Thursday, November 01, 2007

Mickey's Halloween Treat!

What a great time! We made reservations months ago for last week. What we did not know was that there would be so many fires and the Santa Ana Winds were blowing! After visiting the parks many times in the past, we were looking forward to a first time to see all the Halloween decorations.

I was a little disappointed at the quality of the decorations at Disneyland. It was probably due to the winds, but there were not as many jack-o-lanterns lit up and the big Mickey pumpkin was smaller than I expected.

But California Adventure was another story. My favorite was this conveyor belt of candy corn. It is hard to tell here, but it was moving! The whole theme seemed to be candy corn. But I am getting ahead of myself.

We bought tickets when they were first listed on the Annual Pass Holder site, back in May this year (2007), and the cost was $24.00 a person. Later they went to $29 and $39 on the day of the event (if any were left). California Adventure is closed on the "Mickey's Halloween Treat" days at 6:00PM. They reopen at 7:00PM, but you can only go in so far until 7:30, which is when the actual event starts. There were lines outside the park, beginning around 6:00ish, but although it seemed crowded, it really wasn't. I heard that they sell 5000 tickets. I wasn't sure if that was a lot or not, but after the night wore on I realized it was pretty fantastic! We were guests at the Grand Californian, and was surprised to find that they didn't let you enter the park from their private entrance, you had to go to the front like everyone else.

Each candy station throughout the park marked with a big Mickey ghost and had lines but they looked like they moved pretty quickly. (we were not eating candy so didn't wait in any lines) It was a very comfortable night, weather wise. The winds had stopped and the heat was gone. The people seemed very happy and the costumes were fun to see. We didn't dress up, but other adults did. I guess they allowed it on these nights (for adults), but you could not wear a costume all day. You were only allowed to wear a costume (I think the restriction was for 9 years old and up) that night in California Adventure, adult dressing up is not allowed in Disneyland.

When you get in there is loud music playing, songs like Monster Mash. There are kids dancing and every few feet there was Halloween themed strobe lights(like "BOO") projected dancing around the ground. Little kids loved chasing them. There were a couple of scare crows that were cast members up on stakes. They would talk to you and joke around. They reminded me of the scare crow in the Wizard of Oz.

The greatest thing about the whole night was that there was no wait on the rides! We were the only people on our California Screamin' train. (and in the front row, which we have never done before) The Tower of Terror , Soarin' Over California, Mulholland Madness, Jumpin' Jellyfish, was the same, no waits. The only ride we tried that had a 15 minute wait was Monster's Inc., so we decided to skip that one. Everyone seemed happy with the candy (bags were given to you when you entered to collect your candy). The lines were moving quickly, like I said before, but there were several stations without lines. Those were the ones near the Grizzly River Run (which wasn't open). The midway games were FREE to all and we had fun playing some of those. (They might not be there next year, since there is a major over haul planned.)

We had a great time and recommend it to all you Disney fans! People were friendly and in good moods. It was as if they knew it was a night for kids. No one yelling at their kids (which is unusual at Disneyland). And strangely, no lines on the "adult" rides. It was a good feeling all around. If you are concerned about the cost ($39.00), buy the tickets early, we only paid $24.00/ea. (we are pass holders, so maybe we got an additional discount-or maybe from Disney Visa) One more tidbit....no one seemed to be sick. There was no coughing like there is during the Christmas season. I don't know why, seemed interesting and unusual to me. Maybe it is enough before flu season that no one was ill. (one plus for people like me with an autoimmune disease)

Here is Disney's official information on the event:

Mickey's Halloween Treat

Mickey's Halloween Treat
Enjoy a special Halloween treat when you purchase your tickets for this frightfully fun event early! Scare up a savings of $10* when you get your tickets prior to the event. This "spirited" event at Disney's California Adventure® Park includes:
  • Amazing attractions to get you spinning, looping and free-falling!
  • Lively music to boogie your bones!
  • Special treat stations where you can scare up some goodies!
  • Creepy crafts and activities for some frightful fun!
  • Plus lots more spook-tacular entertainment for little boys and ghouls!
  • Complimentary parking for one vehicle at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure — larger vehicles may require an additional fee.
Available Event Dates
October 25, 29 and 30 — 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices
Advance Ticket: $29
Day Of Event Ticket: $39
Ages Two and Under: No Charge

Unfortunately, tickets for 2007 are sold out.



Costume Information
All event attendees — including adults — may dress in their favorite Halloween costume and must follow these and other guidelines as determined solely by Disney:
  • Costumes should be child-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive or violent.
  • Guests may wear masks. However, masks must not obstruct vision, and eyes must be visible at all times.
  • Guests that dress like Disney Characters may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
  • Costumes should not drag on the ground.
  • Costumes should not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.
  • Costumes should not contain any weapons which resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
  • Guests of all ages may only wear costumes to the Mickey's Halloween Treat event to which they have valid tickets. During normal Park operating hours, costumes are only permitted for Guests ages nine and younger.
Guests that do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry into the event unless their costume can be modified to meet the above standards.

* Savings based on day of event prices. Space is limited and tickets are available while supplies last. Advance purchase savings available until one day prior to event date and may not be combined with other discounts or promotions. Online purchases unavailable on day of event. Limit eight (8) tickets per Guest, per event date. Each ticket is valid for admission to the event and parking for one (1) vehicle (larger vehicles may require an additional fee) on the specified event date. Tickets are nonrefundable and may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Tickets are not valid for theme park admission prior to the hours of the event. Offer and event information and activities are subject to restrictions and change without notice. © Disney

2 comments:

gene pensiero said...

--
i LOVE all the big candy corns...i would've tried to eat them.

great review mom!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting all the candy corn pictures! (you did that just for me.I know you did. =D)
I'm glad you had fun.