Halloween Celebrations in DLP and France

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Question:

When I lived in France, Halloween came and went and nobody cared. I love the Halloween decor at DLP but is this something totally alien and strange to the French and European guests visiting? Have they successfully expanded the holiday outside the park, is it catching on in Europe, or is this just seen as an American thing they do in the American park?

As I recall, the next day, All Saints' Day was more of a big deal. We left flowers in the cemetary.

[fizzog]

Well I don't think it's anywhere near as big as it is in America but it still has a presence, otherwise the entire Halloween campaign (which is huge this year) would be utterly pointless and silly

[nathan detroit]

I can only speak for my native country. Halloween has become big business in the UK over that past 10 or so years. When I was a kid there wasn't anywhere near the sort of Halloween coverage that appears now. It has mainly been influenced by the US (pumpkins etc) but I personally love the 'holiday' and would dearly love to get to DLP to join in the celebrations. Maybe next year...

[soundtracker]

I can only speak for my native country. Halloween has become big business in the UK over that past 10 or so years. When I was a kid there wasn't anywhere near the sort of Halloween coverage that appears now. It has mainly been influenced by the US (pumpkins etc) but I personally love the 'holiday' and would dearly love to get to DLP to join in the celebrations. Maybe next year...

As big a deal as Halloween has become in the UK, I still don't think it comes anywhere near the sort of festivities they have in the US. Despite being widespread, it's still not taken particularly seriously, and is more of a cheap marketing campaign, aimed squarely at children.

I find it all a bit cynical really. There isn't that sense of fun, or doing things as a family that you seem to get in the States. There isn't even the run-up that you get over there, where people seem to put up decorations a week in advance, and really get into the spirit of it. Instead, the kids will be bought a cheap costume on the day (or the day before), which often consists of nothing more than a plastic mask. Then they head out into the night, generally unsupervised, knock on a few doors, demand sweets and money, and make a nuisance. Some don't even bother to dress up at all, or will just cut arm holes in a plastic bin bag. Last year, we had two groups of lads in their early twenties arrive at the door in jeans and T-shirts, armed with baseball bats, asking "Trick or Treat". When we turned them away, they demolished the fence. This wasn't an isolated incident, either, as crime rates soar on Halloweeen night - cars get vandalised, phone boxes are smashed up, windows broken, houses egged or grafitti'd, people assaulted.

In short, it's not nice at all. Which is why I love DLRP's celebrations so much!

[Olivier]

In France, Halloween has been VERY popular for a few years, but since 3-4 years, it seems that craze came down. There used to be Halloween parties everywhere, decorations in many stores, etc...
Now, Disneyland Paris seems to be the only place where Halloween still exists in France.

[nathan detroit]

We love Halloween in our house and have almost as much Halloween stuff (decorations etc) as Christmas stuff.
I have never experienced any Hallow-crime but can see where you are coming from. DLP certainly offers the best Hallow-experience with the minimum risk or fuss.
As I said earlier... maybe next year!

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Remind me some time to tell you about the 'tarte a la citrouille' that I made from scratch. Pumpkin pie is kind of hard to make when you start with a frozen pumpkin out in the garden and a wood-burning oven in an old farm house, and have to make everything from scratch. It was a 12-hour affair, I've never baked anything ever again after that, LOL.

After Halloween and Thanksgiving coming and going without any celebration, I made my own pumpkin pie - it's much harder than it sounds. Canned pumpkin puree n'existe pas.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

As big a deal as Halloween has become in the UK, I still don't think it comes anywhere near the sort of festivities they have in the US. Despite being widespread, it's still not taken particularly seriously, and is more of a cheap marketing campaign, aimed squarely at children.

Aren't all the holidays really just an excuse to sell greeting cards and candy anyways? Hallmark and Hershey's make all their money on Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter.

[pussnboots]

Remind me some time to tell you about the 'tarte a la citrouille' that I made from scratch. Pumpkin pie is kind of hard to make when you start with a frozen pumpkin out in the garden and a wood-burning oven in an old farm house, and have to make everything from scratch. It was a 12-hour affair, I've never baked anything ever again after that, LOL.

After Halloween and Thanksgiving coming and going without any celebration, I made my own pumpkin pie - it's much harder than it sounds. Canned pumpkin puree n'existe pas.

Please, I once made one from canned pumpkin and it took me six hours. Poor thing.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Recette de la tarte a la citrouille, a la rustique

1. Place frozen pumpkin from your garden in wood-stove, cook and defrost to the point that you can cut up the pumpkin.

2. Place a few large slices back in the oven, continue cooking a couple more hours until the pumpkin is cooked.

3. Using a spaghetti strainer and your fingers, mix the pumpkin through so as to remove the stringy parts.

4. Mix 1 1/4 cups of the mashed cooked pumpkin stuff with 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a teaspoon of cinamon, 1 teaspoon of flour to 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1/2 cup of milk plus a dash of vanilla extract and a little rum.

5. Pour pumpkin pie mixture into a 9-inch pastry lined pie pan, back in the oven.

It was an all day affair.

[nathan detroit]

Sounds delish. So do DLP serve up any Halloween-centric grub for the season?