It’s the most wonderful time of the year for me! No, not Christmas silly. It’s Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort! Today is the official launch of all of the wonderful Halloween Time attractions including Ghost Galaxy, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and more. Today we share the latest news and info from Disneyland. We will also be updating this article later today with more pics and video from the Halloween Time attractions.
As we approached the park this morning (Friday, Sept 11th), parts of the Esplanade appeared to have lots of standing water. Cast Members were busy sweeping the water into drains.
As Disneyland rolls on through the 60th celebration we see that some of the blue and silver anniversary decorations have been switched over in favor of Halloween. It’s a nice change of pace.
Main Street U.S.A.
As soon as guests set their eyes in the front gates they will see the trademark pumpkin shapes have returned above the turnstiles. a sure sign that Halloween has arrived.
Inside Main Street the Pumpkin Festival has taken center stage and the blue and white bunting for the 60th anniversary, has been removed
This morning the Disneyland Band was out entertaining crowds. Noticeably absent were the sharp-looking Halloween Time outfits.
At the hub, Walt and Mickey hold court surrounded by the pumpkins representing the different lands in the park. We also see that new Autumnal plantings have been placed in the flower beds surrounding the hub.
Looking back down toward the train station we see the larger-than-life Mickey Pumpkin winking back at us.
Tomorrowland
In Tomorrowland the Halloween fun continues with Ghost Galaxy and we get a look at the progress at Innoventions.
Ghost Galaxy
Probably the most frightening addition to Halloween Time is the wonderfully terrifying Ghost Galaxy. Even though it has barely since its debut, it is still an entertaining addition to the line-up of spooky fun.
A word of advice, this is actually pretty scary. If you have little ones, it might be best to side with caution and grab a Fast Pass for later in the day and then trade off watching the kiddies.
Innoventions
The ancient Carousel building, former home of Innoventions in Tomorrowland, has received a fresh coat of paint and will soon be housing the Marvel Meet and Greets as well as some Star Wars fun. The white paint job looks quite nice too.
Frontierland
Jumping over into Frontierland we see that the old west is getting in on the Halloween theme. Right off the bat we see that The Halloween Tree is all set and ready to delight. A reference to the relationship between Ray Bradbury, author of the book The Halloween Tree, and Walt Disney, this is a lovely tribute and introduction to the book.
If you haven’t read the Halloween Tree, we strongly recommend this delightful holiday tale.Back in Big Thunder Ranch we see that the Festival arena has NOT transformed this year into the Halloween celebration we have enjoyed for years. The magic show, face painting, crafts and pumpkin carvers are all sadly missing this year. Could this be an early sign of preparation for Star Wars Land, or merely a cutback?
Outside the Festival Arena area, there are some nice vintage country Halloween decorations.
New Poison Apple Mugs
They have also begun selling these cool Poison Apple Mugs. To make it light up casts extra.
Haunted Mansion Holiday
Jack Skellington returns to Disneyland for his 14th year of delivering Halloween for Christmas. The annual overlay of the classic Haunted Mansion is a guest favorite and always commands long lines. It would be advisable to get a Fast Pass for this attraction prior to getting into the Standby Line. You WILL want to ride this several times as there is just too much to see in one ride through. There appears to be construction on the berm behind the Mansion which looks like new crypts being built. We will be updating this article with full video later today. Please check back soon.
Here is a ride through from this morning.
Outside the mansion the Fast Pass machines are up and running.
There was a bit of work done on the berm behind the Mansion. A new crypt appears to be in the works. However, the pumpkins we have enjoyed in the past have either not been installed yet or aren’t coming at all this year.
Meanwhile, Disney California Adventure feels almost neglected in terms of Halloween. There is some spooky fun to be found though if you look real close. There is also word that Aladdin will be closing due to an early frost.
Treats
Haloween is all about candy and sweet treats. If you have a hankering for special Halloween themed goodies you should head straight for Trolley Treats Candy. They have a gigantic collection of Caramel Apples, cake pops and rice crispy pops. So many yummy treats!
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
It’s not the Haunted Mansion, but it’s certainly scary. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror offers a deliciously spooky atmosphere to keep the thrills and chills going while visiting this park. Let’s take a look.
There are also some new lighting effects featured in the ride. As the elevator pulls away from and toward the door at the beginning and end of the attraction, look for some new changes. There are also some flashy new effects that happen as the elevator goes berserk. Go check it out.
Aladin on Ice
It was announced that a brand new stage musical based on (drumroll) Frozen, will move into the Hyperion Theatre at Disney California Adventure.
This new show will immerse you in the world of “Frozen” as never before, with elaborate costumes and sets, stunning special effects and surprising scenic transformations.
Aladdin will take its final curtain call on January 10, 2016 after nearly 14,000 shows. Are there any Aladdin lovers out there? Is this a welcome change?
That wraps up our update for today so far. We will be returning later today to update this article with pics and video of the Halloween Time festivities including Haunted Mansion Holiday and Ghost Galaxy.
Until then we will see you In The Parks.
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