HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread #4

[theluckyrabbit]

We love Mickey's Costume Cavalcade and missed seeing it this year. No, it isn't even close to being a full scale parade, but it is really cute and fits the MHP vibe just right. We love singing along with all the kids around us and helping them get excited. And the Country Bears in their tutus were sorely missed this year!

NBC at the El Capitan is a Halloween tradition for us. This year we managed to make it to the last showing of the season. So much fun! And a really fun way to cap off the Halloween season this year.

 

[closetmickey]

I haven't seen it, but understand that they called it a cavalcade because it was not long enough to be considered a parade. Regardless, I still would have preferred that over running the same full parade they run every other night of the week already.

Yes - I agree that it should have been kept for the Halloween parties. Maybe run around 6/7:00 (can remember the hours for the parties offhand) and Paint the Night later...though maybe that would be too much to fit in. Maybe they were thinking that Paint the Night would be a bigger draw for some?

 

[Congo Queen]

Apologies for the lag in time. Here is my 13th hour addition to this thread. I attend the MHP on October 25th and have been meaning to post ever since. OK - so the main thing I will share is that I was surprised by how much I really really liked it. I would absolutely do it again. My kids are 18 and 13 and I thought that we might be too old to enjoy it, and I was worried about heavy crowds as some people had been complaining about that throughout the MHP season. But my kids had a whopping good time and the crowds were totally a non-issue. In fact, to me, a veteran of summer visits, crowds were only moderate at their worst. You could walk on or have a very short wait for most rides which was a delight compared to the day before and the day after (we visited for three days total) when crowds were insane and oppresive. I loooooved being in NOS at night with no F! taking place. It was a pleasure to wander around and enjoy the spooky atmosphere without the herding and chaos of a typical F! night. We did a little trick or treating (but we really weren't there for that). We also didn't care about photos with characters. Just being in Dland at night in costume and enjoying short ride lines and the overall charming atmosphere was a dream. Plus some of the guests had amazing costumes on. We enjoyed seeing them too. The MHP was a highlight of the trip.

The other highlight was Saturday morning 10/24 spent in DCA. The lines for DLand that morning were nuts so we just went to DCA and had a blast riding things like GRR multiple times due to short lines. We saw Aladdin for last time (a long time fav of my DD) and rode everything we wanted to and only stopped at 2pm as it was time for lunch. We hit the upstairs Alfresco Wine Terrace and had a really good meal (flatbread pizza, charcuterie, frito misto) and some delicious wines all in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere above the fray. That is a new go to place for me.

 

[mummabear]

Finally some photos:

 

[Kilala]

Finally some photos:

I love the photos. I will have mine up this weekend.

 

[KiwiMouseGirl]

I've been super organised and have booked my accomodation for next year! I got what I think is a really good rate at the Tropicana Inn which I have never stayed at before. On our past trips we have stayed at the Best Western Plus Pavilions which I love but it will be nice to stay just across the street!!

 

[mummabear]

I love the photos. I will have mine up this weekend.

Sadly it turned out our camera was on its way out, we had to buy a new one about a week later but all the night photos from the start of our trip including both MHP and MNSSHP are pretty rubbish, these are the only ones from MHP that are usable

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Ok, I know it's only February, but there is a very good chance that I may get back to Disneyland for Halloween this year......................you know, have to get my money's worth out of that annual pass!!!!

I am very interested to hear what they come up with this year with so much construction going on in the park. But, oh, those Halloween fireworks.........my absolute favourite.

Roll on October

 

[princesszelda]

We will be going again this year for halloween!

 

[lorijohnhill]

I'm struggling to decide between mid-October and mid-November. We weren't even supposed to be going again for several years, but a friend won a trip and invited us to join her!

 

[Kilala]

I would say the second to last week would be the best if you go in October. It's is still hot before then.
I will be posting photos from last years MHP this wekend

 

[Sherry E]

Hello, Halloween folks (and other DIS folks that I have not 'seen' in a while)!!!!!! Yes, I'm alive and you haven't gotten rid of me (just in case anyone out there was eagerly awaiting my departure)!!!!! I am still knee-deep in Halloween and Holiday Season info, news and chat. I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

We passed the page limit on this thread centuries ago, so at some point in the near future I will have to move us over to a new thread. Nothing is happening on the Halloween front right now, and no news is out, so there is not a big rush, but I will let you know when I've got the new thread open for business.


This year, as we know, is a big ol' question mark in terms of Halloween Time. Last year was a question mark as well, for many reasons, but this year -- since Disneyland is going to be in the throes of construction madness in certain spots -- I really do wonder if MHP will take place in DL... or if Disney will do something like, "In honor of California Adventure's 15th anniversary, Mickey's Halloween Party will be held in DCA." We might have to wait until July for any info, although I would hope that if there were going to be any massive changes to MHP, such as a change in location, the Parks Blog would tell us before July.

Even the start date of Halloween Time this year seems like it could be a mystery. September 9th just seems too early to me. But who knows? I didn't think that DLR would actually begin Halloween Time on September 11th and they did, so they are full of surprises.

I really wonder, too, if Disney is hatching a plan to bring back the pumpkin carvers this year. Speaking of hatching... when spring arrives I will be interested to see if the character eggs and egg decorators are set up anywhere in either park -- and if they are, that might give us a clue as to whether or not the pumpkin carvers could return this year (the Halloween Carnival and the Springtime Roundup took place in the same location that is now gone forever). The Springtime Roundup just barely got started (a couple of years ago), and I would hate to think that the egg decorators won't be back either. I am hoping that Disney has worked something out and thought up another place for them.

In any case, I caved in to a bit of Pumpkin Pandemonium -- months after Halloween was over -- and tried both the Hostess Pumpkin Spice Donettes AND Quaker's Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal. Each was good, but neither one tasted much like pumpkin at all. The Pumpkin Spice Oreos even made it to my 99 Cents Only Store and they were going to be my next purchase, because 99 cents is too good to pass up for a seasonal flavor. But I waited too long to grab a package of the Oreos and they were gone by the time I went back. Anyway, if it's 99 cents I am all about the Pumpkin Pandemonium. It's the full-price stuff that requires a bit more caution and thought!

In approximately 4 months-ish, the early signs of Pumpkin Pandemonium/Halloween Hoopla should be slowly appearing in stores.

That's all for now... and get ready to move into a new Halloween Time Superthread soon!!

​

 

[Dee2015]

I'm struggling to decide between mid-October and mid-November. We weren't even supposed to be going again for several years, but a friend won a trip and invited us to join her!

I so hear you! Our trip was meant to be the once in a lifetime trip from Australia BUT we had SUCH an amazing time that I am literally fighting myself NOT to book tickets back for this year or next. I think the best I'll be able to do is to resist for one year and come back in 2017! Seriously though, they're only young once...well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Disney magic to you all x

 

[lorijohnhill]

I so hear you! Our trip was meant to be the once in a lifetime trip from Australia BUT we had SUCH an amazing time that I am literally fighting myself NOT to book tickets back for this year or next. I think the best I'll be able to do is to resist for one year and come back in 2017! Seriously though, they're only young once...well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Disney magic to you all x

So true! My daughter will be ten this year. Time has gone by so fast. I want her to get as much Disney joy as she can while she's still young enough to wear the costumes she loves so much. That may sound silly, but that's us!

We had a little Disney planning dinner this evening and chose some dates. It looks like we may be going the third week in October (if it's available). We chose two sets of October dates and one set of November dates, so we'll see how it pans out.

My next problem is figuring out how to plan a trip with ONLY two partial days and one full day. LOL! I'm just so happy to be going back, I really have nothing to complain about!

 

[Kilala]

I'm going to wait to post my photos from last years MHPs until we have a new thread

 

[ChloroformSdxn]

For 2014 we were at DLR during Halloweentime, but it was a last minute trip and we didn't do the nighttime party. I'm thinking of taking the kids this year.

How far ahead if time does Disney release the party dates? If I end up having to book before they are released, how frequently throughout the month are they? If we plan on 4 days, is it fairly likely we'll hit one anyway?

 

[Sherry E]

For 2014 we were at DLR during Halloweentime, but it was a last minute trip and we didn't do the nighttime party. I'm thinking of taking the kids this year.

How far ahead if time does Disney release the party dates? If I end up having to book before they are released, how frequently throughout the month are they? If we plan on 4 days, is it fairly likely we'll hit one anyway?

Here is the Disney Parks Blog announcement (which includes the Halloween Party dates) from last year -- http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...he-disneyland-resort-september-11-november-1/.

You can see exactly when they made the announcement and what the dates were.

In a normal year, we can probably expect the Parks Blog to let us know the party dates in July. Maybe late June, if they are feeling generous. If a major change to the party is on the horizon, such as a change in location or a big change in party-exclusive entertainment, they might let us know in May. I would count on July as being the likely time of announcement, though, and anything earlier is a bonus.

Last year there were 17 parties. This year it is always possible that they might add in a few more and bring it up to 20 nights. It's also always a possibility that the party could begin a bit earlier in September than it usually does (which is typically the last Friday in September). There should be parties on every Friday in October. There should be parties on either Tuesday or Monday of every week. There will be a party on Halloween night. And Disney has been adding in more Wednesday night parties too. I would not expect a Saturday or Sunday party this year.

If you're at DLR for 4 days you should be able to catch at least one party. Some of the nights sell out faster than others, but nothing seems to sell out right away. It takes a little while (you can find the sellout dates on page 1 of this thread).

 

[ChloroformSdxn]

Excellent, thank you! I found a set of dates, and it looks like they're every 3 days or so. This year the kids will be old enough to "get" that's it's Halloween, so I'm pretty excited. Even though we didn't do the party in 2014, the decorations were a lot of fun.

 

[Sherry E]

Now that the Food & Wine Festival is (finally) returning to California Adventure, after being gone for the past 5 years (it has not happened at DCA since 2010, in other words), and this IS the year of California Adventure's 15th anniversary, once again I have to think that there is a possibility that the Halloween Party could return to DCA for a year or two. The party has not been held in DCA since 2009, but now that Disney seems to be putting more focus on seasonal events taking place in DCA and even in Downtown Disney... anything is possible. Also, the Rivers of America and the Big Thunder Trail are usually very important locations and atmospheric elements to the party every year, but those will obviously be in the throes of construction by Halloween Time.

We might actually get some real Halloween decorations in DCA this year. Maybe the Halloween Carnival can be reinvented/renamed and return in DCA, too. The pumpkin carvers need a home!

This could even be a year for some sort of -- dare I say -- Christmas party to make a debut in DCA (before eventually moving over to DL down the road). I would not mind a party in DCA at all. A party in DL is what I would have a problem with. A CM at DLR told me a few years back that her feeling was that IF a Christmas party were to happen it would not take place until after the year of the 60th anniversary (which was technically last year, although the festivities are continuing this year).

I am excited to see what happens with this year's special events and seasonal celebrations!

 

[Daisybell911]

Hi all! This will be my first time to DLR and I'm SUPER excited! I'm a bit nervous now though. I booked my trip from 9/9-9/13 and I'm REALLY hoping the Haunted Mansion will be open. That the reason I chose DLR this year, I'm knocking things off my bucket list. I sure hope HM isn't closed for the overlay. How long does it normally take to put it up. I see that it started last year on 9/11. I hope that's the case this year too because that's my birthday and I'll be there to celebrate!