HalloweenTime at DLR Info and Photo Superthread #3

[TigerlilyAJ]

DisneyIsMagical, I hope your person was right. The tour-line CM I just spoke to said, "No." His manager, Albert, says there is no way to do any refund for previously purchased MHPs, so either buy the MHPs or sit and wait for the UE pkg to become available. He also said I would not be able to book for Oct 31 until 30 days before.
Frustrated and disappointed.
I told him that if I tire of white-knuckle worrying about H'ween selling out, I will buy the MHPs and skip the UE, thus giving them less of my money, because it is much more important that we get to the party FOR SURE than the extra frills of the UE.
He also could not confirm what an earlier tour CM had told me about there being tickets set aside for each MHP night to sell for UEs, so even if Oct 31 sold out today, there would still be a number of tickets available on freakin' Oct 1 (SO LATE to book considering my anxiety) for H'ween night's UEs.
So back at square one. I'm seriously considering bailing on the UE and saving $200 because I'm so worried about the date and so frustrated that they don't offer a simple Upgrade from basic MHP to UE. I mean, we're not asking for an exchange of dates or a refund.
Oh well, I can use that money to pay for the Holiday Tour I hope to book for Nov 12.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i had to bail on the UE plan but its ok for me my budget is 1500 and im there so im happy we still get to go, no F desert, no ue but still p[arty so yeah and it will still be fun one chr meal (Plaza inn) one nice meal cct, and alot cheap eats but three full days and one half day party so we are at least going now i need to know

What special foods deserts snacks meals are there at Halloween time? (the ones with keep sake mugs or boxs coffins popcorn buckets?) can any one send me a link that tells about the special foods treats?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ps when i was on the phone bout the ue i was told if bought tickets they would refund them so not sure why another said no i was also told they do have number of tickets set aside for the ue

 

[DisneyIsMagical]

DisneyIsMagical, I hope your person was right. The tour-line CM I just spoke to said, "No." His manager, Albert, says there is no way to do any refund for previously purchased MHPs, so either buy the MHPs or sit and wait for the UE pkg to become available. He also said I would not be able to book for Oct 31 until 30 days before.
Frustrated and disappointed.
I told him that if I tire of white-knuckle worrying about H'ween selling out, I will buy the MHPs and skip the UE, thus giving them less of my money, because it is much more important that we get to the party FOR SURE than the extra frills of the UE.
He also could not confirm what an earlier tour CM had told me about there being tickets set aside for each MHP night to sell for UEs, so even if Oct 31 sold out today, there would still be a number of tickets available on freakin' Oct 1 (SO LATE to book considering my anxiety) for H'ween night's UEs.
So back at square one. I'm seriously considering bailing on the UE and saving $200 because I'm so worried about the date and so frustrated that they don't offer a simple Upgrade from basic MHP to UE. I mean, we're not asking for an exchange of dates or a refund.
Oh well, I can use that money to pay for the Holiday Tour I hope to book for Nov 12.

Well if it's any help the CM I spoke to was Ashley, and I too, would bail on the Tour and just do the party. I am hoping she was right, a couple weeks till we find out. I bought my tickets the morning they became available for AP holders, I couldn't wait. I haven't been to DL in Oct. since 2007 and I did not want to miss out on going to the MHP this year.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I should also mention FWIW that my Tours CM made some unsolicited comments about how Cars Land's grand opening has kept the marketing-promotional planning type people so busy that everything else got pushed back so he did not have the usual amount of information (prices, rules, when bookings would open) about the H'ween and Holiday tours that he would normally have in late July.

 

[IBLarsen]

How quickly do the mid october parties sell out? We will be trying to go on Friday October 12th. Thanks!

 

[Susiesark]

How quickly do the mid october parties sell out? We will be trying to go on Friday October 12th. Thanks!

They won't sell out too soon, but it WILL sell out, so don't wait until close to the date.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

bumping, this needs to stay on the first page since the season is fast approching

 

[Sherry E]

Halloween Time Theme Week Countdown

Announcement/Alert!!!​

Hey there, everyone! I have been promising that a Theme Week Countdown was coming for quite a while, and in TWO DAYS it will begin!

This coming Friday, August 3rd, we will kick off our countdown to the start of Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort by focusing on a different "theme" or highlight of the Halloween season every Friday through September 14, 2012.



Those of you who followed along with my Holiday Season Theme Week Countdown in the Christmas Superthread last year (and that countdown will begin in that thread on Monday, August 27, 2012, by the way!) will probably remember how it all goes, but for those of you who are new to this thread or new to my Theme Week Countdowns to seasons, it's easy to follow when we get into it, but here is the scoop:



1. On one day each week - the same day of the week on which the season will begin, so for Halloween Time it will be every Friday - a different aspect of the season (or theme) will be announced, and everyone will be encouraged to share their photos of the given theme all week long.

So, for example, if I announce that it's "Haunted Mansion Holiday week," everyone will round up their HMH photos and post them, until the next theme is announced one week later. The themes will be a surprise (they have already been decided), and will not be announced in advance, although it should be easy enough to figure out which ones remain after we have combed through a few!

Certain things may be grouped together into one theme, and some things may be standalone themes.

One thing I will tell you is that the final theme - which will occur on September 14th - will be, essentially, Miscellaneous, although I will probably come up with a catchier name for it as the weeks progress! The reason for this is that by the time 9/14 rolls around, the new season's decorations will have already been gong up around DLR in the days prior and people will generally be more interested in seeing the new things than in counting down (of course!). The Miscellaneous theme week will basically just be a catch-all theme for any photos you have that didn't make it into the previous weeks' themes, or anything else you want to post photos of that is Halloween Time-related.





2. Just under one week before Halloween Time begins, we will kick into a daily countdown. Some themes will not give us enough material for a full week, so those themes will be daily. For example, the pumpkins above the turnstiles at the Disneyland entrance are not enough to really warrant an entire week, but they are definitely a prominent aspect of the Halloween Time season that needs to be highlighted.

​

To sum up:

• On August 3, August 10, August 17, August 24, August 31 and September 7 (all Fridays), I will announce a new weekly theme;
  
• On September 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13 (Saturday - Thursday), I will feature a daily theme; and
  
• On September 14, the new season begins and that day will be our final theme - "Miscellaneous" (or something like that, with a more clever title!).

Again, it will be very easy to follow along with when we get going! It's a great way to pass the time, count down to the new Halloween Time season, build excitement, as well as showcase different aspects of the season that people may have never paid much attention to or were previously unaware of. It's also a great way to encourage everyone to dig up their pictures and post them.




So get your photos ready to share, because the first theme is coming up in 2 days!!! I will see you back here on Friday, August 3rd with our first theme!

 

[DisneyIsMagical]

Halloween Time Theme Week Countdown

Announcement/Alert!!!​

Hey there, everyone! I have been promising that a Theme Week Countdown was coming for quite a while, and in TWO DAYS it will begin!




So get your photos ready to share, because the first theme is coming up in 2 days!!! I will see you back here on Friday, August 3rd with our first theme!

Yay Sherry , I will be curious to see the photos everyone has...I was photo lacking in 2007 so I'm going to be a picture taking fool in October

 

[iKristin]

Woohoo!!! Sorry to not be as active this Halloween in here and the party check-in thread. I am working a lot and in the process of moving in about 6 months to another state. This will be my last Disneyland trip in a very long time I'll be closer to WDW and will have to switch parks.

 

[revwog1974]

Sounds like fun. Thanks Sherry!

 

[Sherry E]

Yay Sherry , I will be curious to see the photos everyone has...I was photo lacking in 2007 so I'm going to be a picture taking fool in October

Hi, Vanessa!

I'll be curious to see what everyone comes up with too. There will be one or two categories that are very broad and can include many things within that theme, so it should be easy for folks to come up with some photos for those.

The holiday season Theme Week countdown was such a success last year - as you well know, since you were one of the participants! I hope that the Halloween countdown is popular, too.

Halloween Time is a bit trickier to deal with in terms of themes than the holiday season is - for a couple of different reasons. For one thing, there is more ground to cover during the holiday season, literally and figuratively. There are more themes and mini-themes to include in the holiday countdown, and the themes are a bit more easily defined. There are more decorations all over the parks and hotels for the Christmas season, and that is just not the case for Halloween Time (sadly). Plus, since Candy Corn Acres disappeared from DCA, we have no idea if there will once again be any kinds of Halloween decorations in DCA (other than the rumored Tim Burton "Frankenweenie" thing at the Muppet theater), whereas you can at least find some traces of the holiday season in DCA.

But we will give it a go and see what happens! I know what you mean about not taking a lot of pictures of Halloween Time in the past - I got very few pictures in 2007 as well, and whatever camera I was using at that point was horrible! Things started looking up for me, photo-wise, in the last couple of years!

Nothing wrong with being a picture taking fool!

Woohoo!!! Sorry to not be as active this Halloween in here and the party check-in thread. I am working a lot and in the process of moving in about 6 months to another state. This will be my last Disneyland trip in a very long time I'll be closer to WDW and will have to switch parks.

Kristin -

Noooooooo! You can't leave us! You won't be going to DLR for Halloween Time next year? I just can't imagine that. You are always part of our Halloween-related threads here on the DLR side of the board. We are going to lose you to WDW!

I hope the move is going to be great for you, though. Is this something you are happy about (other than not being close to Disneyland)?

I've been missing from this specific thread lately too - so we've both been inactive! But I knew it was time to start the countdown, so I emerged from the shadows!

Sounds like fun. Thanks Sherry!

revwog1974 -

You're welcome! I'm hoping it will be fun for all, if it works the way it worked in the Christmas thread last year. We shall see!

 

[iKristin]

I'm actually really excited to move. I'm moving back to Tulsa Oklahoma where I had to move from 4 years ago unwillingly. I'll be 19 hours from WDW and Harry Potter World So I'll have to make the most of it.

 

[Laundress]

Looking forward to the photos. What a fun idea. Adds more excitment to my Oct 19th visit.

 

[DisneyIsMagical]

Yes, Christmas/ Holiday time countdown last year was so fun and inspiring. After seeing all of the little details that I had missed in the past, I was able to focus on them more during my early November trip. I took loads of photos in NOS which has always been my favorite area (during holiday and non-holiday times of the year). I love the colorful masks and swags in NOS, even got a great shot of the swag/wreath that welcomes us into NOS from the balcony of Club 33! Also went crazy on the IASW lamp post wreaths and IASWH all lit up at night! I'm prepared this year

Looking forward to add to my long list of must see/ photograph for Halloween time! And also the MHP photo ops...

I. CAN'T. WAIT.

 

[Sherry E]

It's Friday, and you know what that means.....



It’s time to kick off the Theme Week Friday Countdown to Halloween Time!!!

...Only 42 Days Until

Halloween Time Begins at Disneyland Resort!!!!

​

And with the new week comes a new Disneyland Resort Halloween theme!!

As you know, I'm going to showcase a particular area of interest of DLR's Halloween Time festivities each week until the 2012 merriment officially begins on Friday, September 14!! It is a good way to keep the photos rolling in on a regular basis and build anticipation for 9/14! Also, it's a way to display the different aspects and details of the Halloween season at DLR that may be totally new to some people...or previously unnoticed/undiscovered by others.

Including today’s theme, there will be 13 themes to come over the next two months: 7 weekly Friday countdowns for 8/3, 8/10, 8/17, 8/24, 8/31, 9/7 and 9/14, and 6 “mini-themes” – one each day, from 9/8-9/13, leading up to the season’s start date.


Many of our Halloween Time Theme Week contributors may have also participated in the Theme Week Countdown which took place last year in the Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread. So, that said, what better way to start our countdown than to recognize all things spooky AND all things merry than by celebrating a little tale of two holidays colliding?

In the Spotlight this Week......

HAUNTED MANSION HOLIDAY and...
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!​

Nineteen years ago, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” - a fable about what can go wrong when Halloween and Christmas collide - introduced us to Jack Skellington, the wiry Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.

After catching a glimpse of the festivities enjoyed by the residents of Christmas Town, Jack yearns for a way to incorporate a little bit of Yuletide spirit into everyday life in his own spooky city…an idea that doesn’t exactly sit well with its various ‘offbeat’ citizens.

Needless to say, Jack Skellington’s well-meaning but misguided mission begins and chaos ensues, including a kidnapped Santa Claus (“Sandy Claws”), several ‘shocking’ Christmas presents and their horrified recipients…and the roly poly, bright green Oogie Boogie.

In the end, things get back to normal in both holiday villages, and Santa even delivers a little bit of Christmas magic to the various befuddled, creepy creatures of Halloween Town. (And Jack Skellington finds romance with Sally, the rag doll creation of a local doctor.)

In 2001, Jack Skellington left his mark on Disneyland’s venerable Haunted Mansion ride for the very first time, and Haunted Mansion Holiday was born. Lasting from mid-September through early January, this extremely popular overlay is a signature Halloween Time and holiday attraction, drawing large crowds every year for both the Halloween and Christmas seasons at the Disneyland Resort.

The concept of Haunted Mansion Holiday invites us to imagine what would happen if Jack Skellington took over the existing Mansion and infused some Christmas merriment into it. While there is some controversy over the theme of Haunted Mansion Holiday and how well it actually fits or does not fit in with the Halloween and/or Christmas seasons in the park – or how well “Nightmare Before Christmas” fits in to the Disney family at all, for that matter – there is no question that the attention to detail in this transformation of a longstanding, beloved park attraction is exceptional. There are Skellington-ized accents everywhere, from the cemetery, light fixtures and shrubbery in the outdoor queue to the famous ballroom scene inside…which features a most interesting and menacing gingerbread creation as the table’s centerpiece (there’s a new one made every year!). Almost no corner of the ride is left untouched, which explains the nearly 3-week time frame it takes to install the makeover. Love it or hate it, most people will agree that it is an elaborate undertaking and truly a spectacle to behold.

Because of the immense popularity of Haunted Mansion Holiday and the “Nightmare Before Christmas” story in general, there is a strong presence of Nightmare merchandise in Disneyland, particularly in New Orleans Square, home of Haunted Mansion/Haunted Mansion Holiday. You will also find a few Skellington-esque decorations here and there, in shop displays and hanging on walls.

Please feel free to post your Disneyland Resort photos of Haunted Mansion Holiday/Nightmare Before Christmas all this week!!!!!

Haunted Mansion Holiday...

​

Coming up in Post #2 of this week’s countdown theme, I will feature some of the “Nightmare Before Christmas” details and decorations around Disneyland Resort…

 

[Sherry E]

Post #2 –

The “Nightmare Before Christmas” in Disneyland…

Halloween Round-Up in Disneyland...

Well…since he is wearing a Santa hat….I guess this is supposed to be a Jack Skellington-esque pumpkin?​

Why are they hanging with Maleficent? I have no idea...​

Nightmare Before Christmas tree in World of Disney...​

In-Store Decorations...​

Merchandise...​

​

 

[Kilted Candyman]

Thanks for the thread!

Amy and I will be there for the Sept weekend at DLR.

Jim

 

[iKristin]