Disney's HalloweenTime Returns!

by Mac Duffy

For many families, it's difficult to incorporate Halloween into the Holiday season's planning and fun. With no time off and the hustle and bustle of school, work, and other family obligations, it can take a lot of effort to create a memorable experience for the whole family that is on par with Thanksgiving and Christmas, not to mention a parent's legitimate concern that the usual Halloween fare is too scary for their little ones.

Fortunately, Disney's HalloweenTime is back and passes a parent's approval with flying colors as it presents a spectacular celebration for young and old that focuses primarily on the fun of Halloween with some familiar and beloved friends!

During regular park hours at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, festivities include lots of not-so-scary fun, such as special Halloween shows, meet-and-greets with Disneyland characters in their Halloween costumes, tasty treats, and spooky-silly holiday themed decorations!

Following up on the success of its inaugural season last year, the party starts once again outside the parks' entrances. Fun jack-o'-lantern creations resembling Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy are featured on top of the Main Entrance to Disneyland, while across the way, at the entrance to Disney's California Adventure park, the 11-foot-tall CALIFORNIA letters are transformed into giant pieces of candy corn!

Disneyland I recommend heading into Disneyland first, especially if you have young kids. It's a great warm-up to the day's activities as they experience their favorite sites and sounds that now exhibit a Halloween flair.

Main Street, U.S.A. has been decorated for the Main Street Pumpkin Festival. More than 300 jack-o'-lanterns peek out of shop windows, and festive orange and yellow bunting adds just the right touch to the quaint Victorian buildings. The highlight of Town Square is a 12-foot tall Mickey Mouse jack-o'-lantern, complete with pumpkin ears, smiling at guests as they enter Main Street and giving them a playful wink when they depart. More Disney character-inspired jack-o'-lanterns surround the famous "Partners" statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse near Sleeping Beauty's Castle. And the Disney characters themselves meet and greet guests while wearing their favorite Halloween costumes.

Age Appropriateness Young Kids – There's no better way to ease a young child into some Halloween fun than a walk down Main Street, U.S.A. this time of year. Seeing their favorite characters either in the form of pumpkins or dressed up for Halloween themselves will remind the kids that this will be a fun day, regardless of what Halloween "stories" older siblings may have told them or what they may have seen on TV. Sadly, with the increasingly graphic nature of horror movie promos aired when little children are still up, this is a precaution parents must be ready to take. As the day goes on, this area will serve as a reminder of the fun, an added benefit if you plan to stay until after dark.

Older Kids – Depending on the age of your older child, they might be totally into checking out the décor, but the older they get, the more eager they'll be to hit a ride or two (or seven) before lunch. Try to balance your desire to explore with their desire to "jump in" with a game. A scavenger hunt could be just the thing. Make a list of their favorite characters and see how many of each they can find in the form of jack-o'-lanterns. The winner gets to choose the next ride.

More Fun in Disneyland Keep in mind, these are merely some suggestions on what to do while at Disney's HalloweenTime. There is so much to choose from; from the traditional attractions that Disneyland is famous for to all the fun Halloween additions, you'll probably need at least a day in each park. However, if you only have one day to cover everything, then the next stop for the little ones has to be "Woody's Halloween Roundup". Having taken over Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland, the Roundup fun includes performances by Woody, Jessie and Bullseye from the Disney-Pixar Toy Story movies, a visit with the animals in the "Petting Boo," crafts and musical activities including a Halloween Hoedown and a spooky interactive sing-along version of "Old McDonald Had a Farm". Getting hungry? Then dig in to some tasty treats, including cotton candy in Halloween colors and Creepy Cookie Critters that you and your kids create!

Age Appropriateness Young Kids – Toy Story characters, a petting zoo AND candy? There's no doubt young kids will have an all-out blast, and the interactive nature of the activities offers a great chance for parents to bond with their little ones.

Older Kids – Granted, not necessarily a tween's cup of tea, so you might want to send them along with another parent or an older, teen sibling to check out a nearby ride, but this would also be a great chance to encourage them to spend some quality time with a younger sibling. Reward them by giving them the option of choosing the next location.

"Haunted Mansion Holiday" No matter what your family decides to do, you'll definitely want to take a trip to the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square to experience "Haunted Mansion Holiday," inspired by the innovative animated film, Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. Depicting the holiday mayhem that occurs when Halloween and Christmas traditions collide, it's a fun way to help make a smooth transition into the Winter Holiday season.

Age Appropriateness Young Kids – I have to say that, as much as I enjoyed this, I would not recommend this for young children. There's a short while at the beginning that can be scary and there are several spots throughout where the ride gets a bit dark. Also, if they have not seen the movie, the imagery throughout might disturb really young kids if they don't understand why spooky images are interlaced with Christmas.

Older Kids – I have no doubt older kids will enjoy seeing their favorite characters from the movie, and there's just enough of a spook factor to make it thrilling for them. California Adventure

The fun has just begun. Time to take a walk to the wild side.

"Candy Corn Acres" One of my favorite new additions to the fun this year is "Candy Corn Acres," formerly The Sunshine Plaza in California Adventure. Mickey Mouse's pal Goofy has set out to grow the West's biggest and most unusual candy corn: candy corn coconuts, candy corn carrots, candy corn pumpkins, and more! Joining Goofy is Disney's HalloweenTime personality, Jimmy C. Corn, who hosts games and activities in the area.

Age Appropriateness Young Kids – A great way to transition from the more familiar Disneyland to California Adventure, kids will enjoy seeing their old pal, Goofy, while enjoying all the crazy candy corn creations and fun and games offered by Jimmy.

Older kids – I'm sure the older kids will find the candy corn amusing, but you can bet they'll be wanting to tackle a ride or two sooner than later.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror® At HalloweenTime, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror® is even more thrilling as guests get to meet the hotel's ghostly staff members who materialize only during the Halloween season.

Age Appropriateness Young Kids – Granted most of your younger children wouldn't even meet the height requirement for this ride, but it's still important to note that simply talking about what the ride entails might startle younger children, so I suggest being a bit discreet, let the older members of your group have some fun while directing the younger members to something a little more their speed.

Older Kids – You are going to have to decide on a case-by-case basis. Just because they meet the height requirement doesn't necessarily mean this will be a good experience for them. Listen to your kids. If any of them express any hesitation, support their decision to "try something else. " Help them save face in front of the rest of the group while quietly stopping anyone from taunting them for not wanting to go. Remind older siblings, there's plenty of fun for everyone in the park and it's okay to have "preferences".

Mickey's HalloweenTreat! This is the best reason why parents should take their kids during Halloween. An expanded Mickey's HalloweenTreat (a separate-ticket nighttime event) gives kids and their families the opportunity to dress in their Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat throughout Disney's California Adventure after it has closed to day guests. Featuring more treat locations along with fun character encounters (including an all-new nightly cavalcade), interactive games, and spirited music with DJ Mickey, the whole family will experience the best Halloween ever.

Age Appropriateness Young Kids - This truly is perfect for families with young children, a safe and fun trick-or-treat experience that they will not forget. They'll love seeing the park at night and getting to have a picture taken with their favorite Disney characters. And, not only do they get the option of walking away with some of their favorite candy, the wonderfully pleasant and helpful staff also offers fresh apples, baby carrots, and raisins in safe, pre-sealed packaging.

Older Kids – The older kids might scoff but you know they'll be into filling their bags with candy, and they'll definitely want the opportunity to experience some of their favorite rides at night.

What more can I say? At Disney's HalloweenTime, there's so much to choose from, you're going to have to check out the rest of the fun for yourself. Disney proves that, although spooky is fun, Halloween doesn't have to be disturbing for little kids. Adding just the right amount of Halloween flavor to their tried and true mainstays of family entertainment makes this a Halloween experience your family will thank you for, one they'll be talking about all the way until next year and beyond.

For More Info Open right now and continuing through Wednesday, Oct. 31, HalloweenTime is part of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disney Parks.

This year, additional nights have been scheduled for Mickey's HalloweenTreat: Thursdays and Fridays beginning Oct. 4 plus Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 29-31. Tickets to this special event may be purchased online at www.disneyland.com/mhtm.

For more information about new attractions, the Year of a Million Dreams, and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or visit local travel agents.