HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread #4

[ten6mom]

FINALLY got the website to work and tickets purchased! Holy Cow that was frustrating.

 

[MasonsG]

How did that guy get his physical tickets already?

I would suspect the tickets he is selling are really for the Halloween Party at WDW in FL, their tickets went on sale some time ago and that is the name of the WDW Halloween Party. Wouldn't that be a surprise that you had tickets for an event 3,000 miles away from DL.
We really appreciate all the help everyone has shared on this thread, we are going to our first DL Halloween party and because we picked the date that last year sold out the fastest by a LOT- the first Fri of Oct, I was online early (just past 8am yesterday) and not only was able to purchase them online immediately (AP), but the email with the e-tickets to print was in my email within 20 min. We will be complete newbies exploring this experience as grandparents with a 5 yr old grandson- so if anyone attends the first couple of party nights- everyone hopes you will post any tips- ie- characters in costume in toontown? or special AP trick or treat trail? Actually everyone would be thrilled to hear anything about what to put on their 'not to be missed' list :0) Thanks so much and hope everyone has a great time!

 

[Meriweather]

Well, not sure about it all, but the tickets he has posted show the back and they are marked Oct. 31, 2015 at Disneyland. The front shows Diamond celebration

 

[MasonsG]

Well, not sure about it all, but the tickets he has posted show the back and they are marked Oct. 31, 2015 at Disneyland. The front shows Diamond celebration

hmmm, that is interesting... I had not looked at them, just hoping no one gets scammed. Maybe he has a really good printer and skills? Funny he used the name of the WDW party though. And that he has them before anyone else. They could be legit but I would hate to see anyone scammed, so appreciate that everyone on these disboards are helping each other out.

 

[Kuilima]

Can I buy tix with Disney Rewards or do I have to charge it with my Disney Visa?

 

[Starlight821]

Can I buy tix with Disney Rewards or do I have to charge it with my Disney Visa?

Yes you can. I used my Rewards card for half of my tickets and my visa for the rest. You do have to know your exact balance though if you do not have enough rewards to cover your purchase.

 

[nightmaremama]

How did that guy get his physical tickets already?

I saw that you could buy them in person at the main gates- i'm guessing that is what they did. Still strange they wouldn't have the right name on the listing.... $200/ticket.... smh....

 

[Crisi83]

I'm confused about buying the tickets now as an AP holder. I have an AP, my dad I am traveling with does not. Can I purchase two tickets right now and be fine? Last year I hadn't gotten my AP yet, so I had bought mine the regular way...

 

[tzeitel]

Also, this would probably be a question for another thread, but so I have an AP, toddler is free, so we only have one other person in our party who will need a 5 day park hopper. Best to buy it on Disney site or are there going to be any better deals around? Do have a AAA member. Haven't started researching this, figured I'd ask.

I got mine through Orbitz. They had a deal for buy 3 days get the 4th free plus got cashback from Ebates. I just checked and Orbitz does not have the same deal right now - but that could change later in the Summer. You could wait a bit to see if there is a better deal - Orbitz (and Cheaptickets which is the same company) do many special throughout the year and I think they do a special for Fall tickets. They send you an email immediately with your ticket info which you use to get the tickets at will call. If anything you can still buy through Orbitz and use Ebates for a bit of cash back (3.75%).

 

[chttyangel]

All non-party guests have to leave the park at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., depending on when the party begins. Shops on Main Street may stay open for a bit longer, but the rest of the park is considered closed to non-party guests. Cast Members begin sectioning off areas and checking wristbands. It's not as hard as you would think -- they do a pretty good job of making sure that no one is staying in the park without a ticket and wristband, and the wristbands will probably have to be shown at various spots throughout the night. They've got it down to a science. California Adventure stays open, though, so if you have to leave Disneyland at 6 p.m., then you can still go to DCA, or just wander around Downtown Disney and the hotels.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I know I am probably the ONLY one on here that wants to avoid the party and was not excited to see the dates yesterday. I love Halloween; I was just hoping this was going to be the first time in years I got to go when the Parks were not crowded and was surprised to see them having a mid week one so early in the season (oh well!). Have fun to all of those people going!

 

[Crisi83]

I got mine through Orbitz. They had a deal for buy 3 days get the 4th free plus got cashback from Ebates. I just checked and Orbitz does not have the same deal right now - but that could change later in the Summer. You could wait a bit to see if there is a better deal - Orbitz (and Cheaptickets which is the same company) do many special throughout the year and I think they do a special for Fall tickets. They send you an email immediately with your ticket info which you use to get the tickets at will call. If anything you can still buy through Orbitz and use Ebates for a bit of cash back (3.75%).

Was orbtz only if you booked other stuff for the vacation, or if just for disney tickets? I'll keep an eye on them.

 

[tzeitel]

Was orbtz only if you booked other stuff for the vacation, or if just for disney tickets? I'll keep an eye on them.

Just tickets, they are under activities.

 

[lorijohnhill]

I ordered online yesterday and got an email stating that my order was not complete due to system availability and that I would get a notice when it was processed. I still have not gotten a notice, but am seeing that many people have ordered on line. Has anyone else gotten this message?

ETA: the money was deducted from my DVA.

 

[FireflyTrance]

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

 

[BobearQSI]

Best to buy it on Disney site or are there going to be any better deals around?

This year, I got mine through aRes Travel
I haven't used them yet, but they are reported as safe and legit from MouseSavers.com

You must purchase at least 48 hours in advance, print out a voucher (must be printed out, can't use phone), and take it to the ticket windows to get hard tickets, which you can then use to enter the park.

 

[GXIncognto]

Just an FYI for anybody anxious about calling because of all the reports of huge wait times yesterday...I called in a half hour ago and was only on hold for 8 minutes before talking to a CM that took my order for 2 tickets with my Disney Visa card. So it's safe to call now!

 

[BobearQSI]

Looks like people are already trying to make a quick buck on scalping tickets for Mickey's Halloween Party on October 31st...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-31-1-6-T...871?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4199fb1b87

Looks like they can't even get the name for Disneyland's party right, calling it Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

They look legit - there is a picture on the auction of the back of the tickets, showing the date, and the correct name. I'd guess as well that he got them at the gate.

I would also guess the "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party" is intentional. Clueless people searching ebay might not realize the party names are different at Disneyland. The title he used would cover searches for both names.

Someone's probably likely to buy them after it sells out. It would be quite the bummer if they asked to see the AP at the gate, though!

 

[Sherry E]

I am getting very annoyed with this browser (Explorer 11). Every browser I use ends up giving me trouble at some point, or there is something I don't like about it. But IE11 is just going nuts. It hates DISboards, apparently, as every time I try to open a thread and begin to type responses, it starts flickering and spazzing out, and ultimately I end up losing all of my typed text. I had just begun typing some replies, and the flickering and spazzing began, and I lost the text that I typed. Sooooo annoying! Let me try this again!

Sorry I should have been a little more clear. I mean the difference between goofy and minnie and friends. I know that goofy serves some non breakfast items and minnie is strictly breakfast but they seem to pretty much be the same.

The main difference is that Goofy's has a wider array of food at the buffet, and that it offers a character dinner too. Minnie & Friends has the most characters -- who could be harder to avoid if you wanted to be left alone! I think it would be easier to keep Goofy's 5 characters away from your table than it would be to keep M&F's bounty of characters (could be as many as 11 or 12) away.

Just wondered if anyone else had any comments on this? If he ordered hard tickets would his name still be on them? Thanks

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.

So excited they finally posted dates and I can buy tickets! We did Halloween Party last year, but because of our visit dates we only had one date choice. This year we will be there Oct 4-9 (traveling 9th, but get in early enough 4th to spend the evening at the park) and I'm trying to figure out which of our party days would be the better choices - Monday the 5th or Wednesday the 7th. Looks like they both sold out last year, but it seems like it sold out most nights. Any thoughts on either one being better or worse? We'll just spend the evening of the party we don't chose over at DCA.

Also, this would probably be a question for another thread, but so I have an AP, toddler is free, so we only have one other person in our party who will need a 5 day park hopper. Best to buy it on Disney site or are there going to be any better deals around? Do have a AAA member. Haven't started researching this, figured I'd ask.

Normally I would have expected that the Wednesday night party would be slightly better, with slightly fewer people, but looking at last year's sell out dates, it looks like both the Monday and Wednesday parties of the week you'd be there this year sold out within one day of each other! That makes me think that some people were staying at DLR for multiple days, and wanted to do more than one MHP during their trips, so they chose Monday and Wednesday. I could be totally wrong, but it's just a theory/hunch. It could be the Gay Days folks staying longer, or it could be people out on a fall break.

The last Monday party I went to was pretty crowded -- not oppressively so, but there were a lot of people there.

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?

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.

Re Goofy's kitchen - one of the best character meals we've enjoyed at either WDW or DL. Not for the food, which was good, but limited as to offerings compared to most WDW buffets, but we go for the interaction with the actors who are engaging and convincing. We try to work it in each visit.

We appreciate the CM's top-notch talent & enthusiasm that is in evidence @ DL and USH. True professionals, might have something to do with being Hollywood lol

Re the AP ticket holder restrictions being mentioned here - has me scratching head a bit. I used DVC discount, same discount. I did have to provide a membership # but it was never mentioned by the CM (or the DVC agent I spoke to earlier) as to bringing DVC ID card to present at the gate with the tickets. At WDW they remind you that you will have to provide a photo ID & DVC card when picking up tix at will-call. They don't want people buying them for others when they won't be present. Guess I better make sure to toss the card in travel folder this trip.



Cast member? If so, would think practice is frowned upon at the very least.

stinks in general, moreso for people who might get 'carded' at gate for AP and get turned away.

jmho AP holders should get a head-start ahead of Disney Visa and DVC. Especially @ DL the locals are the park's bread & butter and should have 1st dibs as to prime party dates.

Yes, bring the DVC card just in case -- it seems like it should have been mentioned by the CM. Picking up tickets at Will Call makes sense to me in terms of needing to show your DVC credentials, but as for people just entering through the turnstiles needing to show APs, DVC cards and such just to get their groups of 8 (or however many) in the parks with the MHP tickets they purchased, I'm not sure if Disney will be enforcing that.

I would suspect the tickets he is selling are really for the Halloween Party at WDW in FL, their tickets went on sale some time ago and that is the name of the WDW Halloween Party. Wouldn't that be a surprise that you had tickets for an event 3,000 miles away from DL.
We really appreciate all the help everyone has shared on this thread, we are going to our first DL Halloween party and because we picked the date that last year sold out the fastest by a LOT- the first Fri of Oct, I was online early (just past 8am yesterday) and not only was able to purchase them online immediately (AP), but the email with the e-tickets to print was in my email within 20 min. We will be complete newbies exploring this experience as grandparents with a 5 yr old grandson- so if anyone attends the first couple of party nights- everyone hopes you will post any tips- ie- characters in costume in toontown? or special AP trick or treat trail? Actually everyone would be thrilled to hear anything about what to put on their 'not to be missed' list :0) Thanks so much and hope everyone has a great time!

I really appreciate that you've joined us and that you are finding the info in this thread helpful -- which is the goal! I'm also glad that last year's sell out dates are coming in handy for reference in regards to this year's MHP dates!

I totally agree -- we want as many people as possible to report back to this thread with their party experiences. That's precisely why I assembled the reviews of the 2013 and 2014 parties in a post in this thread -- so that new party goers will be able to read them and get a sense of what most people thought, good and bad. We'll likely find out about the AP treat trail (if there is one) before the party begins, and we should have a sense of whether there will be another pre-party in Toontown before the party begins, hopefully!

I'm confused about buying the tickets now as an AP holder. I have an AP, my dad I am traveling with does not. Can I purchase two tickets right now and be fine? Last year I hadn't gotten my AP yet, so I had bought mine the regular way...

You'll be fine. You'll be able to get tickets for both you and your dad!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I know I am probably the ONLY one on here that wants to avoid the party and was not excited to see the dates yesterday. I love Halloween; I was just hoping this was going to be the first time in years I got to go when the Parks were not crowded and was surprised to see them having a mid week one so early in the season (oh well!). Have fun to all of those people going!

I think the parks are more crowded than people expect during Halloween Time. It used to be a slow time of year to visit, but since Disney has amped up its Halloween celebration -- and Halloween as a holiday in general seems to be getting more popular and more elaborate every year (not at Disneyland, but across America) -- more people are heading to Disneyland to enjoy the season. Plus, since it starts in September, people can stretch out their Halloween festivities for a month and a half! It's no longer a slow time. It won't be New Year's Eve-level crowded, but there will be some crowds here and there.

I ordered online yesterday and got an email stating that my order was not complete due to system availability and that I would get a notice when it was processed. I still have not gotten a notice, but am seeing that many people have ordered on line. Has anyone else gotten this message?

ETA: the money was deducted from my DVA.

I have neither heard nor read about anyone getting that precise message, though I have to imagine people are getting it. If you have not gotten the confirmation or emailed e-tickets within a day or so, I would call Disney and tell them what happened. It sounds like the order was processed, but for some reason there is just a delay in actually sending you the tickets. When you first paid, did you get a confirmation number?

Just an FYI for anybody anxious about calling because of all the reports of huge wait times yesterday...I called in a half hour ago and was only on hold for 8 minutes before talking to a CM that took my order for 2 tickets with my Disney Visa card. So it's safe to call now!

I think that waiting is usually the best thing. The whole problem is that not enough people wait to buy tickets, and they all try to do it at the same time, when apparently Disneyland is not prepared to handle the call volume, or large numbers of simultaneous online transactions.

 

[lorijohnhill]

I have neither heard nor read about anyone getting that precise message, though I have to imagine people are getting it. If you have not gotten the confirmation or emailed e-tickets within a day or so, I would call Disney and tell them what happened. It sounds like the order was processed, but for some reason there is just a delay in actually sending you the tickets. When you first paid, did you get a confirmation number?

No, I didn't get a confirmation number with the email. I'll have to contact the tomorrow. It's kind of difficult to deal with while traveling, but it'll get done. It's just frustrating!

 

[Kilala]

I was think of adding an extra day Friday October 16th. I have that day off of work. From the sell out date for the 17th last year it didn't sell out until late September. So if it works out and I can get that ticket on September 3rd them I will be going Monday September 28th, October 14th an October 16th. I will be getting Monday the 28th and October 14th on the 3rd of August. It's really nice on the weekdays as I remebered from last year. If I do get October 16th part tickets then I should be hopefully be getting there around the 4pm time.