Everything you need to know about Halloween Haunt at California's Great America

Halloween is my favorite time of the year! Every year, I like to take my kids to fun places and events to enjoy the spookiest fun of the season.  Now that my youngest are in middle school, they're old enough to enjoy the scarier side of Halloween, namely all the haunted houses and mazes!  This year we visited Halloween Haunt at California's Great America for the first time ever, and we had an amazing time.

We had no idea what to expect, because strangely enough, I couldn't find too many guides or articles about Halloween Haunt. So I decided to write my own guide, for families who think they might want to attend, but aren't sure because they don't know what to expect.  Keep reading below for everything you need to know about the Halloween Haunt at Great America!

What is Haunted Halloween?

Every year, zombies and skeletons and ghosts descend upon California's Great America, transforming the park into a monster wonderland on weekend nights in October. The park features special Halloween attractions, including haunted mazes, scare zones, and live shows.

Haunted Mazes

This is what everyone comes to Halloween Haunt for!  Great America has nine spooky themed mazes, all decorated down to the last horrifying detail, including strobe lights, black lights, fog, and creepy music to set the mood.  As if that weren't enough, costumed actors are lurking through the maze at every corner, ready to jump out at you without warning and have you jump out of your skin!

The Haunted Mazes at Halloween Haunt for 2015 are:

• Insanitarium -- No one gets better at this medical facility.
• Dia De Los Muertos -- Black light illuminates the legends and mysteries of the Day of the Dead. Probably the least scary and the most visually appealing maze. 
• ZombieHigh -- A high school reunion to die for.
• Wax Museum Chamber of Horrors -- A haunted wax museum where you can't tell which displays are wax and which ones are alive. Our favorite maze!
• Roadkill Road House -- Zombies with meat cleavers invade a barbecue restaurant, spattering guts and gore everywhere.
• CornStalkers -- Scarecrows live up to their name as you make your way through hay bales and corn stalks.
• MadameMarie’s Massacre Manor -- A haunted southern mansion filled with voodoo and ghosts.
• Mirror Mirror -- The classic fun house mirror maze is anything but fun.
• Toy Factory -- Creepy toys comes to life. 

Scare Zones

In additional to the Haunted Mazes, Halloween Haunt features three Scare Zones, which are outdoor areas that all visitors pass through as they make their way around the park. Each Scare Zone is decorated in a specific theme, and costumed actors roam the area scaring guests out of their wits interacting with guests. Each Scare Zone has lots of fog and spooky lights, so if you're too scared to enter a Haunted Maze but still want some of the spooky atmosphere, walk through a Scare Zone! The monsters and zombies in the Scare Zones are a bit friendlier than the ones in the mazes; often they'll say more to you than just "Boo",  and they are happy to pose for photos.

The Scare Zones at Halloween Haunt are:

• Killer Clown Town, featuring zombie clowns with hammers and chainsaws
• Lockdown, featuring zombies coming out of giant shipping containers
• Evacuate, featuring zombies crawling out of abandoned vehicles

Live Shows

Live, Halloween-themed performances happen throughout the park. We watched a group of amazing percussionists combing drumming, neon lights, and sparks into one entertaining show at Planet Snoopy.

Regular Attractions

Many of the park's regular attractions are open, so you get the thrill of riding your favorite rollercoasters like Flight Deck, Gold Striker, The Grizzly, and The Demon in the dark.

Dates and times

Halloween haunt is open at California's Great America on weekends in October:

Friday and Saturday nights through October 11: 7pm-midnight
Friday and Saturday nights, October 16-31: 7pm-1am
Sunday nights: 7pm-midnight (opens 7:30pm on October 4 and 18)

Note: tickets to Halloween Haunt do not grant park admission during the day, and there is no readmission to the park.

Prices

Halloween Haunt tickets start at $36. Many discounts are available, including volume discounts, discounts for 2015 and 2016 regular season pass holders, student discounts, AAA discounts and more. Admission is free for 2015 and 2016 Gold Pass holders.

Extras: Fright Lane passes cost an additional $50 (combo discounts with Haunt tickets are available). and the Haunt Boo-fet (all-you-can-eat dinner, 5:00-7:00 on selected days) costs $13.95 per person.

Tips

• The event is recommended for ages 13 and up.  They don't enforce the age restriction, though, so parents will have to decide. My boys are 11, and my 14 year-old daughter was way more terrified than they were! If you do want to celebrate Halloween at Great America with younger kids, buy a day time ticket and enjoy The Great Pumpkin Fest with Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang. They have trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, and a hay maze until November 1.

• Grab a map after you pass through the ticket stiles so you can find all the Haunted Mazes, Scare Zones, and shows.

• Visitors are not allowed to come in costume. 

• Actors are not allowed to touch you (and vice versa!).

• Flash photography is not allowed (but you can take photos/videos without a flash).

• You can purchase a "No Boo" glowing necklace so you can pass through the Scare Zones without any of the actors approaching or scaring you. Note, the No Boo necklace doesn't guarantee a no-scare experience because the actors may not see the necklace until it is too late. Also, No Boo necklaces aren't allowed in the mazes.

• The lines for the mazes were as long as 30-40 minutes. One of the people I spoke to said the line for the Roadkill maze reached 2 hours long the night before! If you want to make sure you see all the mazes, purchase a Fright Lane pass. Note however, that the Fright Lane pass does not work for any of the regular park rides, only the 9 Haunted Mazes

• If you want to visit the Mirror Mirror maze, go there first (it's near the Flying Eagles and Firefall attractions). Space is limited, so they will assign you a return time (kind of like Disney's Fast Pass) on a first-come, first-served basis until the attraction is full for the night.

Halloween Haunt is a great way for older kids and adults to celebrate Halloween! I would definitely recommend it to families with middle-school kids and up to go to California's Great America for some spooky fun..... if you dare.......


Disclosure: I received complimentary media passes to Halloween Haunt to facilitate my review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Toys R Us releases Monster 500 race car and playset collection

It's the season for all things freaky, gross, and scary. Just in time for Halloween, Toys 'R Us has released Monster 500, a line of monster-themed racing characters, vehicles and play sets that pair up two of my boys' favorite things: racing cars and monsters.  We had the opportunity to review some items in the collection, and they are just monstrously fun!

Kids can start their Monster 500 collection with the 3-inch diecast vehicles.  There are 10 Monster 500 Small Vehicles: a clown, vampire, alien, zombie, crocodile, chainsaw madman, werewolf, Frankenstein, Bigfoot, and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. The characters and their vehicles are wonderfully detailed, and they're just funny enough to keep them from being truly scary.  I love their funny racer names, like Dr. Jerkyll & Mr. Ride, Evil Clownevil, and Zoom Zombie!  Vehicles are available individually at Toys ‘R’ Us for $4.99 or in the 3-pack for $14.99.

Every car comes with a trading card that unlocks a monster car in the FREE Monster 500™ Racing App.

The collection also includes racing playsets to keep the monster theme going.  The Monster 500™ Toxic Terror Trap Playset (MSRP $34.99) lets kids send their monster racers up a battery powered elevator, then down a spiral racetrack and through a set of doors, in order to topple the toxic green monster -- but watch out for the mutant gator!

The playset includes the Evil Clownevil vehicle.  My kids had so much fun with this playset! It's easy to set up and fun to watch.  The toxic monster can be tricky to place in a vertical position, but once you get the hang of it, you won't have a problem.

The Graveyard Gauntlet Track Set (MSRP $19.99) is a two-lane race track that you can attach to a tabletop.  Press down on the spooky skull to send your race cars down the tracks and see who finishes first! A checkered flag will rise to indicate which lane won. The playset includes the Drac Attack vehicle. Car race playsets are always exciting, and this one is extra-fast because the racetrack starts high and goes all the way down to the floor!

Disclosure: I received a sample for review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Sourcebooks Halloween book giveaway

Hurrah, it's October, and my favorite holiday of the year is almost here!  I love Halloween, so I'm celebrating with a great giveaway courtesy of Sourcebooks.  One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive copies of three adorable Halloween picture books, just in time for Halloween. They're just perfect for a spooky holiday story time for moms and their little monsters!

Happy Halloween! By Lillian Jaine
It’s Halloween night, and Count von Count is dozing off in front of his fireplace. Suddenly, he hears someone knocking at his castle door, but when he opens the door, nobody’s there! Could it be a spooky Halloween spirit playing a trick on him, or is it something less sinister? Join Count, Elmo, and all of the Sesame friends as they celebrate Halloween!

A Halloween Scare by Eric James
It’s Halloween night, and creatures and critters from near and far are starting to gather outside the front door. And now here comes a whole army of monsters, on broomsticks, buses, and bikes, all clamoring in the darkness. What is it they want? Are they coming for you?
This humorous, creative story is the perfect Halloween adventure for children and parents to share.

Pumpkin Time! by Erzsi Deák
The day the cows strolled down Main Street in fancy hats...Evy didn't notice. What was Evy doing ? Evy is so focused on watching her garden grow that she misses all the silliness going on around her―pigs DANCING, donkeys FLYING, and sheep HAVING A PICNIC.


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The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59 PST on October 10, 2014. I will draw a winner at random on October 11 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.


Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Giveaway prize provided by Sourcebooks. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Room on the Broom DVD giveaway

Halloween can be really scary, so when you have little kids it's important to focus on the fun side of Halloween.  Witches and black cats don't have to be scary!  Last year I discovered a delightful children's Halloween book called "Room on the Broom", and the witch in this book is actually generous and kind.

Just in time for Halloween, NCircle Entertainment would like to offer one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader a SPOOK-tacular chance to win the DVD "Room on the Broom," an enchanting animated program starring "the voice" of Gillian Anderson, along with several other tantalizing prizes. "Room on the Broom" is based on the book I mentioned earlier:  "Room on the Broom", a top-selling, perennially popular book of the same title by Julia Donaldson.

About the DVD

Produced by Magic Light Pictures (the team behind award-winning animations The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child) the half hour animation of Room on the Broom is a magical film about friendship and family based on the wonderful children’s picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

Featuring an all-star cast of Gillian Anderson, Rob Brydon, Martin Clunes, Sally Hawkins, Simon Pegg, Timothy Spall and David Walliams, Room on the Broom is a delightful animated tale that the whole family can watch and enjoy together.

Don't forget to check out all the other great childrens' DVDs offered by NCircle on their website (www.NCircleEntertainment.com) and at their local retailers!


Win a Room on the Broom Prize DVD
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a copy of the "Room on the Broom” DVD.

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post telling me what you and/or your kids will be dressing up as this Halloween!

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For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry you complete, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, Facebook id, Pinterest id, etc..)

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry)

5) Like NCircle Entertainment on Facebook (1 entry)

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I joined the Room on the Broom DVD giveaway on Bonggamom Finds!  Ends 10/1

7) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this once per day (1 entry per day):
Enter to win a Room on the Broom DVD on @bonggafinds (perfect for Halloween viewing!) Giveaway ends 10/1

8) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join).

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59 PST on October 1, 2014. I will draw a winner at random on October 2 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Prize provided by NCircle Entertainment. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Once Upon a Zombie Dolls

Every time I pass by the doll aisles in a store, there seem to be more and more monster dolls popping up.  It's scary how quickly they have taken over!  In fact, I'd say the monster doll craze is catching up in popularity to princess dolls -- so it was only a matter of time before someone combined the two.

Once Upon a Zombie dolls are zombified versions of your classic fairytale princesses.  They're based on the Once Upon a Zombie children's book and web series, which follows the adventures of Caitlin Rose Fletcher as she tries to figure out why the Fairy Tale Universe is turning into Zombie Land.  The characters are exquisitely drawn, and the six dolls based on the book  -- Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, The Little Mermaid, and Belle -- really do a great job of bringing their characters to life.  Or should I say afterlife?

We had the opportunity to review Zombie Rapunzel, and I have to say, the undead have never looked so pretty.  The Pea is really into dolls, and she thinks Zombie Rapunzel is to die for!  Zombie Rapunzel has light gray skin and violet eyes.  She has thick, coppery hair, twisted into a ponytail that reaches her ankles.  Her makeup and princess outfit are done in shades of violet.

One feature that is notably different from many dolls in stores is her feet.  Zombie Rapunzel isn't tippytoeing as high as she can go, so she can't wear those ridiculous, sky-high platform or stiletto shoes that most dolls seem to come with.  In fact, Zombie Rapunzel doesn't even come with shoes!  Not sure whether that's a good thing or not, but at least it's accurate: I doubt if zombies even care about shoes.

Zombie Rapunzel's face is beautiful, with just the right mix of sweetness and goth.  I love how she still has a wide-eyed, innocent look, not a bratty, pouty, self-entitled, smug look that so many dolls seem to have these days.

No detail has been spared, down to the rips and tears in Zombie Rapunzel's dress or the stitches on her mouth, forearms and legs.

Zombie Rapunzel is fully articulated, with joints in her neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees (note: her waist and ankles do not move).  She comes with a doll stand so you can style her in your favorite zombie pose.  The Pea likes to change her pose every day!

Zombie Rapunzel is a beautiful, collectible-worthy doll, and from what I can see, so are the rest of her undead friends.  It's almost impossible to believe that Zombie Snow White would prefer brains to apples, or that Belle should technically be more scary than her Beast!  These Once Upon a Zombie dolls are priced on the lower end of collectible dolls ($19.99-$24.99), and in my opinion, the price is totally justified.  So far, I've only seen her and her fellow zombie princesses for sale on Sears.com, the Wowee online store and Amazon.com -- but I'm hoping that more and more stores carry this line!


Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions.. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Happiest Haunts Tour at the Disneyland Resort

If you've been to the Disneyland Resort before, you might think you've experienced everything the place has to offer.  But Have You?  There's a reason people keep going back to the resort time and time again, and that's because there is always something new to enjoy!  If you want to see the Disneyland Resort from a completely different perspective, check out their Happiest Haunts Tour.  It's a special tour that runs during Halloween Time that showcases the spooky side of Disney.  The kids and I had the opportunity to experience the Happiest Haunts tour a couple of weeks ago, and it was one of the highlights of our visit.

SPOILER ALERT -- The narrative that follows describes everything we experienced on the tour, so if you want to keep an element of surprise, stop here!  Skip the next section and scroll straight down to my Happiest Haunts tour wrap-up and tips. That being said, Disney does tweak the tour every year to keep it fresh and interesting, so next year's tour won't be exactly the same as the tour we took.

Our tour started at the Disneyland Tour Gardens kiosk to the left of City Hall, where we checked in and received a souvenir button to pin to our shirts and identify us as part of the tour.  Our tour guide was incredibly friendly and informative, and she started us off with some tour housekeeping details (2.5 hours long, bathroom break in the middle, etc..) and some fun facts about Halloween Time at the resort.  We then exited Disneyland Park and went into Disney's California Adventure.

Our first stop was the Tower of Terror, where our guide told us the story behind the tower and led us straight into one of the haunted elevators so we could enjoy my favorite ride in the entire resort.

As we exited the Tower of Terror, we were joined by a ghostly gentleman named Gracie, who hails from the Haunted Mansion.  Gracie turned out to be our "ghost host" and stayed with us for the rest of the tour.  Throughout the tour, he regaled us with tales of the Headless Horseman, the origins of Halloween, how jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating began, and other spooky stories.  I love how he stayed in character throughout the entire tour.

Next, we stopped by the Trolley Treats candy shop in Disney's California Adventure, where we were given a sample of their Holiday Marshmallow Treats.  These marshmallow pops are coated in a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate, then rolled in candy sprinkles, and they are absolutely delicious!

With our sugar levels restored, we made our way back into Disneyland Park, down Main Street (where our guide showed us where some of the coolest pumpkins were hidden!), and into Tomorrowland.  Gracie led us to Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and told us the legend behind the scariest ghost in the galaxy.  He used his ghostly powers to float us past all the lines and board the ride from the exit side (we've never done that before, we felt like such VIPs!) with zero wait.

Our third ride was a big surprise: the Matterhorn!  I was expecting Pirates of the Caribbean because of the undead skeletons, and the Matterhorn was not on my radar at all -- but when you think of it, it makes total sense because the Yeti is a monster too :)  The kids and I were so excited, because the past two times we visited the Disneyland Resort, the Matterhorn had been closed, and the lines were super long, so we were debating whether to brave the lines or miss out on the ride for our third consecutive visit.  As members of the Happiest Haunts tour, we were given the privilege of skipping the lines. How's that for an eerie-sistible perk?

After the Matterhorn, we made our way into Frontierland, where we stopped to admire the Dia de los Muertos displays at the Rancho Zocalo and listen to Gracie's stories about the Mexican holiday. I love how this tour makes it a point to show guests all the little Halloween Time details you might miss if you're rushing around the park.  For example, I would never have known about The Halloween Tree, which is Disney's tribute to the 1972 Ray Bradbury novel.  Now I'm going to look for it every time I visit during Halloween Time.

Our final stop was, of course, The Haunted Mansion, which had been transformed into Haunted Mansion Holiday for the season.  Once again, we got to hear lots of fun trivia about the mansion, including an inside scoop on the secret surprises that the Imagineers have hidden in this year's decorations. It was a fitting end to a wonderful tour -- and to top things off, as we rode away in our Haunted Doom Buggies, we saw Gracie waving good-bye to us from the side!

At the end of the tour, each guest received a sugar cookie shaped like a candy corn as well as a collectible souvenir pin. The pin is not available for purchase, and it changes every year ("2013" is engraved on it), so it's quite a keepsake, and a great reason for Disney pin afficionados to join the tour.

The Bottom Line

Is the Happiest Haunts tour for everyone?  No.  If you or your children don't like any of the rides on the tour (and remember, one or two of the rides may change each year so there's no way to tell in advance), or if your children don't meet the height requirements for the ride, you'll have to sit it out -- which means you miss out on one of the key benefits of the tour, namely the chance bypass the standby line and the Fastpass line on some of the parks' most popular rides.  You'll get the most out of your ticket price if you are able and willing to go on any ride in the park.

Also, if your goal is just to hit as many rides as possible, this may not be the tour for you. With the help of a Fastpass, you could probably do more than 4 rides in 2.5 hours (although maybe not the same rides -- there are no Fastpasses for Matterhorn and Haunted Mansion, and those lines were LONG!).  I would describe the pace of the tour as leisurely at best, which is great if you've been to the parks before, but maybe not ideal if this is your first visit, or if you only have one day to spend in both parks.

But if your goal is to take a step back and truly appreciate everything that Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park have to offer during Halloween Time, the Happiest Haunts tour is to die for. It's such a unique experience -- and since they refresh it from year to year, it's a wonderful Halloween tradition you can start for your family every year!


Tips for enjoying the Happiest Haunts tour
* Make a potty stop before the tour starts
* Buy a bottle of water and snacks before the tour starts, just in case you get hungry
* Wear comfortable walking shoes
* If you plan to stick around for Mickey's Halloween Party, consider renting a locker to stash your costume, treat bags and sweaters
* Bring a camera to capture the beautiful scenery that the guides point out to you.
* Have fun!

Disclosure: Disney provided tickets and accommodations so my family could experience Halloween Time, including the Happiest Haunts Tour, at the Disneyland Resort. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Introducing limited time Mike and Ike varieties for Halloween

I received samples for review

Just in time for Halloween, MIKE AND IKE has come up with Halloween versions of their fruity, chewy candy!  Vampire Variety and Mummy's Mix come in fun Halloween-themed boxes and contain a variety of  to-die-for flavors.  We received samples of the new seasonal flavors, and these are definitely the candies to look for when trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

I love the MIKE AND IKE Vampire Variety, which includes Cherry, Raspberry, Grape, Watermelon and Fruit Punch flavors.  The grape flavor is my favorite -- it tastes fantastic, and it gives a nice dark, bloody look to the mix.

If the Vampire Variety makes you too squeamish, try MIKE AND IKE® Mummy’s Mix.  The mix of colors is festive, not gruesome.  The flavors in this mix are Lemon, Orange, Grape, Lime and Raspberry (I'm so happy that grape is in both Halloween varieties!).

Most of us are used to seeing MIKE AND IKE in theater-sized boxes (5 oz), but the Halloween varieties are also available in individually-wrapped snack-sized bags! Each bag contains 8-10 candies, so it's perfect for handing out to little boys and ghouls who come to your door to trick-or-treat!   These treat-sized packs are sold in 45 or 72 count variety bags.

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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What to Expect at Mickey's Halloween Party

The Happiest Place on Earth has gotten a bit spookier!  The Disneyland Resort is in full Halloween mode, with its beautiful fall decor, scrumptious fall treats, fun seasonal attractions (Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy)... and most of all, Mickey's Halloween Party.

I've wanted to attend Mickey's Halloween Party for years, and this year I finally got my chance, and it was better than I had ever imagined.   I thought I pretty much knew what to expect at the party, but no matter how much you read about it, there's nothing like being able to experience the magic for yourself! The brief descriptions on the Disney Parks page don't do the actual party justice.   So I've decided to take those Disney Parks descriptions and expand them a bit to give you more information about what actually goes on.  Here's my personal take on the best parts of Mickey's Halloween Party:


Disney Parks says:
Special trick-or-treat stations with candy and healthy goodies.

Bonggamom says:

What's a Halloween party without trick-or-treating?  There are trick-or-treat trails set up all around the park, and each trail has multiple stations, with cast members handing out candy at each station.  They hand out pretty decent candy:  chocolates like M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, Snickers, Twix, Peeps, as well as apple slices, carrots and Craisins.  The lines are long at the beginning of the party, but they move fairly quickly, and they do get shorter as the night goes on.  The kind of candy doesn't seem to differ with each trail, so if candy isn't important to you, it's not necessary to hit each and every trick-or-treat trail in the park. 

photo courtesy of Disneyland Park

Disney Parks says:
New in 2013! Monsters U Dance Party at Tomorrowland Terrace featuring Mike & Sulley in a spirited Monster Scare-Off.

Bonggamom says:
There's something so infectious about dancing to lively music in the company of fun characters who aren't afraid to let go and act a bit silly.  When we got to the Tomorrowland Terrace, Mike and Sulley had not appeared yet, but there were about 6-8 dancers dressed as monster cheerleaders from Monsters University leading the kids around the dance floor. Parents were dancing with their kids, and everyone was having so much fun!

Disney Parks says: 
Mickey's Costume Party Cavalcade, a Halloween parade presented for Party Guests.

Bonggamom says:
I was planning to spend no more than 5 minutes at the parade to take photos, but once we got there, the kids didn't want to leave!  You get to see Disney characters dressed in Halloween costumes, tall pumpkin-headed people on stilts, and giant jack-o-lanterns being wheeled down Main Street.  It's so festive and fun, we ended staying for the entire parade.  I like that this parade is shorter than their regular afternoon parade, and you don't have to sit on Main Street for an hour to get a good spot -- we arrived just 5 minutes before the parade started and we still got a great view.

photo courtesy of Disneyland Park

Disney Parks says:
Disney Villains encounters as they prowl the grounds.
Photo ops with popular Disney and Pixar Pals, and Disney Villains.

Bonggamom says:
Meeting, greeting and photographing characters is one of the most popular activities at Mickey's Halloween Party.  The lines are a mile long, and I didn't see them getting any shorter, no matter how late it got.  But these are once-in-a-blue-moon opportunities -- it's worth the wait, because when else will you get the chance to pose with Jack Skellington, the Disney Villains, Star Wars Stormtroopers, or Mickey and Minnie in their Halloween costumes, all with themed backgrounds?

Disney Parks says:
Access to nearly all attractions, including all the Halloween-themed attractions such as Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and Haunted Mansion Holiday.

Bonggamom says:
This is the perfect time to go on your favorite rides!  Even though tickets to Mickey's Halloween Party were sold out, the lines were extremely manageable. As the night wore on, the lines got even shorter, and we never had to wait more than 10 minutes to go on any ride.

photo courtesy of Disneyland Park

Disney Parks says: 
Halloween Screams, a boo-tiful fireworks spectacular —exclusive viewing for Mickey’s Halloween Party Guests.

Bonggamom says:
It's tempting to say that once you've seen one fireworks show, you've seen them all -- but not with this one.  Disney's fireworks shows are always amazing, with beautiful displays perfectly set to music.  This Halloween version is special even by Disney's standards:  usually guests see Tinkerbell flying around Sleeping Beauty's castle, but here you'll see Jack Skellington's ghost dog Zero!  Also, the music is themed to Disney villains (Poor Unfortunate Souls, Big Bad Wolf, etc...) so it's refreshingly different (but not at all scary).

Disney Parks says:
Dance parties with lively music, creepy crafts and activities for the whole family, and the chance to eat, drink and be (not so) scary throughout the park.

Bonggamom says:
Every corner of Disneyland Park seemed to have some kind of special thing going on, from the Cadaver Dans quartet music show on the Rivers of America to the Disney Villains congregating at the Main Street train station for a musical show.  There is definitely a party atmosphere that runs throughout the entire park during Mickey's Halloween party, and I enjoyed every minute.  I'm sure I saw an extra sparkle in everyone's eyes -- it must be the extra pixie dust sprinkled around the park just for the party :)

Mickey's Halloween Party takes place at Disneyland Park, on 13 special dates: September 27, October 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30, and of course, October 31, Halloween night. This is a separately ticketed event; tickets may be purchased online or at the gate.  Ticket price to Mickey's Halloween Party includes:

*Admission to the Disneyland Park up to 3 hours prior to the event's start time.
*All special activities, entertainment and attractions open during Mickey's Halloween Party
*Complimentary parking for one vehicle. Larger vehicles may require an additional fee.


Disclosure: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post.  Disney Parks provided accommodations and tickets to Mickey's Halloween Party.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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