HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread #4

[Comicbookmommy]

It's not even remotely fall-like down here in the L.A. basin. It is absurdly hot and uncomfortable. Fairly humid too. I want to just keep running to the shower and sticking my head under the water, but we're in a bad drought and I can't waste water!

I've contemplated taking up hibernation, but for the Summer. Just pack on pounds of insulating fat during the Holiday season, then as soon as the first hint of heat comes around, into my cave I go. Then awaken on the first day of Fall and skip all the sweaty nonsense. I quite admire bears that ability to sleep through an entire part of a year, haha!

 

[kaoden39]

I've contemplated taking up hibernation, but for the Summer. Just pack on pounds of insulating fat during the Holiday season, then as soon as the first hint of heat comes around, into my cave I go. Then awaken on the first day of Fall and skip all the sweaty nonsense. I quite admire bears that ability to sleep through an entire part of a year, haha!

I like how you think!!

 

[RichP1269]

Special Activities Department came through with a couple of our requests. We got preferred viewing for WoC, PTN and Disneyland forever, and she is still trying to see if she can get Halloween Screams for us on 9/25.

This is going to be our best trip to DLR ever!

 

[mom2rtk]

Special Activities Department came through with a couple of our requests. We got preferred viewing for WoC, PTN and Disneyland forever, and she is still trying to see if she can get Halloween Screams for us on 9/25.

This is going to be our best trip to DLR ever!

How did you manage that?

 

[DonaldDuck21]

I will be attending the halloween party for the first time in October. The priority for me is to get pictures with characters in their costumes. Will the lines be super long? Will Jack Skellington be out?

 

[Sherry E]

I will be attending the halloween party for the first time in October. The priority for me is to get pictures with characters in their costumes. Will the lines be super long? Will Jack Skellington be out?

Jack Skellington will be out at the party -- and, with any luck, in the daytime too. He usually pops up in the afternoon somewhere near Haunted Mansion Holiday. Sometimes he is with Sally and sometimes he's not. Since he usually just tends to be out for Halloween Time and the Holidays, he is popular and there should be a decent line. I have never really seen a line for characters at the party that wasn't fairly long, unless the character had not arrived yet and the line had just begun to form. Since some folks take multiple photos and get autographs, the lines can move slowly.

Jack Sparrow is another one who is extremely popular, so his photo spot (which I think he shares with some other characters) will have quite a long line.

It will help somewhat if some of the characters are out in the daytime and are not only at the party (such as Mickey, Minnie, etc., in Halloween attire).

 

[RichP1269]

How did you manage that?

Back in February, I received an offer for discounted rates at the Grand for $269/night in a standard room. The only problem was the offer expired a week before the trip we were planning. A trip for just the wife and I to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. I used the online chat to inquire about them extending the rate a week for us so we could take advantage of it for our anniversary. After a little while of them checking and finally saying they could not, I thanked the CS Agent and logged out of the chat.

Well, up popped a window asking if I would take a quick survey about my chat experience. Normally, I exit out of those but this time I decided to go ahead and fill it out. After the multiple choice questions were done, it asked for a summation of my experience using the chat system. I explained why I had logged in, told them that while I understood why they couldn't extend the rates I was still disappointed that Disney coouldn't extend a little pixie dust to make our 20th special.

The next day I got a call from the Special Activities Department. Once again they asked why I had used the chat system and i explained it to them. They then said they were sorry, but couldn't extend the rates for me. But then they said that since they are a different department they could make me a special offer.


Help with preferred viewing for any shows we may want to see.
Help booking any dining we wanted.
Help booking any tours we wanted to go on.

And the real kicker? A rate of $189 a night for a Premium View room at the Grand for the duration of our stay.

Sorry, that was a bit long winded.

 

[Clawdya]

So I have been trying to book the Mystical Spirits Blue Bayou experience for one person without any luck for September 25th. If there were two or more of us, I can book it but it shows nothing available for one person (which kind of bothers me - as if I don't count). Anyways, I have called with no luck in connecting with a human, I have sent emails - again no luck with connecting. I want to go to this experience because I am going to the party by myself and think it would be something different to add to the night. I am cancelling my Fantasmic reservation in order to justify the cost.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what to do to make this happen.

How about trying to chat with someone online? Good luck. I really hope you get it since it sounds awesome. I was able to reserve it for our party night.

 

[Sherry E]

Back in February, I received an offer for discounted rates at the Grand for $269/night in a standard room. The only problem was the offer expired a week before the trip we were planning. A trip for just the wife and I to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. I used the online chat to inquire about them extending the rate a week for us so we could take advantage of it for our anniversary. After a little while of them checking and finally saying they could not, I thanked the CS Agent and logged out of the chat.

Well, up popped a window asking if I would take a quick survey about my chat experience. Normally, I exit out of those but this time I decided to go ahead and fill it out. After the multiple choice questions were done, it asked for a summation of my experience using the chat system. I explained why I had logged in, told them that while I understood why they couldn't extend the rates I was still disappointed that Disney coouldn't extend a little pixie dust to make our 20th special.

The next day I got a call from the Special Activities Department. Once again they asked why I had used the chat system and i explained it to them. They then said they were sorry, but couldn't extend the rates for me. But then they said that since they are a different department they could make me a special offer.


Help with preferred viewing for any shows we may want to see.
Help booking any dining we wanted.
Help booking any tours we wanted to go on.

And the real kicker? A rate of $189 a night for a Premium View room at the Grand for the duration of our stay.

Sorry, that was a bit long winded.

Not longwinded at all! I'm glad you shared that with us, and I'm glad it worked out for you. I'd say that they went above and beyond the call of duty. I had the pleasure of dealing with the Special Activities department several years ago, and ended up with seats for A Christmas Fantasy Parade. I could have gotten seats or VIP viewing for quite a few other things as well, but I didn't want to push the issue. I arranged to have VIP viewing for World of Color and my friends did not show up for it. I also ended up with a fantastic DCA view room.

 

[Kilala]

Dose the CC still sell the loaded potato soup? If so should I make a reservation now for the 16th party? I want to eat early around 4 or 4:30pm when they will let me in costume.

 

[Sherry E]

Dose the CC still sell the loaded potato soup? If so should I make a reservation now for the 16th party? I want to eat early around 4 or 4:30pm when they will let me in costume.

They do still offer it, as far as I know. It's so popular. Then again, the popular fried green tomato sandwich at Hungry Bear has now been removed from the menu (as has the bumblebee cupcake), so anything can happen!

 

[mummabear]

So I have been trying to book the Mystical Spirits Blue Bayou experience for one person without any luck for September 25th. If there were two or more of us, I can book it but it shows nothing available for one person (which kind of bothers me - as if I don't count). Anyways, I have called with no luck in connecting with a human, I have sent emails - again no luck with connecting. I want to go to this experience because I am going to the party by myself and think it would be something different to add to the night. I am cancelling my Fantasmic reservation in order to justify the cost.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what to do to make this happen.

I know the Villians soriee at wdw last year had a minimum of 2 for booking.
Try booking for two via the phone with your 2nd listed as an infant

 

[lorijohnhill]

I just got back from Target. My phone died, so I have to rely on my pitiful memory to talk about the Pumpkin Pandemonium/Candy Corn and Candy Applr Chaos that I saw.

Entemens (however you spell it) had Pumpkin donuts and Pumpkin Popems. I saw Candy Apple Peeps. Halloween Oreos and Caramel Apple Oreos. Candy Corn M & Ms. Starburst flavored candy corn.

And this one I managed to get a photo to remember.

I know there was some other stuff I can't remember.

 

[JacksGirlz]

Thank you Sherry E for the tip on the first page of this thread about calling to see if any tickets for sold out MHP nights might be available. DD17 and I decided we wanted to try to squeeze in a 2nd MHP during our visit and checked only to find October 16th sold out yesterday. I just called Disney and they had "a few" tickets left and I was able to snag 2 of them! Now we just have to decide which costumes to wear.

 

[haileymarie92]

Fiancé and I went shopping for costumes today! We will be going as mickey and Minnie, but in clothes that can be reworn (I'm not big on costumes I can only wear once). We did buy some cute black tails, and I already have minnie ears. Fiancé got some shorts and leggings in mickey colors. And I got a cute skirt that I can wear with a black shirt/tank top as minnie.

Can't wait!!!

 

[Canadian Harmony]

My 'Merida' costume arrived yesterday. It's a standard medieval dress, but it works. Except it's 1/2 a size too small... I'm stuffed in there like a sausage. So I'm packing my body shaper along with the dress, my wig and the crown. I'll buy the bow and 'arrows' at the BBB that afternoon. It's quite low-cut, but my cleavage can handle it. There was really itchy netting in the shoulders I removed immediately.

What I found funniest was it came from China through Costume Express... and the label says Los Angeles Costume Company Maybe I should have waited and picked one up on the Sunday we arrive.

 

[only hope]

The kicker is that Disney Dining cannot help and you need to call another line which so far (for most of the morning), no one picks up. The Dining cast member says there are only about 2 people manning the phones. I'll keep trying but it's costing me money calling LD along with the frustration. Thankfully I am using a phone card but still ..... sigh.

If you have a built in mic to your computer, you could create a Google phone account and call for free if you're in the U.S.

 

[Vala]

I believe that Vala had some issues at first, when trying to book a solo spot for the Mystical Spirits event. It finally worked, though. Here is her post - http://www.disboards.com/threads/ha...s-now-sold-out.3270919/page-232#post-54366162.

Yes, that is the same issue I had. I tried calling and anything else and on Friday was told the event wasn't even booking yet, they couldn't help me. In the end I kept hitting F5 like a madwoman and eventually a table showed up.

I don't think there's a minimum booking. I could get table for 1 to show up fine any other dates but mine (28th) and Halloween.

 

[CassieF]

I was in the parks today and thrilled with the Halloween decorations popping up! The giant pumpkin characters were over the turnstiles, banners and bunting up all along Main Street and I didn't look too closely because I was rushing but I did notice pumpkins up on the awnings around the Opera House so I imagine the rest will be up for Friday!

 

[Sherry E]

I was in the parks today and thrilled with the Halloween decorations popping up! The giant pumpkin characters were over the turnstiles, banners and bunting up all along Main Street and I didn't look too closely because I was rushing but I did notice pumpkins up on the awnings around the Opera House so I imagine the rest will be up for Friday!

Thank goodness it seems like everything is just about normal on Main Street! I'm so glad the bunting is back -- it's so basic and simple, but it provides such a pop of color on Main Street during Halloween Time. I think that color is needed. The bunting is complementary to the various pumpkins along Main Street. Since that is literally one of the only areas that gets any Halloween décor at all in Disneyland, to reduce it to something less would really be unfortunate!

Now if only it were not so hot!!!