HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread #4

[DisneyJamieCA]

This is not Halloween Time-related in the slightest bit, but has everyone gone to buildyourdisneyside.com and created their stick figure decals (I am trying to decide if mine will now become my new Facebook profile picture)? If you haven't done it yet, it's really easy and cute. It's mainly aimed at families, but if you're solo you can do one for yourself too. You get a free download of the image and you get a free real decal mailed to you by Disney. I chose a blue background and seemed to end up with purple, but it doesn't matter. Wouldn't it be cool if Disney put out versions of these decals (that were free, and people could customize them online) for Halloween and various holidays too? Look at the little accessories section of the website -- I could easily see a trick or treat bucket being added in there, not to mention a mask or witch hat or cape of some sort. And where is the camera? Why no camera accessory?? I love when Disney randomly throws out cute little freebies here and there (and not things that are snapped up by the public in 2 minutes, such as the Limited Time Magic Jingle Cruise posters last year), such as these decals and the Disney Parks photo effects that were offered on Photobucket a couple of years ago. Of course, the freebies don't stick around for long, but it's cool that every so often we get extra little treats.

I haven't done this, but I'm going to go do it now! How cool! (and yes, on the Jungle Cruise posters - down there 1 day after they started and they were all out!)

 

[Sherry E]

I haven't done this, but I'm going to go do it now! How cool! (and yes, on the Jungle Cruise posters - down there 1 day after they started and they were all out!)

It seems as if the stick figures have caught on all over Facebook, from what I saw when I signed on a while ago.

Darn! I noticed the little camera/t-shirt option after I ordered the decal in the mail, so my actual decal will be camera-less (which seems odd for me, given how many photos I take!). I was wondering where the camera was when I first went on the site, and I didn't see that there was a second page/screen. At least Disney lets us go in and redo the stick figure and download it. So I slapped the camera on my stick figure for the purposes of saving the image to Photobucket, which is better than nothing!

 

[mummabear]

It seems as if the stick figures have caught on all over Facebook, from what I saw when I signed on a while ago.

Darn! I noticed the little camera/t-shirt option after I ordered the decal in the mail, so my actual decal will be camera-less (which seems odd for me, given how many photos I take!). I was wondering where the camera was when I first went on the site, and I didn't see that there was a second page/screen. At least Disney lets us go in and redo the stick figure and download it. So I slapped the camera on my stick figure for the purposes of saving the image to Photobucket, which is better than nothing!

What do you mean by order the decal?
from the buildyourdisneyside.com site?

 

[Sherry E]

What do you mean by order the decal?
from the buildyourdisneyside.com site?

mummabear --

After you go to that site (which is a section of the whole Disney Side website that has been up and running this year) and create your stick figure(s), you can download the image and, as long as you have registered for an account -- and you will be asked to give your address when you first start making your stick figure if you choose the 'premium' option, or whatever it is called -- you can have an actual window decal mailed to you as well. To access the premium option you click on one of the accessories or options that has a lock over it. Then you'll enter your email and so forth. I chose a blue background, so I am guessing the blue is what will be on the decal, but the downloads are all purple.

When I figured out where the little camera add-on was and went back to edit my stick figure (because my stick figure has to have a camera of some kind, or I won't be satisfied!), I could re-download the image (which is a good thing), but I couldn't order another decal in the mail because my first (camera-less) decal was already ordered earlier. Disney Side only allows one actual decal order per account, I suppose, but it seems that they let us download and re-download our edited images over and over again (which is good if decide we want to change the shirts and give our figures different looks for different days, against a backdrop of different parks!)

This is the new version, in which I am now located in Disneyland, I have a camera around my neck and I am wearing pants, as opposed to the version I posted here yesterday, in which I was in California Adventure, I had no camera and I was wearing shorts.

After you order the decal to be mailed, you get a confirmation email from Disney Side that says the customized decal will arrive with you in 4-6 weeks. Did you not see an option to order the actual decal in the mail (which should be right next to the option to download it)? Make sure that you're signed up and have opted for the more advanced (premium) stick figure (instead of the basic one that doesn't require signing up).

 

[trishakay84]

Thanks for sharing that site, Sherry! Very fun My boys helped pick out what they want to be wearing/holding! I wonder how long the site will be around/how long the offer of a free decal in the mail will last. I downloaded the image I created for now, with me, DH, DS4 & DS6, but am hoping the decal by mail offer will still be around in 10 weeks, when we're able to find out the gender of our baby due in December! Then the image can be more 'complete' by adding a toddler in whichever gender we're expecting, hehe. I would have been equally happy if there had been the option of a pregnant belly, but that's probably hard to show in a stick figure haha. I thought it was interesting that there are only 4 choices of toddlers for each gender, and they can't be customized, so I used the "child" option for the boys so they could choose their clothes, hats, etc.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for sharing that site, Sherry! Very fun My boys helped pick out what they want to be wearing/holding! I wonder how long the site will be around/how long the offer of a free decal in the mail will last. I downloaded the image I created for now, with me, DH, DS4 & DS6, but am hoping the decal by mail offer will still be around in 10 weeks, when we're able to find out the gender of our baby due in December! Then the image can be more 'complete' by adding a toddler in whichever gender we're expecting, hehe. I would have been equally happy if there had been the option of a pregnant belly, but that's probably hard to show in a stick figure haha. I thought it was interesting that there are only 4 choices of toddlers for each gender, and they can't be customized, so I used the "child" option for the boys so they could choose their clothes, hats, etc.

Trisha --

You're welcome! I assumed everyone already knew about the stick figure decals, but I thought that I'd mention it just in case some folks didn't know.

I wonder how long the decal offer will be around. Since the Disney Side site is going to be up all this year, I would assume, it would be nice if they kept the offer up through December. I still think there should be some seasonal accessories added in as well (Santa hats, trick or treat buckets, candy canes, etc.). Of course, Disney could remove the free decal offer in a month, and we probably wouldn't know until it was already gone.

I think it's also cute that pets can be added in! Can't leave the fur babies out of the decal!

Even though you might not get the actual decal if you wait too long, you could always just create 2 extra versions of the image -- one with an extra little boy and one with an extra little girl -- to cover your bases for whatever gender the baby turns out to be! At least you'd have the downloaded images to use for avatars or profile pictures or whatever, if not the actual decal.

Congratulations on the baby, by the way! So you will be having a holiday baby -- all the more reason to celebrate and enjoy that wonderful season!




On a Halloween Time-related note...

Those of you who followed the previous Superthread last year will remember that Backstage Pass -- the newsletter/calendar for AP holders that only comes out a few times a year, if that often -- was received in May by at least some of us. In that May issue of Backstage Pass we got confirmation of the start date of Halloween Time, the start date of the holiday season and the (incorrect) start date of Mickey's Halloween Party (though not the complete schedule of MHP dates).

In previous years, the pre-summer Backstage Pass (or whatever the AP newsletter/calendar used to be called) did not give those dates at all, let alone Halloween Time and holiday season dates at the same time, so it was very surprising to see so many dates revealed in one publication (even if the MHP date was wrong), before summer even began!

Needless to say, we have 2 weeks left of May and I am hoping that a new Backstage Pass is on its way, with the "big reveal" of the dates! After last year's MHP date misprint/fiasco, they might be hesitant to print any dates again if the dates are not 100% set in stone.

However, late May/early June is around when I would expect either the Parks Blog or the AP section of the Disneyland Resort website to reveal the full roster of MHP dates anyway. So whether we get a Backstage Pass with info or whether we find out through some other official Disney source, I think we'll know something in the next 2 or 3 weeks. It won't be long now!

I am mainly curious to see if Disneyland will do what we expect them to do, and start Halloween Time on 9/12 and the MHP on 9/26, or if they will surprise us and start the season a couple of days later, as well as end the season a couple of days later (I am fully expecting Sunday, November 2nd to be the final day of Halloween Time this year).

 

[Kilala]

I'm sorry it's taking so long to post pics from last years MHP. I got my mom's old Dell. I'm in the prossess of putiing the picturesa onto this computer. I should have the pics up today or tommorow at the latest

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I thought I had responded yesterday, but I don't see it. Thank you for the link Sherry! I didn't know about it, but have ordered mine (and made it my profile pic on FB!). I thought I did see some of the Santa Mickey ears on the site... But I agree more seasonal stuff would be great!

 

[Sherry E]

Kilala -- No worries! We'll all be here when you get the photos ready.

I thought I had responded yesterday, but I don't see it. Thank you for the link Sherry! I didn't know about it, but have ordered mine (and made it my profile pic on FB!). I thought I did see some of the Santa Mickey ears on the site... But I agree more seasonal stuff would be great!

Jamie --

You're welcome!

It makes a perfect FB profile pic, doesn't it? Or a perfect avatar on a website. When I signed onto FB yesterday (for the first time in several months, I think --- most times I just go to a FB page without signing in if I am reading it), I saw all sorts of purple stick figure images floating down the Newsfeed, used as Timeline Covers, profile pics and any other way people could think to use them!

You did respond yesterday! Your reply is at the top of this page (at least on my screen it is), and I replied to you!

In any case, I'm glad you replied again because when you said you thought you saw some Santa ears I went back to the site and found them! If we are keeping track, this is my third version of the stick figure:

I have to have different hats and treats for different occasions, after all! That's not a very good Santa hat, but it will have to do for now. I realized that I had seen the Santa hat the first time around, but for some reason I thought it was something else and not Santa ears!

After overlooking the camera on the first try and bypassing the Santa ears on the second try, I realize that my actual decal figure is going to be lacking in the proper gear. At least I can create different versions of the downloaded stick figure.

This time I used a different browser and I suddenly noticed a different hair length option that I didn't see before. So I made my hair longer as well. And I decided to skip the Mickey ice cream bar this time around and get a different treat (is that a Dole Whip?). They didn't have peppermint ice cream cones or gingerbread cookies with mouse ears, so this will have to do!

Normally I am wearing giant sunglasses in the daytime at DLR, so it would have been more realistic to put the sunglasses on me, but they seemed to clash with the various ear hats so I stuck to the regular glasses.



Now...if they would only add in a trick-or-treat bucket or Halloween mask of some sort...

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Kilala -- No worries! We'll all be here when you get the photos ready. Jamie -- You're welcome! It makes a perfect FB profile pic, doesn't it? Or a perfect avatar on a website. When I signed onto FB yesterday (for the first time in several months, I think --- most times I just go to a FB page without signing in if I am reading it), I saw all sorts of purple stick figure images floating down the Newsfeed, used as Timeline Covers, profile pics and any other way people could think to use them! You did respond yesterday! Your reply is at the top of this page (at least on my screen it is), and I replied to you! In any case, I'm glad you replied again because when you said you thought you saw some Santa ears I went back to the site and found them! If we are keeping track, this is my third version of the stick figure: I have to have different hats and treats for different occasions, after all! That's not a very good Santa hat, but it will have to do for now. I realized that I had seen the Santa hat the first time around, but for some reason I thought it was something else and not Santa ears! After overlooking the camera on the first try and bypassing the Santa ears on the second try, I realize that my actual decal figure is going to be lacking in the proper gear. At least I can create different versions of the downloaded stick figure. This time I used a different browser and I suddenly noticed a different hair length option that I didn't see before. So I made my hair longer as well. And I decided to skip the Mickey ice cream bar this time around and get a different treat (is that a Dole Whip?). They didn't have peppermint ice cream cones or gingerbread cookies with mouse ears, so this will have to do! Normally I am wearing giant sunglasses in the daytime at DLR, so it would have been more realistic to put the sunglasses on me, but they seemed to clash with the various ear hats so I stuck to the regular glasses. Now...if they would only add in a trick-or-treat bucket or Halloween mask of some sort...

Now I see my comment. When I opened this earlier today most of the comments between yours & my last one were missing, but I see there are a ton now. Sometimes the DIS app gets really finicky! I have it as my profile picture, but now that you've mentioned it, it would make a really cute cover photo!

 

[trishakay84]

Trisha --

Even though you might not get the actual decal if you wait too long, you could always just create 2 extra versions of the image -- one with an extra little boy and one with an extra little girl -- to cover your bases for whatever gender the baby turns out to be! At least you'd have the downloaded images to use for avatars or profile pictures or whatever, if not the actual decal.

Congratulations on the baby, by the way! So you will be having a holiday baby -- all the more reason to celebrate and enjoy that wonderful season!


[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]

Thanks so much! That's a great suggestion to create 2 extra versions of the image, I'm going to do that now! And thank you for the congratulations - I already love the Christmas season, and this definitely makes it even more exciting!

 

[mummabear]

mummabear --

After you go to that site (which is a section of the whole Disney Side website that has been up and running this year) and create your stick figure(s), you can download the image and, as long as you have registered for an account -- and you will be asked to give your address when you first start making your stick figure if you choose the 'premium' option, or whatever it is called -- you can have an actual window decal mailed to you as well. To access the premium option you click on one of the accessories or options that has a lock over it. Then you'll enter your email and so forth. I chose a blue background, so I am guessing the blue is what will be on the decal, but the downloads are all purple.

When I figured out where the little camera add-on was and went back to edit my stick figure (because my stick figure has to have a camera of some kind, or I won't be satisfied!), I could re-download the image (which is a good thing), but I couldn't order another decal in the mail because my first (camera-less) decal was already ordered earlier. Disney Side only allows one actual decal order per account, I suppose, but it seems that they let us download and re-download our edited images over and over again (which is good if decide we want to change the shirts and give our figures different looks for different days, against a backdrop of different parks!)

This is the new version, in which I am now located in Disneyland, I have a camera around my neck and I am wearing pants, as opposed to the version I posted here yesterday, in which I was in California Adventure, I had no camera and I was wearing shorts.

After you order the decal to be mailed, you get a confirmation email from Disney Side that says the customized decal will arrive with you in 4-6 weeks. Did you not see an option to order the actual decal in the mail (which should be right next to the option to download it)? Make sure that you're signed up and have opted for the more advanced (premium) stick figure (instead of the basic one that doesn't require signing up).

Thanks again SherryE, no I wasn't logged into anything, I will have to head back and try again

 

[Kilala]

Do you think that they will still have TT open again this year?

 

[Sherry E]

My feeling/guess is that Toontown will once again play a small role in the Halloween fun before the MHP starts this year. I could be totally wrong, but that's what I think.

I have always thought that Toontown should have some kind of Halloween Time involvement since part of it is a neighborhood with houses/residences, and most likely the characters would be celebrating Halloween, welcoming trick-or-treaters, etc.

The fact that the fireworks force Toontown to close early has always been unfortunate for any kind of Toontown/trick-or-treating possibilities. So what happened last year, before the start of the MHP, was a good way to kind of include Toontown in some way, while still allowing it to close it down early.

Opening the early treat stations/trail in Toontown was also great for the little ones who need to get to sleep early, but who would like to collect some candy and meet a few characters before they do!

 

[eileenkeeney]

My feeling/guess is that Toontown will once again play a small role in the Halloween fun before the MHP starts this year. I could be totally wrong, but that's what I think.

I have always thought that Toontown should have some kind of Halloween Time involvement since part of it is a neighborhood with houses/residences, and most likely the characters would be celebrating Halloween, welcoming trick-or-treaters, etc.

The fact that the fireworks force Toontown to close early has always been unfortunate for any kind of Toontown/trick-or-treating possibilities. So what happened last year, before the start of the MHP, was a good way to kind of include Toontown in some way, while still allowing it to close it down early.

Opening the early treat stations/trail in Toontown was also great for the little ones who need to get to sleep early, but who would like to collect some candy and meet a few characters before they do!

That would be so cute.
I might even trick-or-treat through ToonTown (and I am not one who really likes the trick-or-treat at the Halloween Party unless it is the stop that gives out the Werther's caramels).

 

[cinderbellasmom]

Trip is finally booked! 9/28-10/3 at the Best Western Pavilions! Now just anxiously awaiting the party dates to be announced

 

[zanzibar138]

I called my parents last night and mentioned that Halloween time would be starting while we are there. I could just about hear my dad rolling his eyes He hates the idea of Halloween, but I think they'll both enjoy the extras when we're there.

 

[Sherry E]

Random rants and not-so-deep thoughts for a Tuesday morning in the Halloween Time Superthread...



A while back in this thread I was mentioning that I'd noticed how freely people tend to give out incorrect, inaccurate and/or incomplete information about Halloween Time (and certainly the holiday season too) around the Internet. I am sure that this happens in all other aspects of Disneyland planning as well. It's not done with any kind of malicious intent when people give out misinformation -- I think that folks, as a general rule, truly want to feel like they are being helpful -- but often times the facts and details are just not correct/complete. It is unfortunate to think that there are a lot of Disneyland, Halloween Time and holiday season newcomers who will take that incorrect/inaccurate/incomplete information as fact and run with it in their planning.

I think I specifically mentioned seeing someone's reply on the (currently inactive as far as Disney's involvement goes) Halloween Time Facebook page, in which she told someone else that Disneyland doesn't really decorate "for Halloween," specifically, but more for fall and just for the Halloween Party. Now that was probably her legitimate perception of how things are for Halloween Time, but she dispensed it as fact and it was not entirely factual.

Clearly, Disneyland decorates "for Halloween," even if the decorations are not in every land. The whole season is called "Halloween Time," of which the "Halloween Carnival" is a major part. And there are "Happy Hallowe'en" pictures hanging in the Scare-Dy Crow Shack at the Halloween Roundup (at the Carnival site). There are carved pumpkins all over the place. But I digress...

​

Anyway, yesterday I came across another golden nugget of misinformation on the Internet (not on the Halloween Time Facebook page, but elsewhere). A well-meaning person -- who had recently attended Mickey's Halloween Party and Halloween Time with great satisfaction -- excitedly stated, "...All the rides are Halloween themed."

Okay, that assessment is just not true. Not only is it untrue, but it's not even close to being true! There are 2 rides that are themed specifically for the season -- Haunted Mansion Holiday (which is actually themed for both Halloween and the holiday season) and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. That's basically it. But the person who made that comment plainly said that "all the rides" are Halloween themed.

Inevitably, someone will find that comment online and take it as fact, and then be very disappointed when they get to DLR and discover that there are very few Halloween-themed rides! Can you imagine someone -- who doesn't know about or have time for DISboards (specifically this Halloween Time Superthread), and perhaps the other major Disney-oriented discussion forums as well -- searching online for Halloween Time information and stumbling upon these bits of incorrect/incomplete information and applying it to their planning? It probably happens a lot.

Even a place where you would expect to get full, comprehensive, detailed Halloween Time or holiday info/photos -- such as DLR's Halloween Time or Holidays Facebook pages, respectively -- is barely even touched by Disney for most of the year. It's not like they post fun Halloween stuff or holiday stuff year-round, to keep people interested and engaged. They mainly update when there are special event/season dates to be announced (and that is after "the rest of us" already know that info, so they're not really breaking news), and after the actual seasons are underway. So, what happens for the rest of the year? Other followers/readers of those pages are left to tackle the questions, only some of whom give accurate info!

It happens on the actual discussion forums too, including this one. I've had people come to my Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread with some inaccurate/incomplete dates or bits of info that they learned outside of that thread, elsewhere on The DIS, and then I have to fill in the blanks or correct the incorrect stuff.

​

So I guess the bottom line is that -- other than the almost pointless DLR Halloween Time and Holidays pages on Facebook -- it is always a good idea to go to the places with a big concentration of people discussing a single subject in one place, if you want to learn about that subject or get the accurate info. Not 20 different threads about one subject, mind you, but one active thread/Superthread/website with a lot of views/pages/posts about one main subject, etc.

I know it can be intimidating or daunting to jump into a large thread that is already pretty far along, but you are likely to get better, more detailed, more complete, more informed, more accurate information by perusing and following a Superthread than if you look elsewhere. It doesn't mean that everyone in every Superthread or large thread will have every single answer, or will even be correct about every single detail, but they/we will try to paint the most complete picture for you and will let you know if they/we do not have the information you need!

Those sorts of threads/Superthreads (like the GCH Superthread, the World of Color Superthread, the Fantasmic Superthread, the PhotoPass Superthread, the Character Meal Superthread, etc., etc.) are not simply (what I refer to as) "Yay! Rah-rah! We love the GCH [or fill in the blank with name of subject]" threads. They are partially that as well, of course, but they also are valuable tools for in-depth info, discussion and planning advice about these very popular sub-topics of the much larger topic of Disneyland Resort!

​

And, in the meantime, Disney's Social Media people really need to pay more attention to their Halloween Time and Holidays pages on Facebook, all year long (I say that, knowing that they do occasionally peek in on my Halloween and Christmas/Holidays threads, as well as some of the other more active/most viewed threads on this forum). They need to build up excitement and get more people filled with anticipation for the seasons to start. I have a feeling that Disney/DLR mistakenly thinks that no one really cares about the Halloween Time and holiday seasons in, say, February or May or July or whatever. I suppose they assume that people will only begin to plan their Halloween/holiday trips when those seasons are just about to begin? That may be true if all of the guests are local or almost local but, as we all know, there are people who travel from all over this country and other countries to attend these special events, and it cannot hurt to post some Halloween things on the Halloween page all year long, or some holiday things on the Holidays page all year long. How could it possibly hurt them to build up those pages a bit?

Oh well. If Disney doesn't build up their season-specific pages people will just end up making their way to other places -- such as DISboards, the Halloween at DLR Superthread and the Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread!! So I guess it works out for us!

​

 

[pattyduke34]

Sherry- I love all the information that you have on here..and again I am reading everything as I get to make another trip this year with a friend who has not been in 20 years,,,,I want to make sure that she gets to see everything and I know that you are always updating any new information that you get! Thanks a million for all your hard work! I can not wait to see the parks decorated in Halloween theme again!!

 

[Amilo]

Sherry,
I so appreciate all you do to keep info accurate and updated! I find that even CMs give incorrect/inconsistent info on this subject! It's so hard to know what to believe!
Oh well, I know I'll really enjoy my trip, no matter what happens!