HalloweenTime at DLR Info and Photo Superthread #3

[dnamertz]

Did anyone go to multiple Halloween Parties last year (one on a week night and one on a Friday night)? I'd like to know how much more crowded the Friday parties are than the week night parties?

Also, are all the trick-or-treat lines and all the characters available for the full party or do some of them start disappearing in the last hour or two?

Another question, are FPs operating during the party, and if so do the times reset when the party starts? In other words, if the people in the park earlier in the day get a FP, could the FP return time possibly extend into the party time (when those people might not be in the park because they won't be attending the party). I'm just wondering if FPs for some rides might not be available during the party because they were taken up earlier in the day prior to the party starting.

Final question (for now), on regular nights Main Street stays open for an hour after the official park closing time. Is this also true after the Halloween Party?

 

[Sherry E]

Did anyone go to multiple Halloween Parties last year (one on a week night and one on a Friday night)? I'd like to know how much more crowded the Friday parties are than the week night parties?

Also, are all the trick-or-treat lines and all the characters available for the full party or do some of them start disappearing in the last hour or two?

Another question, are FPs operating during the party, and if so do the times reset when the party starts? In other words, if the people in the park earlier in the day get a FP, could the FP return time possibly extend into the party time (when those people might not be in the park because they won't be attending the party). I'm just wondering if FPs for some rides might not be available during the party because they were taken up earlier in the day prior to the party starting.

Final question (for now), on regular nights Main Street stays open for an hour after the official park closing time. Is this also true after the Halloween Party?

dnamertz --

I was waiting to see if anyone else responded (like Kristin or Kilala -- anyone who did more than one party last year) and answered any or all of your questions before I said anything. Since no one has replied yet -- and the further this thread drops down the page it will be less likely that someone sees it to answer you, I will comment on your questions.

Crowd Differences from One Night to Another: Here's the thing that has to be remembered -- all of the parties sold out last year. (Well, at the very least, all but one party -- the party night right before Halloween -- sold out, and I actually think that one sold out too, but at the last minute.) Not only that, but the parties seemed to sell out faster than they had in previous years, which took a lot of us by surprise.

So -- even though I'm not sure exactly how many tickets Disney sells to their parties -- let's just pick a number and say that they sell 10,000 tickets (which may be way too low, or way too high, but it is only being used for the purpose of providing an example) for each night. If Disney is selling 10,000 tickets to each party, and each party sells out, there can't really be a "this night was more crowded than that night" type of answer because all of the sold out parties would basically involve the same number of people in the park, give or take last minute-no-shows or whatever.

What could happen -- just as it happens in the parks during the daytime -- is that people in the park congregate in different areas. So, one night might involve crowds congregating in one area and other nights might involve crowds congregating in other areas, which could add to the feeling of one night being more crowded than another, even if the number of tickets sold was exactly the same.

There are at least a few of us who think that Disney has been over-selling the tickets to the parties, and the parties are all beginning to feel less "exclusive," so my guess is that Disney increased the number of tickets sold last year even more. And, again, all but possibly the pre-Halloween party night sold out (and that night probably did sell out at the last minute) last year.

Treat Trail and Character Photo Spot Closures: I don't think the treat trails and character lines disappear/close a full hour or two early -- after all, people are paying to enjoy those specific aspects of the party so it would be a rip-off if Disney took them away that early. But I wouldn't be shocked if the trails and the character lines shut down a wee bit before party closing. I don't know if they do that -- but I wouldn't be surprised. I just don't think they'd close early enough to make a significant difference. A lot of people hit the treat stations at the end of the party so I assume that most of them must remain open.

I know that characters switch off. At one photo spot you may see Jack Sparrow. Jack suddenly takes a break, so Captain Hook and Tinker Bell step in. I was once waiting in a line for Jessie from Toy Story, and suddenly she left...but Woody and the Green Army Men stepped in (which was much better for me!). So, as far as I can recall -- and someone please correct me if I am wrong -- the actual photo spots stay open throughout the entire party, but the characters at each spot may differ over the course of the evening.

Main Street after Party Ends: As for Main Street -- hopefully someone will let us know about that for sure. I know that there was at least one treat station set up on Main Street last year, and at the very end of each night the CMs usually hand out tons of candy to guests leaving the park. I don't know if Main Street stays open beyond that time, for shopping. It would be interesting to know.

Fast Pass: I don't know about Fast Pass -- remember, a lot of the lines for rides will be non-existent or very short. Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, of course, will have lines.

​

I hope that helps a little until one of our multi-night party attendees from 2012 speaks up! (Hint hint...Kristin...Kilala...anyone else who went to more than one party last year?)

​

 

[lchute1158]

Are the tickets on sale yet at DL? I can only find WDW Halloween tickets.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[wolfpack1]

If DL does the same thing they did at WDW, the main street shops are open a little after the party is over, at least that is what I remembered two years ago.

Also I don't think Fastpasses work during the event either but reading some of the responses in the thread, I think the Friday night parties sell out faster than the Tuesday parties but like someone said pretty much if its sold out its sold out.

I am just hoping to get ones for when we are in town this year.

 

[Sherry E]

Are the tickets on sale yet at DL? I can only find WDW Halloween tickets.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

lchute1158 --

Not yet. Within days we should know when they will be on sale, I think. The dates for the party usually go up on the AP section of the DLR website first, because AP holders (along with DVC owners and Disney Visa card holders) can buy tickets in advance of the sales to the general public.

Last year the Disney Parks Blog posted a blog about Halloween Time and the Halloween Party on June 25th, but we knew the party dates before that time. So I am guessing the dates will suddenly pop up in the next few days, and there will be a Blog or Disneyland News piece following shortly thereafter. Of course, things could be different this year. The tickets will go on sale by July -- no question about that -- but the actual announcements and revelation of information may or may not be delayed.

If DL does the same thing they did at WDW, the main street shops are open a little after the party is over, at least that is what I remembered two years ago.

Also I don't think Fastpasses work during the event either but reading some of the responses in the thread, I think the Friday night parties sell out faster than the Tuesday parties but like someone said pretty much if its sold out its sold out.

I am just hoping to get ones for when we are in town this year.

wolfpack1 -

I'm the someone who said that if the nights are sold out, they're sold out, and there isn't really a more crowded vs. less crowded comparison to be made, necessarily, except for that crowds tend to gather and congregate in different areas, which could make a difference in how crowded it seems on a given night. But if there are 10,000 people in the park on a Tuesday and 10,000 on a Friday (or whatever the number of tickets sold may be), then there are 10,000 people in the park on both nights.

Last year, all bets were off as far as when any nights sold out. It used to be that the first party night and Halloween night sold out first, and the rest of the party nights didn't sell out for a long time -- if at all. Last year was a whole different ballgame and the nights were selling out one after another after another, with only the party immediately before Halloween (a Monday night) remaining 'open' until at least a couple of days before it took place.

 

[dnamertz]

dnamertz --

I was waiting to see if anyone else responded (like Kristin or Kilala -- anyone who did more than one party last year) and answered any or all of your questions before I said anything. Since no one has replied yet -- and the further this thread drops down the page it will be less likely that someone sees it to answer you, I will comment on your questions.

Crowd Differences from One Night to Another: Here's the thing that has to be remembered -- all of the parties sold out last year. (Well, at the very least, all but one party -- the party night right before Halloween -- sold out, and I actually think that one sold out too, but at the last minute.) Not only that, but the parties seemed to sell out faster than they had in previous years, which took a lot of us by surprise.

So -- even though I'm not sure exactly how many tickets Disney sells to their parties -- let's just pick a number and say that they sell 10,000 tickets (which may be way too low, or way too high, but it is only being used for the purpose of providing an example) for each night. If Disney is selling 10,000 tickets to each party, and each party sells out, there can't really be a "this night was more crowded than that night" type of answer because all of the sold out parties would basically involve the same number of people in the park, give or take last minute-no-shows or whatever.

What could happen -- just as it happens in the parks during the daytime -- is that people in the park congregate in different areas. So, one night might involve crowds congregating in one area and other nights might involve crowds congregating in other areas, which could add to the feeling of one night being more crowded than another, even if the number of tickets sold was exactly the same.

There are at least a few of us who think that Disney has been over-selling the tickets to the parties, and the parties are all beginning to feel less "exclusive," so my guess is that Disney increased the number of tickets sold last year even more. And, again, all but possibly the pre-Halloween party night sold out (and that night probably did sell out at the last minute) last year.

Treat Trail and Character Photo Spot Closures: I don't think the treat trails and character lines disappear/close a full hour or two early -- after all, people are paying to enjoy those specific aspects of the party so it would be a rip-off if Disney took them away that early. But I wouldn't be shocked if the trails and the character lines shut down a wee bit before party closing. I don't know if they do that -- but I wouldn't be surprised. I just don't think they'd close early enough to make a significant difference. A lot of people hit the treat stations at the end of the party so I assume that most of them must remain open.

I know that characters switch off. At one photo spot you may see Jack Sparrow. Jack suddenly takes a break, so Captain Hook and Tinker Bell step in. I was once waiting in a line for Jessie from Toy Story, and suddenly she left...but Woody and the Green Army Men stepped in (which was much better for me!). So, as far as I can recall -- and someone please correct me if I am wrong -- the actual photo spots stay open throughout the entire party, but the characters at each spot may differ over the course of the evening.

Main Street after Party Ends: As for Main Street -- hopefully someone will let us know about that for sure. I know that there was at least one treat station set up on Main Street last year, and at the very end of each night the CMs usually hand out tons of candy to guests leaving the park. I don't know if Main Street stays open beyond that time, for shopping. It would be interesting to know.

Fast Pass: I don't know about Fast Pass -- remember, a lot of the lines for rides will be non-existent or very short. Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, of course, will have lines.

​

I hope that helps a little until one of our multi-night party attendees from 2012 speaks up! (Hint hint...Kristin...Kilala...anyone else who went to more than one party last year?)

​

Thanks for the response. Assuming the shows are sold out and they offer the same number of tickets to each show, I'm wondering if the week night party gets less crowded later at night strictly because it's a week night.

Space Mt and HM are the main reason I was asking about FPs. I've heard these rides have very long lines during the parties.

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

We have done a party the last three years and I don't recall the train running, but I don't recall attempting to board it either to confirm.

 

[figment_jii]

Space Mt and HM are the main reason I was asking about FPs. I've heard these rides have very long lines during the parties.

I remember the HM line running about 45 minutes during the party, which was pretty similar to the line during the day in the park. They weren't using the HM FP during the day (on the first party weekend at least) and I don't think they weren't opened that night for the party. I don't remember having the option of grabbing a pass during the party.

We have done a party the last three years and I don't recall the train running, but I don't recall attempting to board it either to confirm.

I don't remember for sure either, but the train is listed as an "attraction" on the party map. (There are a few attractions not on the map (e.g., Tiki Birds, Innoventions), which makes me think those were closed and anything listed was open.)

 

[CasandraC]

I'm buying a 3 day park hoppet ticket and doing the party one night. I plan on doing 3 full days in the park and a separate day for the Halloween party. I would like to see fantasmic again also. I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth dealing with the crowds on a Sunday or not. I have no idea what the weekend crowds are like in the fall. We are also, going to Universal on either the Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday before we go to Disneyland.

 

[figment_jii]

I'm buying a 3 day park hoppet ticket and doing the party one night. I plan on doing 3 full days in the park and a separate day for the Halloween party. I would like to see fantasmic again also. I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth dealing with the crowds on a Sunday or not. I have no idea what the weekend crowds are like in the fall. We are also, going to Universal on either the Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday before we go to Disneyland.

There was a thread asking about the differences between Saturday and Sunday yesterday that might be helpful:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3129047

 

[letitsnow]

Are you able to upgrade your party ticket to an annual pass?

 

[figment_jii]

Are you able to upgrade your party ticket to an annual pass?

Things may change, but last year's tickets clearly stated that they could not be upgraded.

This DISNEYLAND Resort Mickey's Halloween Party Ticket entitles one (1) Guest to admittance to this special event in DISNEYLAND Park on the date and time stated above. Not refundable. Not upgradable.

 

[wolfpack1]

lchute1158 --

Not yet. Within days we should know when they will be on sale, I think. The dates for the party usually go up on the AP section of the DLR website first, because AP holders (along with DVC owners and Disney Visa card holders) can buy tickets in advance of the sales to the general public.

Last year the Disney Parks Blog posted a blog about Halloween Time and the Halloween Party on June 25th, but we knew the party dates before that time. So I am guessing the dates will suddenly pop up in the next few days, and there will be a Blog or Disneyland News piece following shortly thereafter. Of course, things could be different this year. The tickets will go on sale by July -- no question about that -- but the actual announcements and revelation of information may or may not be delayed.





wolfpack1 -

I'm the someone who said that if the nights are sold out, they're sold out, and there isn't really a more crowded vs. less crowded comparison to be made, necessarily, except for that crowds tend to gather and congregate in different areas, which could make a difference in how crowded it seems on a given night. But if there are 10,000 people in the park on a Tuesday and 10,000 on a Friday (or whatever the number of tickets sold may be), then there are 10,000 people in the park on both nights.

Last year, all bets were off as far as when any nights sold out. It used to be that the first party night and Halloween night sold out first, and the rest of the party nights didn't sell out for a long time -- if at all. Last year was a whole different ballgame and the nights were selling out one after another after another, with only the party immediately before Halloween (a Monday night) remaining 'open' until at least a couple of days before it took place.

See knew someone said it however just using WDW as a reference I know the tickets down there the year my brother and I went were going fast and they had a lot of dates just hoping we can get one for when we are at DL this year

 

[CasandraC]

Thanks! It was kind of what I was expecting. I'll probably skip Fantasmic. I saw a little bit of it last time I was there, and it looked great! But if that's the only reason to go then, we'll just do the crowds with the halloween party and do Fantasmic some other time. Looks like a lot of people are heading there the week prior to Halloween. I was going to go earlier, but my daughter's birthday is the 26th and figured we'd go closer to her birthday. I'm thinking it won't make that much of a difference which week we go because of the hallowen stuff going on. We still had a great time when we went during spring break last year.

 

[Crackajac]

Hi hope I can join in. I am so excited to be taking my 3 girls to the halloween party, they have no idea and we will tell them on the night. They are 3,6 & 8. miss 8 is desperate to go trick or treating and I thought this was the perfect opportunity.

We are visiting disneyland 21 sept-1st oct and we will be buying one annual pass. The hotel said we could go to disneyland prior to checking in to activate pass to get AP discount on the room. I am just wondering is there any way to use the card before going to buy halloween tickets? We are coming from Australia

Crackajac x

 

[Lewdannie]

According to the DIS Boards e-mail I got today it looks like it is confirmed that Disneyland's Haunted Mansion will close August 26th and Space Mountain will close September 9th.

Both will reopen September 13th with their Halloween overlays
(That's the day I arrive)

 

[Sherry E]

Hi hope I can join in. I am so excited to be taking my 3 girls to the halloween party, they have no idea and we will tell them on the night. They are 3,6 & 8. miss 8 is desperate to go trick or treating and I thought this was the perfect opportunity.

We are visiting disneyland 21 sept-1st oct and we will be buying one annual pass. The hotel said we could go to disneyland prior to checking in to activate pass to get AP discount on the room. I am just wondering is there any way to use the card before going to buy halloween tickets? We are coming from Australia

Crackajac x

Crackajac --

Of course you can join in! Everyone is welcome to join in, whether they have been to Disneyland for Halloween Time, are planning a trip for Halloween Time, or are just simply interested in the subject in general and want to learn more. I'm glad you spoke up. Welcome!

You will definitely be able to do a lot of trick or treating at Mickey's Halloween Party. I think that all of us who have been to the party can agree that no one walks away empty-handed in the candy department! Your 8-year-old should be quite content!

There are many "treat trails" around the park, and along each trail you will find at least a couple of treat stations/stops (often more than a couple). Not only that, but you can also revisit any of the treat stations to your heart's content. And at the very end of the party, as the crowds are leaving, the Cast Members near the exit tend to fill the guests' bags with even more candy. There are some cool treat trails set up in Pixie Hollow (which your girls might appreciate), which is very pretty at night, and in the Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland (extra decorations that you only see if you go inside). Some of treat stations in certain areas have longer lines than others (I once ran into a long line at the Village Haus in Fantasyland), but they seem to move pretty quickly.

Yes, you can ask for the AP discount at the hotel before actually having the AP in hand, and then activate the AP before checking in. Then bring it to the hotel to show it to the front desk Cast Member when you arrive. A lot of people do that same thing.

At one point I thought that people could not use the AP discount on the Halloween Party tickets before actually having the AP in hand, but I think it was iKristin (who posts in this thread often) who said last year that there was a time when she was able to get a discount on the Party tickets with a non-activated AP. I could be remembering that incorrectly, but I am pretty sure Kristin said that she had been able to do that at one point. I would not have thought that was possible, but maybe it is? Maybe it was a fluke?

 

[Sherry E]

According to the DIS Boards e-mail I got today it looks like it is confirmed that Disneyland's Haunted Mansion will close August 26th and Space Mountain will close September 9th.

Both will reopen September 13th with their Halloween overlays
(That's the day I arrive)

Lewdannie --

I saw that post on the wdwinfo.com side of this website last night.

HMH and SMGG were always certain to be open on 9/13, as that is the start date of Halloween Time this year. That date was released several weeks ago.

But...my hunch is that both HMH and SMGG will probably soft open sometime on 9/12, maybe at night. Disney pretty much has those overlays down to a science now so, unless they are doing something extra and different that hasn't been done before, they could always finish a little ahead of schedule (which has happened in the case of HMH in the past) and open up early for the lucky guests!

 

[dnamertz]

I've heard that there are dance parties (I think in Frontierland and Tomorrowland) during the Halloween parties. What are these parties like? Would they be fun for a 6 year old, or are they for older kids/adults? Are there characters at the dance parties?

Same question for the Mad T Party (which is not limited to Halloween time).

 

[Sherry E]

I've heard that there are dance parties (I think in Frontierland and Tomorrowland) during the Halloween parties. What are these parties like? Would they be fun for a 6 year old, or are they for older kids/adults? Are there characters at the dance parties?

Same question for the Mad T Party (which is not limited to Halloween time).

dnamertz --

There are dance stations set up Disneyland during Mickey's Halloween Party, in at least a couple of locations. There is DJ that plays music, and there's a dance floor. There are usually characters at each of these dance stations, and they dance with guests, or with each other, or they dance with Cast Members. It's really cute to watch! I've seen people of all ages at those dance stations, from very young kids (even younger than 6) to older adults. I think they're fun for 6-year-olds if the 6-year-olds like characters and music (and the music could range from "Monster Mash" to something from Guns N' Roses or anything in between).

I have never done the Mad T Party -- I wanted to try to catch it last year during the holidays when it was holiday-themed but I missed it -- but I have seen many, many, many photos of it and read about it.

The band at the Mad T Party is a cover band made up of CMs who play a lot of popular songs from the '80s, '90s (Bon Jovi, for example) and beyond. The band members (CMs) wear Alice In Wonderland-themed outfits, but with a distinctive rock and roll edge. Their "set" is also Alice-themed and psychedelic-looking. Their outfits remind me very much of what some of the glam metal bands used to wear in L.A. when they played club shows on the Sunset Strip back in the '80s! Of course, since the band at the Mad T Party is in a Disney park, the clothes are not inappropriate -- but they are definitely a little edgier than what you would expect to see at DLR. (Fellow DIS'er -- and Disneyland CM -- Belle Ella, has taken some amazing photos of the band since they have been in DCA, and that's how I've seen so much of what they look like.)

There are also special drinks (adult beverages included) and games with Mad T Party tokens, if I recall correctly.

I think that a lot of older kids, teenagers and young adults will like the Mad T Party -- this is just my opinion, and without having actually seen it in person yet myself I cannot be 100% sure -- but I'm not sure if a 6-year-old would enjoy it as much. I guess it depends on the 6-year-old. I think that the dance stations at the MHP are more young kid-friendly than the Mad T Party, while the MTP is -- as I mentioned earlier -- just a wee bit edgier. You never know, though! I also think that nostalgic adults who remember all of the songs from decades ago will appreciate MTP.