It’s Halloween-lo-ween, everybody! Or… at least, as close to it as it’s going to be this year. After a series of doubts and concerns about the possibility of seeing Walt Disney World decorate for fall after the cancellation of the Halloween parties this year, it has been revived! Magic Kingdom has been crowned with autumnal colors and Halloween decor, and Mickey & friends are wearing their spooky-best. But that’s not all that’s happening at WDW… we took a trip to the Polynesian Resort to see a special friend, there’s a new collection of Haunted Mansion merchandise, and a sneak peek into the upcoming TRON: Lightcycle coaster! Grab your pumpkin-flavored coffee and let’s take a look at the tricks and treats this week from WDW!
Fall Decor at Magic Kingdom
The words excited, ecstatic, and eager don’t fully capture how I feel about Halloween. And when the announcement came that Magic Kingdom was still planning on celebrating Halloween, my heart soared! Of course, this year’s celebrations are very different than how they’ve been in the past, but something is definitely better than nothing. Here are the Halloween festivities this year at Magic Kingdom.
Now through October 31st, what used to be Halloween-party exclusive food and beverages are available during the day for all guests, new merchandise collections can be found, Mickey & friends are dressed in their Halloween outfits, famous Disney Villains, Jack, Sally and Oogie Boogie, have taken Main Street by storm with a special cavalcade. Let’s take a look at the opening day of the fall festivities which started yesterday!
Right away, you’ll notice Mickey Pumpkin wreaths sprinkled about Town Square, Main Street U.S.A. and the Castle Hub area.
Never enough pumpkins, right?
Instead of the usual orange, yellow & brown banners and bunting hung along Main Street, autumnal garland and wreaths adorn the doors and columns:
Even though the Crystal Palace hasn’t reopened quite yet, it’s all dressed up for fall!
More From Main Street
We can’t wait for the Dapper Dans to return as the Cadaver Dans on September 20th! In the meantime, this brought a smile to my face. . .
Most cast members along Main Street are wearing the adorable costumes from Mickey’s Not-So Scary Halloween Party!
“Boo” Mickey balloons have returned:
And new Minnie Ear Headbands have cropped up at the Emporium since our last visit:
A few new limited edition pins were also released yesterday. How can you resist these adorably detailed designs? These are Tokyo-Disney-level-cuteness and I am here for it!
Character Cavalcades
The safer character experience has truly become a guest favorite. While some of us miss meet & greets, it’s nice to see beloved characters winding down Main Street aboard trolleys and floats. And between now and October 31st, these processions have a special Halloween twist…
Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore are dressed in their Halloween costumes, complete with trick-or-treat buckets!
Several times throughout the day, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Daisy can be seen in their vibrant Halloween costumes aboard their own float. Additionally, they can be seen waving down to guests from atop Main Street Train Station (though, not at the same time of course!):
All hail to the Pumpkin King… Jack is back! He also brought along Sally and Oogie Boogie!
Next, Villains! This section is one of my favorites from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party’s parade Boo-to-You, and the roaming characters are just the cherry on top.
Of course, Gaston is first, obnoxiously shouting and waving to all within view – while the Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook and Bowler-Hat Guy trail behind.
The Chernabog float approaches, escorting Jafar, Maleficent and the Evil Queen down the typical-parade route:
If you’ve been following our Walt Disney Updates since the resort’s reopening back in July, you may have noticed a new addition in today’s update: crowds! Yesterday was the busiest day we’ve experienced at Magic Kingdom since reopening— or any WDW park for that matter. Everyone wanted to be first in line for this year’s Halloween offerings!
Magic Kingdom Seasonal Snacks & Sippers
Before heading out, we wanted to try some of the seasonal snacks.
At Sunshine Tree Terrace, the Headless Horseman Rides Again is a super strawberry treat. Strawberry Dole Whip and strawberry Fanta – very berry, very sweet, and very refreshing for these final days of summer heat.
The Headless Horseman keychain/straw also makes for a great Halloween souvenir – both the horse’s eyes and pumpkin light up!
Over at Pinocchio’s Village Haus, the Not-So Poison Apple Cupcake piqued my interest… this isn’t your average cupcake.
Super moist apple spice cake with a delectable pecan crunch beneath all of that buttercream frosting?! This is one of the most amazing cakes I’ve ever tried on WDW property.
In addition to the food offerings, these special sipper cups, popcorn buckets and snack holders can be found around Magic Kingdom:
Even though the Madame Leota sipper is now temporarily sold out, this new Jack Skellington sipper is sure to be the next coveted cup! He sells for $22.99 at most quick-service dining locations in the park.
Ghoulish Delight – New Haunted Mansion Merchandise
A new Haunted Mansion collection just dropped, and you can find most of it inside Memento Mori, just next to the beloved attraction.
This collection is full of new apparel; including a Disney Dress Shop frock, tie-top and leggings:
The other new items feature pops of lime green, rather than the typical blues and teal usually found on Haunted Mansion merchandise. But in some cases, older styles are still being sold next to the new. Which color scheme do you prefer?
Glow in the dark items displayed under blacklight.
Other new designs feature some play on words:
Finally, the cutest part of the collection, an all-new (at least, to this coast) line of pet accessories! These butler and maid outfits aren’t just adorable, they’re functional too since’ they’re comfort harnesses:
Squeak toys feature the disembodied Madame Leota, and familiar damask wallpaper pattern adorns collars and chew toys:
‘Olu-Mel Briefly Checks Into Polynesian Village Resort
We stopped by the Polynesian Village Resort after leaving Magic Kingdom, as we heard a certain friend of Duffy had traveled over from Disney’s Aulani in Hawaii for a brief visit…
It’s ‘Olu Mel! The sea turtle friend of Duffy who made his tropical debut at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii.
‘Olu Mel is here for a very limited time. Among the few cast members we spoke to, they weren’t sure if he would stick around longer than next week. One cast member did mention ‘Olu is here as long as Aulani remains closed due to the current global health crisis.
Jumping IPs for a second, but while perusing Boutiki (the hotel’s shop), an oversized Hei Hei hand fan is now available! You can expect to see more Moana-themed merch at the Polynesian in the near future, especially since the hotel is getting a renovation to include aspects of the film!
And back to the guest of honor, ‘Olu Mel. In addition to plushes, keychains and accessories, ‘Olu Mel can be found on some limited-time treats at the Polynesian! From Pineapple Lenai, we tried the lime Dole Whip with crunchy pearls, white chocolate, flower and glitter decorations. This was pretty good! It reminded me of a better-tasting “green milk” from Galaxy’s Edge.
From Captain Cook’s, a chocolate and coconut mousse cupcake is available – we’ll have to try this next time as we were sugared out from the day’s Halloween treats!
TRON: Lightcycle Construction Update
Yesterday, Zach Riddley, (Walt Disney World Site Portfolio Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering) posted an update of the upcoming TRON: Lightcycle coaster coming to Magic Kingdom. It’s certainly coming along, and we’re excited to see more parts of “the wave” going up.
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Let’s Hear From You
Thanks for joining along on our trip to Magic Kingdom! Are you glad to see Magic Kingdom decked out in Halloween decor? Do you think the influx of guests are here to stay for the Halloween season, or just the “Me first” crowd? Did any of the new merchandise catch your eye? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
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