With fall upon us, Mickey and his friends have gotten into the Halloween spirit on select nights at the Disneyland Resort. Mickey’s Halloween Party is an event that turns the happiest place on earth into the ultimate Halloween event that the entire family can enjoy.
Attendees are required to purchase a special ticket to the event as the park closes to regular ticket holders at 7:00 PM. Those who purchase tickets to the event can enter the park at 4:00 PM and stay until the park closes at Midnight. Upon entering the park, guests are given a trick or treat bag and a wristband and a map and schedule of activities. Many of the guests were attired in costumes and I was really impressed with the complexity and creativeness of many of the costumes that I saw as many were homemade.
I started my visit at Space Mountain as I wanted to experience the Halloween-themed Galaxy of Terror. The sign said the wait would be 70 minutes so I decided to do it now in case it was longer later in the evening. The wait turned out to be just over two hours but when I finally made it to the ride, I really enjoyed the experience. The multi-colored launch tube was now pitch black, and the familiar constellations were marred by a menacing spectral image who appeared at random times and taunted us as we made our way up the tracks. During the wild and crazy twists and turns the image would pop up at various times as did hands that reached out to grab us, and a spooky eye that watched us as we raced around a corner. The screams that filled the air confirmed that the experience was highly effective.
Next I made my way to Critter Country and while I was disappointed to see that Pirates of the Carribean was closed for upkeep, Splash Mountain had a short line. In no time, I was enjoying the mix of music, water, drops and characters. Upon completion of the ride, I was asked if I wanted to ride again, and when I replied yes, I was told to stay seated and enjoy “Splashback”. When the ride resumed I noticed a few pumpkins were now decorating various sections of the ride.
I did manage to avoid becoming completely soaked, and upon exiting the ride, the Halloween events were just getting started. I noticed several lines where guests would line up to get treats from various stations and once my writstband was verified I was able to join them. At various points in the resort, I would go into locales such as the Saloon, Picnic area, Pirates of the Caribbean entrance and had my bag filled over the evening.
The line for the Haunted Mansion was vast as the décor now featured Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and the house was decked out in lights and gifts and was a truly spectacular sight. The ride itself was a nice blend of old and new with many of the traditional moments of the ride still there, just with some nice twists and appearances from Jack himself.
The river was covered in fog and lighting and really set the atmosphere well. I noticed a dance party with characters was underway near my next stop Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The wait said 10 minutes but I walked right up and took my place in lucky line number 13. In no time, we were in the dark start of the ride where I noticed bats glowing red eyes as well as cobwebs and spiders to set the Halloween mood. The ride was as amazing as ever and the turns through the dark caves were a real delight.
The party was just getting started as I noticed Mickey and Minnie in costumes posing for pictures with the guests, and as I made my way through Fantasyland into Tomorrowland, I continued to load up my treat bag and take in the amazing sights.
I was very happy to see that the Matterhorn was up and running again as it had been closed for renovations during my last visit. I did not notice a lot of changes in the ride so my guess is that the upgrades were tech related but it was still an amazing experience.
The Tomorrowland Terrace was rocking with music and dancing and I took the time to check out a few more attractions. I saw everything from Storm Troopers to classic Disney characters entertaining the guests and then took in the really impressive Halloween parade that had a great mix of characters, floats, music and dancing.
Not content to rest there, Disneyland then kicked the party into high gear with a dazzling fireworks display that was truly a sight to behold. With a couple hours left in the evening, I was happy to see that many of the attraction lines were less than 15 minutes long so I took the chance to experience as much as I could.
When the evening concluded I was blown away by not only the great time that I had but how detailed the decorations and events were. There were so many events that I could not take them all in, but what I did experience was more than amazing and makes me look forward to attending what I hope is a new annual tradition for us next year.
Disneyland has always been a very magical place for me and I have always noted how they do seasonal celebrations better than anyone. The amazing attention to detail, the lighting, the fantasy, and décor truly create a sense of the holiday. I loved taking in the Halloween décor, especially the character inspired pumpkin décor, the new lighting effects. All of the amazing sights and sounds make this a must see. If you think you have seen all that Disneyland has to offer I highly encourage you to bring your family and friends to experience the most fun Halloween party you will ever attend. I suggest you get your tickets in advance as they do sell out quickly. Get dates and ticket information at www.disneyland.com.
