HalloweenTime at DLR Info and Photo Superthread #3

[Sherry E]

You know, besides the problem of the overlap hours when regular park visitors AND the MHP ticket holders are sharing the park, I think the issue of the crowds at MHPs gets into how you frame what you want to do at the MHP. You can think of there being two types of party-goers:
1) Locals who did not come for a whole day at the park, and just showed up for the party, so that the party hours are both their time for Halloween magic AND regular park time. These are the people who are gung-ho about getting on rides as much as anything that is exclusive to the MHP event. This is why Star Tours, Indy, et al have massive lines during the party.
and
2) People who are visiting from out of town for at *least* three days in the park, one of which includes the MHP. They have other opportunities to ride those popular rides.
I assume that most people who come to this thread and are considering attending an MHP are in category (2). So if you are, my advice would be to use regular park times to do rides (especially Haunted Mansion, because the line is so insane during the party) and focus on the party-only offerings during the party, like the villains who perhaps were not out during the day, the parade (or cavalcade, if you prefer), the AMAZEBALLS fireworks (which, it felt like, *every* single last person at DL came to see, so just come prepared to deal with a total crushing crunch of people that dissipates all too slowly afterwards), people and costume watching, and, of course, trick-or-treating!
Now, my family did the Ultimate Experience, where we took the Happiest Haunts tour before joining the MHP already in progress. So that did get us on five big rides (Matterhorn, HM, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, Thunder Mountain, and Tower of Terror), which probably helped us feel we had gotten our ride fix before we dove into the party, meeting villains, and letting the kids go crazy running through the treat trails. (We ended up filling to the brim one of those very large reusable grocery bags along with the modest bags provided.) But I don't think it is at all necessary. Just party at the party, coming after a rest if you can so you can easily stay to the very end, when some of the locals have left so the lines do get a little better if you want to catch a last ride or two. (Again, not HM, ST, or Indy.) Hmm, although the locals leaving might more be for weekday parties than Friday ones. Worked for us on Wednesday, Oct 31, so maybe this year's Thursday Halloween will work similarly.
I wonder if most party-goers are in category (1), making the price of the MHP ticket more akin to a "twilight" ticket, where you're just paying for half of a day's attendance (although surely many of the local attendees are also AP holders, who have effectively paid for an entire park day when they bought their AP), rather than those in category (2), who have to pay for the party as an extra on top of their regular admission and who therefore want it to be more like a private, exclusive party with fewer people.

What do you think, Sherry? You seem like someone who goes to both H'ween and Holiday time more to soak up the ambiance rather than thrill ride, and as a local AP holder, have other opportunities to come and seek out rides.

TigerlilyAJ --

Normally I would have tried to reply to you right away..but I got caught up in watching (Next) Food Network Star! I love that show!

You made some very good, insightful points!

Yes, you're right -- I'm not really focused on rides when I make my Halloween and holiday visits to DLR. Actually, the older I get the less I care about rides in general, believe it or not! I visit the park(s) for Halloween Time and the holiday season to celebrate those holidays, soak up the atmosphere and take many, many photos. Also, I guess you could call my trips "fact-finding missions" or information-gathering missions, as I try to observe little details and things that could be of interest for people in this Superthread and in the Christmas Superthread down the road.

I am considered a local to anyone who lives out of state or out of the country, but I'm not really a local, geographically. I'm in L.A. County, while Disneyland is in Orange County. So I typically don't go to the parks outside of Halloween Time and the holiday season unless there is a very specific, special circumstance that brings me there -- such as the Cars Land/Buena Vista Street preview in June 2012.

If I don't go on any other rides the entire season(s), and if I didn't go to the MHP, I would always at least make a point of going on Haunted Mansion Holiday (and It's a Small World Holiday during the holidays). I like to keep up to date on what is happening with those particular ride overlays, if there are any new things added in, etc.

I agree that a portion of locals may hit the rides during the actual party because the lines are perceived to be shorter. However, I also know of people -- not necessarily all "locals," but people who live far away and still go to the parks a few times each year -- who have no interest in hitting the rides during the MHP. They feel that those rides are there all the time and they can go on them any time, so they want to do things at the party that are party-exclusives, such as getting photos with characters, seeing the fireworks and Cavalcade and collecting candy!

I also think that there are people who are at DLR on multi-day visits who do hit the rides on party nights because the lines are long during the day and they hope that the party will offer shorter lines. They may not get another chance to come back to DLR for a long time, so if they can get on some of the DL rides without hideous waits they will take advantage of it.

I know that if I am going to pay for the MHP -- and I don't think it's something I need to do every year, but I plan to do it this year and next year, on Halloween, because it will be a Friday -- I want to do things that I would not be doing in my daily life outside of Disneyland, and also things that I can't do on a normal Halloween Time day in the park. That includes trick or treating! As an adult, where else besides Disneyland do you get to abandon all "age bias" with glee and trick or treat to your heart's content?

I also like to roam around at the party and check out the interesting treat trails and stations, not only for the candy but just to see where they are set up, how fast the lines move, if there are any extra decorations, etc. I don't really spend my party time on rides.

I agree that a large percentage of humanity in general is camped out and waiting for Halloween Screams fireworks! They are awesome and they should be seen, but a lot of people do wait for them! I skipped the Cavalcade last time around, but maybe I will try to see it this year.

I would also choose to stay until the very end of the party if I am paying money to be there, but you're right -- especially on the earlier weeknights there may be some local guests who have to get home a bit early to prepare for work the next day. On Fridays, though, all bets are off and everyone is staying until the bitter end!

I agree with the advice about skipping the rides and focusing on the party-specific things (unless this is your only chance to go on rides, or they are a big priority for you). Even though the lure of the shorter lines for certain (not all) rides is tempting, you are paying for a party and all the trappings that come with it so it makes sense to get all that you can of those offerings!

One other thing I love to do is just look at the costumes! Some folks are very creative and talented when they make their costumes, like the folks dressed as Haunted Mansion ghosts, complete with a wheelchair decked out as a Doom Buggy. Other costumes had me laughing out loud, like the guy in the giant Crayola crayon costume.

I remember standing in line at a treat station and saying to Liza/funatdisney -- as we observed this enormous blob of fur and feathers waddling along up ahead of us - "I love that a giant yellow chicken is just moseying through the treat line. Gotta love trick or treating at Disneyland!!"

With you 100% on the Halloween decoration ideas, Sherry! Basically, the possibilities for both CL and BVS seem pretty endless to me in that department, and since they did such a good job on the Christmas themes in both areas, I can only imagine the fun they could bring to them at Halloween... I wish I could've gone to MHP back when it was at DCA, before CL and BVS. As fun as the DL version sounds, the idea of the party happening in DCA pre-remodel I find kind of interesting. Of course, I'm sure the DL MHP will definitely be cool (DL is still my favorite park, even if DCA at nighttime is pretty magnificent). Anywho, I did have a question I was hoping someone could answer about the fireworks? I was wondering where's the best spot to view the show. Hopefully someone knows a "secluded" (using the word lightly, of course, being that we're talking about DL and all...) part with a nice view? We usually see the fireworks from the concierge at the DLH, so this is a little new to us.

DisneyFan3113 --

I actually enjoyed the party when it used to be held in DCA. It didn't feel as crowded to me as it feels in Disneyland, and it gave DCA a reason to be decorated for the season so that Disneyland wasn't the only park with Halloween decor! I loved the candy corn-colored CALIFORNIA letters in front of DCA! I liked that the Villains had photo spots during the daytime in the Hollywood Backlot area. I loved the candy corn hanging from the Golden Gate Bridge, and stuck in various planters.

Now, even though a full-fledged Candy Corn Acres might not be possible, it seems that something more could be done with DCA for Halloween than what has been going on for the last few years. I think the treat trails in Disneyland are interesting during the party, but I kind of wish it were still being held in DCA. Disney could do an all-Halloween World of Color too!

In the Halloween Time call-in show and podcast from last year (I posted the link on the previous page, I think -- it's in the post about treats), there is discussion on where to stand for Halloween Screams fireworks. Maybe that will help somewhat, if you get a chance to listen.

I could tell you where I stood for the fireworks, but that's not necessarily where I would recommend anyone to stand -- so I will defer to TigerlilyAJ or someone else who may have scored a better viewing spot!

 

[dnamertz]

I hear a lot of people saying that they get tons of candy from the trick-or-treat lines, but how is the candy? Is it good candy, not that gross Dollar Tree chocolate?

 

[Sherry E]

I hear a lot of people saying that they get tons of candy from the trick-or-treat lines, but how is the candy? Is it good candy, not that gross Dollar Tree chocolate?

There may be a bit of both types!

What I collected the last time I went to the MHP included a lot of apple slices -- I made sure to ask for apple packets and/or baby carrot packs at any treat station that had them (not all of them do) -- and raisins. I also got a lot of Nestle Crunch mini-bars, Twix and M&M's. I think I got some Kit Kats too. Milky Way bars. That sort of thing. There were other well-known brand name chocolate miniatures, but I am blanking out on whether they were in the Hershey family of candy, in the Nestle family or in the Mars family of candy. I also got some Dots.

And there will be lots and lots of Tootsie products -- Tootsie rolls, small and large, Tootsie pops, fruit-flavored Tootsies, etc.

There are always some unknown candies in the stash too...candies that no human has ever tried or heard of

Back when the party was held in DCA, there used to be Ghirardelli miniatures handed out at the treat stations. When the party moved to Disneyland that stopped, which is odd since there is a Ghirardelli in DCA and they hand out samples every day!

 

[Vala]

Back when the party was held in DCA, there used to be Ghirardelli miniatures handed out at the treat stations. When the party moved to Disneyland that stopped, which is odd since there is a Ghirardelli in DCA and they hand out samples every day!

They had Ghirardelli the first year after the move. But only at one station and it was totally hidden. We only found it by chance when walking back from PFF - they were cleaning up, one of their boxes had burst and we got to be the lucky people who carried away the leftovers.

 

[Sherry E]

They had Ghirardelli the first year after the move. But only at one station and it was totally hidden. We only found it by chance when walking back from PFF - they were cleaning up, one of their boxes had burst and we got to be the lucky people who carried away the leftovers.

Hi, Vala!

That was lucky timing!

I'm glad you're still in this thread because, if I recall correctly, didn't you say that you won't be doing a Disneyland Halloween visit this year? Or am I thinking of someone else? In any case, I think a lot of people drop out of the thread if they don't have any Halloween plans in the works -- even if their experiences during previous Halloween Time seasons are helpful and should be shared!

So, the Ghirardelli hand-outs at the party disappeared after 2010 then, correct? I know that I hit every single treat trail and station during the party I went to -- with the exception of one that I somehow unintentionally overlooked in the French Market -- and there was no Ghirardelli to be found. I don't recall anyone saying they got any Ghirardelli last year, either?

It makes no sense to not hand out Ghirardelli now (and last year) because of the actual Ghirardelli presence at Disneyland Resort! Maybe if the party were going to be held in DCA again we'd see the return of the Ghirardelli hand-outs! I wonder if Ghirardelli is just too expensive for Disney to buy in large quantities for parties. (It's not cheap.) It's cheaper for them to get other brands in bulk -- like many, many, many Tootsie Rolls!

But wouldn't it be a good promotion for the Ghirardelli store in DCA to give out their candy during the parties? Wouldn't it make people more inclined to buy something at that store while at DLR?

 

[msbatchelor5]

So, with this new Information... Do you think Space Mtn and Haunted Mansion will STILL be closed on the 13th?

 

[CasandraC]

I'm planning my trip and trying to decide when would be the best time to go. I was originally thinking that week before Halloween, but heard some area schools are out that Thursday and Friday. I also heard that Utah has a fall break the week before that. So, now I'm wondering if the week of the 6th would be better. My daughter's birthday is the 26th and wanted to tie that in to the trip, but as far as I understand she doesn't have to be in Disneyland on her birthday to be able to do birthday stuff. I was also planning on going for 3 days, but now since we want to do MHP I'm wondering if we should do 2 full days and the party, 3 days with one day including the party night, or 3 full days and a party night. I also don't want to plan to go and have 2 days of our trip fall on MHP so we have to leave early one and be stuck with the DCA crowded. Thanks for any opinions or information!

 

[Sherry E]

So, with this new Information... Do you think Space Mtn and Haunted Mansion will STILL be closed on the 13th?

msbatchelor5 --

New information? Which information? I'm asking because I don't know if I missed some breaking news somewhere along the line. Are you referring to the Villains thing? That has been in the Limited Time Magic roster of events since LTM was first announced way back when -- it's just that we don't have all the details of the Villains thing yet.

In any case, when the Halloween Time season begins at Disneyland, Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy will be open! They are huge parts of that season, so as long as the season is starting on 9/13 this year, those two rides will be open on that day.

I'm planning my trip and trying to decide when would be the best time to go. I was originally thinking that week before Halloween, but heard some area schools are out that Thursday and Friday. I also heard that Utah has a fall break the week before that. So, now I'm wondering if the week of the 6th would be better. My daughter's birthday is the 26th and wanted to tie that in to the trip, but as far as I understand she doesn't have to be in Disneyland on her birthday to be able to do birthday stuff. I was also planning on going for 3 days, but now since we want to do MHP I'm wondering if we should do 2 full days and the party, 3 days with one day including the party night, or 3 full days and a party night. I also don't want to plan to go and have 2 days of our trip fall on MHP so we have to leave early one and be stuck with the DCA crowded. Thanks for any opinions or information!

Welcome, CasandraC!

Chances are, if you were to do a 3-day trip, only one night would be an MHP night during your visit (it's an educated guess). Most likely, the parties would be 3 days apart, i.e., a party on a Tuesday and a party on a Friday, or maybe a party on a Monday and a party on a Thursday during Halloween week (though they could do a Tuesday and Thursday party in that week). I don't think you'd run into more than one party night whenever you go.

Yesterday I posted links to the hours from September and October of last year (in a reply to dnamertz), so that should give you a good idea of what park hours will probably be like this year on party nights and non-party nights.

As for school breaks and things like that, every time I think I have a window of time narrowed down in which there will be no breaks and no particular reasons why the parks should be extra crowded, someone tells me that there is a break or an event of some kind! Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about school breaks because it seems there will always be some sort of break during a Fall trip!

I think the week before Halloween -- and closer to your daughter's birthday -- will be a great time to go! When Disney has offered Fall hotel discounts in the past, they usually included the week before Halloween in the discounts (not the week OF Halloween, to be clear) -- which means that Disney expected fewer people in that week and wanted to increase attendance.

 

[dnamertz]

I thought I read earlier that MHP tickets go on sale first to AP holders and Disney Visa Card holders. I don't have an AP, but I do have a Disney Visa card...does this only apply if I use the Disney Visa to pay for the MHP tickets?

 

[Sherry E]

I thought I read earlier that MHP tickets go on sale first to AP holders and Disney Visa Card holders. I don't have an AP, but I do have a Disney Visa card...does this only apply if I use the Disney Visa to pay for the MHP tickets?

dnamertz --

Correct. The AP holders, Disney Visa card holders and Disney Vacation Club owners are usually able to purchase tickets (discounted for certain nights) in advance of the general public ticket sales.

I am fairly certain (though I could always be wrong) that if you apply a Disney Visa discount to your purchase, you have to pay for the tickets with your Disney Visa. You would also have to order them over the phone to get the discount with the Visa, if I am remembering correctly, whereas the AP people can just order from the AP site.

If I recall correctly, I think that DIS'er Girimama33 said that she discovered (last year) that, for some odd reason, the DVC owners and Disney Visa holders were able to buy their tickets even before the AP holders -- which was not announced beforehand, so no one knew of this. I don't know why or how it would have gone that way, but I recall her saying that she stumbled upon that bit of info and bought her tickets as soon as she found out. I can't recall which phone number she called to find that bit of info out. I will look for the thread/post where she posted that info and link it for you.

In any case, I don't think anyone can buy any tickets until the actual party dates are released, but you may, possibly, be able to get your tickets even before the AP holders get them if that info from last year is applicable to this year too! At the very latest you'd be able to get your ticket at the same time the AP holders could get theirs.

 

[dnamertz]

dnamertz --

When the MHP dates are officially announced, only the times/dates involved with the actual party will be released. Whatever the start and end times are for the parties will be indicated. And with all party tickets you can either get into Disneyland at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. -- depending on which day of the week it is (an early weeknight or a Friday, respectively).

As far as just the regular/general September and October park hours and schedules, I don't anticipate that Disneyland will release those now. They are usually on the slow side when it comes to releasing park hours and entertainment, and often don't put that info up on their site until 6 weeks ahead of time.

The September hours/park entertainment info from 2012 is here.

The October hours/park entertainment schedule from 2012 is here.

Maybe last year's hours/schedule will give you a good idea of what to expect for this year.

Thanks for the info. Now I need some advice about which day to do the MHP. We will be there Mon Oct 21 throught Fri Oct 25. Assuming the park dates/times and party dates/times are the same as last year there would be parties on Tuesday and Friday during our stay, so here are my two options:

Option 1. Do the MHP on Tuesday (party time 6pm to 11pm). Pros - This would give us 3 extra hours in the parks for out total trip, because if we chose not to do the party that night we would only be able to stay in DCA until 8pm. Also, party would possible be less crowded than the Friday party toward the end of the night. Cons - Doing the Tues party means that on Friday we would have to go into DCA from 7pm to midnight. My guess is DCA will be PACKED during that time from all the Friday guests who are not doing the party. Is this usully the case? Also, staying up til almost midnight on the 2nd day of our trip will make it ulikely that our 6 year old will be able to get up the next morning in time to make it anywhere close to the the 9am rope drop. For this reason, we usually like our trips during the shorter hour off-seasons and having our last day be a Friday so we can stay up til midnight and only have to worry about getting up the next day in enough time to check-out of the hotel.

Option 2. Do the MHP on Friday (party time 7pm to midnight). Pros - Won't have to worry about staying up late on Tuesday/getting up early Wednesday. Cons - Party will possibly be crowded all the way til midnight. Also, will get 3 less total hours in the parks during the trip.

I'm leaning toward option 2 (doing the Friday party) because I don't think those 3 extra hours will be that beneficial, especially if we have to miss an hour of the park opening on Wednesday morning and if we have to deal with a packed DCA for 5 hours on Friday night.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the info. Now I need some advice about which day to do the MHP. We will be there Mon Oct 21 throught Fri Oct 25. Assuming the park dates/times and party dates/times are the same as last year there would be parties on Tuesday and Friday during our stay, so here are my two options:

Option 1. Do the MHP on Tuesday (party time 6pm to 11pm). Pros - This would give us 3 extra hours in the parks for out total trip, because if we chose not to do the party that night we would only be able to stay in DCA until 8pm. Also, party would possible be less crowded than the Friday party toward the end of the night. Cons - Doing the Tues party means that on Friday we would have to go into DCA from 7pm to midnight. My guess is DCA will be PACKED during that time from all the Friday guests who are not doing the party. Is this usully the case? Also, staying up til almost midnight on the 2nd day of our trip will make it ulikely that our 6 year old will be able to get up the next morning in time to make it anywhere close to the the 9am rope drop. For this reason, we usually like our trips during the shorter hour off-seasons and having our last day be a Friday so we can stay up til midnight and only have to worry about getting up the next day in enough time to check-out of the hotel.

Option 2. Do the MHP on Friday (party time 7pm to midnight). Pros - Won't have to worry about staying up late on Tuesday/getting up early Wednesday. Cons - Party will possibly be crowded all the way til midnight. Also, will get 3 less total hours in the parks during the trip.

I'm leaning toward option 2 (doing the Friday party) because I don't think those 3 extra hours will be that beneficial, especially if we have to miss an hour of the park opening on Wednesday morning and if we have to deal with a packed DCA for 5 hours on Friday night.

dnamertz --

You're very welcome!

Oh, before I forget -- as promised in my post to you above, I located Girimama33's thread from last year about purchasing MHP tickets with her Disney Visa before they were available to AP holders (and it was also not announced in any Disney press that Visa holders could buy ahead of AP holders).

If you scroll down the first page of that thread you will see that someone posted a phone number as well. Maybe you can call it and see if they have any clue when Visa folks can buy their MHP tickets.

Here is the link: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2950259

I actually closed her thread because I didn't want to risk it being revived and people getting confused (if they don't realize it was a 2012 thread and the info may or may not be applicable to this year), but I think that it is good for people who wish to buy MHP tickets with their DVC discounts or Disney Visa discounts to know! You may have your MHP tickets before the AP holders have theirs!

Anyway, about your options of when to do the MHP -- even before you said you were leaning towards Option 2, I was thinking that Option 2 sounded better for your family than Option 1! I think that it being the last night of your trip would work well with being able to stay until the end and not having to wake up extra, extra early the next day, and also it could be a nice way to cap off the trip!

 

[thepoohguy]

We will be there at the same time. Flying in on the 22nd and leaving on the 27th. We will either do Tuesday night (which will make for a very long day after flying to LAX from Detroit), or probably not go at all.

We have only done MVMCP at WDW once and have never been to WDW or DL at Halloween time. We have 3 day hoppers right now, but I will probably add days when we get there. Upset that DL doesn't bridge tickets like WDW does. I get a 12% discount on tickets through work but they only offer up to 3 day tickets.

We have only been to DL once, and I'm not sure how easy it will be to maneuver around as I will be pushing my dw around in a wheelchair. I'm used to doing that at WDW, but I'm not sure how significantly different the terrain is at DL.

 

[dnamertz]

dnamertz --

You're very welcome!

Oh, before I forget -- as promised in my post to you above, I located Girimama33's thread from last year about purchasing MHP tickets with her Disney Visa before they were available to AP holders (and it was also not announced in any Disney press that Visa holders could buy ahead of AP holders).

If you scroll down the first page of that thread you will see that someone posted a phone number as well. Maybe you can call it and see if they have any clue when Visa folks can buy their MHP tickets.

Here is the link: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2950259

I actually closed her thread because I didn't want to risk it being revived and people getting confused (if they don't realize it was a 2012 thread and the info may or may not be applicable to this year), but I think that it is good for people who wish to buy MHP tickets with their DVC discounts or Disney Visa discounts to know! You may have your MHP tickets before the AP holders have theirs!

Anyway, about your options of when to do the MHP -- even before you said you were leaning towards Option 2, I was thinking that Option 2 sounded better for your family than Option 1! I think that it being the last night of your trip would work well with being able to stay until the end and not having to wake up extra, extra early the next day, and also it could be a nice way to cap off the trip!

I'm guessing DCA will also be crowded Tuesday during the party, but it's only 2 hours since DCA will probably close at 8pm that day. Plus, Tuesday is the morning I plan on doing rope drop at DCA since it's not an EMH (and we'll be staying off-site). So, that morning I also plan on getting a RSR FP for later that night....so we'll have a FP when DCA is crowded.

 

[Vala]

Hi, Vala!

That was lucky timing!

I'm glad you're still in this thread because, if I recall correctly, didn't you say that you won't be doing a Disneyland Halloween visit this year? Or am I thinking of someone else? In any case, I think a lot of people drop out of the thread if they don't have any Halloween plans in the works -- even if their experiences during previous Halloween Time seasons are helpful and should be shared!

So, the Ghirardelli hand-outs at the party disappeared after 2010 then, correct? I know that I hit every single treat trail and station during the party I went to -- with the exception of one that I somehow unintentionally overlooked in the French Market -- and there was no Ghirardelli to be found. I don't recall anyone saying they got any Ghirardelli last year, either?

It makes no sense to not hand out Ghirardelli now (and last year) because of the actual Ghirardelli presence at Disneyland Resort! Maybe if the party were going to be held in DCA again we'd see the return of the Ghirardelli hand-outs! I wonder if Ghirardelli is just too expensive for Disney to buy in large quantities for parties. (It's not cheap.) It's cheaper for them to get other brands in bulk -- like many, many, many Tootsie Rolls!

But wouldn't it be a good promotion for the Ghirardelli store in DCA to give out their candy during the parties? Wouldn't it make people more inclined to buy something at that store while at DLR?

That was last year when I had to cancel my trip. This year I am so back. I was still keeping an eye on that topic, but I've been sick forever and wasn't exactly the fastest with posting lately.

I can't recall anyone saying anything about Ghirardelli either after 2010. I fully agree with you, especially with the new store it would be good promo to get them back.

 

[Sherry E]

We will be there at the same time. Flying in on the 22nd and leaving on the 27th. We will either do Tuesday night (which will make for a very long day after flying to LAX from Detroit), or probably not go at all.

We have only done MVMCP at WDW once and have never been to WDW or DL at Halloween time. We have 3 day hoppers right now, but I will probably add days when we get there. Upset that DL doesn't bridge tickets like WDW does. I get a 12% discount on tickets through work but they only offer up to 3 day tickets.

We have only been to DL once, and I'm not sure how easy it will be to maneuver around as I will be pushing my dw around in a wheelchair. I'm used to doing that at WDW, but I'm not sure how significantly different the terrain is at DL.

thepoohguy --

I think it's a good idea to start with 3 day Hoppers and then add more when you get there. You never know -- maybe you won't feel that you need more days once you're there and settled in. It's good to have the option to add extra days if you need to, but not be stuck with the extra days if you don't!

As for the wheelchair and the terrain at DLR -- I was hoping that someone else with specific experience in that area would have spoken up on this issue to help you. I've never been to WDW, but from all that I've seen, read and heard about it I can't imagine that the Disneyland Resort terrain would be any tougher to work with - especially if you are accustomed to pushing the chair and it's not a new thing for you.

One thing I will say is that when my friend and her family from out of state visited DLR in December 2011, they were initially planning on getting a wheelchair for my friend's father. I advised against it, only because I know my friend and I know how she is, and I knew that she'd be trying to get everyone else in the group (including me!) to push the chair around the parks so that she didn't have to do it. And I knew that when it came to certain slight inclines (like in Frontierland, back near the Round-Up, and a couple of spots in DCA), my friend would not enjoy pushing the chair. But again, my advice to them to not get the chair was specifically based on what I knew of them as people and how they would handle it.

So, ultimately, my friend and her family took my advice and got her dad a scooter/ECV. They were happy, and so was he. It wasn't inexpensive but they said it was a worthwhile investment. It's not necessarily for everyone, but I think in their case it was a good idea.

I'm guessing DCA will also be crowded Tuesday during the party, but it's only 2 hours since DCA will probably close at 8pm that day. Plus, Tuesday is the morning I plan on doing rope drop at DCA since it's not an EMH (and we'll be staying off-site). So, that morning I also plan on getting a RSR FP for later that night....so we'll have a FP when DCA is crowded.

dnamertz --

Good thinking! I think you're right. As popular as the MHP is, there will be quite a few people who don't want to attend it and they will head over to DCA.

What I am actually very curious about is whether or not there could possibly be a slight drop-off in party attendance this year, in comparison to last year. I think there were certain 'mitigating factors,' I guess you could call them, that contributed to the seemingly fast sell-out of so many party nights last year, and to the sell-out of at least 10 out of the 11 party nights, if not all 11 nights. (The only night that hadn't sold out up until a few nights beforehand was the party right before Halloween, oddly, but I think it finally sold out at the last minute.)

I think that one huge factor in the increased party popularity last year (compared to 2011, let's say) was the exclusivity of the Villains. Their regular daily photo spot was removed, and instead there was the "Conjure Up a Villain" thing at the Carnival/Round-Up, where you could meet one Villain (whoever was on duty at that moment, I guess). At the party there were Villains galore. The fact that the Villains were made to be more exclusive to the party than in previous years contributed to the interest in meeting them.

Another factor, I think, in the increased party popularity last year was simply the Cars Land allure. Since Cars Land and Buena Vista Street were brand new, and since DCA was being touted and sold as a "re-imagined" park, I think that a lot of the people who wanted to see the new DCA and Cars Land (maybe many of them were first-time DLR guests) decided to buy MHP tickets too. The novelty of the new DCA reeled a lot of people in last year, and the MHP benefited from it.

This year, Cars Land has settled in a bit and the novelty is slowly wearing off over time -- of course there are still people who haven't seen it, but it's not "brand new" anymore. And now that this Villains/Limited Time Magic thing is taking place on 9/13, I wonder if the crowds for all of the party nights might decrease this year, ever-so-slightly. If the Villains are out and about in the daytime, the need to buy tickets to see them at the MHP lessens a little for some people, I would think.

Of course, if we find out that the MHP is going to include some brand new 'thing' in it this year -- some new event or new element -- we know it will lure people in. Short of that, however, I will be interested to observe how the season goes, crowd-wise, and how the MHP nights play out (if they sell out as fast, etc.).

That was last year when I had to cancel my trip. This year I am so back. I was still keeping an eye on that topic, but I've been sick forever and wasn't exactly the fastest with posting lately.

I can't recall anyone saying anything about Ghirardelli either after 2010. I fully agree with you, especially with the new store it would be good promo to get them back.

Vala --

I'm glad you're back in the Halloween swing of things this year (I know how much you love Halloween Time at Disneyland) and I hope you're feeling better and back to normal!

It would be a great promo for the Ghirardelli shop in DCA if the CMs handed out Ghirardelli miniatures at the treat stations. Not only Ghirardelli, of course -- it's good to have a mix of different brands of chocolates, healthy snacks and the ever-present "weird candies that no one has ever heard of" -- but a couple of pieces would be nice.

I have to make a point of going into the Ghirardelli shop and getting one of their pumpkin chocolate samples. I was all about the peppermint bark samples during the holiday season! Yum!

 

[DisneyFan3113]

Hmm... seems like a lot of people on here are going about the same time we are---for us, the 21st of Oct. to the 26th. Is that generally a busy time? On the website isitpacked.com, they predict the three days before Halloween will be a ghost town, less busy than the week we've chosen. Is it possible that the following week might be less crowded? Funny, I had predicted the other way around. Looks like some people had the same thought I did in trying to avoid the school breaks, holidays, Gay Days, etc. Lol!

 

[CrAzY4DL]

This feels like information overload!! Super confused, LOL. We were originally planning on going to DLR 10/3 and 10/4 and get the dessert buffet for Fridays Fantasmic! showing but now I see that there are Halloween parties both of those nights. Sigh. We've never been during a Halloween party so TOTALLY feeling overwhelmed and unprepared, hahaha!

1-So, if we went to DCA on Wednesday, 10/2 and did everything we wanted there, what would be the advantage to going to the Halloween party at DL Thursday versus Friday?

2-Will Fantasmic! play either of those nights?

We're looking to spend 2 to 2.5 days in the park (2 full days and then do the half as just the party without getting a park ticket during the day). We can't change our dates, sigh as my dad had to fight to get that week off of work and can't change that and DH has a marathon in San Jose on the 6th.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!!​

 

[dnamertz]

This feels like information overload!! Super confused, LOL. We were originally planning on going to DLR 10/3 and 10/4 and get the dessert buffet for Fridays Fantasmic! showing but now I see that there are Halloween parties both of those nights. Sigh. We've never been during a Halloween party so TOTALLY feeling overwhelmed and unprepared, hahaha!

1-So, if we went to DCA on Wednesday, 10/2 and did everything we wanted there, what would be the advantage to going to the Halloween party at DL Thursday versus Friday?

2-Will Fantasmic! play either of those nights?

We're looking to spend 2 to 2.5 days in the park (2 full days and then do the half as just the party without getting a park ticket during the day). We can't change our dates, sigh as my dad had to fight to get that week off of work and can't change that and DH has a marathon in San Jose on the 6th.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!!​

I don't know that Halloween party dates have been announced yet, other than the 1st party on 9/30 (or did I miss something). Whenever the parties are, I'm guessing there will not be parties on both Thursday and Friday of the week you mentioned...it will probably be on Friday. However, there usually are no Fantasmic showings during the weeknights that time of year...only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. But since there is usually a party every Friday night in October, it looks like Fantasmic is limited to Sat and Sun nights during that month.

 

[Sherry E]

This feels like information overload!! Super confused, LOL. We were originally planning on going to DLR 10/3 and 10/4 and get the dessert buffet for Fridays Fantasmic! showing but now I see that there are Halloween parties both of those nights. Sigh. We've never been during a Halloween party so TOTALLY feeling overwhelmed and unprepared, hahaha!

1-So, if we went to DCA on Wednesday, 10/2 and did everything we wanted there, what would be the advantage to going to the Halloween party at DL Thursday versus Friday?

2-Will Fantasmic! play either of those nights?

We're looking to spend 2 to 2.5 days in the park (2 full days and then do the half as just the party without getting a park ticket during the day). We can't change our dates, sigh as my dad had to fight to get that week off of work and can't change that and DH has a marathon in San Jose on the 6th.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!!​

I think your confusion is now confusing me.

We don't have the Mickey's Halloween Party (MHP) dates at Disneyland yet, as far as I know. Do we? Have they just come out? Where did you see dates for this year's MHP? We only know what the dates were last year. The dates for WDW's MNSSHP were released a couple of weeks ago, I think.

I posted links to the 2012 October hours for dnamertz a page or two back -- looking at last year's hours will give you a good idea of what was running or not running (like Fantasmic!) on the party nights and on all other nights in the month, because it will probably be that way this year too (except the party dates will be slightly different).