Questions about October and more

[jenbadav]

So I am hoping to take the family to Disneyland from October 18-22, and possibly going trick or treating with Mickey on the 19th. This will be the kids' first time to Disneyland so I am quite excited, and hubby and I haven't been in 9 or so years...So my questions: Is A Bugs Life land still there in California Adventures or was it replaced with Cars Land? Any Disneyland/world experiences we have had have all been in January or February, when it is dead--is it going to be a super shock by how busy it is when we plan to go? Will it be as busy as summer? Will the Trick or Treating on a Friday be so crowded that it will be 4 hours of miserably bouncing into people? (the tickets are quite pricey, I would hate to buy them only to have miserable and tired kids/parents ) How much busier is it now that Cars Land has opened up? About how long would one expect to wait to get on rides at the time we are planning to go? I understand each ride had it's own ups and downs in regards to time, but just a ballpark idea...in January we never waited more than 5-10 min to get on a ride-if even that long.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[OKW Lover]

I can answer some of your questions.

A Bugs Land is still there. It was not replaced by Cars Land, which is right next door.

Cars Land has attracted a lot of people to that part of DCA, but you'll probably find the other areas of DCA and DLR to have more or less normal crowd levels.

 

[Cal-Pie]

So I am hoping to take the family to Disneyland from October 18-22, and possibly going trick or treating with Mickey on the 19th. This will be the kids' first time to Disneyland so I am quite excited, and hubby and I haven't been in 9 or so years...So my questions: Is A Bugs Life land still there in California Adventures or was it replaced with Cars Land? Any Disneyland/world experiences we have had have all been in January or February, when it is dead--is it going to be a super shock by how busy it is when we plan to go? Will it be as busy as summer? Will the Trick or Treating on a Friday be so crowded that it will be 4 hours of miserably bouncing into people? (the tickets are quite pricey, I would hate to buy them only to have miserable and tired kids/parents ) How much busier is it now that Cars Land has opened up? About how long would one expect to wait to get on rides at the time we are planning to go? I understand each ride had it's own ups and downs in regards to time, but just a ballpark idea...in January we never waited more than 5-10 min to get on a ride-if even that long.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

Plan on crowds for weekends in October. That time frame is Utah's school break and that will also increase crowds. I was there the same weekend last year and it was crazy. Saturday was the worst of it, crowds so thick up around HM and SM that you couldn't walk. Wait times on splash were 120 min. all day. Use fastpasses and MM if you have one for sure. Just expect crowds and you'll have a great trip, sorry I can't answer about the party, I haven't been.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

To my knowledge, the Halloween party should be less busy than a normal park day. They sell a limited number of tickets. A Friday party will be more busy than a Tuesday party.

I'm going the weekend before you. I love going during this time of year. The weather is great, the crowds are usually lighter than Christmas/Summer. The decor is awesome.

About the Halloween You don't need a party ticket to see HMH or GG. In the Big Thunder Ranch, the pumpkin carvers and their creations can be seen during normal park hours. I LOVE Halloween, so we are most deffinatly going to the party. But if you're not all that into halloween or trick or treating or dancing, I'd say skip it. Yes it's really cool, but not for everyone especially for the price tag.

 

[chrissiecutie]

OP- what exactly are you looking to get out of the party? There are really only a few things that are party exclusive- the fireworks show, parade, dance parties (that I've heard are super crowded!), trick or treating & special character meet & greets.

The decor, shows, HM & Space overlays, etc will all still be there for the Halloween season. But I say, if your family would really enjoy the added benefit of the exclusive party activities, then go for it! Just know that whenever you choose to go, it will be busy. Just because they only sell a limited # of tickets, doesn't mean the park isn't crowded!

However, I would NOT recommend going to the party on a Friday. I would also highly suggest that you re-think your Disney dates. By simply going mid-week, the crowds will be so much less & you'll enjoy your vacay SO much more! Since there are parties on Tuesdays as well, I would shoot for a Tuesday party. It appears that Halloween season has extended hours, this is based solely on the last few years schedules since the current Oct schedule has yet to be released. But even during mid-week, you should still be able to see/do just about everything!

 

[jenbadav]

Thank you for your input.
I am glad to know that the Bugs Life attraction is still at DCA-I loved the Chew chew train.

Someone mentioned Using "fastpasses and MM if you have one" This may be a silly question, but what is MM?

Someone else said "You don't need a party ticket to see HMH or GG." Another silly question, what is HMH and GG?

In regard to what I want out of the party, I just barely learned about it so I am not sure what to expect. I would love to do the trick or treating and the character meet and greets. How does the trick or treating work? Can you still ride rides?
I wish I could adjust my schedule to make things a little less busy, but times off aren't as flexible as I wish they could be. As is stands I hope to visit the parks on Thursday, Friday, skip Saturday, and go Sunday...Hopefully we can hit the popular rides on Thursday and the less popular ones the other days.
Of course the 12 hour drive with a 2 year old and a 7 year old to and from Disneyland should be a blast....

 

[ArchOwl]

Thank you for your input.
I am glad to know that the Bugs Life attraction is still at DCA-I loved the Chew chew train.

Someone mentioned Using "fastpasses and MM if you have one" This may be a silly question, but what is MM?
MM is Magic Morning, which is an early entry into the parks on specific days for those who have 3 day or more Park Hopper tickets. MM is only for Disneyland and is currently offered Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and begins one hour before regular park opening. Certain attractions are open and it is generally less crowded than when the park opens for the general public.

There is also the option of Extra Magic Hours for those staying at one of the on-site hotels. EHM is available at California Adventure and Disneyland on select days. Are you staying off-site or on-site?

Someone else said "You don't need a party ticket to see HMH or GG." Another silly question, what is HMH and GG?

HMH is Haunted Mansion Holiday. During the Halloween and Christmas season, the Haunted Mansion receives a very detailed overlay in the theme of the Nightmare Before Christmas. It is available to all guests of Disneyland, not just partygoers. It also has Fastpass during the time it is Haunted Mansion Holiday.

GG is Ghost Galaxy and is the name of the overlay that Space Mountain gets during the Halloween season. It is an alien themed overlay and is pretty intense, especially for young children. But very fun for older kids/adults.


In regard to what I want out of the party, I just barely learned about it so I am not sure what to expect. I would love to do the trick or treating and the character meet and greets. How does the trick or treating work? Can you still ride rides?

I wish I could adjust my schedule to make things a little less busy, but times off aren't as flexible as I wish they could be. As is stands I hope to visit the parks on Thursday, Friday, skip Saturday, and go Sunday...Hopefully we can hit the popular rides on Thursday and the less popular ones the other days.
Of course the 12 hour drive with a 2 year old and a 7 year old to and from Disneyland should be a blast....

First welcome! Glad to hear you are planning a visit to Disneyland!

I answered what I knew above. I haven't been to a party, but there are lots of folks here who have. I would recommend the Halloween at Disneyland Superthread here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2959331

The Early Entry/Magic Morning Superthread here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1675403&highlight=apee

Abbreviations list here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520784&highlight=abbreviations

 

[chrissiecutie]

Thank you for your input.
I am glad to know that the Bugs Life attraction is still at DCA-I loved the Chew chew train.

Someone mentioned Using "fastpasses and MM if you have one" This may be a silly question, but what is MM?

Someone else said "You don't need a party ticket to see HMH or GG." Another silly question, what is HMH and GG?

In regard to what I want out of the party, I just barely learned about it so I am not sure what to expect. I would love to do the trick or treating and the character meet and greets. How does the trick or treating work? Can you still ride rides?
I wish I could adjust my schedule to make things a little less busy, but times off aren't as flexible as I wish they could be. As is stands I hope to visit the parks on Thursday, Friday, skip Saturday, and go Sunday...Hopefully we can hit the popular rides on Thursday and the less popular ones the other days.
Of course the 12 hour drive with a 2 year old and a 7 year old to and from Disneyland should be a blast....

This will be our 1st Mickey party too! I've learned a lot from these boards so I will share!

First- the trick or treating is in the form of lines that you walk through & at the end there is a CM with candy. I've heard the candy is good- name brands, apple slices, craisens & plenty of it! But if you're expecting characters to be here for trick or treating, you'll be disappointed!

I've heard the character meet & greets are similar. Another line. But they have characters that you normally would see- like Captain Hook or characters dressed in "costumes" that are different from their normal outfits.


Rides are open during the entire party.

HM is Haunted Mansion
HMH is Haunted Mansion Holiday
SM is Space Mtn
MM is Magic Morning

 

[Satchmo128]

Just wanted to wave and say hi since we will be there 10/19 - 10/23!

We haven't been in October before, but are just trying to prepare ourselves for crowds - and a lot of fun!