Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see, Disneyland at Halloween.
Well, not so much strange, but plenty silly . . . welcome back to the Disneyland Update and the eternally popular Halloween Time. If you visited the park this past weekend, you no doubt have stories to share of difficulties parking, busy parks, and long lines to buy specialty popcorn buckets. We’ve just crossed over into the busiest period of the year for Disneyland, from September 15th until New Years Day. Boo!
| Halloween Begins |
Halloween time at Disneyland is now in full swing. All the decorations are up, and the two haunted Halloween attractions are welcoming guests for a spooky time. It’s also become one of the busiest weekends of the year as annual passholders turn out to see all the holiday offerings.
Main Street USA
The Fab Five pumpkin sculptures have returned to the entrance of Disneyland for another year.
So have the Halloween Time bunting and banners.
The characters on Main Street each have their own unique costumes.
I had a friend in from out of town this past weekend who wanted to see Halloween at Disneyland. She posed the question, “Why is it that Disneyland guests line up in droves to take pictures with statues?” She’s spent most of her Disney time at Walt Disney World. Perhaps Disney World just doesn’t have the awesome statues and props like the GIANT Mickey Pumpkin in Town Square. What do you guys think?
New Orleans Square
The Mansion has been changed, and everything is adorned and deranged! Haunted Mansion Holiday is a staple for Halloween guests, some come to the Disneyland Resort during Halloween time just to see how Jack has wrecked these halls.
I didn’t notice anything drastically different this time, other than the new gingerbread house, but it’s still one of my favorite things to do all year.
The new gingerbread house is Oogie-rrific! I wonder what he tastes like?
At the French Market, there are two specialty deserts just for Halloween, Snake and Spider Chocolate Goo and Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Frontierland
Zocalo Park’s Dia De Los Muertos decorations have returned. We were afraid they wouldn’t since there are similar decorations up across the esplanade to promote the upcoming film “Coco.”
River Belle Terrace is under wraps for a major refurb and reconfiguration, which will allow for more indoor seating and the removal of the old service queue.
Tomorrowland
Things are green and spooky at Space Mountain with the return of the fan-favorite Ghost Galaxy overlay. I didn’t notice anything new, but it’s still as fun as always.
Over at Tomorrowland Terrace, construction walls have gone up around most of the covered part of the seating patio.
Some of the windows are still open and the stage is untouched.
Fantasyland
In Fantasyland, you won’t find any Halloween decorations, but you will find some Halloween promotional items. I stopped by the Red Rose Taverne to grab some lunch and tried the Enchanted Maize Flatbread.
The flatbread tasted essentially like a vegetable pizza, and has the above-average quality we’ve come to expect from the Red Rose Taverne. If that overlay means we continue to get better food here, let it continue to stay.
Everything about the dish was delicious. Gooey cheese, tasty vegetables, and a savory sauce. Of course, this is essentially a vegetarian dish, but you can order a side of beef if you’re feeling carnivorous.
Toontown
Toontown received Halloween-style bunting, but not much more. The entrance screams “Halloween” more than the actual land.
| This and That |
Launch Bay closed at 4:30 on Friday. I’m not sure exactly why, but there isn’t much foot traffic going inside anymore as it is. The Disneyland website still says it should be open until 8pm even on days where the park closes at 6pm which isn’t helpful. If you’re looking to meet Chewie or Vader, double check to see what time the location actually closes.
There was a wait time board outside of Pirates that looked like a new design to me. The one near the entrance doesn’t cut it on busy days, so a mobile one is appreciated.
Over in Fantasyland, the old 60th Anniversary diamond roof is STILL up on the castle. As you can see, it isn’t in great shape. Perhaps they’ll finally be able to fix the original roof underneath it before or after the installation of the winter snow-swept roof.
But wait . . . that’s not all . . .
We have a brand new MiceChat Halloween Podcast that JUST came out as we were publishing this update. Click play below or download the show from iTunes HERE.
AND . . . we have a HUGE update for you from Disney California Adventure which is coming up tomorrow.
| Get Disneyland Wait Times with Mouseaddict |
Get Mouseaddict Here You can keep track of the wait times and even where in the park people are congregating by downloading the app (iPhone only at this time).
| See Ya Real Soon |
| All of us on the Disneyland Photo Update crew would like to thank you for joining us today. Each week we’ll feature different photographers and commentators (often more than one). Today’s MiceChat Disneyland Update was shot and assembled by Scott Attula, with additional support from Dsny Debbie, Brian Pinsky, and the one and only Dusty Sage. |
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That’s it for today’s update. Join us later this week as we look at California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and other things from around the resort. Are you a photographer? Do you love the parks? Would you like to contribute to the Disneyland Update or other MiceChat columns? Contact Dusty Sage: [email protected]