The Prize for the most Indecisive Traveller

[zanzibar138]

Thanks Caroline, that helps. I think I'm starting to move away from the idea of the Fantasmic Package as it gets such mixed reviews.

I also asked my question on the main Disneyland boards and kind of wished I hadn't.

While I appreciate anyone taking the time to feedback, the feedback wasn't really what I was hoping to hear.
Basically I seems people think I am over-planning and I'm not considering my son's enjoyment levels in any of my options.
Sigh, and here I was thinking my son was at the forefront of my planning decisions, followed by my MIL, DH and me last.

Back to the drawing board...

Us Aussies and Kiwis are so supportive of each other, it's rough putting yourself out there on the regular boards! You really have to take the responses with a grain of salt. A while back I asked what I considered to be a very simple, non-confrontational question about AP usage, and got slammed for trying to play the system to an unfair advantage

As for the F! package, I've kind of decided that it's not worth it either. If I'm paying that kind of money I don't want to have to line up for 2 hours to get my spot! If we got seats in the back row, chances are I'd be standing for the show anyway, so paying for seating would be a waste of money. We'll just aim for the second show and stake out our spot once everyone leaves after the first show. We can put our own dessert boxes together for less than $65 each I don't mind paying for the WOC package because we'll get a nice lunch out of it.

 

[PrincessInOz]

If the Carthay Circle menu is still the same, I think that Ariel's might offer a better food option. I wish there was something in between the two for the WOC dining option; but there isn't.

Is doing another Halloween Party important for your son? It's hard to know if the DLR is going to be the same, better or lesser than the WDW version.

Sorry you got slammed on the main sections of the boards.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Us Aussies and Kiwis are so supportive of each other, it's rough putting yourself out there on the regular boards! You really have to take the responses with a grain of salt. A while back I asked what I considered to be a very simple, non-confrontational question about AP usage, and got slammed for trying to play the system to an unfair advantage As for the F! package, I've kind of decided that it's not worth it either. If I'm paying that kind of money I don't want to have to line up for 2 hours to get my spot! If we got seats in the back row, chances are I'd be standing for the show anyway, so paying for seating would be a waste of money. We'll just aim for the second show and stake out our spot once everyone leaves after the first show. We can put our own dessert boxes together for less than $65 each I don't mind paying for the WOC package because we'll get a nice lunch out of it.

You're right about taking the responses with a pinch of salt. There's probably times when people don't like my answers either.

The posters weren't nasty by any means, I just get a bit sensitive when anyone implies that I'm not thinking about my son's interests.

I spoke to DH before and asked if was stuffing up our itinerary, and he laughed at me. Beside the fact that he thinks both him and my MIL would hate the two days if I went all 'commando tour guide' on him and didn't even allow a bit of free time for sit down meal breaks, he also reminded me that I planned a near-perfect (for us) trip to WDW, so to trust my gut. So that is what I am going to do

So Fantasmic Dessert package is out, and it's down to the Halloween Party or the Halloween Tour.

 

[ssour]

I think if they paid as much as we did to get to DL they would try and maximize their time and money! I wouldn't worry, I don't think you're over planning by booking in certain experiences and trying to find the best combo. Does your DS have a preference for the party or tour? From what I've heard the party is crowded but Halloween in the States is nothing like here so if you haven't already been to the WDW party I'm sure you'd have fun. I didn't know much about the happiest haunts tour but it doesn't get rave reviews on yelp. People say it's pretty much a FastPass for the four main attractions. On another note, I'd opt for the Carthay Circle lunch too. Had a great meal there in January.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

If the Carthay Circle menu is still the same, I think that Ariel's might offer a better food option. I wish there was something in between the two for the WOC dining option; but there isn't. Is doing another Halloween Party important for your son? It's hard to know if the DLR is going to be the same, better or lesser than the WDW version. Sorry you got slammed on the main sections of the boards.

Thanks PIO.

While I think my son would really like to go to another Halloween Party, I also don't think he'd be gutted if we did something else at Disney instead.
It's the Discover the Magic Tour that I think he'll love the most. He's a huge fan of scavenger hunt adventures and he loved that Agent P cellphone thing at Epcot, and the Detective Agency on the Disney Fantasy.

Half the appeal of MHP is that my MIL would have great fun making my son another Halloween costume. She made his pirate costume for MNSSHP and has a photo pride of place on her bookshelf of DS wearing it. This time she would actually be there to see him wearing it, which I think would be pretty special

 

[PrincessInOz]

That's a compelling reason to do it. Family memories are very important to make.

 

[zanzibar138]

It's starting to sound like you really *want* to do the MHP, but you're concerned about the affect it will have on your touring. I say, if you want to do it, go for it Then DS can dress up again, and MIL can have the satisfaction of making him another costume. Sounds like you'll be happy people watching and taking in the atmosphere, so even if it's crowded and lines are long, you'll still enjoy it.

FWIW, there is an option to do *both* the Happy Haunts Tour and the MHP with the Premium (?) Tour. Then you'd get the best of both worlds - be able to experience the major attractions without the wait, AND get to enjoy the party too. Not sure how it goes for your budget though...

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I think if they paid as much as we did to get to DL they would try and maximize their time and money! I wouldn't worry, I don't think you're over planning by booking in certain experiences and trying to find the best combo. Does your DS have a preference for the party or tour? From what I've heard the party is crowded but Halloween in the States is nothing like here so if you haven't already been to the WDW party I'm sure you'd have fun. I didn't know much about the happiest haunts tour but it doesn't get rave reviews on yelp. People say it's pretty much a FastPass for the four main attractions. On another note, I'd opt for the Carthay Circle lunch too. Had a great meal there in January.

Thanks Ssour. I definitely think that all the money we spend getting to the USA affects the depth of thought we put into the activities we do once we get there.

I know what you mean about the mixed reviews of the tour. The people on Yelp don't seem to like it, yet most of the blogs I read rave about it. Plus it seems to change every year, so it's hard to know what to expect one year to the next.

I kind of like the idea of it being a Fastpass for the big ticket rides. If I did both the Discover the Magic Tour and the Happiest Haunts, we would get to do at least 7 big ticket rides in a 5 hour period. If past years are anything to go by, we would get POTC, Jungle Cruise, Buzz, and a few lesser attractions on the Discover the magic Tour and Space Mountain, ToT, Haunted Mansion, and either Thunder Mountain or Matterhorn on the Happiest Haunts Tour. Between rides, rather than waste time in queues and battling the crowds, we get someone leading us on a scavenger hunt for Mickey Mouse, telling us stories about the beautiful Halloween decorations, or handing us special Halloween treats. It sounds pretty cool to me.
On a quiet day I wouldn't even consider the added cost, but on a busy one like Gay Days, it might help us make best use of our time. Particularly since I'm not rich enough to afford a VIP tour and I'm not interested in running to and fro between parks to maximise Fastpass.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

It's starting to sound like you really *want* to do the MHP, but you're concerned about the affect it will have on your touring. I say, if you want to do it, go for it Then DS can dress up again, and MIL can have the satisfaction of making him another costume. Sounds like you'll be happy people watching and taking in the atmosphere, so even if it's crowded and lines are long, you'll still enjoy it. FWIW, there is an option to do *both* the Happy Haunts Tour and the MHP with the Premium (?) Tour. Then you'd get the best of both worlds - be able to experience the major attractions without the wait, AND get to enjoy the party too. Not sure how it goes for your budget though...

I keep looking at that combo Premium tour and I must admit I'm very tempted. I'm just really struggling to justify the cost. I'm going to have to do some serious crunching of numbers.

Do you know how someone would book this tour? Could they do it when Halloween tickets go on sale or do they have to wait for the 30 day mark and hope the party doesn't sell out?

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Family memories are very important to make.

Absolutely

 

[zanzibar138]

Do you know how someone would book this tour? Could they do it when Halloween tickets go on sale or do they have to wait for the 30 day mark and hope the party doesn't sell out?

I *think* as part of the premium tour you are guaranteed entry to the party. If you're seriously thinking about it, it might be worth seeing if you can find any extra information in the Halloween thread, or maybe even calling the tour booking line to ask the question.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I *think* as part of the premium tour you are guaranteed entry to the party. If you're seriously thinking about it, it might be worth seeing if you can find any extra information in the Halloween thread, or maybe even calling the tour booking line to ask the question.

You're right. I'll sleep on it for a day or two and will then ring to ask questions if I decide I can afford it.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

So after discussion with family we have decided to definitely do the Halloween party. We have even got all excited and already ordered costumes of Amazon.

DH and I are going as bacon and eggs. I know it's a bit of a cop out and is pretty much the easiest costume ever to dress up in, but I didn't want to worry about sizes not fitting or getting something too bulky to fit in the suitcase. I also though this costume was pretty funny.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WY24BC/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_asp_njBiH.0MG5QR8

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I've already informed DH he is the egg.

 

[Kiwifan]

Hi Wanderlust. We were at Disneyland in 2006 during Gay Days. We had no idea before we got there that it was on. Our experience of the Saturday was that the park actually seemed quieter than earlier in the week. We wondered why until we noticed all the red t-shirts with Gay Days on them. It appeared to me that a lot of locals avoided the parks during those days which resulted in shorter lines.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Are the costumes stuck together????

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Are the costumes stuck together????

Ahahaha, now that would make for an interesting night. No, two separate costumes.

From the reviews it sounds like the bacon is a bit unidentifiable unless the egg is alongside it. But reviews also say lightweight, easy to put on, and fits all sizes. Pretty much fits our needs perfectly.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Hi Wanderlust. We were at Disneyland in 2006 during Gay Days. We had no idea before we got there that it was on. Our experience of the Saturday was that the park actually seemed quieter than earlier in the week. We wondered why until we noticed all the red t-shirts with Gay Days on them. It appeared to me that a lot of locals avoided the parks during those days which resulted in shorter lines.

Now that sounds good.
I think Gay Days has got bigger and bigger every year, but I have my fingers crossed that our crowds also won't be too heavy.

 

[LizfromOz]

Yay! How exciting that you've made your decision to go the Halloween Party! It's something that you'll remember for years to come, as will your DS. As our own trip gets closer (gulp), we have been having many discussions at the dinner table about our previous holidays. Last night my DD9 was talking about when we were at the Halloween Party in 2012 at DL and all of the awesome costumes. Her favourite was a guy dressed at the Pillsbury Doughboy complete with built in automatic air pump to keep him suitably plump. We lined up in front of him for about 45 mins to have our photo with Mickey and Minnie and he was almost like a character in his own right, people were asking to have their photos taken with him. Good memories. Have lots of fun, take heaps of photos, enjoy the spectacle and don't worry about the crowds, it's a fun night and everyone is there to enjoy themselves. Most importantly - it's Disneyland!

 

[zanzibar138]

Glad you've made a decision. I agree that the bacon costume would be pretty hard to pick without the egg Sounds like they will suit what you need perfectly though. What about DS? Does he/Grandma have any ideas for his costume?