It’s that time of year again and one of my favorite things at Disney is the Halloween Parties. With the fall décor, parades, fireworks, dance parties, and extra villainous characters it is a treat to enjoy.
Although the party has what seems to be a steep price tag for only an evening’s worth of entertainment we were pleased to find out our tickets got us into the park at 4:00pm even though the party officially starts at 7:00pm. So, for about the half the price of a full day ticket we can spend about a half of a day in the park. Another thing to keep in mind when buying tickets is not to wait until the last minute to purchase them. The ticket prices are usually higher when bought the day of the event rather than when bought in advance, and there is a good chance the event will be sold out.
Because this is a ticketed only event, you can take advantage of the thinner crowds once they begin to usher everyone not part of the party out the gates at 7:00pm. This makes it the optimum time to ride some of the big, popular rides without the long wait. For the thinnest crowds possible it is best to go on a weeknight. Once 7pm hits the park begins to transform with special decorations added and the Trick or Treat stations are quickly set up. I was surprised at how fast the atmosphere changed.
At first glance, the Trick or Treat lines and character meet lines can appear very long but from our experience, they moved quickly. The Trick or Treat stations gave out handfuls of candy and so we really only needed to do one of the stations before our Trick or Treat bags were overflowing with goodies.
Ultimately, it is night filled with meeting characters rarely seen in the parks. You will see Snow White with all 7 of the dwarfs, all of the Pooh Characters posing for pictures together, ghostly characters in front of the Haunted Mansion to interact with and entertain as you wait, and of course the many villains of Disney. For the first time in 2013, Jack Skellington and Sally from “Nightmare Before Christmas” will be posing together in the town square.
One of the highlights of the night is the “Boo To You Parade” it opens with the Headless Horseman riding by and features The Villains of Disney. My personal favorite is The Grave Diggers they appear as an army wielding their shovels. Our kids loved this parade so much that they were willing to watch it twice that night. Don’t forget to catch the special firework show “Hallowishes” in front of the castle with “The Villains Mix and Mingle” Show directly after.
Whether you choose to come in costume or not is a personal choice but if you do make sure that it is comfortable and easy to wear. My kids quickly shed their costume hats and boots for much more comfortable crocs and sandals guess who got to hold the discards? Are you kidding! We got a locker.
On the West Coast in Disneyland Resort, the party is called “Mickey’s Halloween Party” and it takes place within Disneyland. There is not quite as much going on as the party in Disney World but it is still fun and has many great character opportunities, a firework show called “Halloween Screams” and a “Mickey’s Costume Cavalcade” parade as well. Halloween time is truly is one of our favorite times to go to Disney.
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