Anyone been on 2009 Happiest haunts tour yet?

[LuvIt]

Thanks so much to those of you that posted reviews of recent tours. I'm quite excited about it now thanks to you! You gave just enough detail - and showed restraint in holding back and leaving some surprises . It's nice to see that you liked it and I'm thinking my DS9 and DH will indeed enjoy it. And how nice that they give you a yummy snack!

About how big is the average tour group? Are we talking 10 people or more like 60? LOL

I thought the reserved fireworks area would be a well positioned roped off area for standing, but from the comments it sounds like actual seats (like off the ground!) are available. Wow, that makes my butt happy

And, really, you can show up just 10-15 minutes before fireworks and still get into the reserved area? WHat do you need to show to get access to the area? We're just there for 1 day so not having to devote over an hour or 2 to staking out a place to see fireworks is a huge timesaver for us!

Interesting that they seem to move the fireworks viewing area around. I hope when we go the Prtner's statue area is available and that it's not in the Carnation Cafe area . . . but if it is, how much of the fireworks show would you estimate would be obstructed? Do the trees actually block some of the front of the castle?

 

[LuvIt]

(bump up!)

 

[Sally_fan]

Thanks so much to those of you that posted reviews of recent tours. I'm quite excited about it now thanks to you! You gave just enough detail - and showed restraint in holding back and leaving some surprises . It's nice to see that you liked it and I'm thinking my DS9 and DH will indeed enjoy it. And how nice that they give you a yummy snack!

About how big is the average tour group? Are we talking 10 people or more like 60? LOL

I thought the reserved fireworks area would be a well positioned roped off area for standing, but from the comments it sounds like actual seats (like off the ground!) are available. Wow, that makes my butt happy

And, really, you can show up just 10-15 minutes before fireworks and still get into the reserved area? WHat do you need to show to get access to the area? We're just there for 1 day so not having to devote over an hour or 2 to staking out a place to see fireworks is a huge timesaver for us!

Interesting that they seem to move the fireworks viewing area around. I hope when we go the Prtner's statue area is available and that it's not in the Carnation Cafe area . . . but if it is, how much of the fireworks show would you estimate would be obstructed? Do the trees actually block some of the front of the castle?

I don't know the exact number of people in our group but it was maybe 16 or so? It wasn't much more than that.

There WERE benches available for sitting on in the reserved seating area. I am not sure how the view was from the benches though. We opted to sit on the ground where we thought the view might be better.

Yes, we really did show up about 15 min prior to the fireworks beginning. That was great!

No worries.....they tell you what you need to show to enter the reserved area. Again, I don't want to give too much away.

This is just from memory & having seen the show from right in front of the castle the night before, my memory won't be great (mixing the 2 nights together) BUT I do remember the trees obstructing the view of some of the castle. I think that the trees were on our left (while facing the castle) & I believe that that part of the castle was tough to see. The show was spectacular all the same! Maybe someone else has a better memory of that part????

 

[LuvIt]

Anyone taken the tour recently?

 

[JennisSilly]

I'd also like to hear some reviews of this tour, my husband and I are booked for Sat the 24th.

We are too at 4:45

 

[joeysmommy]

HI-

Which rides do you get to go on for the HHT?

 

[whodini]

HI-

Which rides do you get to go on for the HHT?

Who knows if they will change it this year, or if they'll even have it. FWIW last year we rode Tower of Terror, Big Thunder, DL Railroad, Space Mountain and then of course The Haunted Mansion.

 

[blackjackdelta]

WAAAAAAAAAH...was able to add a day to our trip and called to make reservations for the HHT today for the 23rd and they were booked. Boo hoo!!!

When is this tour offered?

Jack

 

[DizMe]

When is this tour offered?

Jack

As I recall, it's only offered during the Halloween season. I missed out last year and I don't think I'll be going in Oct this year so I may not get a chance to try it out for a while

 

[RweTHEREyet]

About when do they post the prices and the dates ?

 

[whodini]

I don't think they've even announce the Trick or Treat party dates yet. I feel like last year DL didn't announce their Halloween plans til late, maybe like August? Definitely not as early as WDW announces theirs. I found out the other day that Knott's is starting Haunt the last week of September this year. I'm hoping that with the success of the tour last year, and the addition of the Halloween fireworks, that Halloween will continue to get bigger at DL.

 

[Sherry E]

I don't think they've even announce the Trick or Treat party dates yet. I feel like last year DL didn't announce their Halloween plans til late, maybe like August? Definitely not as early as WDW announces theirs. I found out the other day that Knott's is starting Haunt the last week of September this year. I'm hoping that with the success of the tour last year, and the addition of the Halloween fireworks, that Halloween will continue to get bigger at DL.

DLR announced its full HalloweenTime plans/agenda last year in July - about mid-July-ish. I didn't go to the TOTP last year, but people say the tickets went on sale in May. I think HalloweenTime will begin on 9/24, most likely, barring any sudden changes in pattern.

The TOTP will be in DL this year, and the days are supposed to be held on every Friday, Sunday and Tuesday in October. So that means it will start on 10/1 and end on 10/31. I think that when 2010 began, DLR was not planning to have the TOTP in DL. I think they assumed it would be held in DCA, as usual. But, when the World of Color plans got underway they realized that it would be too much of a logistical problem to have the TOTP in DCA, and thus, the sudden decision to switch it over to DL. This means the prices of the tickets will change (since DL is bigger than DCA). Somewhere in a conference room right now, people at Disney are likely planning out how the TOTP is going to go in DL and how much to charge - which could be why there are no tickets on sale yet.

The whole layout of the TOTP has to change now, and the events/activities usually reserved for just the TOTP guests in DCA may change slightly. For example, what used to be Pirate's Wharf in DCA will likely have to move over to somewhere in NOS, if they decided to have it again at all, unless they decided to keep Pirate's Lair open just for TOTP nights (I doubt that, though). Everything has to change which requires a lot of reconfiguring, and I don't think Disney had planned this, so there may be small delays in TOTP tickets going on sale or Happiest Haunts tickets going on sale.