Halloween Time Superthread 2019: "Oogie Boogie Bash" Party to Be Held in DCA ONLY! and Other Halloween Time Information

[Jkpark]

Getting reservations online was toughhhhh this year. I'm excited for it though; I've done the tea the last 2 years and it was very enjoyable.

Can't believe I missed it - I've been checking the site hoping for the villians tea for a while now. Not sure how I didn't see this. UGH

 

[violina]

Can't believe I missed it - I've been checking the site hoping for the villians tea for a while now. Not sure how I didn't see this. UGH

I had a really hard time getting it. I lucked out one morning; I got up around 3 AM (Pacific) each of the mornings that I was looking for a timeslot. Perchance, one turned up when I did one final check at 7 AM. I hadn't experienced this previously in trying to get the reservations; I wonder if HM had something to do with it?

 

[midnight star]

So if getting a fastpass for it, treat it like RSR where you prioritize earlier return times and make HMH the first longer wait? Also, is Monsters After Dark similar in that it runs out quickly?

Yes or book HMH if it gives you a shorter wait. People do cancel them, but they get scooped up fast!

 

[jolinda]

There is a link to a higher res version of the food guide in the app. Go to restaurants and look for Halloween Time Food & Beverage. You can also filter for Halloween and see what's on the Grand Californian holiday cart.

 

[tankgirl!]

I had quite a time get reservations for the Afternoon Tea myself, but perhaps my story can help others. My daughter loves the tea and I was desperate to book during our visit Oct. 31, Nov. 1, or Nov. 2. I set my alarm for 4am sixty days in advance and started trying to book online...And nothing came up. I continued trying at half hour intervals until 7am when I called the dining reservations number. I was told the reservations hadn't been released and the cast member would let her manager know. She suggested I try every half hour thereafter. I did and was able to book around 7:45am. The cast member also warned me that the online reservations actually opened up at 3am. I went through the entire process again the following morning to get a second reservation, except I woke up at 3am. Again, no luck until I called in at 7am, got the cast member to have her manager release the reservations, and kept trying until they opened up about 45 minutes later. This is a long way of saying that they are releasing reservations sporadically, and persistence is absolutely necessary!

 

[lindyv321]

What kind of "treats" are offered during the halloween party trick or treating? Anything unique to Disneyland, or just the same bite sized candy and chocolates you can get anywhere at halloween?

The one party I’ve been to it was standard treats/snacks. It’s still fun to go through the trails for us though

 

[jammyjam25]

The full foodie guide is also now up on the Disney Parks Blog as well - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...-to-halloween-time-2019-at-disneyland-resort/

 

[MitchellDisney]

Maleficent has been meeting today, hope she’s still out next week!

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Maleficent has been meeting today, hope she’s still out next week!

She’s supposed out all season! I’m ridiculously excited.

 

[MitchellDisney]

She’s supposed out all season! I’m ridiculously excited.

If Hades could now do the same

 

[Canadian Harmony]

I'm excited I got my ticket before the date sold out. I'm so happy to go explore DCA this year!

 

[AndrewC]

Can you re-enter during the Halloween Party? I would like to see the fireworks over at Disneyland but then probably want to head back over for more of the party and hopefully avoid soul crushing crowds over at Disneyland during the party time.

I know most people don’t want to miss party time, but this would be a second party date for myself and while I was solo. My friend will be showing up Monday morning and I already have party tickets for us for Tue Oct 22nd. My only opportunity for fireworks would be Sun Oct 20th. Originally I was going to just hang out in Disneyland that night for Fantasmic and Fireworks, but since Fantasmic appears to be running nightly AND that Sunday party isn’t sold out, I’m debating just snatching a solo ticket and just ducking out of the party long enough to catch fireworks...

 

[pblack]

Can you re-enter during the Halloween Party? I would like to see the fireworks over at Disneyland but then probably want to head back over for more of the party and hopefully avoid soul crushing crowds over at Disneyland during the party time.

I know most people don’t want to miss party time, but this would be a second party date for myself and while I was solo. My friend will be showing up Monday morning and I already have party tickets for us for Tue Oct 22nd. My only opportunity for fireworks would be Sun Oct 20th. Originally I was going to just hang out in Disneyland that night for Fantasmic and Fireworks, but since Fantasmic appears to be running nightly AND that Sunday party isn’t sold out, I’m debating just snatching a solo ticket and just ducking out of the party long enough to catch fireworks...

I don't believe the party tickets are hoppers this year. But I don't see why you wouldn't be able to leave DCA, watch the fireworks from the promenade. and then re-enter DCA.

 

[AndrewC]

I don't believe the party tickets are hoppers this year. But I don't see why you wouldn't be able to leave DCA, watch the fireworks from the promenade. and then re-enter DCA.

I should have mentioned that I’ll have normal park hoppers earlier that day...

 

[pblack]

I should have mentioned that I’ll have normal park hoppers earlier that day...

Then yes, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to exit and then re-enter as long you have your ticket and your wristband.

 

[midnight star]

Only October 20 and 29 are available now.

 

[Lauren in NC]

Haunted mansion fans! Check your local target for Haunted mansion merchandise. I saw a blogger post about merchandise so I of course immediately went to target lol. They have backpacks, t shirts, bowls, and funko pops.

The backpack is $29. I know the picture isn’t great but it is a dark brown, with blue wall paper print. This is at the Culver City target behind the electronics check out (not sure why it’s there or why it’s not on display). I didn’t take a picture of the other items. The guy looked annoyed that I was taking a picture of the backpack so I didn’t want to push it lol

I don't suppose you have the Target DCPI for that item, do you? Trying to search for it online to see if any stores in my area have it!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Only October 20 and 29 are available now.

Only 2 parties left!

For anyone trying to get tickets to a sold out Halloween Party:

1) Call the ticket line ASAP to see if there are any tickets available for the date you want. Maybe or maybe not -- but you won't know until you call.
2) If you are local, try asking at the ticket booths. Sometimes when a party sells out online, there are tickets still available at the booths, not many, but some. Again, worth a shot. But, be aware, some parties have been sold out for while now (see the first post on page one of this thread for the dates each party sold out online), so there may not be any tickets left for those dates.
3) Stay on site the day of your party. In the past, the on site hotels have reserved some (not a lot) of day of party tickets for their guests to be sold first thing in the morning (early!) first come, first served.
4) Choose a different date that is still available and move fast to buy your tickets.
5) Don't do DCA with the OBB, but do a day at DL which will still have all the Halloween Time decorations, special food items, HMH, and Halloween Screams fireworks.

Whatever you do, do not buy OBB tickets through a third party vendor. Disney does NOT authorize Halloween party ticket sales through third party vendors, so the risk of getting scammed and ripped off is real. We get reports every year of people being turned away from the gates with scam tickets. Don't be one of these people and don't support the scammers.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Some hot tips from day 1 of Halloweentime!

My daughter and I got there around 3:30 and HMH FPs were after 8pm. I kept refreshing, and a little after 4 I picked up a 5:05-6:05 cancellation. Score! Loved it, as always.

The Villains dance party in Tomorrowland is the place to be! We saw Maleficent, the Evil Queen/Captain Hook and Mr. Smee/Stepmother with Anastasia and Drucilla/Queen of Hearts with someone (Cruella?) - Maleficent was MOBBED. Anyway, great fun, good chance to spot some rare villains!

The longest lines were for popcorn buckets and characters in costumes. Otherwise, wait times were low and FPs close to immediate for almost everything (other than HMH and GOTG).

We tried several treats and met up with blogger friends who had tried a ton. Nothing got bad marks besides the funnel cake fries at Award Wieners (I didn’t try them myself, but they were “overly sweet and weird” and went almost untouched). The pastrami fries and the loaded fries over at Galactic Grill got very high marks.

By 7:00, parade viewing on Main Street was pretty darn full. Apparently the parking structure closed for awhile. People wanted Halloween Screams! At about 9:15, a girl joined the group next to us saying she’d gotten off the freeway three hours earlier and it took her that long to park, get in, and then actually find them (presumably she was blocked by the parade for part of that, but still). (Side note: My husband Ubered over just before 7 and breezed in. Always avoid parking when you can, friends.)

Loved Halloween Screams! It was a total crush of humanity by then, though. We viewed it from just behind the Partners statue, which was a good spot except there was a very, very tall man holding his phone way up the whole time. So instead of the castle, we saw that. Oh well.

It won’t load any of my vertical pictures properly, but here are a few:


This year’s HMH gingerbread house!


Each character set gets introduced on stage and they do a dance, then they come down and mingle while the previous group works their way off the dance floor.


Many people waiting for the fireworks. We watched MSEP in front of Plaza Inn and then booked it over here when the parade ended.


He was off to the side until it started, so we thought we had a great castle view. Alas. We couldn’t move to the side because of a kid on shoulders just in front of us. Still a great show!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Thank you for the updates and photos!
And that guy with the phone is a good reminder for all of us to be mindful of those around us who also want to see the show, not our devices, shoulder kids, huge hats, balloons, etc. Others wait just as long as we do for good viewing spots so let's all do what we can to spread the magic to everyone!