Halloween party

[JadeDarkstar]

i am hoping the 10/2 will be good night its Tuesday so hoping it will be slower then a Friday but I have heard there all busy now days

 

[KateDrake]

So if we were already in the parks on one of these days and had tickets to attend the party, do we have to leave and then come back in through the approriate turnstile to get the wristband/bag/map? It's not something you can get first thing in the morning?

I am positive we will taking a break to make sure the all the kids make it through the party, but I just like to know all our options.

When we did the party last year, you didn't have to leave the park, but you at least had to go back to the main gate and get a wrist band and treat bag. Of course we all went back and changed into costumes, so it wasn't an issue! If you are going to try to stay at the party til close, I think it's a good idea to go back to the hotel for a nap. They usually allow party guests to come in - in costume - before the official party start, usually around 4 p.m.
As far as crowds go, there are so many locals who attend that the parties really get crowded. We went on a Tuesday night last year, and it was as busy as the height of summer vacation. We had a huge bottleneck by Rivers of America, where we literally couldn't move for a few minutes. But on the plus side, it's only candy lines and character interaction that seem to be busy. Most rides seem to have waits of around 20 minutes or less.

 

[chrissiecutie]

When we did the party last year, you didn't have to leave the park, but you at least had to go back to the main gate and get a wrist band and treat bag. Of course we all went back and changed into costumes, so it wasn't an issue! If you are going to try to stay at the party til close, I think it's a good idea to go back to the hotel for a nap. They usually allow party guests to come in - in costume - before the official party start, usually around 4 p.m.
As far as crowds go, there are so many locals who attend that the parties really get crowded. We went on a Tuesday night last year, and it was as busy as the height of summer vacation. We had a huge bottleneck by Rivers of America, where we literally couldn't move for a few minutes. But on the plus side, it's only candy lines and character interaction that seem to be busy. Most rides seem to have waits of around 20 minutes or less.

Alright- so if candy lines & character interactions have huge lines (which we will probably avoid) then really...what am I going for?? Is the parade & fireworks really worth an extra $150-200??

And how late does the party go till?? Is it midnight? This might be a good option for us and I would assume it would clear out a bit later in the evening as those with small kiddos head out. Has this been your experience?

The LAST thing I want to do is end up dragging my non-Disney DH to a super crowded Halloween party & paying extra to be there when the perks aren't worth it. He hates spending money on Disney, so I can only imagine the wrath I'll get...

Oh...and can't you just get your wristband when you enter the park for the day? Say you decide to do the entire day at DL so you come in with your PH tix but have the Party tix as well. Do they have a special gate you can just go through (like with MM) & get your wristband at that time or are you forced to come back?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

Katedrake- did you see any the bad guys at small world if so what ones? (im trying get a list of the ones there last year to see if the main one we want to see was there last year lol) I know melifcent was in 2010

 

[KateDrake]

Chrissie: Hmm, if your hubby doesn't like spending money on Disney, then this probably isn't for him. You do get a chance to see a lot of characters you don't normally get to see, but if that isn't really his thing, then he probably won't enjoy it. The most fun for us is getting to dress up, since adults don't normally get to do that. The trick or treating is kind of fun, but it's just cast members giving out the candy, so it's not like you get to get treats from Mickey or something like that. I thought the party at WDW was totally worth the extra money, but not so much at Disneyland. I still had fun, but it wasn't a special memory or anything. I got really tired of standing in line for candy pretty quick, so we kind of gave up on that early. So if you really want to collect a ton of candy, it takes quite a bit of time, and I didn't feel like a few more candy bars were worth it. Even quitting that early, we got enough that I still have some left from October!
The one good thing is that the party does go pretty late (I think ours went til 11 because it was a Tuesday) and it really clears out after the parade. We used that time to go see Princess Fantasy Faire, because the wait was so much shorter than the rest of our trip.

Jade: We did see quite a few villains, but a lot of them are out during the day as well. We saw Cruella de Ville(who is hilarious, she was my DD3's all-time favorite), the Shadow Man, Lady Tremain and the step sisters, Captain Hook and Smee... and a bunch of others. The Evil Queen was there, as the Queen, not as the hag. Those are all I can remember right now, but I know there were some others.

 

[chrissiecutie]

Hi All-

I just came across this cute blog & thought I would share. It gave some nice info & I really liked the cute pics of the Halloween party. How adorable is there family dressed like Mary Poppins!
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011/10/31/dining-in-disneyland-mickeys-halloween-party-review/

 

[ExcitedSam]

Trying to decide when we should go, well be there for either the Tues 9th or Fri 12TH. I've read the Tues is a bit quieter, the only thing is we are driving from Glendale AZ that day and not sure if we'll be too tired to attend the party that night, or should we just wait until the Friday? My two girls are 4 & 9.

Can't wait!

 

[canadian_ehngel]

I'm also trying to figure out which day to attend. I'm leaning towards the Tuesday (it'll be our first day at the parks). I really hope ticket prices come out soon, I'm dying to know how much I'll need to save.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I agree with all these posts, for the most part they are pretty similar. The biggest difference I noticed were the crowds. At WDW, I felt like while we didn't have the park to ourselves, there were a lot fewer people, and the waits were very small. I can't remember standing in a single candy line, and the longest line was for Peter Pan at about 15 minutes.
But at Disneyland, all the locals come, and it gets nuts! I felt like the park was more full at 9 p.m. by Rivers of America than it is on a summer day. The lines for candy were so long, we basically gave up on Trick or Treating and tried to do rides, but the lines were super long and it was just hard to move from one area to the other.

well alot of that is due to the fact that MK is waaaaaaaaaay bigger than DL in general...so it can hold more people without feeling packed whereas DL is quite compact...

if you are going with her i think yes she can buy them for you withher ap but im not 100% sure

yep! AP holders can buy their tickets...I would recommend E-ticket...thats a freebie

i am hoping the 10/2 will be good night its Tuesday so hoping it will be slower then a Friday but I have heard there all busy now days

i have gone to every single halloween party with the exception of the first one and every year it gets progressively more crowded...I do agree with you that Tuesday will be better than a Friday and due to the fact that it is the 2nd one and still so far from halloween, you might get lucky!! I have found that the closer it gets to halloween the more crowded it gets...however, since they moved it over to DL in 2010 and changed it to only 2 nights during the week vs. multiple days, I would imagine it will be crowded no matter what because it doesnt give people many options ...

Alright- so if candy lines & character interactions have huge lines (which we will probably avoid) then really...what am I going for?? Is the parade & fireworks really worth an extra $150-200??

And how late does the party go till?? Is it midnight? This might be a good option for us and I would assume it would clear out a bit later in the evening as those with small kiddos head out. Has this been your experience?

The LAST thing I want to do is end up dragging my non-Disney DH to a super crowded Halloween party & paying extra to be there when the perks aren't worth it. He hates spending money on Disney, so I can only imagine the wrath I'll get...

Oh...and can't you just get your wristband when you enter the park for the day? Say you decide to do the entire day at DL so you come in with your PH tix but have the Party tix as well. Do they have a special gate you can just go through (like with MM) & get your wristband at that time or are you forced to come back?

I agree with KateDrake on the hubby thing...i dont think it will matter whether he goes to the party or not...if hes not a disney fan then ...however, imo, it is TOTALLY worth paying the extra money...back in 09 when they first debuted the fireworks and SM ghost galaxy, everyone got to see it whether you went to the party or not...however, now you only get it if you are going to the party...I love Christmas time at the park but halloween time is my absolute favorite time to go...we've always gone the 3rd week of Oct. on a thursday night and its gone on till midnite....but as i said in the above stament you only have your choice of going tuesday or friday now...tuesday was till 11pm and friday midnite...

they have a special area set up behind the turnstyles to hand out wristbands and bags...we have always had to line up like we do when we go into the park ..there has never been a special "gate" that Im aware of...

I'm also trying to figure out which day to attend. I'm leaning towards the Tuesday (it'll be our first day at the parks). I really hope ticket prices come out soon, I'm dying to know how much I'll need to save.

last year the regular prices were between $49 and $64 depending on what day you went and if you purchased in advance and $59 and $64 at the door...AP holders got it for $44 advance and $59 day of...im assuming they will raise it at least $5 if not more this year

 

[BeckWhy]

Not to change the subject but... everyone keeps saying that DL is really busy during Mickey's Halloween Party. Does that mean DCA is less busy because people are attending Mickey's Halloween Party?

Can you still see the Halloween fireworks from the Esplanade?

 

[nicolispicoli]

Not to change the subject but... everyone keeps saying that DL is really busy during Mickey's Halloween Party. Does that mean DCA is less busy because people are attending Mickey's Halloween Party?

Can you still see the Halloween fireworks from the Esplanade?

I think the consensus is that DCA remains busy until close because those who did not buy party tickets rush over there come 7:00PM.

Also, I think you can see part of the halloween fireworks from there, but given the show, it's not a great view.

 

[BeckWhy]

I think the consensus is that DCA remains busy until close because those who did not buy party tickets rush over there come 7:00PM.

Also, I think you can see part of the halloween fireworks from there, but given the show, it's not a great view.

Thanks!

And another question. How fast do the ticket sell out for the Halloween Party? I'd probably be doing the first day, whatever day that is (unless they don't have one in September). I know WDW they sell so many presale and they go fast.

 

[nicolispicoli]

Thanks!

And another question. How fast do the ticket sell out for the Halloween Party? I'd probably be doing the first day, whatever day that is (unless they don't have one in September). I know WDW they sell so many presale and they go fast.

I know they go on sale far in advance, but I've seen some random dates sell out beforehand when the dates closer to Halloween were still available a week or so out. I don't think they sell out as quick as people think they do. It seems so to us because we're dis'ers, but I don't think the general population knows or cares as early as we do. They also have a certain amount they sell the day of, but by party time, most of them are sold out.

If you're planning on going to the first one, I would assume it would be pretty busy and I would buy as soon as I could. Do you have an AP? They still haven't released those dates for AP or public, but hopefully after all this Carsland media stuff settles down a tad, they'll give em up.

 

[BeckWhy]

I know they go on sale far in advance, but I've seen some random dates sell out beforehand when the dates closer to Halloween were still available a week or so out. I don't think they sell out as quick as people think they do. It seems so to us because we're dis'ers, but I don't think the general population knows or cares as early as we do. They also have a certain amount they sell the day of, but by party time, most of them are sold out.

If you're planning on going to the first one, I would assume it would be pretty busy and I would buy as soon as I could. Do you have an AP? They still haven't released those dates for AP or public, but hopefully after all this Carsland media stuff settles down a tad, they'll give em up.

No AP, just Disney Visa. But we'll see how I feel. I've skipped on MNSSHP and MVMCP a few times in WDW. I am waiting for those dates though. With my luck, I'll decide I want to go and then they won't have it the last Friday in September.

Is the only way you get to see the Space Mountain Halloween thing is if you do Mickey's Halloween Party?

 

[nicolispicoli]

No AP, just Disney Visa. But we'll see how I feel. I've skipped on MNSSHP and MVMCP a few times in WDW. I am waiting for those dates though. With my luck, I'll decide I want to go and then they won't have it the last Friday in September.

Is the only way you get to see the Space Mountain Halloween thing is if you do Mickey's Halloween Party?

I am pretty sure I read on the other thread that there will indeed be a party on the last Friday in September, so if you wanted to go, you're in luck. Although, that will be the first one, so I would buy tickets as soon as they go on sale to the public. Kind of a bummer if you're on the fence though. However, even with that, I don't think they'll sell out overnight or anything, well depending when they go on sale! LOL.

Also, the space mountain overlay for Halloweentime is round the clock for the duration of the halloween decor, it is not special to the party. There are other decorations and special effects like the river fog that are special for the parties, but the overlay for SM you'll be able to experience no matter what if you go during that time.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

Not to change the subject but... everyone keeps saying that DL is really busy during Mickey's Halloween Party. Does that mean DCA is less busy because people are attending Mickey's Halloween Party?

Can you still see the Halloween fireworks from the Esplanade?

as a pp stated, they all go over to DCA if they dont have party tix but this year especially it will be more crowded than normal due to CL...and yeah you can see the fireworks

I am waiting for those dates though. With my luck, I'll decide I want to go and then they won't have it the last Friday in September.

oh no they will have it the last friday in sept for sure.....but it will be crowded...in fact any friday will be crowded...unfortunately this year i will have to do it on a friday *sigh*

 

[BeckWhy]

as a pp stated, they all go over to DCA if they dont have party tix but this year especially it will be more crowded than normal due to CL...and yeah you can see the fireworks



oh no they will have it the last friday in sept for sure.....but it will be crowded...in fact any friday will be crowded...unfortunately this year i will have to do it on a friday *sigh*

My travel dates are Sept 26th thru Oct 2nd, so I would really only have the chance to go on Sept 28th. I didn't know they offered other days than Fridays, but I didn't really pay much attention to it.

I was going to go more for the "atmosphere" than the trick or treating. Maybe I'd catch some of the characters (villians), but I like Mickey & Minnie just themselves in their normal attire. IDK I'm weird like that. As for the trick or treating, I'd probably do some lines, but really candy isn't my forte, plus I'd have to either throw it all away or lug it home. I did make a joke with my mom that if I got a lot of candy at Mickey's Halloween Party we wouldn't have to buy candy for the trick or treaters!

 

[disneegrl4eva]

My travel dates are Sept 26th thru Oct 2nd, so I would really only have the chance to go on Sept 28th. I didn't know they offered other days than Fridays, but I didn't really pay much attention to it.

I was going to go more for the "atmosphere" than the trick or treating. Maybe I'd catch some of the characters (villians), but I like Mickey & Minnie just themselves in their normal attire. IDK I'm weird like that. As for the trick or treating, I'd probably do some lines, but really candy isn't my forte, plus I'd have to either throw it all away or lug it home. I did make a joke with my mom that if I got a lot of candy at Mickey's Halloween Party we wouldn't have to buy candy for the trick or treaters!

well im pretty sure that the very first party will be the 28th....and as far as the candy goes..im the exact same way and I do bring home it all and give it out on halloween

 

[MagicMomma1]

Perhaps this question has already been posed elsewhere on Disboards and I'm just not aware of it, but I'm seriously wondering whether the Halloween party will even BE held in DL this yr. Historically the party was always held over at DCA and moved to DL 2 yrs ago b/c of the construction.

Now that the construction has been completed and Carsland is a smash (not to mention DCA is bigger and can hold more guests which equals more money for Disney) will the 2012 Mickey's Halloween Party be held at DCA and NOT Disneyland??????

 

[JadeDarkstar]

id want it in dl i bet they dont want close dca down