HalloweenTime at DLR Info and Photo Superthread #3

[Sherry E]

We're debating going out 10/13 through 10/19, with 13th and 19th being travel days. 5 day passes for 14th-18th. I'd expect Fri/Sat to be busy, but what to expect for Tue-Thu? We generally go in late Feb and experience low crowds (relatively). This link http://www.scottware.com.au/theme/feature/atend.htm shows low crowds (even lower than Feb!) for most days in October except Columbus Day. Is that accurate?

Thanks!

starjazz --

Hello!

I haven't been to DLR in late February, but I suspect that October is now a bit busier than late February. October has become much busier than it used to be several years ago -- though not to the unbearable degree that can sometimes occur in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Halloween Time is increasingly more popular each year.

The interesting thing is that, as far as Disneyland is concerned, October is technically considered to be their off-peak/slower season. Weekday hours are often a bit shorter and entertainment can be more limited than it is in, say, summer or during the holiday season. But anyone who has been in the parks during October knows that it seems to be quite busy.

I think that, in the old, old days of Halloween Time, early October (or the first 2 weeks) may have been less crowded and then the week of Halloween got very busy. I assume that this was because Halloween Time hadn't yet really become a "destination time" for people to actually plan trips to come to Disneyland.

Now it seems that there is always some sort of school break taking place (sometimes more than one break happening simultaneously) in the first half of October. The kids come out to enjoy the Halloween Time festivities -- and that factor, combined with Columbus Day and Gay Days, contributes to the first half of October now being pretty busy and the second half of October (not counting the days immediately before Halloween) being a bit less crowded!

I don't know when the various Fall school breaks end this year -- and it seems that sometimes they extend into the 3rd week of October and sometimes they are over after the second week -- but I would have to think that at least some people will clear out after Columbus Day to get back to work.

I don't think it will be quiet when you go, but being there after Columbus Day will help to at least thin out some of the crowds. Tuesday, October 14th will probably be a Halloween Party night, as will Friday, October 17, so that could increase crowds in Disneyland -- especially after 3 p.m. or 4 p.m., respectively.

So I guess the short and sweet answer would be, if all of the school breaks are over with by the time you get to DLR, the crowds probably won't be too annoying. If there are still Fall breaks happening when you get there, you will encounter extra crowds!


ETA: I just saw that figment_jii posted an answer while I was typing up my response! Lol.

 

[figment_jii]

ETA: I just saw that figment_jii posted an answer while I was typing up my response! Lol.

At least we said fairly similar things! It would have been pretty funny if we gave opposite advice.

For today's photo farewell to the Third HalloweenTime SuperThread, a couple of my favorites things from Mickey's Halloween Party.

Halloween Screams! I love that DLR is able to have different characters fly during the various fireworks shows. Remember has Tinkerbell, Magical has Dumbo (plus Tinkerbell) and Screams has Zero!

Cavalcade! It's simple, but still cute.

Columbia! This is one of my favorite atmospheric things at MHP. The Columbia, bathed in ghostly lights, with lots of dry ice.

 

[zanzibar138]

It looks awesome! So disappointed I can't stay long enough to get to an actual party

 

[Sherry E]

Those are great pictures, figment_jii! You had a really good view of Halloween Screams.

I love all of the fog at the MHP! The RoA area is great, as is the spooky area back by BTMRR, with the eerie glowing red lights and purple lights in certain areas.

Autumn cannot get here soon enough. The weather guy just uttered the words I never want to hear: "We could see 100 degrees..." (meaning tomorrow, in SoCal). It's supposed to be a minimum of 98 degrees in L.A. and 99 degrees in Anaheim.

It's not even close to being summer!!!! This is madness! (Keep in mind, I am the one who was gleefully rejoicing over in the Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread about the 29- and 30-degree weather at night during my December trip last year, so I am clearly not a hot weather person!) I hope this early-in-the-year heat wave means that a mild summer is on the horizon and that we won't get some crazy 113-degree heat wave for Halloween Time again (like back in 2010).

 

[Sherry E]

Okay -- the brand new Halloween Superthread has been started --Here!!!!!

I got up at 3 a.m. to work on it and to get it started before anyone else could post in it while I was trying to reserve the spots on page 1! (I have to be careful about starting new threads in the middle of the day, when people are awake and quick to post!)

However, I am tired and must go back to sleep. I'm not even sure if what I added to the first post is coherent -- I may have inadvertently posted something about Arbor Day or Groundhog Day instead of Halloween Time.

I will resume adding to page 1 of the new Superthread later -- you can see what the categories are going to be! Feel free to join the new thread and start discussing Halloween Time plans, sharing photos, asking and answering questions, etc.!!!

Or, you can hang out in this thread a little longer! It's up to you.