HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread #4

[Sherry E]

Events get scheduled on Sept. 11 all the time anymore, even by Disney at WDW (and even in my native D.C. area). The date seems to have normalized and don't believe its history will be a deterrent to Disney. But it's easy enough to do a soft open on the 11th and list the 12th in all the materials.

Not at Disneyland, they don't. WDW is a bit different. Disneyland never starts the holiday season on or even before Veterans Day anymore, either -- and it's been that way for many years. At one point they did start earlier in November, but for a long time now they have begun only (officially) starting the season after Veterans Day... even though most of the holiday décor and some of the events are in place and up and running before November 11th.

I don't think Halloween Time will start (officially) on 9/11. It's too close to Labor Day, and it would actually be before WDW's own Halloween festivities kick off. Usually, Disneyland's Halloween Time starts after or at least around the same time as WDW's MNSSHP. MNSSHP is starting on 9/15 this year, so I don't expect Halloween Time at DLR to start on 9/11. The only reason why I would even think 9/12 (a Saturday) is a possibility for an official start date is because the season will probably end on a Saturday (10/31), although it could stretch through 11/1 (which has happened in the distant past).

At one point I thought that Halloween Time could even officially begin on 9/10, or just before 9/11 -- just not on 9/11 -- but then I remembered how late Labor Day is happening this year and I think it might be too soon to start Halloween Time immediately after it.

You never know, though -- just when I think I can safely nail Disney down to a pattern, they go and switch things up on me!

This would be so cool! I would love to see MHPs move to DCA this year and that park transformed as well as DLP. And it makes a lot of sense considering the current 60th happenings going on this year. I can see the 60th décor and traditional DLP Halloween décor both work at the same time.

Has this already been covered - how did the holiday décor work when they did the 50th celebration? As far as both Halloween and Christmas. I know they didn't do MHPs then (at least I don't think they did), but what about any special holiday parades or fireworks back then?

In 2005, Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks did not run during the holiday season, to keep the focus on the 50th anniversary. I think the Christmas Fantasy Parade still took place, but I could be wrong. There were holiday decorations around the parks, and IASW Holiday was open as well. Haunted Mansion Holiday was open.

The Halloween Party (after a 9-year absence) actually started up again in 2005, during the 50th anniversary -- but it was in DCA! But Halloween Time, as an official season, did not begin until 2006.

 

[BobearQSI]

I really agree it is way up in the air this year.

If you look on the first page of this thread, you can see the historical start dates of halloween time. When Mickey's Halloween Party moved to Disneyland in 2010, that is when the pattern began of Halloween time starting the second Friday after Labor Day:

2010: Labor Day Sept 6, Halloween Time Sept 17
2011: Labor Day Sept 5, Halloween Time Sept 16
2012: Labor Day Sept 3, Halloween Time Sept 14
2013: Labor Day Sept 2, Halloween Time Sept 13
2014: Labor Day Sept 1, Halloween Time Sept 12

So this is the first year on that schedule where Labor Day falls on the 7th. What's going to happen is anyone's guess. If we were following the pattern, it would start on Sept 18. I will add that if it were to start on the 11th, they would have to close Space Mountain on Labor Day to start the overlay, if they take the same amount of time as they have the past few years. Also, they are busy with the half marathon on Labor Day weekend, so trying to do all holiday decorations in 4 days where they've had 11 days in the past is a stretch. And of course, all the points Sherry's already made regarding the calendar, 60th anniversary, etc. factor in as well.

So I really think everyone's just going to have to wait and see - there really is no better guess at this point. Either we'll hear something, or you could also watch when Disney releases the calendar for the end of August - again, simply going by the patterns, Haunted mansion would close on Aug 24 for a Sept 11 start, or Aug 31 for Sept 18 start, etc.

Personally, I'm really hoping for a later, as I'm going to be there Sept 8th and want to Space Mountain.

 

[Sherry E]

I really agree it is way up in the air this year.

If you look on the first page of this thread, you can see the historical start dates of halloween time. When Mickey's Halloween Party moved to Disneyland in 2010, that is when the pattern began of Halloween time starting the second Friday after Labor Day:

2010: Labor Day Sept 6, Halloween Time Sept 17
2011: Labor Day Sept 5, Halloween Time Sept 16
2012: Labor Day Sept 3, Halloween Time Sept 14
2013: Labor Day Sept 2, Halloween Time Sept 13
2014: Labor Day Sept 1, Halloween Time Sept 12

So this is the first year on that schedule where Labor Day falls on the 7th. What's going to happen is anyone's guess. If we were following the pattern, it would start on Sept 18. I will add that if it were to start on the 11th, they would have to close Space Mountain on Labor Day to start the overlay, if they take the same amount of time as they have the past few years. Also, they are busy with the half marathon on Labor Day weekend, so trying to do all holiday decorations in 4 days where they've had 11 days in the past is a stretch. And of course, all the points Sherry's already made regarding the calendar, 60th anniversary, etc. factor in as well.

So I really think everyone's just going to have to wait and see - there really is no better guess at this point. Either we'll hear something, or you could also watch when Disney releases the calendar for the end of August - again, simply going by the patterns, Haunted mansion would close on Aug 24 for a Sept 11 start, or Aug 31 for Sept 18 start, etc.

Personally, I'm really hoping for a later, as I'm going to be there Sept 8th and want to Space Mountain.

All excellent points (and I appreciate the fact that you looked on page 1 and saw the info I put there!). You're right -- 2010 was a turning point of sorts. The party moved to DL. Halloween Time began starting earlier in September. That was the last year for an October party start date. And the Halloween décor disappeared from DCA!

I forgot about Space Mountain having to close on Labor Day for a 9/11 season start date. I was just thinking that 9/11 seemed too close to Labor Day in general, but with HM already closed at that point, and the half-marathon going on, there would be a lot happening -- that makes me believe even more firmly that Halloween Time will not begin on 9/11.

Chances are we won't have to wait too much longer to find out the MHP dates and Halloween Time start date, assuming that the Parks Blog delivers the news somewhere around the 4th of July again. We're already in June, so we're almost in the home stretch! They'd better not wait until late July to let us know! Then again, last year the Parks Blog decided to tell us the holiday season's November start date... in September. So anything is possible! The more time that passes without a big announcement, the less chance there is of anything out of the ordinary happening with MHP this year or with Halloween Time. I think that if some major event is coming, or something that would impact MHP in a big way, they'd probably do a blog about it very soon, to try to get everyone revved up and excited about it. If time passes and we don't get a big announcement, the only things that might be slightly different this year are the start dates of the season and of MHP.

 

[maltdizzy]

Meh.

Won't change my travel days back to L.A. At best might move my hotel reservation back or forth two days...or just my park plans.

 

[ALittleBitWitchy]

This Superthread is so awesome! Thank you Sherry for keeping us updated.

I have a question concerning Halloween party tickets and annual passes. We let our APs expire early this year. We have an early October trip booked and will be buying APs again before we go (via online or by phone). Do the APs need to be activated for us to buy Halloween party tickets in advance or will the voucher (is that what it's called?) be ok? I hope that made sense.

 

[lorijohnhill]

Last October I was able to purchase my AP and my Halloween tickets in the same phone call.

 

[ALittleBitWitchy]

Thanks lorijohnhill! That would be nice!

 

[IWannaCruise]

I just checked the website. No news yet

 

[Sherry E]

I just checked the website. No news yet

Sadly, no. The website will probably not post news before the Disney Parks Blog announces something -- however, it is worth keeping an eye on the DLR website to see if anything suddenly goes missing!

For example, right now we can pull up certain text and summaries of Halloween Time and Mickey's Halloween Party on the Disneyland website, and it looks like everything will be as normal from the descriptions -- the party will be in Disneyland, the fireworks will be Halloween Screams, etc.

If we ever happen to notice that some of the text or descriptions have suddenly vanished, then that could mean something is brewing!

I keep looking at the Holidays section of the DLR website for the same reason -- not so much because I expect to see anything new, but because I want to see if any of the descriptions and text have been removed. Interestingly, after the paragraph where it says

In anticipation of our coming 2015 holiday celebrations, here’s a look back at some of the Seasonal Events that warmed our hearts and cocoa in 2014!

... it goes on to list some of the events that took place last year. It mentions the Christmas Fantasy Parade -- which is supposedly not happening this year (at all) -- but it does not mention the Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks, which were definitely happening last year but are not happening this year.

So it almost seems as if Disneyland wants us to forget that Believe in Holiday Magic took place in 2014 -- since there is no chance it is happening this year -- but that they haven't fully committed to the "no Christmas parade" concept yet, and don't want to remove it until they figure it out. Supposedly there will be no Christmas parade, but the reference to it is still there.

 

[Meemoo]

Hi there, I have been tuning in to this thread for a while now. We have a 10 night vacation booked for October for DL, first trip in 10 years, the kids first trip ever and probably the last for a long time. We have 10 day park hopper tickets. I am considering the Halloween Party. My kids will be 7 & 9, boy and girl. I am trying to make up my mind as to whether we should do the Halloween Party. Is the experience that different to what we would see during our normal entry aside from the trick or treating? We don't go all out for Halloween in Australia so in that sense it would be a fun experience for the kids, we did a Halloween party at Aulani a couple of years back which they enjoyed, decorated our first ever pumpkin My son is a little scared of well, scary looking things, is there anything particularly scary in the Halloween Party or is it all kept cute scary?

 

[lorijohnhill]

I attended part of a Halloween Party last year, and it was all cute scary, family friendly stuff. The trick or treating was fun! At the party you get to see character in different costumes than you can normally see them wearing. There are also some different characters available during the party. It's a mystery to all of us as to what surprises this year's parties may hold, but it will surely be a good time to be had by all!

 

[Sherry E]

Hi there, I have been tuning in to this thread for a while now. We have a 10 night vacation booked for October for DL, first trip in 10 years, the kids first trip ever and probably the last for a long time. We have 10 day park hopper tickets. I am considering the Halloween Party. My kids will be 7 & 9, boy and girl. I am trying to make up my mind as to whether we should do the Halloween Party. Is the experience that different to what we would see during our normal entry aside from the trick or treating? We don't go all out for Halloween in Australia so in that sense it would be a fun experience for the kids, we did a Halloween party at Aulani a couple of years back which they enjoyed, decorated our first ever pumpkin My son is a little scared of well, scary looking things, is there anything particularly scary in the Halloween Party or is it all kept cute scary?

I'm so glad you're with us here, Meemoo!

It's all cute scary/whimsical, as only Disney can do! The scary Halloween events (which focus more on gore, shock and menacing people popping out at guests and running after them with hatchets and things like that) happen at Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios. Disneyland's celebration of Halloween Time is very family-friendly and palatable for even the youngest visitors.

Because Halloween is something that is not as big of a deal in Australia, I think that attending Mickey's Halloween Party would be a great thing to do.

Assuming that this year's Halloween Time season is not going to be drastically different from previous years' seasons, then what you would see without attending MHP includes: character pumpkins over the Disneyland entrance turnstiles; a giant Mickey pumpkin in Town Square; the Pumpkin Festival on Main Street, which involves lots of expressive gourds perched atop awnings, balconies and in window displays; character-embossed pumpkins representing each land in Disneyland, surrounding the Partners statue; the Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead display in Frontierland; the Ray Bradbury Halloween Tree in Frontierland; Haunted Mansion Holiday; Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy; and the Halloween Carnival/Round-Up at the Big Thunder Ranch area of Frontierland, which includes pumpkin carving (and some awesome character pumpkins), the Conjure a Villain tent, Halloween-themed crafts and games, characters in seasonal attire, a fortuneteller and other entertainment.

There are also lots of Fall and Halloween-ish foods to be enjoyed, both sweet and savory, during that time of year.

Mickey's Halloween Party includes: the fantastic Halloween Screams fireworks; treat trails and stations around Disneyland, and lots of candy; additional spooky effects like fog and Halloween-ish projections on assorted facades; the Character Costume Cavalcade -- a mini-parade of sorts; additional Villains and characters who wouldn't be out in the daytime; some extra merchandise and treats that are exclusive to MHP; and lots of other guests in wacky costumes!

 

[lorijohnhill]

One other thing to mention as far as scary things. My daughter (8) found Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy to be quite scary. In fact, it took my brother everything he had to convince her to give the regular ride a try last month. She was glad she did it, because she loved the ride, but swears she will never set foot in the place when the ghosts are there.

 

[maltdizzy]

My son's first ride on Space Mountian was Ghost Galaxy when he was 3. We felt like horrible parents by going on it with him ...

He loved it! Been a coaster junkie ever since and always looked forward to Ghost Galaxy time.

 

[HopLow1968]

I just hope that they don't sell MHP tickets first and then announce that it will be moved to DCA with minimal decorations, and everything scaled down. I would be upset if I spent money for a ticket to one thing, and then was given a lesser thing. But I have faith that it's all going to turn out wonderful.

 

[IWannaCruise]

My wife doesn't like ghost Galaxy. But we both love HM when 2 holidays collide. We get our picture taken with the giant pumpkin. We dress up and go trick or treating just the two of us. We enjoy the fireworks. We just love the whole experience!! I can't wait !!!

 

[Meemoo]

Thank you for all your tips & warm welcome I think I will wait until they release the details. It honestly wouldn't seem as appealing to me if it was is DCA. I'd rather be in DL enjoying the 60th festivities if that was the case. I think the kids would have so much fun collecting all the candy though, and would be severely disappointed come next year on Halloween in Australia We are spending Halloween at Aulani again this year, we are stopping over in Hawaii on our way home to Sydney to break the dreaded long flight and enjoy paradise They will get to go to Aulani's Halloween party again which consisted of trick or treating, fun games, pumpkin decorating and characters in costume, so weighing up if they really need a double dose of candy (lucky our airline has a very generous baggage allowance!) and 2 x Halloween Parties, I will wait for the juicy details of the DL Party first see what they are offering

I took my daughter on Space Mountain at HKDL when she was around 5. I remember all the tight turns and the speed of it, and thinking the whole time, gosh what have I done - she is probably petrified she is going to slide out! When the ride was over she was in hysterics laughing and wanted to go again, me, not so much! I don't think i'd like Ghost Galaxy, but something tells me my little thrill seeker daughter might. Daddy can take her this time hopefully he can handle it because the tea cups give him a headache!

 

[IWannaCruise]

2 questions. When were dates released last year and were AP holders able to buy tickets before the general public?

 

[tjcrabb]

2 questions. When were dates released last year and were AP holders able to buy tickets before the general public?

According to the first couple of posts (aka "FAQ") it was announced on the disney parks blog 07/02/14 and AP holders were able to purchase them starting 07/16 and then the general public on 07/30. Hope that helps
Tricia

 

[Sherry E]

According to the first couple of posts (aka "FAQ") it was announced on the disney parks blog 07/02/14 and AP holders were able to purchase them starting 07/16 and then the general public on 07/30. Hope that helps
Tricia

That's exactly how it all played out!

I'm so glad that the info on the first page is not getting overlooked -- I leave it there (even if it's from last year or prior) specifically for that reason, so we can reference it to help answer questions and figure out what might or might not be happening in future years!

I can tell you, I am definitely starting to get in the mood for fall and Halloween now. I've had it with summer even though it hasn't even begun yet. We had a pretty mild May in terms of temperatures in SoCal, and the air was comfortable (for me) -- not too warm, not too chilly. Not really humid. All of a sudden, now that it's June, we have been slapped with humidity. The temperature might not even be that warm, but those of you who live in states that deal with humidity all the time (which we don't!) know that the humidity can be just as uncomfortable if not more so. It may only be 75 degrees outside at some point today or right now, but if there is 78% humidity too, it's just not good.

I am ready for some Halloween news!