I know no one wants to hear this, but I am going to say it anyway.
The Unleash the Villains event at DLR -- as it happened last year, with the dance areas, photo spots and fireworks -- was in no way worth $60. In fact, to be very honest, the whole reason why the Unleash the Villains event was intriguing last year (before I saw what a poorly organized mess it was) was that it was a free way to meet Villains, without paying $60 for a Mickey's Halloween Party ticket 2 weeks later. That was the novelty of it -- it fell under the Limited Time Magic banner, so it was like Disney was essentially giving the "gift" of Villains and fireworks for free, without the extra charge of the MHP -- and the MHP is where you would normally find the bulk of the Villains.
So...if Disney were to suddenly throw a paid Unleash the Villains event into the mix at DLR, and charge (more or less) what they are charging for the MHP (and the MHP also includes many characters, as well as Villains, and lots of candy, and fireworks, and a Cavalcade) -- when Unleash was a free event last year -- the only way that I can see that the price would be worthwhile is if the Villains at the Unleash the Villains event were exclusive to that event only, and could not be seen or met at the MHP, or at the Halloween Carnival in the daytime. If Disney can put a whole group of 50+ Villains (including really rare Villains) at the Unleash the Villains event, and they don't bring out those really rare Villains at any other time, then it might be worth it. The large number of Villains unleashed at one time would be worthwhile -- but I still think that anything over $40 is very steep for that type of event.
Otherwise, if it's just the same ol' Captain Hook, Cruella, Evil Queen, Queen of Hearts, etc., etc. who are being Unleashed -- unless something changes this year -- all of those Villains should be at the MHP, and some of them will be at the Halloween Carnival in the daytime.
Disney has a way of announcing things and packaging them up in a way to make people think they are getting something really new and exciting. Sometimes what they are announcing is new and exciting, and sometimes it's not when you actually look closely at it!
...Just my 2 cents!
And
figment_jii --
You are correct -- I want more Halloween in DCA, and here is why. I'll break it down!
Holidays at Disneyland Resort (in November and December) include:
- Decorations at all 3 hotels;
- Decorations and holiday music in Downtown Disney, and an ice rink & Winter Village in November-December;
- Many decorations on Main Street;
- Decorations and IASW Holiday in Fantasyland, and also on the Storybook Land boat ride;
- Many decorations in Toontown;
- Many decorations -- aside from anything having to do with Haunted Mansion Holiday, though HMH is there too -- in New Orleans Square;
- Jingle Cruise in Adventureland;
- Decorations in Frontierland;
- Jingle Jangle Jamboree;
- 5 places to meet Santa;
- Decorations in Critter Country;
- Decorations -- though minimal -- in Grizzly Peak, and maybe a return of Elf Days this year;
- Many decorations in Paradise Pier;
- Winter Dreams;
- Viva Navidad;
- Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks and A Christmas Fantasy Parade available every day of the holiday season, and not part of a paid party;
- Holiday version of Mad T Party;
- Brand new decorations in Hollywood Land;
- Many Decorations in Cars Land;
- Many decorations on Buena Vista Street (and music too);
- Decorations in almost all of the shops and restaurants in the parks and hotels, including gingerbread creations;
- Decorations in A Bug's Land;
- Minimal decor in Pacific Wharf;
- Special New Year's Eve fireworks;
- Three Kings Day;
- Candlelight Ceremony/Processional; and
- All kinds of seasonal musical entertainment on Buena Vista Street and Main Street.
And I left quite a few things off of that list! Now, let's take a look at the Halloween Time season, and what it entails.
Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort includes:
- Many pumpkins all along Main Street, orange bunting and window displays;
- Decorations in a couple of Main Street shops;
- Character pumpkins around the Hub;
- Mickey's Halloween Party and all that it involves for the price of a separate ticket (candy, dressing in costume, rare characters, Villains, shorter lines for rides, dance stations, Halloween Screams, the Cavalcade, and large Mickey ghosts to mark the approximate entrances to the treat trails);
- The Ray Bradbury Halloween Tree in Frontierland (a gem both in the daytime and at night);
- Haunted Mansion Holiday (which is there for the holiday season too);
- Character pumpkins above the turnstiles;
- The Halloween Carnival/Roundup in Frontierland, and all that it entails (decorations, Villains, carved pumpkins, Pirates League -- I think the Halloween Carnival has the edge over the Jingle Jangle Jamboree during the holidays);
- Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy;
- The Dia de los Muertos display in Frontierland;
- Some other random Halloween decorations in Frontierland shops;
- A decoration or two inside World of Disney, but you won't know it's there unless you go inside;
- Some sort of screening or exhibit of whichever Tim Burton movie Disney is plugging in DCA each year;
- The Halloween display along the tram path, from Mickey and Friends to DTD, which you pass by quickly and have to take the tram to see up close -- otherwise, you might never know it is even there;
- Duffy's photo spot in DCA, where you can pose with Duffy in his pumpkin costume; and
- The Halloween version of the Mad T Party, which didn't seem very Halloween-ish on the first day of Halloween Time last year, but I guess it got more Halloween-ish as the season wore on.
I probably skipped something minor, but I didn't include things like free seasonal samples at Ghirardelli or seasonal goodies, because those are abundant for both Halloween Time and Christmas time. I also didn't include the gingerbread workshop at Jazz Kitchen, but that is there for both holidays as well.
It may appear that there is a lot of "Halloween" at DLR during the season if one were to just glance down the lists -- but what does the holiday season have that Halloween Time is missing?
Decorations, decorations, decorations -- in more than just 2 or 3 lands,
and in both parks
and all 3 hotels!
All of the "Halloween" at DLR is basically concentrated on Main Street and in Frontierland, and in New Orleans Square if we are counting that -- although HMH is there for Christmas time too, so it is not Halloween-specific.
What is the other obvious difference between Halloween Time and the holidays? Thus far, a big chunk of the Halloween Time festivities (though not all, of course) is held hostage to a hard ticket party, which is another reason there should be decorations in DCA -- to give the non-MHP people something extra to enjoy and look at when they head over to DCA on MHP nights!
And...a big, giant area with Halloween décor in DCA (Candy Corn Acres) was removed several years ago, and never relocated to another area in that park!
I rest my case.
Kilala --
Wow! Three or four parties this year? That is a whole lot of MHP in one year!
). It's another way to make extra money by charging for a hard ticket event.
You really want some Halloween in DCA! 
