Mickey's Halloween Party and Halloween Time Superthread 2018!!

We attended the October 12th Halloween party, the one that got rained on, and I have to say, we were pretty disappointed. The rain really put a damper on things, in more ways than one. Obviously, nobody can control the weather and you just have to roll with it and try to have as much fun as possible, but what a bummer.:headache:

We got to the Parks around 4:30 and the lines to get through security were looooooooooong!:eek: But at least it hadn't started to rain yet, so we didn't get wet while waiting to get in!:woohoo:The party was part of a 40th wedding anniversary trip for my husband and me. There were eleven of us (us, our kids and spouses, and our grandkids) attending the party.

Here are my thoughts on the party:
CONS: The rain! The weather caused the parade and fireworks to be cancelled. Some of the rides were down due to the weather and many of the treat trails had to be relocated to covered areas. We had two strollers with us, but it was still difficult to keep the little ones from getting wet. By nine o'clock or so, some of our family decided to call it quits and head back to our hotel, while the rest of us were determined to stick it out till the end.

PROS: The beginning of the party, before the rain hit! One of the first things we did, after taking a lot of photos of everyone in their costumes, was to catch the train to ToonTown. As we were waiting on the platform for the next train, Mickey Mouse was standing on the other side of the wrought iron fence. He came over to us and interacted with the grandkids, which they loved. This was our two-year old granddaughter's first trip to Disneyland and she was SO excited to "play" with Mickey! Mickey also got a big kick out of our adult daughter and her boyfriend. They were dressed as Belle and Gaston, however SHE was Gaston and HE was Belle! Mickey Mouse went over to them and bowed before them. It was awesome! LOL! :rotfl2:
They got a lot of comments and compliments on their costumes all throughout the evening.:rotfl:

Ride lines! Many rides were walk-on, no wait, especially toward the end of the evening.

Treat Trails! Some had long lines, but the lines moved quickly. Everyone ended up with a TON of candy. The grandkids had the best time following the trails and reaching each candy station. They really enjoyed this aspect of the party. We came across a few character meet and greets that they also enjoyed- Star Wars characters and Toy Story characters.

Final thoughts: Did we have fun at the party? Yes, definitely. Do I feel it was worth the price of the tickets (especially for eleven people:scared1:) No, definitely not. Too many rides were not operating and there was no parade and no fireworks. It was difficult trying to get around in the rain, trying to run for cover here and there, and getting soaked in the process. The idea was to be able to do and see things during the party that we wouldn't have been able to do on a regular park day. Again, I know it was unfortunate that it happened to rain that night, but it was disappointing. I feel we did make the best of the situation, though. Would I consider attending a party in the future? Probably not, and not just because of this year's experience.

Would I go to Disneyland (or WDW) at Halloween time again? Yes, definitely! Thankfully, the two days we spent at both parks (Saturday and Sunday) were wonderful! We got a little bit of rain Saturday morning, but other than that, the weather was fine. We loved seeing all the Halloween decorations and sampling various Halloween treats. I didn't feel as though the parks were all that crowded, and with MaxPass and FastPass, we managed to do a ton of attractions. Everyone in our family that rode the Incredicoaster LOVED it! I'm not a coaster person, but I did go on Soarin' four times!:thumbsup2

We also experienced some of that Disney magic on one of the nights. Some of us stayed for the later Fantasmic show, but we didn't have fastpasses or priority seating, so we walked around to the area by the Haunted Mansion looking for the standby viewing area. We weren't sure where the viewing area was, so my daughter asked a cast member, standing by a roped-off area, where the standby area was. The cast member turned to another cast member standing nearby and asked her: "What do you think? Should we do it?" And the other cast member replied: "Yes, I think we can provide a bit of Disney magic for these people." So they opened the rope and let us in to a reserved area with chairs. We thanked them and proceeded to a row of seats with a perfect view of the show!
 
We attended the October 12th Halloween party, the one that got rained on, and I have to say, we were pretty disappointed. The rain really put a damper on things, in more ways than one. Obviously, nobody can control the weather and you just have to roll with it and try to have as much fun as possible, but what a bummer.:headache:

We got to the Parks around 4:30 and the lines to get through security were looooooooooong!:eek: But at least it hadn't started to rain yet, so we didn't get wet while waiting to get in!:woohoo:The party was part of a 40th wedding anniversary trip for my husband and me. There were eleven of us (us, our kids and spouses, and our grandkids) attending the party.

Here are my thoughts on the party:
CONS: The rain! The weather caused the parade and fireworks to be cancelled. Some of the rides were down due to the weather and many of the treat trails had to be relocated to covered areas. We had two strollers with us, but it was still difficult to keep the little ones from getting wet. By nine o'clock or so, some of our family decided to call it quits and head back to our hotel, while the rest of us were determined to stick it out till the end.

PROS: The beginning of the party, before the rain hit! One of the first things we did, after taking a lot of photos of everyone in their costumes, was to catch the train to ToonTown. As we were waiting on the platform for the next train, Mickey Mouse was standing on the other side of the wrought iron fence. He came over to us and interacted with the grandkids, which they loved. This was our two-year old granddaughter's first trip to Disneyland and she was SO excited to "play" with Mickey! Mickey also got a big kick out of our adult daughter and her boyfriend. They were dressed as Belle and Gaston, however SHE was Gaston and HE was Belle! Mickey Mouse went over to them and bowed before them. It was awesome! LOL! :rotfl2:
They got a lot of comments and compliments on their costumes all throughout the evening.:rotfl:

Ride lines! Many rides were walk-on, no wait, especially toward the end of the evening.

Treat Trails! Some had long lines, but the lines moved quickly. Everyone ended up with a TON of candy. The grandkids had the best time following the trails and reaching each candy station. They really enjoyed this aspect of the party. We came across a few character meet and greets that they also enjoyed- Star Wars characters and Toy Story characters.

Final thoughts: Did we have fun at the party? Yes, definitely. Do I feel it was worth the price of the tickets (especially for eleven people:scared1:) No, definitely not. Too many rides were not operating and there was no parade and no fireworks. It was difficult trying to get around in the rain, trying to run for cover here and there, and getting soaked in the process. The idea was to be able to do and see things during the party that we wouldn't have been able to do on a regular park day. Again, I know it was unfortunate that it happened to rain that night, but it was disappointing. I feel we did make the best of the situation, though. Would I consider attending a party in the future? Probably not, and not just because of this year's experience.

Would I go to Disneyland (or WDW) at Halloween time again? Yes, definitely! Thankfully, the two days we spent at both parks (Saturday and Sunday) were wonderful! We got a little bit of rain Saturday morning, but other than that, the weather was fine. We loved seeing all the Halloween decorations and sampling various Halloween treats. I didn't feel as though the parks were all that crowded, and with MaxPass and FastPass, we managed to do a ton of attractions. Everyone in our family that rode the Incredicoaster LOVED it! I'm not a coaster person, but I did go on Soarin' four times!:thumbsup2

We also experienced some of that Disney magic on one of the nights. Some of us stayed for the later Fantasmic show, but we didn't have fastpasses or priority seating, so we walked around to the area by the Haunted Mansion looking for the standby viewing area. We weren't sure where the viewing area was, so my daughter asked a cast member, standing by a roped-off area, where the standby area was. The cast member turned to another cast member standing nearby and asked her: "What do you think? Should we do it?" And the other cast member replied: "Yes, I think we can provide a bit of Disney magic for these people." So they opened the rope and let us in to a reserved area with chairs. We thanked them and proceeded to a row of seats with a perfect view of the show!

I really feel for you - my son and I flew from Aus last year and attended two parties. I would have been so disappointed if we had missed out on the MHP parade / fireworks - luckily both ours went off without a hitch. At a previous party a few years prior they had cancelled the fireworks part way through.
I know people posted you just have to make the most of it but I really feel for you and understand how disappointed you must have been to have it rain to that degree.

On the other hand...it sounds like you had some wonderful moments of pixie dust to hopefully make up for your disappointment in some small way.
Having the special interaction with Mickey like that and seating for Fantasmic - what a special treat.

It sounds like you had a pretty good time anyway - despite the very disappointing MHP experience. Thanks for posting, was great reading.
 




For those who have been to Halloween parties this year, any thoughts about trick or treat trails?
Any favorites for ambiance? Which trails are indoors? We've usually just stuck to the outdoor ones that worked with doing quickly between rides. It seems like when we've gone other years the one near the haunted mansion always had too long of a line so we usually skipped it other trips. Some years the monorail one was dead, some times more busy. Usually the one by the Matterhorn worked well. A few years ago the Matterhorn trail had an awesome cast member that cheered on my kids and they went through the trail like 10 times, they would run as soon as they finished it to the beginning of the line and do it again. IMG_0963.JPG

Usually my kids have taken the strategy that they wouldn't trick or treat till the final hour of the party, last year it ended up only being my husband and youngest that collected candy, and only for the last half hour, and they still got a lot. That may have been due to it being the 31st, and my husband told a cast member that the kids had been to busy riding rides to trick or treat, so they filled his bag. It was a bag as big as a king size pillow case!

We are going Monday the 29th, and will be the Phineas & Ferb family this year. Although "Candace" graduated from high school last year, and is away at college so she won't be with us. :-(

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Which trails are indoors? We've usually just stuck to the outdoor ones that worked with doing quickly between rides. It seems like when we've gone other years the one near the haunted mansion always had too long of a line so we usually skipped it other trips. Some years the monorail one was dead, some times more busy. Usually the one by the Matterhorn worked well.

I went to the party last night (10/23) and had a really good time. I didn't do all of the treat trails, since a lot of them seemed long to me. I only saw one or two that were actually partially covered or indoors. The trail by the Golden Horseshoe was partially indoors. The first station was outside and the rest were inside. I believe there was a trail in Fantasyland by Dumbo that looked to be covered. It was way to crowded/long, so I just kept walking. The trail that seemed to be longest to me (and partially covered) was the one by the monorail track alongside the Matterhorn on the path between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Just recalled the one by the Nemo submarine line was probably the longest one of all and it was partially covered too.

The only other long treat line was the one in front of the Rivers of America. I was in line but dropped out to watch the Cadaver Dans. The line seemed to move rather quickly though.
 
I went to the party last night (10/23) and had a really good time. I didn't do all of the treat trails, since a lot of them seemed long to me. I only saw one or two that were actually partially covered or indoors. The trail by the Golden Horseshoe was partially indoors. The first station was outside and the rest were inside. I believe there was a trail in Fantasyland by Dumbo that looked to be covered. It was way to crowded/long, so I just kept walking. The trail that seemed to be longest to me (and partially covered) was the one by the monorail track alongside the Matterhorn on the path between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Just recalled the one by the Nemo submarine line was probably the longest one of all and it was partially covered too.

The only other long treat line was the one in front of the Rivers of America. I was in line but dropped out to watch the Cadaver Dans. The line seemed to move rather quickly though.
The trail at Star Wars launch bay is inside too. And during the toontown preparty there is a trail that goes into Minnie and Mickeys houses that is almost all indoors. One or two stations are outside.
 
The trail at Star Wars launch bay is inside too. And during the toontown preparty there is a trail that goes into Minnie and Mickeys houses that is almost all indoors. One or two stations are outside.

Ah, thanks for the info. I didn't go to the toontown preparty area. I had forgot about the Star Wars Launch Bay one as well. Know I remember, I walked by that one and just said "nope, not going to happen". So much for a non-local trying to give information (and still being sleep deprived and on East Coast time). lol
 
Could someone post a map again please? I'm going next week, on Halloween! :yay: Want to plan my strategy. Especially to get somewhere where I can see the castle for the fireworks. I'd rather not wait two hours for the first parade. I'm thinking of following the end of the parade and then trying to peal off toward the castle when I got there. Or try to enter from Tomorrowland and just get as close as I can.

Love the pictures and the descriptions of the treat trails!
 
Could someone post a map again please? I'm going next week, on Halloween! :yay: Want to plan my strategy. Especially to get somewhere where I can see the castle for the fireworks. I'd rather not wait two hours for the first parade. I'm thinking of following the end of the parade and then trying to peal off toward the castle when I got there. Or try to enter from Tomorrowland and just get as close as I can.

Love the pictures and the descriptions of the treat trails!
I went last night solo. I was to the right side if you are facing the castle at the very end of main street by the red wagon but on the curb and was able to see gallon and about 1\2the castle. I found the spot 5 minutes before the fireworks stared. I actually think it was a better spot than I had last year. Last year we crunched in from tomorrowland. Free control pushes everyone to the right. They will have a walkway to across main street. Take that and you'll find a spot.
When you are facing the castle you want to make sure you can see to the left of the last castle peak. I'll see if I can grab a pic in the park today.
 
The only line that looked super long we saw was at the monorail, not sure why so we passed. Great moments with Mr Lincoln is indoors and a pretty good trail.
Also. I am sure it has been mentioned but disney photos are included, so get there early and take a lot.

Did not see as many of the really good princess dresses this year, not sure why, but we did see some good Mary Poppins. Frozen was out, saw a few but not many. Incredibles was in big. Also no Black Panthers
 
We attended the Oct 19th party this year (same relative night as last year) and found it more crowded than last year. After the fireworks finished (great to see them as they were canceled due to wind in '17), my DW headed back to DLH while me and two DDs went looking for rides. Last year, the lines were short, almost walk on; this year... OMG, everywhere we went, the lines were huge. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes for HM and then heading back to the hotel but were disappointed that everything was packed..... didn't expect so many people to still be there between 10 and 11 based on last year

Having said that, I agree that the weather couldn't have been better and the party overall was a blast.

Anyone else find it busier than expected?
 
We are going on Halloween. What is the best strategy for getting the most out of both parks ride-wise?
Must Do rides for us= Radiator Springs, Toy Story Mania, Guardians of the Galaxy, Splash Mountain before it gets cold at night, Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion.

We don't care about parades or fireworks, but like hitting the candy trails. Right now we have reservations for dinner in Downtown Disney at 7pm.
 
Especially to get somewhere where I can see the castle for the fireworks. I'd rather not wait two hours for the first parade. I'm thinking of following the end of the parade and then trying to peal off toward the castle when I got there.

I was solo last night (10/23) and for the first parade, I happened to snag a corner by the churro cart and the railing. I was behind a family with a stroller and was able to camp out there for some time and just rest. This was a great spot for the parade. But as a PP indicated, the CM's will push people to the right to go in front of the castle to other areas. There is a roped off area with lots of people who camped out for the fireworks. So getting into that area was not going to happen. So I kept going to the bottom of the hub area and found a place. It was just up on the curb between the two big Mickey lights at the hub. I was to the right side, so I was able to see about 2/3 of the castle. But I had a good view of the Jake Skellington head.

If I had been on the other side of the street, I may have been able to walk behind the parade and found a different spot. But I was just trying to find a spot where there wasn't a darn tree blocking my view.
 
I was solo last night (10/23) and for the first parade, I happened to snag a corner by the churro cart and the railing. I was behind a family with a stroller and was able to camp out there for some time and just rest. This was a great spot for the parade. But as a PP indicated, the CM's will push people to the right to go in front of the castle to other areas. There is a roped off area with lots of people who camped out for the fireworks. So getting into that area was not going to happen. So I kept going to the bottom of the hub area and found a place. It was just up on the curb between the two big Mickey lights at the hub. I was to the right side, so I was able to see about 2/3 of the castle. But I had a good view of the Jake Skellington head.

If I had been on the other side of the street, I may have been able to walk behind the parade and found a different spot. But I was just trying to find a spot where there wasn't a darn tree blocking my view.

right? I can't with the trees. I mean, it adds ambience except when we're trying to watch fireworks. haha. So by "bottom of the hub" you mean the south end, right? We went on halloween last year and even though I thought I found an awesome spot we couldn't see the jack head at all...I am determined to see it this year on halloween and I'm already anxious about missing it!
 
right? I can't with the trees. I mean, it adds ambience except when we're trying to watch fireworks. haha. So by "bottom of the hub" you mean the south end, right? We went on halloween last year and even though I thought I found an awesome spot we couldn't see the jack head at all...I am determined to see it this year on halloween and I'm already anxious about missing it!
That’s one positive that MK’s hub has going for it but it sucks during the day without the shade.
 

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