HalloweenTime at DLR Superthread- 9/14-10/31; Mickey's Halloween Party starts 9/28!

[babydougie]

When did the tickets go on sale last year?

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

Is anyone terrified the MHP ticket prices will jump to $75, $100 this year considering the other price jumps we're seeing? I budgeted $250 for us, and now I'm afraid it's not enough.

 

[Sherry E]

babydougie -

The MHP tickets usually (and it could always change) go on sale to Annual Pass Holders, Disney Vacation Club owners and Disney Visa Card holders at the end of May or early June. Those tickets should be discounted a bit.

The tickets should then go on sale to the general public in July-ish.

So they're (Disney) not running late yet.



TigerlilyAJ -

It's interesting that you mentioned that! You read my mind. I was thinking about the MHP tickets when I read that the regular Hoppers and AP's were going up the other day.

I expect that the MHP tickets will have gone up somewhat (a little bit) when the prices are announced. I don't think that would be unreasonable to plan for.

The thing is, I think everyone expected a price hike for the Hoppers and AP's too, but none of us expected such a large price hike all at once.

Here's my thinking on the MHP issue - if Disneyland decides to add in some extra highlights or attractions to the party, then that will be their excuse to jack up the prices a lot more than they usually would.

But what else could they add to a party in Disneyland park, though? They could make the cavalcade a full-fledged parade. They could add more treat stations, I suppose. Otherwise, I'm not sure of what else they could really add to the party itself that would warrant a huge price increase like the increases we are seeing for the other Hoppers and AP's. Most of the Halloween 'stuff' is already in place all season during regular non-party hours, so they'd have to add something pretty major to the party itself to warrant a massive price hike.

Now, if the MHP were going to be held in California Adventure once again, and if Disney suddenly decided that this was the prime time to unveil a Halloween World of Color and break out that Mr. Potato Head Halloween banter over at the TSMM ride, and stick a pumpkin or two over in Cars Land, then that might give them justification for raising the prices even more than they would have ordinarily done.

So, bottom line is, yes, I think we will see that the MHP prices have increased somewhat, but if the party is still being held in Disneyland and nothing really new has been added into the festivities, and if California Adventure is not involved in the party in any way, then the price increase will probably not be that enormous (compared the price hikes of the other tickets/Hoppers/AP's).

 

[Davids-Coco]

Sherry... I LOVE your suggestions on how to add to the party. While I don't anticipate it, I do like the way you think.

 

[Vala]

Here's my thinking on the MHP issue - if Disneyland decides to add in some extra highlights or attractions to the party, then that will be their excuse to jack up the prices a lot more than they usually would.

But what else could they add to a party in Disneyland park, though?

More character photo stops maybe? Unless I've missed it Donald, Daisy and Stitch were only in the parade for example. I personally liked their special costumes. Not enough that I'd pay a fortune extra, but adding those three would be a nice extra.

 

[ArchOwl]

babydougie -

The MHP tickets usually (and it could always change) go on sale to Annual Pass Holders, Disney Vacation Club owners and Disney Visa Card holders at the end of May or early June. Those tickets should be discounted a bit.

The tickets should then go on sale to the general public in July-ish.

So they're (Disney) not running late yet.



TigerlilyAJ -

It's interesting that you mentioned that! You read my mind. I was thinking about the MHP tickets when I read that the regular Hoppers and AP's were going up the other day.

I expect that the MHP tickets will have gone up somewhat (a little bit) when the prices are announced. I don't think that would be unreasonable to plan for.

The thing is, I think everyone expected a price hike for the Hoppers and AP's too, but none of us expected such a large price hike all at once.

Here's my thinking on the MHP issue - if Disneyland decides to add in some extra highlights or attractions to the party, then that will be their excuse to jack up the prices a lot more than they usually would.

But what else could they add to a party in Disneyland park, though? They could make the cavalcade a full-fledged parade. They could add more treat stations, I suppose. Otherwise, I'm not sure of what else they could really add to the party itself that would warrant a huge price increase like the increases we are seeing for the other Hoppers and AP's. Most of the Halloween 'stuff' is already in place all season during regular non-party hours, so they'd have to add something pretty major to the party itself to warrant a massive price hike.

Now, if the MHP were going to be held in California Adventure once again, and if Disney suddenly decided that this was the prime time to unveil a Halloween World of Color and break out that Mr. Potato Head Halloween banter over at the TSMM ride, and stick a pumpkin or two over in Cars Land, then that might give them justification for raising the prices even more than they would have ordinarily done.

So, bottom line is, yes, I think we will see that the MHP prices have increased somewhat, but if the party is still being held in Disneyland and nothing really new has been added into the festivities, and if California Adventure is not involved in the party in any way, then the price increase will probably not be that enormous (compared the price hikes of the other tickets/Hoppers/AP's).

Hi! I have never been to a Halloween Party, but that may change this year. I have been reading this thread and enjoying all the pictures. I do wonder if anyone has any guesses about the Party being at one park or another? Was the Party at DCA before it moved to DL? Was it moved because of the construction? If so, do we think they may move it back now that the construction is completed?

Thanks for this thread!

 

[GrandBob]

Is anyone terrified the MHP ticket prices will jump to $75, $100 this year considering the other price jumps we're seeing? I budgeted $250 for us, and now I'm afraid it's not enough.

You read my mind, too. Not terrified, but I do expect the price to jump. Perhaps substantially. I would not be surprised at $75. I would be surprised at $100.

So, a main motivator for the huge jump in AP prices was to thin the herd. Never having been to MHP, here's my question -- how were the crowds there the last couple of years? If it's gotten really overcrowded, then yes, I'd expect a big price jump. If it's been manageable, then less so.

-Bob

 

[revwog1974]

I've been slowly reading through this thread and I'm so excited. My daughter and I are going this year. When my grandparents lived in the area I went to Disneyland 10 times a year, but that ended in 1979 when I was 5. So if I've been to Disneyland at Halloween, I don't remember it! This is a surprise trip for my daughter and I have no idea how I'm going to keep it a secret for the next 5 months. My husband thinks I'm a goof for being this excited already. I'm glad you are already into this so at least I can come be excited here!

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry... I LOVE your suggestions on how to add to the party. While I don't anticipate it, I do like the way you think.

Davids-Coco -

Thank you!

Well, the ideas are not too far-fetched, really. When World of Color debuted, a couple of Disney execs said (publicly) that WoC was set up for them to be able to easily switch out scenes in it - or transform the whole show - for certain holidays or special events such as Halloween and Christmas. They have already stuck in a 4th of July segment in the past and they did the whole Prep & Landing Christmas intro to WoC last holiday season, but they have not yet committed to a full holiday version. I think the rumor (according to good ol' Al Lutz) was that the Disney execs were hesitant about doing a fully holiday-ized WoC because they were not sure the crowds would be receptive to it. That could change, though.

Same thing with Toy Story Midway Mania - when it opened, it was reported that Halloween-related dialogue and holiday songs had already been recorded for Mr. Potato Head. We have not seen it yet, though.

So I guess it's just a matter of when these things will appear that is in question. On the one hand I'm excited for DCA to become more involved in Halloween Time and the holidays. On the other hand I think that anything new over in DCA for the holidays will mean even more price hikes!

More character photo stops maybe? Unless I've missed it Donald, Daisy and Stitch were only in the parade for example. I personally liked their special costumes. Not enough that I'd pay a fortune extra, but adding those three would be a nice extra.

Vala -

Very true. They could add in some more photo locations and maybe some extra rare characters that are not wandering around the parks during non-party hours too. I wouldn't want to pay $100 per ticket for that, but they could do it!

Hi! I have never been to a Halloween Party, but that may change this year. I have been reading this thread and enjoying all the pictures. I do wonder if anyone has any guesses about the Party being at one park or another? Was the Party at DCA before it moved to DL? Was it moved because of the construction? If so, do we think they may move it back now that the construction is completed?

Thanks for this thread!

ArchOwl -

You're very welcome - thank you so much for joining us and jumping aboard!

Yes, the Halloween party used to be held in DCA - for several years in a row. It was called Mickey's Halloween Treat at one point. Then it became Mickey's Trick or Treat Party. When it moved over to Disneyland (in 2010) it was renamed "Mickey's Halloween Party."

I don't think it was ever officially confirmed, but I think we all kind of assumed that the Halloween party moved over to DL because DCA was undergoing all the construction. Also, I'm not sure if you've been to DLR for the Halloween season in general, but DCA used to be much more involved in the Halloween Time season. The CALIFORNIA letters were candy corn-ized at one point. The Golden Gate Bridge had candy corn hanging from it, as did some trees. There was candy corn stuck in planters. There was a whole Candy Corn Acres area of DCA, complete with a PhotoPass spot and a sort of candy factory "tower" thing. There was even some monster and Halloween-themed music that played around the entrance to DCA.

When all of that stuff was taken out of DCA as the construction carried on, I suppose there was no point in having a party there because DCA was not very Halloween-ish anymore.

Last year, they finally stuck in a Duffy Halloween photo spot in DCA but that was about it!

So now that the billion dollar project is coming to an end in DCA, I wonder if and when they might go back to having a party there. I somehow don't think they would do it this year. I tend to think that the Halloween party will be in Disneyland again this year. But next year? Who knows? If they ever do have a party in DCA again they would have to have a featured event there to draw in guests, like Disneyland has the Halloween Screams fireworks and cavalcade, and they would have to start decorating DCA for the season again.

I liked the party when it was held in DCA, but I also like it in DL. There is an extra element of that special Disney magic that comes along with the Disneyland version of the party, and half the fun is walking all over the park to find the cleverly situated treat trails and stations. It's fun to go into the Golden Horseshoe and collect candy, or into Pixie Hollow at night to grab some handfuls of goodies. I think the treat trails and stations are more interesting in DL than they were at DCA.

You read my mind, too. Not terrified, but I do expect the price to jump. Perhaps substantially. I would not be surprised at $75. I would be surprised at $100.

So, a main motivator for the huge jump in AP prices was to thin the herd. Never having been to MHP, here's my question -- how were the crowds there the last couple of years? If it's gotten really overcrowded, then yes, I'd expect a big price jump. If it's been manageable, then less so.

-Bob

Bob -

I went to the party last year (with fellow DIS'er and Halloween thread contributor, Liza a.k.a. funatdisney) on a Monday night - it was only the second party of the season - and we both agreed that it was crowded enough that it seemed like it was a weekend night. Perhaps the party crowds started to dwindle as the season marched on, but for a Monday night it was much more crowded than I expected it to be. There was no shortage of people, but it didn't seem to me to be overwhelmingly crowded and out of control. The lines for certain treat trails were quite long (like in the POTC queue and in the Golden Horseshoe) - but they moved quickly.

I agree with you - I can envision a $75 price tag at some point (maybe this year; maybe not this year), but $100 would be shocking...and would keep a lot of people out of the party, I think. It may not be necessary to thin the Halloween herd yet!

I've been slowly reading through this thread and I'm so excited. My daughter and I are going this year. When my grandparents lived in the area I went to Disneyland 10 times a year, but that ended in 1979 when I was 5. So if I've been to Disneyland at Halloween, I don't remember it! This is a surprise trip for my daughter and I have no idea how I'm going to keep it a secret for the next 5 months. My husband thinks I'm a goof for being this excited already. I'm glad you are already into this so at least I can come be excited here!

revwog1974 -

Hello and welcome!

There really was not much of a Halloween Time celebration to speak of until this past decade, I think. There was nothing happening for Halloween in the '70s or '80s, that's for sure! Now it's a whole season and it is very popular!

You came to the right place to share your excitement! We love Halloween Time here in this thread, and we can all chat about it and discuss the various aspects of it all year long (same thing goes for the Christmas Superthread as well!).

You have a lot to look forward to! Have you ever experienced Haunted Mansion Holiday (since it's open for the holiday season as well) or have you not been to Disneyland at all since 1979? That alone is going to be quite an event for you! The Halloween Round-Up is really charming and there are all kinds of intricately carved character pumpkins being worked on there. There are goats wearing Halloween scarves. There are all kinds of fun Halloween decorations. There's a Villains photo spot in Fantasyland. There are pumpkins galore on Main Street. Lots of cute Halloween merchandise and seasonal treats (pumpkin-flavored & shaped goodies). It's a great time to visit!

 

[ArchOwl]

ArchOwl -

You're very welcome - thank you so much for joining us and jumping aboard!

Yes, the Halloween party used to be held in DCA - for several years in a row. It was called Mickey's Halloween Treat at one point. Then it became Mickey's Trick or Treat Party. When it moved over to Disneyland (in 2010) it was renamed "Mickey's Halloween Party."

I don't think it was ever officially confirmed, but I think we all kind of assumed that the Halloween party moved over to DL because DCA was undergoing all the construction. Also, I'm not sure if you've been to DLR for the Halloween season in general, but DCA used to be much more involved in the Halloween Time season. The CALIFORNIA letters were candy corn-ized at one point. The Golden Gate Bridge had candy corn hanging from it, as did some trees. There was candy corn stuck in planters. There was a whole Candy Corn Acres area of DCA, complete with a PhotoPass spot and a sort of candy factory "tower" thing. There was even some monster and Halloween-themed music that played around the entrance to DCA.

When all of that stuff was taken out of DCA as the construction carried on, I suppose there was no point in having a party there because DCA was not very Halloween-ish anymore.

Last year, they finally stuck in a Duffy Halloween photo spot in DCA but that was about it!

So now that the billion dollar project is coming to an end in DCA, I wonder if and when they might go back to having a party there. I somehow don't think they would do it this year. I tend to think that the Halloween party will be in Disneyland again this year. But next year? Who knows? If they ever do have a party in DCA again they would have to have a featured event there to draw in guests, like Disneyland has the Halloween Screams fireworks and cavalcade, and they would have to start decorating DCA for the season again.

I liked the party when it was held in DCA, but I also like it in DL. There is an extra element of that special Disney magic that comes along with the Disneyland version of the party, and half the fun is walking all over the park to find the cleverly situated treat trails and stations. It's fun to go into the Golden Horseshoe and collect candy, or into Pixie Hollow at night to grab some handfuls of goodies. I think the treat trails and stations are more interesting in DL than they were at DCA.

Thanks for the history, you are a fount of knowledge on this subject!

I was kind of thinking that a Halloween World of Color could be super awesome, since DCA doesn't do fireworks like DL does. But I tend to agree with you that since all this time and energy has gone into DCA for the opening, perhaps they won't want to start up with a new party at this time. It would be a lot of work to move the party over to DCA.

I made a very brief visit to DLR on a weekend in mid-September last year and saw the decorations in DL. I was mainly there to ride Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, because I had never ridden it before. It was suitable scary and awesome. I also rode Haunted Mansion Holiday because I wasn't sure I was going to be there for Christmas. I ended up going to DLR for New Years and was able to ride HMH and see all the Christmas decorations. It was so much fun. We also did the Holiday Tour, which I enjoyed a lot.

I never had a chance to see DCA all decorated for Halloween, it sounds like a lot of fun.

So I was thinking it would be neat to do the whole Halloween party thing and maybe the Happy Haunts Tour, since we have never experienced it. I am excited to find out what Disney has planned. Thanks again for the history.

 

[iKristin]

I am ready for it to be Halloween...right now.

 

[revwog1974]

You have a lot to look forward to! Have you ever experienced Haunted Mansion Holiday (since it's open for the holiday season as well) or have you not been to Disneyland at all since 1979? That alone is going to be quite an event for you! The Halloween Round-Up is really charming and there are all kinds of intricately carved character pumpkins being worked on there. There are goats wearing Halloween scarves. There are all kinds of fun Halloween decorations. There's a Villains photo spot in Fantasyland. There are pumpkins galore on Main Street. Lots of cute Halloween merchandise and seasonal treats (pumpkin-flavored & shaped goodies). It's a great time to visit!

I wasn't very clear. I've been 4 times since the 'glory days' ended and my grandparents moved away. It was sad losing our local connection, but probably more fun having them move close by us. I wasn't planning on going this year, but finally couldn't bear it any more. Our closest friends were all just back or going this fall, so I'm taking just my oldest daughter and it should a lot of fun. I've never seen Disneyland decorated for any holiday. I'd like to go at Christmas someday but this year we couldn't bring the entire family so Halloween it is.

 

[bekster26]

Hey everyone!

I have been a long time lurker on this site but I don't really want to read this whole thread, so it is time that I became active in the community. I am going to be going to Disneyland on Sept 15 for the day to celebrate my friend's birthday. The plans were made before knowing that this was the first weekend for Halloween Time (which we are very excited about). However, just out of curiosity, I am wondering how busy it will be on that day? I was kind of hoping since it was September it wouldn't be too bad.

We are both from Utah and will just be driving down for the weekend because of work and we can't take more than that Friday off to drive down.

Either way, I am super excited for Halloween Time. I have only been to it once and it was a blast!

 

[disneychrista]

I am going to be going to Disneyland on Sept 15 for the day to celebrate my friend's birthday. The plans were made before knowing that this was the first weekend for Halloween Time (which we are very excited about). However, just out of curiosity, I am wondering how busy it will be on that day?

It will be busy just because it is a Saturday. Add that it will be the first weekend of Halloween and it will be even more crowded.

 

[iKristin]

Blah!!! Where are the dates and ticket sale dates. May is almost over.

 

[All American]

Blah!!! Where are the dates and ticket sale dates. May is almost over.

Wish I knew. I'm ready to buy some tickets and book a room at the DLH. We decided to forego our summer trip and just wait until October. We haven't been since this past September, and I can only go to the Disney Store for a quick fix of pixie dust so many times before I start aching for an actual trip to the park.

Where's that dancing guy? Maybe that will help with finding out the dates and prices. Let me find him....
He creeps me out, but I put one for each member of our party.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

http://blog.dvcrequest.com/?p=360

So, WDW guests already know all the dates? Is this typical that the Not So Scary parties get announced sooner? They also have 4/week and cost $65, I should note.

Impatiently yours,
AJ

 

[disneychrista]

So, WDW guests already know all the dates? Is this typical that the Not So Scary parties get announced sooner?

Yes it is very typical for WDW to release dates much sooner than DL. Even their park hours are out through November right now, where DL is 6 weeks.

 

[Girimama33]

We are going in October and I really want to go to the Halloween party. Does anyone know how many tickets they sell for each party? We will probably do a Tuesday night, if that is what is offered again. I imagine crowds may be lower.
Thanks!

 

[iKristin]

Certain days (Halloween especially) sell out very quickly since they don't sell tickets to capacity. The event is limited each night to a certain number; I think the first year it started at Disneyland there was an estimated 19,000 to 25,000 tickets sold for each night.