wasn't a character meet and greet at Rancho this time (the characters met down by the Mark Twain/Columbia dock).

We ended up with almost 20 pounds of candy across two parties! We got about 7.5 pounds per night and on the first night an additional 4.5 pounds from the Blue Bayou Dining package. The candy was a pretty good assortment of chocolates and non-chocolate candies. There were a lot of Snickers, Baby Ruths, Milky Ways, 100 Grands, M&M's, along with Laffy Taffy, SweetTart Chews, Skittles, etc.

 

[figment_jii]

Disney's California Adventure
HalloweenTime extended into DCA this year! Buena Vista Street and Carsland were both decorated for the season.

Main Entrance
Oogie Boogie greeted guests over the entrance to DCA. Periodically, Oogie can be heard welcoming guests to DCA.

Even the banners in the Esplande were Halloween themed. On sides facing guests as they headed into DCA were images of DCA attractions, with a Halloween twist (e.g., RSR with the car bats). The reverse side had Disneyland attractions.

There was purple and silver bunting with bats on the entrance turnstiles.

Buena Vista Street
Buena Vista Street was decorated with purple bunting and bats.

The Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge had cool bats flying out of the top of the tower. During the day, the bats looked cool. At night, it was even more impressive.

Even the shop windows had Halloween themed decorations.

Headless Horseman
One of the biggest additions this year was the Headless Horseman statue in center of Buena Vista Street. It was especially impressive at night when the pumpkin glowed and the fog effects were visible.

 

[figment_jii]

Carsland
Carsland was celebrating Honkin' Haul-o-Ween! Mater's and Luigi's both were given Halloween themed overlays and the entire land was decorated for Halloween. There were lots of pumpkins and spiders throughout the area. It's worth visiting during the day and night.

The Carsland entrance sign was given a Halloween theme. This logo was also available on a t-shirt. Sadly, there wasn't any Witch Car merchandise. The sign and Witch Car was a very popular photo spot.

Filmore's Taste-In was decorated with Ghost Cars. This area had a lot of cute touches, including a oil-can-o-lantern spinner, light-up oil-can-o-lanterns, and little ghost car signs.

Filmore's is also where they sell the Vampire Mater Bread. This might be the only location and they do seem sell out early!

In the area around Mater's was a graveyard. The tombstones looked spookier at night, but some were really hard to see in the dark. It's worth checking it out both during the day (to read them) and at night (to take in the atmosphere!).

Mater's Junkyard Jamboree was renamed Mater's Graveyard Jamboree.

The little tractor was dressed up as a mummy.

On the wall next to Mater's were posters for Haul-o-Ween movies. Some were easy to tell, others were a bit harder to recognize what they were based on. These were pretty hard to see at night (minimal lighting in the area).

The Cozy Cone were re-decorated with jack-o-lantern faces. Some of these faces were replicated on the sticker sheet that came with the Halloween Traffic Cone Sipper Cup (sold at the Cozy Cones).

Inside the Cozy Cone office was a small Confectionery display featuring Brakes Motel, with Twizzler Cones, Twix Signs, and other candy elements. It's hard to see, but it sure looks like Doc Hudson is in the main building at the top of the hill!

There were a lot of spiders throughout the land. Their webs were strung between the light posts; they were on the ground; and in shop windows!

There were oil can pumpkin patches next to Sarge's, complete with spiders!