HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread #4

[fcanal]

Here's an odd question for you... Does anyone know if Disneyland is willing to, or has the ability to, cut the candy apples for us when purchased? I know that eons ago in Disney World they wouldn't cut them. I love candy apples, but hate the mess. I don't even eat a plain apple without cutting it up. LOL!

Marceline's used to be able to cut them up, but the stopped doing it about a year ago. You might be able to get a rogue employee there to do it, but not likely. I'd suggest getting a knife from your hotel.

 

[2tinkerbell]

I've had Candy Corn in my candy dishes at home and work for about 2 weeks now. My favorite. I decided to purchase some Candy Corn flavored M&M's. They were okay, but, the real thing is so much better. My DD saw some Candy Corn Cotton Candy at WinCo. She was so excited for me as I love Cotton Candy and Candy Corn. I declined on purchasing me some - I will wait until Disney.

Airfare-check
Hotel-check
Park Tickets-check
Dining Reservations-check
MHP Tickets-check
PhotoPass + -check
Ground Transportation-check
Box for balloon-check
Tag and itinerary notebook mad-check

I am so excited! 18 more days! I can't begin to even think about packing until the night of the 28th but since it should take us only about an hour I won't pack until I get home from work on the 29th.

I know that I am being a stick in the mud about this, but, I decided that we were not going to go to the MHP in costume. I have purchased us both orange rugby shirts and I will hopefully get the Minnie Treat bags. If my DD agrees and they have it, I will purchase her the Minnie Witch Hat. That is enough for us (well me at least...lol!).

 

[figment_jii]

Is it for sure that the Conjure a Villain tent will be back this year? I am dying to do that!

Also, it is only available during party time, or is it available all day long?

Hopefully if someone is at the parks today (or this weekend), they'll be able to report how things are at the Big Thunder Ranch Halloween Carnival. I suspect it, or some variation, is at the Carnival again this year.

We won't know for sure until after the first party, but last year, the Carnival area closed before the party started. It usually closed at dusk or there about (I want to say around 6:00 pm). I should add, that the Carnival area generally closed at dusk on all days (not just party days).

I know that I am being a stick in the mud about this, but, I decided that we were not going to go to the MHP in costume. I have purchased us both orange rugby shirts and I will hopefully get the Minnie Treat bags. If my DD agrees and they have it, I will purchase her the Minnie Witch Hat. That is enough for us (well me at least...lol!).

I don't think you're being a stick in the mud! I don't wear a costume to MHP either and I don't feel like there is anything wrong with that! There is enough folks both in and out of costume that neither group really feels out of place.

 

[2tinkerbell]

Hopefully if someone is at the parks today (or this weekend), they'll be able to report how things are at the Big Thunder Ranch Halloween Carnival. I suspect it, or some variation, is at the Carnival again this year.

We won't know for sure until after the first party, but last year, the Carnival area closed before the party started. It usually closed at dusk or there about (I want to say around 6:00 pm).

Thanks for this information. I guess I hadn't given it much thought, but, I assumed that the Carnival would be open during the Party. Again, I appreciate knowing this. My DD will do her planning on the Monday before we leave, so I will make sure she knows this.

 

[Sherry E]

Is it for sure that the Conjure a Villain tent will be back this year? I am dying to do that!

Also, it is only available during party time, or is it available all day long?

THANKS!

Conjure a Villain was reported to be coming back in this Disney Parks Blog from September 8th. It says "And don’t forget the astounding “Conjure A Villain” sideshow tent."



This was the schedule for the Villains back in 2013. I'm sure it will be similar this year.

​

Thanks for this information. I guess I hadn't given it much thought, but, I assumed that the Carnival would be open during the Party. Again, I appreciate knowing this. My DD will do her planning on the Monday before we leave, so I will make sure she knows this.

2tinkerbell -

I think you missed it when we were talking about the Carnival not being open during the MHP a while back! There are character meet & greets outside or around the perimeters of the Carnival, and there may or may not even be a couple of treat stations in the area, but all of the Carnival entertainment is shut down during the MHP.

By the way, I don't wear costumes to the party either. It's not a big deal at all. Lots of people are not in costume.

​

 

[2tinkerbell]

Sherry - I obviously did miss it. No problems though. I am giving my DD the link to this thread and she has all day Monday to read up and plan. That is one of the main reasons why I decided to tell her on Sunday. She likes to research and plan and is much better at it than I am. In fact, this is one of the first times in about 6 years that I've purchased the airfare, made hotel reservations, etc. She usually is in charge of things like that and I am just, "Mom! Wallet!" I actually prefer it that way.

 

[figment_jii]

I got myself confused...I remember reading the Blog article, but for some reason I thought that there might be some changes to how the Villains meet and greet occurred, but I think the "something new" header was only for the "Mystic Magic Show". So, unless they tweek something inside (maybe some new decor or things in different places) it sounds like it'll the same as the last few years.

In terms of the Halloween Carnival, I think they might have a treat trail in the general area (Big Thunder Ranch), but I'm pretty sure the Carnival area is closed off. At least, I'm pretty sure that when I wandered by there one night (after the listed hours ended), the gates into the actual Carnival area were closed.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I've had Candy Corn in my candy dishes at home and work for about 2 weeks now. My favorite. I decided to purchase some Candy Corn flavored M&M's. They were okay, but, the real thing is so much better. My DD saw some Candy Corn Cotton Candy at WinCo. She was so excited for me as I love Cotton Candy and Candy Corn. I declined on purchasing me some - I will wait until Disney. Airfare-check Hotel-check Park Tickets-check Dining Reservations-check MHP Tickets-check PhotoPass + -check Ground Transportation-check Box for balloon-check Tag and itinerary notebook mad-check I am so excited! 18 more days! I can't begin to even think about packing until the night of the 28th but since it should take us only about an hour I won't pack until I get home from work on the 29th. I know that I am being a stick in the mud about this, but, I decided that we were not going to go to the MHP in costume. I have purchased us both orange rugby shirts and I will hopefully get the Minnie Treat bags. If my DD agrees and they have it, I will purchase her the Minnie Witch Hat. That is enough for us (well me at least...lol!).

Just be aware the candy corn looking cotton candy does NOT taste like candy corn. Nor does the candy cane looking one at Christmastime taste like candy cane. It's just regular old cotton candy, which isn't bad, but a let down when you're expecting a special flavor. We learned this the hard way

 

[Sherry E]

Marceline's used to be able to cut them up, but the stopped doing it about a year ago. You might be able to get a rogue employee there to do it, but not likely. I'd suggest getting a knife from your hotel.

fcanal --

I'm glad you posted about this, as this was what I thought was the case too. I thought I had recalled reading a while back that all of the various candy shop CMs stopped cutting up the apples for guests, but I wasn't sure if it was still the case.

I had to giggle at the "rogue employee" reference -- for some reason that struck me as funny (I have the image of an employee sneakily cutting up apples for guests behind the scenes, when no one is looking!).

Sherry - I obviously did miss it. No problems though. I am giving my DD the link to this thread and she has all day Monday to read up and plan. That is one of the main reasons why I decided to tell her on Sunday. She likes to research and plan and is much better at it than I am. In fact, this is one of the first times in about 6 years that I've purchased the airfare, made hotel reservations, etc. She usually is in charge of things like that and I am just, "Mom! Wallet!" I actually prefer it that way.

2tinkerbell --

You seem to have a great attitude about it!

I hope your daughter enjoys reading through the thread and planning everything out. As I mentioned a few days ago, I, too, used to read the Birnbaum guides back in the '80s and early '90s (I would always buy the updated versions), so I know how fun those can be! I would absorb every bit of information from them!

I got myself confused...I remember reading the Blog article, but for some reason I thought that there might be some changes to how the Villains meet and greet occurred, but I think the "something new" header was only for the "Mystic Magic Show". So, unless they tweek something inside (maybe some new decor or things in different places) it sounds like it'll the same as the last few years.

In terms of the Halloween Carnival, I think they might have a treat trail in the general area (Big Thunder Ranch), but I'm pretty sure the Carnival area is closed off. At least, I'm pretty sure that when I wandered by there one night (after the listed hours ended), the gates into the actual Carnival area were closed.

The Carnival is closed for the MHP (or was closed up until last year), and all of the Carnival entertainment shuts down, as I mentioned.

The reason I said that "there may or may not even be a couple of treat stations in the area" (depending on whether or not that changes this year) is because the Carnival and the Roundup are right next to each other and literally transition into each other. It's all the same general area (the Carnival/Roundup/Ranch), so I think that once people get to the actual treat trail they won't know whether they are in the Carnival or the Roundup, really. But, yes, technically, the treat trail will probably not be inside the actual Carnival portion of the area.

 

[figment_jii]

The reason I said that "there may or may not even be a couple of treat stations in the area" (depending on whether or not that changes this year) is because the Carnival and the Roundup are right next to each other and literally transition into each other. It's all the same general area (the Carnival/Roundup/Ranch), so I think that once people get to the actual treat trail they won't know whether they are in the Carnival or the Roundup, really. But, yes, technically, the treat trail will probably not be inside the actual Carnival portion of the area.

Ah, okay. I tend to think of them as two distinct areas, probably because there is an operable gate between them! To me, the Carnival is the part where most of the HalloweenTime activities occur (pumpkins, Conjure a Villian, the stage, Pirates League, etc.) and is only open seasonally. The Ranch/Roundup is the area before the gate where the petting zoo animals area and tends to be open/available all year. I can see where folks would not make the distinction, but I do think it's worth noting the difference between the areas because they do operate on different schedules.

 

[Sherry E]

I am copying my post from earlier this week (below) -- so everyone headed out to Halloween Time festivities today (and anyone new to this thread) knows what to be on the lookout for, and where the primary Halloween fun can be found!


If anyone sees any signs of Halloween-ish anything in California Adventure, please report back! That is what I am most curious about!! A loaf of bread shaped like a pumpkin... a random strand of Fall garland... anything!!!


If anyone sees the return of the Spooky Kooky Gingerbread Zombie Cookie anywhere in New Orleans Square, please report back!

Good morning, folks!

This is going to be one of those extremely hot Halloween Time season start weeks -- September often provides some of our warmest weather of the entire summer. It's way too hot for me. Stay hydrated and apply lots of sunscreen as you enjoy the Halloween offerings this week!

And don't forget to enjoy other seasonal snacks, such as: Caramel Apple Laffy Taffy; Caramel Apple Pirate's Booty; Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt -- Caramel Apple Pie flavor; and Palmer Eye Scream! "chocolaty sandwitches" [sic]!!!




Here is a highlight reel of some of the things you can expect to see at Disneyland in 2 days (and all during Halloween Time) -- it's just a peek, not the full array o' fun!

Signage in Downtown Disney (this photo is from 2013, which is why it says September 13th instead of 12th)...

Character pumpkins over the Disneyland turnstiles (photo from 2013)...

Halloween Time signs (photo from 2013)!

Ads for Mickey's Halloween Party (again, this shot is from 2013, so the start date of the MHP was different than it is this year)...

Giant Mickey Pumpkin holding court in Town Square (photo from 2011)...

The Main Street Pumpkin Festival (photos from 2013)...

Vintage-ish Halloween-themed window displays (photo from 2011)...

Pumpkins representing each land in Disneyland, gathered 'round the Hub (photo from 2011)...

Seasonal goodies!!! (photo from 2013)...

Seasonal souvenirs!!!! (such as this glowing, twinkling bag that can be used for treat collecting at Mickey's Halloween Party, which usually costs around $10 before discounts -- photo from 2013)...

Haunted Mansion Holiday (photo from 2012)...

The Dia de los Muertos display in Frontierland (photo from 2011)...

The Ray Bradbury Halloween Tree in Frontierland (photo from 2013)...

The Halloween Carnival/Halloween Roundup in Frontierland (I already posted photos of the Conjure a Villain area here last week, so I am leaving that part of the Carnival out of this post -- photos from 2013)....

Random Pumpkin People around the Roundup (these two are supposed to be Roy Rogers and Dale Evans -- photo from 2011)...

The Scare-Dy-Crow Shack (which has a lot of cool retro Halloween décor and pumpkin-y details inside -- photo from 2011)...

Animals in Halloween neckwear (photo from 2011)...

Amazing carved pumpkins...

(2011)

(2013)

The Pirates League (photo from 2013)....

Games (photo from 2013)...

Crafts (photo from 2013)...

Candy Corn-colored cotton candy (photo from 2013)...

​

That's just a glimpse of what will be happening during Halloween Time. Again, I showed photos of the Conjure a Villain area last week, so I left them out of this post. I also do not have any photos of Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, but that will be there too!

 

[Sherry E]

FOOD NEWS!!!!


A new installment from the Disney Food Blog (which is not an official Disney site):

"Dining in Disneyland: The Pumpkin Muffin is Back!" - Sep 12th, 2014 by Heather Sievers

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Spotted on Shelves -- 9/12/14 -- HERE

Kraft Jet-Puffed Candy Corn Marshmallows
Pumpkin Spice Pie Popcorn (??)
Apple Crumble Pie Popcorn

​

From MousePlanet, our competitor site (I always give credit to other sites, even if some of them sometimes 'get ideas' from this site and don't give us credit ):

Halloween Time 2014 food and beverage -- HERE

Seasonal/Fall Menu at Jolly Holiday Bakery -- HERE

​

New:

"Halloween Time 2014 at the Disneyland Resort Fun Facts: Haunted Mansion Holiday" -- Disneyland News press release; September 12, 2014

"Tradition Continues with 14 Creepy Creation: Gingerbread House Traps a Gingerbread Zombie"

​

"Top 5 ways to celebrate HalloweenTime at Disneyland" - by Tom Bell (DIS Unplugged Correspondent); September 12, 2014

​

 

[figment_jii]

‘Hurry Back!’ – New for 2014, a more “animated” Sally bids farewell to “Sandy Claws” Jack Skellington as he, and Haunted Mansion Holiday guests, depart from the Mansion.

I'm curious about this part too! The other elements sound pretty similar, but this says it's specifically new for this year.

I can't wait to see the Gingerbread house this year!

 

[Sherry E]

I'm curious about this part too! The other elements sound pretty similar, but this says it's specifically new for this year.

I can't wait to see the Gingerbread house this year!

Same here! I love that Gingerbread house! I can't get a photo of it to save my life, but I love seeing it and smelling all of the piped-in gingerbready goodness!

I notice that what Disneyland News does is to recycle its older pieces and then just adds in a few updated sentences. There was a "Fun Facts" release about HMH in 2013. I just tried to access it and the link is now dead. So I think they took the bulk of what was in that one and revised it a bit for 2014, and then deleted the 2013 piece.

 

[Sherry E]

There is some footage of Haunted Mansion Holiday (standard HMH footage -- I don't think it's anything new from this year) at the end of the video clip:

"Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park: An Idea that Couldn’t be Laid to Rest" -- Disney Parks Blog; posted on September 12th, 2014 by Valarie Sukovaty, Disneyland Public Relations

​

 

[Kilala]

@Sherry
Do you know if there any lockers I can rent on Halloween night? Me and my friend plan on getting there early. I hope by 4pm.

 

[figment_jii]

@Sherry
Do you know if there any lockers I can rent on Halloween night? Me and my friend plan on getting there early. I hope by 4pm.

Not Sherry, but...you might ask if one of the folks in the parks today could check to see if the lockers inside DL have re-opened. They closed in early spring and were slated to re-open sometime in the fall, but the dates have not yet been announced. I don't recall reading that the lockers have re-opened yet, so they might still be the temporary location of First Aid. Otherwise, there are lockers out in the Esplande (both by DL and DCA). I don't know how fast lockers sell out on Halloween (a Friday).

 

[Sherry E]

@Sherry
Do you know if there any lockers I can rent on Halloween night? Me and my friend plan on getting there early. I hope by 4pm.

Kilala --

I didn't even have a chance to answer your question to me before figment_jii answered it for me (I was busy doing something in the kitchen), but I would have said basically the same thing.

 

[figment_jii]

Kilala --

I didn't even have a chance to answer your question to me before figment_jii answered it for me (I was busy doing something in the kitchen), but I would have said basically the same thing.

A tangential discussion (not Halloween-related), but that's something I do wonder about. When someone posts something asking a question to a specific person, does that mean they only want that person to answer? Even if it is a general information question? I can see where it would be specific if they're asking an opinion (e.g., did you like something), but I've never been sure about general info/non-opinion questions.

 

[Kristina4109]

I think it's perfectly fine if you answer a question posed to someone else as long as you know the answer.

By the way, saw on the Disney Food Blog that the Jolly Holiday Cafe is serving Pumpkin Muffins - they're going for $2.99 and look more like a cupcake. I know how the nice folks on this list are looking for signs of fall - there's one for you!