I know, it is such a shame that the park hours on a Thursday are short so if there isn't a party it is not worth us going as we land (from a 13 hour flight) at 12ish, if there is a party we will rent a car, stay in Anaheim and hit the party, if there was longer park hours we would come to see the new parade/fireworks but since it will close at 8ish then its not worth it which means we wont come to Anaheim at all. We fly out the next morning
So my whole plans are on hold waiting....waiting....waiting...
The fact that DLR doesn't release dates for significant events (like a multi-night Halloween party!) and immensely popular seasons until just a couple of months beforehand (if not later) is maddening! They didn't announce the official holiday/Christmas season dates until September last year
-- and the season started in November! In the past they have told us (or released) the holiday season dates in August, or even July at one point. Why September?
People who want to book their flights and reserve hotel rooms in advance -- for special holiday trips -- either have to wait for Disney to finally post dates on the DLR website or make an announcement in a blog, or they have to find their way to websites like DISboards and others so they can get a sense of when everything will be up and running.
Sometimes I think that Disney doesn't take into account exactly how many people from other states and other countries go to DLR -- especially now, since the "reimagined" version of DCA was introduced in 2012. I mean, I know they crunch numbers and analyze data, and I'm sure they have statisticians in place to tell them exactly what the ratio is of local guests to non-local guests, so they must see proof that there are many more locals and semi-locals in the park than anyone else.
However, all of that said, DLR keeps taking little steps -- little measures here and there -- to treat DLR as more of a vacation destination for a multi-night stay, and to attract visitors who might have otherwise gone to WDW. They do little things to make DLR like WDW in some regards. I am sure that whoever it is that sits down and figures out the DLR schedule for the whole year knows exactly when big events and seasons will happen, but for some reason they hold on to the info until almost the last possible moment.
So they will treat DLR like WDW in some ways, but not in others.
Damn I was thinking that would be quite cool DD3 has just hit 40" and I am dying for her to ride RSR, this would be the only way it would happen this trip.
They could still do the Cavalcade at DCA, don't you think?
They set fireworks off during WOC, do you think they could develop a Hallowscreams for DCA?
There are certainly plenty of ways Disney could make the party happen in DCA again. There could be some sort of Cavalcade or a full parade. There could be a Halloween version of World of Color, if not fireworks. There could be dance stations set up in Cars Land, in Hollywood Land, etc. There could be fog and spooky effects in the Grizzly Peak area, as well as in the Paradise Pier area.
Not counting the super short 2-year run of the Halloween party back in the mid-'90s, basically the Halloween party has been happening for 10 years now. After almost a decade of no Halloween party, it was brought back in 2005 -- and it took place in DCA. After the past 5 years of a party in DL, this could be a good opportunity for Disney to shake things up a bit and do something different with the party for its (unofficial) "10th anniversary." And, because the new nighttime parade and new fireworks will be happening in DL, it would be a perfect time to reintroduce the party in DCA. Frankly, I can't think of a better time.
Alas... unless Disney is somehow keeping things so hush-hush that nothing is leaking out to anyone, it doesn't sound like there are any plans in place to Halloween-ify DCA this year. I suspect they were considering it or toying with the idea at one point, but something tells me that if MHP were going to move back to DCA this year there would be little tidbits trickling/leaking out. Things have been quiet since the year began.
I came here tonight to ask a bunch of questions about Halloween time, only to find every single one answered on post #3!
