HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread #4

[theluckyrabbit]

Also…if you buy tickets to be posted…what do they look like? Are they special Halloween decorated tickets? Or are they plain. IE is it worth paying extra to get them to just take etickets?

Our etickets have Mickey in a vampire costume. Last year, our hard tickets were regular tickets (Lightning McQueen and Mater).

 

[Sherry E]

I'm nervous about getting my tickets since I can't buy them until they go on sale to the general public and I really want 10/31. We already booked our hotel. Does anyone know what time they go on sale on 7/29 and what the fastest way to get them would be? Website, calling in, etc? I know historically they didn't sell out right away, but still I get irrationally nervous about it

If you're going to be "irrationally nervous," then be prepared for me to be the voice of reason! Don't be nervous! The tickets only went on sale yesterday, and Disney holds some tickets back for the general public. Lots of people don't have APs, Disney Visas or DVC memberships. There will be tickets available for you on 7/29 -- it's only 6 days from now. Don't worry. In some years tickets may sell out sooner than other times -- but never right away.

No one really knows if the tickets will be available online at midnight, PST, on 7/29, or within a few hours of that time, or closer to 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. All you can do is check the DLR website that day. I think online is the fastest way, but others will have the same idea and will be ordering that way too, so you may run into some glitches (as people reported yesterday).

 

[SDGal]

Just got off the phone with a lovely CM who helped me order tickets for the party on 10/07! No time on hold! So excited!!!

 

[Meemoo]

Just a silly question I was just wondering, I love all the classic Disney music played around Disneyland - is that replaced by spooky Halloween music throughout Sept-Oct or only on party nights?

 

[DisneyLuver2013]

Just a silly question I was just wondering, I love all the classic Disney music played around Disneyland - is that replaced by spooky Halloween music throughout Sept-Oct or only on party nights?

I believe it's only on party nights and then they play regular music during regular hours.

 

[Kilala]

Just a silly question I was just wondering, I love all the classic Disney music played around Disneyland - is that replaced by spooky Halloween music throughout Sept-Oct or only on party nights?

I know they have certain songs they only play for the party. I don't remeber any of those songs playing during normal hours.

 

[seobaina]

I don't recall reading or hearing of this happening, but I can't be sure. All I know is that AP holders, DVC members and Disney Visa Card holders often buy tickets for guests, and probably for friends and family who may go separately. It's a common thing, I would imagine. In the past, I don't recall Disney cracking down at the turnstiles, and making sure that everyone with an MHP ticket was there with the people who actually bought the tickets, but that doesn't mean they couldn't begin enforcing it. They are trying to thwart the efforts of people trying to buy and resell their tickets, and they may start getting a little more restrictive in some ways, or taking precautions to make sure that everything is on the level.

I didn't see what the hard tickets looked like in 2014, but in prior years I don't remember hearing about any special Halloween print on them -- I could be blanking out. I think they were kind of plain. I had e-tickets, but I recall seeing some tickets at some point, and they were not decorated.

Thanks. Might be safer then to just wait until next week?

Our etickets have Mickey in a vampire costume. Last year, our hard tickets were regular tickets (Lightning McQueen and Mater).

Thanks

 

[LeahMLee]

What high school you went?!

Haha, local jokes aside, I was up early this morning in California, checked at 4:30 a.m. PDT, and tickets for all dates except Halloween night were available online. (Halloween night has since been added/fixed.) That was the earliest I checked, and I believe I was the first one who reported availability in this thread. I read elsewhere that someone checked at 12:30 a.m. PDT and the tickets weren't up yet. So that would've been sometime between 9:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. Hawaii time. I was a little surprised the tickets popped up overnight since I had been reading they'd become available around 7 a.m this morning.

LOL ..Kalaheo
Thanks for the info I guess either way I will be up early.

 

[Kilala]

I wanted to know if you would like for me to take pictures in my costumes with Halloween decorations? I can take some out of the gargage. I will be take some photo shoots in my costume next week. Also do you thnk Ana ans Elsa wil be at the party this year?

 

[Meemoo]

Always love to see costumes! I am working on my son's (almost 7) costume. He wants to be a Prince. I am not making any particular prince, but I kind stole Prince William's style and made the colors to match for the 60th Anniversary. It is a work in progress at the moment and no doubt will take me forever as my sewing skills are limited and I will be sticking with hand sewing since there is lots of little fiddly details I don't think I could manage any more than a straight line on a machine I am still not sure about myself except that I would like to dress up, since this may be my only Halloween Party in forever! My daughter is planning on going as Mulan if she can squeeze into her costume which is size 7 and she is turning 9 and DH, is boring - doesn't want to dress up I think I should track down one of those 'Grumpy' shirts for him, I think it may suit

 

[tjcrabb]

I am curious about why you are interested in Goofy's Kitchen if you aren't interested in the characters?
There are several wonderful restaurants at DLR without characters.

Okay true confessions time, in real life I am an extremely shy introvert and I feel really uncomfortable with the characters. It doesn't matter if they are face characters or not they still have to pretend to be who they are even without kids around. There is just something about that which makes me embarrassed. I wish it were different because it would be fun to do photo ops. On a side note I find anamatronics really creepy but there is something about disney that I still love the rides etc. My craziness aside we go because of a couple of reasons. The first one is that I have happy memories of going from a previous visit. Two the food is really good as well as the variety. Lastly it is also a must do restaurant for the friend that I am traveling with, its also a good option for a non park day since it is in one of the hotels.

 

[mummabear]

So since it is a surprise trip I will pack a bunch of costumes and may get a better idea of what they want to be closer to Halloween. We have 3 Halloween nights though (MHP on 29th, Halloween on 31st and MNSSHP on Nov 1). I am not 100% sure at this time what we will be doing on Halloween yet, we may buy tickets to another MNSSHP or we may go trick or treating at Fort Wilderness. Anyway we need potentially 3 sets of stuff.
I have asked my wonderful MIL to help me make something similar to these for the girls (and another Christmas themed set of MVMCP). She made pirate ones(below) for our last WDW trip that thankfully still fit when when we hit DLR last year.

 

[nightmaremama]

Hey Everyone! I should introduce myself as I have been lurking on this thread for months
My family and I are heading to DL for October 18-22... with party tickets on the 19th. This will be my husband and daughter's fist visit! I am so excited and have been planning this trip for almost 2 years now! Just had to wait for the little to be a bit bigger to have fun. She is just like her mama and loves the nightmare before christmas- I can't wait for her to see the Haunted Mansion Holiday and meet Jack

I have been waiting over 10 years to see the Haunted Mansion Holiday- so this is a pretty big thing for me too.

Anyways, I love all of the great discussion and awesome information on this thread and I'm excited to jump in finally

 

[Meriweather]

Hey Everyone! I should introduce myself as I have been lurking on this thread for months
My family and I are heading to DL for October 18-22... with party tickets on the 19th. This will be my husband and daughter's fist visit! I am so excited and have been planning this trip for almost 2 years now! Just had to wait for the little to be a bit bigger to have fun. She is just like her mama and loves the nightmare before christmas- I can't wait for her to see the Haunted Mansion Holiday and meet Jack

I have been waiting over 10 years to see the Haunted Mansion Holiday- so this is a pretty big thing for me too.

Anyways, I love all of the great discussion and awesome information on this thread and I'm excited to jump in finally

Welcome....we will be at the party on the 19th too......watch for the pumpkin pies (pi)

 

[Talldewy]

Another good question. You can definitely add the tickets to your hotel bill, and there have been mixed reports on whether or not you can get discounted tickets before your AP has been activated. But ordering them through the hotel before the AP has been activated is a new one -- I don't think anyone has ever asked that! That might be one that you have to ask the hotel. Call them and ask. My inclination is that you won't be able to get discounted tickets before your AP is activated, but I could be wrong.

Update FYI; Sherry, thank you for all your help,

Disneyland is sticking to their guns, you must have an active AP in order to MHP tickets even when charging them to your DLR hotel room reservation. Two different cm's, on separate phone calls, thought that I would be able to purchase MHP tickets with my unactivated AP ( I was clear to mention that it was not activated both times). When I was passed on to Annual pass holder services the cm was helpful in checking numbers and whatever he could but it just did not work out. So iI will be adding them next week

Thanks

 

[Sherry E]

Let me be the bearer of bad Halloween Time news. That's what we are all here for -- Halloween Time chat and news. So I've got some news. Now, keep in mind -- it may be news that changes. It might not be set in stone or definite. But let's just say that I have an unfortunate Halloween Time update.

It sounds very much like the Halloween Carnival (photos of which can be found on page 1 of this thread) may NOT be back this year. And if the Carnival DOES return, it sounds as though the pumpkin carvers may NOT be there. There may not be pumpkin carvers anywhere at DLR. This makes me soooooooooo mad. The Carnival is tucked out of the way, in Frontierland, and I don't see how it could possibly interfere with anything 60th anniversary-related.

How did I learn this info? I follow one of the pumpkin carvers on Facebook, and he said that he has not heard anything about pumpkins one way or the other for this year (meaning Disney has not lined him up for carving so far -- and yet, they are already auditioning people for the Christmas Fantasy Parade). A Cast Member spoke up as well and said that one of the decorators at Disneyland told her that "they" (the decorators) are not having anything this year (meaning nothing to decorate in that area).

This supports my suspicion when Erin did not mention the Carnival as returning in her announcement blog. She specifically mentioned Dia de los Muertos, SMGG and HMH, but not the Carnival.

Let me tell you -- if that Carnival does not come back this year, the Halloween-specific offerings at Disneyland are realllllllly thin. I don't know what the "sparkling" new decorations will be, but they cannot take the place of the entire Halloween Carnival and especially the pumpkin carvers. Disney had better get its head out of the 60th anniversary for two minutes and rethink this. I will be writing a letter of complaint when and if I find out the Carnival is not back -- I am not going to jump the gun and write now, as I will wait and see what the final scenario is -- and that there are no pumpkin carvers (a highlight of the whole season).

Let's hope this changes or doesn't come to fruition.

Sigh. This does not look good for the Jingle Jangle Jamboree during the holidays either.

Why do I have a feeling that Disney has other eventual plans for that whole festival area of Frontierland (such as a Star Wars Land), and that they are going to start getting us used to the area not being open for seasonal celebrations? I hope I am wrong.

ETA: I remembered that Erin also left out any mention of the Main Street Pumpkin Festival in her blog as well.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

The carved pumpkins being gone would really put a damper on the Halloween spirit, I hope they are just slow at talking to the carvers

 

[Sherry E]

The carved pumpkins being gone would really put a damper on the Halloween spirit, I hope they are just slow at talking to the carvers

I hope so too. But seeing that Disney is already lining up its holiday season entertainment, it stands to reason that they would have already lined up the carvers too (before now). And, considering that the other CM spoke up on the page and said that one of the decorators told her they aren't having anything (in the Carnival area, I suppose) this year, it doesn't look good. Let's hope they come to their senses (whoever it is a DLR that makes these decisions).

 

[haileymarie92]

On the MHP page on the DLR website it says:
"

• Take a spooky stroll down Main Street, U.S.A., which is transformed into a Pumpkin Festival with hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins on display—and no two alike."

 

[Sherry E]

On the MHP page on the DLR website it says:
"

• Take a spooky stroll down Main Street, U.S.A., which is transformed into a Pumpkin Festival with hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins on display—and no two alike."

I've seen that, but it doesn't mean much. It's been there all year in the Halloween Time section. It could be that the people who update the website don't have any info. All I know is that Erin did not mention the Pumpkin Festival in her blog, and it is a major thing to leave out when you're talking about Halloween Time.

The pumpkins on Main Street are not carved -- or they're not fresh, in other words -- like the ones at the Carnival are. So all Disney has to do is drag the pumpkins out of storage and put them on Main Street. No carvers required. Whether they will do that or not is up in the air. The Carnival is the thing that is really looking like it's in jeopardy, which is not good.