So is that area just going to be closed or used for photo ops??
No one knows, because I don't think anyone expected that Carnival/Jamboree/Festival Arena area to be closed. All I can guess is that, if what I learned was accurate and that Santa Claus will be back inside his log cabin for photos this year, then there is a chance that the little cabin/Scare-Dy-Crow Shack will be there for Halloween Time, and there may be photos ops around that specific area (which is also right by the petting zoo). In other words, if there is a plan for the little cabin during the holiday season, I don't see why it can't be decorated for Halloween -- even if the actual Carnival is not happening.
MiceAge is claiming in their latest Update --
http://micechat.com/108619-disneyland-rumors-starwars/ -- that the plans are going forward with a Star Wars Land that will wipe out Toontown, the Festival Arena and the Circle D Ranch. However, they don't think it will be announced at
D23 this weekend. IF they are correct, chances are, I doubt that any work would be done on that area until next year, at the earliest -- and they may have to wait through all of the El Nino rain before they can get anything done.
So... in the meantime, why would the Festival Arena be closed this year? It seems that it could be used for something. But... as I have been saying over in the Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread, my hunch -- and it is only a theory, which could be completely wrong -- is that, due to the Star Wars premiere that is coming to the Magic Eye Theater, and whatever else may be done to the theater, the Candlelight Ceremony people won't have a place to rehearse. They usually rehearse in the Magic Eye Theater. The Candlelight Ceremony is a tradition of more than 50 years. I doubt it would be shelved, but the performers would need a new place to rehearse in the weeks and months leading up to December.
Hmm... where could they rehearse that is an open space, closed off to the public, with a stage? You guessed it! The Festival Arena!!!
In discussing pros and cons of the party with my family another question came up. Is it worth it to have shorter hours on Monday (it seems the parks could open as late at 10am, DCA may close at 8pm. Looking at past years) in order to have maybe lighter crowds on a Monday during the day? We could change it to go to the parks on Sat and Sun and skip the party but are weekends during this time very crowded. At least they would have longer hours. This July was really crowded for July because of the 60th. (But still not as bad as New Year's Day.) How are crowds normally on a weekend or weekday at the end of September?
The crowds pick up when Mickey's Halloween Party begins, so I would expect that the weekends will be pretty busy -- especially if people who are not going to the MHP are trying to squeeze in all of their
Disneyland activities earlier in the day! It won't be like New Year's Eve busy, but it will be busy.
Sherry do you anything about Innoventions building yet? Will they have to ope for treat trails in October?
I have no clue -- but take a peek at the MiceAge Update that I linked above. It sounds like the original plans for Innoventions somehow fell through, but I think that it is still going to be used for something Star Wars-related or Marvel-related this year. I would nto be shocked if there is no treat trail there this year.
(Sorry if these have been asked - I skimmed and didn't see them)
I haven't been to MHP in a few years and I have a couple questions:
1. I have tickets for the 16th and we were going to stay the night, but now find out DD may have to be back in town early Sat morning, so we're thinking of leaving the party about an hour early to get a head start back home. If we do that, will we miss much that last hour?
2. How early in the day do people wear costumes? Can we wear them when we get there late morning, or should we plan on changing when MHP ticket holders are allowed in around 4?
I think that what you'd miss in the last hour would be lighter crowds, as a lot of people will clear out after the fireworks and parade. I don't know when the Paint the Night parade will run during the party, so there is a chance you could miss it... but probably not.
Technically, people are not supposed to be wearing costumes in Disneyland until 3 p.m. or 4 p.m., depending on when the MHP ticket allows entry that day. However, I think that Disney has relaxed the rules a bit, as people have reported seeing costumes before 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. I probably wouldn't try to get away with elaborate, cumbersome costumes in the morning, but you might be able to get away with costumes well before 4 p.m. (if 4 p.m. is your entry time).
Hoping to purchase our tickets for the 9.30 party next week (DH has a deal worked out with DD to "earn" her party, so I have to wait). Hopefully, tickets are still plentiful for that night. Middle of the week, probably pretty safe still, right?
Probably so. I think you'll be okay -- but, honestly, seeing how fast Halloween night sold out this year, it's hard to say. It's hard to predict what the ticket buyers will do. It's quite possible that Disney increased the number of tickets sold for each party this year, which would mean that they might not sell out right away. I think that the combo of Halloween night and Saturday was destined to attract a lot of people (even more than a Friday MHP).
Halloweentime doesn't get as much love on MiceChat as on the DISboards, which I think is why a newer member posted that they just saw it on Facebook. Much easier to find info on the DISboards via superthreads! 
I peek in on all of the Disney discussion sites, but MiceChat is the only one that I really keep going back to.
