Do we or don't we??

[fire616]

Will be going into the parks Oct 6-8. Meeting family on the 6th and the plan is to go into DL. Planning on DCA on Friday the 7th. DL on Saturday.

Debating about getting MHP tickets for the 7th - will be my 3-year old grandson's first visit - do we or don't we???

 

[ADLFAN]

Yes! Sounds super fun! From what I understand, the rides are all open and you can meet characters in their Halloween costumes plus a little Trick or Treat fun. I think nights are the best time in Disneyland, when all the lights come on to set the mood. I believe it gets even better at Halloween!

You can still get a lot done in the morning at DCA, certainly most of the things a 3 year old would enjoy like Cars Land, A Bugs Land, the Monsters Inc ride, and Paradise Pier. Toy Story Midway Mania will be the longest wait with no Fastpass available, so I suggest heading there first. Maybe have one person run up for Radiator Springs Racers FP'S while the rest of the group strolls the Pier after you do TSMM.

You could take a long break at the hotel in the afternoon and come back costumed and ready to party. A whole family with themed costumes can be so cute, or just the little one!

Have fun planning! Maybe look into Photopass so you can get awesome group pictures!

 

[meggles]

Unless your grandson is a night owl, I'd say no. Disneyland is super stimulating for little kids. After two park days he will likely be pretty worn out and ready for bed by the time the Halloween party gets into full swing. That doesn't mean the adults in your party can't go, however.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Agree with meggles that this totally depends on your grandson. If he is a high stamina night owl, then MHP might be lots of fun for him. Otherwise, it will be an exhausting day for him with loads of stimulus. How does he do with meeting characters or with people in costumes? Characters may be fine in daylight, but scary at night. We've seen lots of little ones do poorly at the parties, which frustrated the parents ("Stop crying! I paid tons of money for these party tickets!"). And there have been complaints on this board from parents who had to leave before the parade and fireworks because the little ones just couldn't stay awake. On the other hand, some little ones do surprisingly well with the late hours. From your signature, it looks like this won't be your only trip to DLR. So if it seems like MHP might be too much for your grandson this year, you can always plan another trip when he's older.

 

[maltdizzy]

It's a hard choice.

We like the MHP, it is a different experience. But, the MHP tickets offer poor value if you are already paying for a full-day ticket. Our DS was 3 when he first did it, and we all loved it, but we only went for the night.

Will you be staying nearby? We had success when our DS had out-grown regular naps by explaining that we can go and stay at a park late but he had to take a nap that afternoon.

You all will have a great time whether you go to the party or not.

 

[figment_jii]

I agree that it completely depends on your grandson's ability to stay awake late into the night. I've gone with an almost three year old and with a nap in the afternoon, he made to about 10:15 pm (party ended at 11:00 pm). So he saw the parade and fireworks, met the characters, did a lot of trick-or-treating and then crashed in his stroller while waiting for a snack at Jolly Holiday. We let him sleep in the stroller while the rest of the family did a few more rides and trick-or-treating and it worked fine for us. However, we had some adults that were willing to basically sit out the last 45 minutes of the party.