After Hours Haunted Mansion Halloween Party

[RegionsBeyond]

DCA has the kid-centric trick or treating party, so why not have a just slightly more dark event after hours for Disneyland during October?

My basic idea is the whole thing would be anchored more or less around Haunted Mansion, that being the icon attraction for the event...and structure it so say the open areas would be Main Street, NoS, Adventureland, Frontierland and the Big Thunder Trail, the Fantasyland courtyard, and Tomorrowland just to front of Matterhorn/Alice. Closed off areas would be the back portion of Fantasyland and Toontown for the event only. Some of the park would already have decor, Frontierland and Main Street, and all of the park would be lit with purples and oranges, eerie colors, and occasionally have these lights dim and simulated thunder/lightning and fog effects.

Roaming the event would be large amounts of Mansion themed performers, like the Caretaker, cemetary ghosts, ballroom dancers, a eerie old style bride with the glowing heart, and butlers and maids as well, with the three Hitchhiking Ghosts lingering outside the Mansion for photos with guests. New Orleans square and the main portion of Frontierland could recieve more decorations, hay bales, scarecrows and jack-o-lanterns for Frontierland, and mardi-gras style voodoo accourtrements for NoS, on the back streets, bones and black wreaths and such, more nautical styled things like skeletons and chests of treasure around Pirates, with the Bootstrappers playing a selection of spooky sea-chantey type songs, along with Grim Grinning Ghosts and some classic Disney music, an arrangement of the Skeleton Dance perhaps.

During the event, select attractions would be open only that fit the slightly darker Mansion theme...Pirates, Mansion, Indianna Jones, Matterhorn, Snow White, Space Mountain, Mr. Toad, and perhaps Jungle Cruise with a special more ghostly skipper and eerie nighttime tour, ghost stories on the Mark Twain, and station some western or pirate themed performers on TSI/Pirate's Lair, and have that open for the event.

A special fireworks should would be nice, again themed to Mansion/Villians and such, and a parade similar to the Disneyworld Boo To You Halloween one, which would be the only place save for Main Street where Mickey and the gang would appear in their Halloween costumes.

It is a touch bit darker I know than the current offerings, but I am not thinking at all of Knott's Scary Farm level scares here...the roving ghost performers would all be more slightly funny and interactive rather than scary.

Your thoughts?

[Stich626]

I love the idea...and you have definitely left no detail out.

So, do we adults get to be in costume too?

[RegionsBeyond]

I love the idea...and you have definitely left no detail out.

So, do we adults get to be in costume too?

I don't see why not, since the Disney performers would all share a unified look pretty much for this event....

[stitchon]

I'm all for it, but not right now. DCA isn't large enough to justify closing the popular park and sending everyone over to DCA. I'd wait until 2012 or so before they do this. Then they can move Halloween Treat to Disneyland and leave DCA as is, but with some decor.

[napamaninsocal]

boo closing dl early for hard ticket events........boo

[RegionsBeyond]

boo closing dl early for hard ticket events........boo

Actually, I in general agree...if Disneyland wanted to stock the park with ghost actors and do the special lighting just at night-time, have the few rides run special after dark, and the entertainment...I'd love it. But I don't see that likely to happen, it would be more likely they'd want to close down and set up, and not run the risk of having the slightly more intense atmosphere up in case there are regular guests and kiddies not expecting it.

[ministrychick77]

i kinda like what disney did with HM for halloween back in, like.. 01,02 maybe 03.. made it a dinner thing with merchandise and a few ride throughs.. games and such. read the reviews somewhere and loved how they worked..

i think this could be done well.. and would be interested.

[RegionsBeyond]

i kinda like what disney did with HM for halloween back in, like.. 01,02 maybe 03.. made it a dinner thing with merchandise and a few ride throughs.. games and such. read the reviews somewhere and loved how they worked..

i think this could be done well.. and would be interested.

Ah yes, the Haunted Mansion Holiday events...those mostly were pretty good, 02 and 03 were the ones I liked best personally. I am picturing something just a little more like Knott's Ghost Town atmosphere though, without the scares, but having the lighting and fog machines and suitable music throughout the park, which Disneyland has done in bits and pieces, but not in one large scale event like I imagine it.

[Uncle Bob]

I really like this idea a lot, though I agree that I don't like the idea of DL closing early for ticketed events. This is actually an event I would probably be willing to pay for though. I guess it could be pretty late, since it would be more adult focussed. If DL could stay open 'til like 9 and the event started at 10, I could see it working without much loss for the DL guests. Maybe if the fireworks happened at like 9:15 and the regular guests could attend that and then leave, it would be something nice for them to experience and they would still have a full day in the park. Maybe they could do a Holloween Fantasmic too at midnight, and then close the rides at 1, but let people stay in the park and keep some entertainment going until 2. Certainly, once DCA is bigger, has WoC and is open later they could do this, and at least guests with hoppers wouldn't be missing out on much.

[RegionsBeyond]

I really like this idea a lot, though I agree that I don't like the idea of DL closing early for ticketed events. This is actually an event I would probably be willing to pay for though. I guess it could be pretty late, since it would be more adult focussed. If DL could stay open 'til like 9 and the event started at 10, I could see it working without much loss for the DL guests. Maybe if the fireworks happened at like 9:15 and the regular guests could attend that and then leave, it would be something nice for them to experience and they would still have a full day in the park.

I agree actually, it would be very good if the park offered at least some of this, like live entertainers and special Halloween fireworks, during normal hours...but for the degree I'd want to see them go all out in making the park Mansion themed, I don't think seriously they would commit to doing it during normal operating hours, just for the fact of if normal guests were there and thought it a little too much for young kids. After hours is the way they could really do the idea justice, and I wouldn't have a problem with it starting at 9 or 10 at night and having a few hours between when the park closes.

[patattack]

I love the idea. It sounds really fun. Also more inviting than knotts scary farm, and if disney was really into it I can imagine turning TSI into a pirate themed maze (mazes even). Disneyland has a lot of potential for a great halloween event I am surprised they are not utilizing it.

[Fantasmico!]

I really like the idea especially if it was held later at night, then perhaps families wouldn't feel so slighted. The park usually closes at 8 anyway so I don't see how anyone would be losing anything. I know my family would attend this event because they don't like Knott's Scary farm like I do. I think it would be a great money maker since so many don't like the very scary Halloween events at other parks.

[RegionsBeyond]

I really like the idea especially if it was held later at night, then perhaps families wouldn't feel so slighted. The park usually closes at 8 anyway so I don't see how anyone would be losing anything. I know my family would attend this event because they don't like Knott's Scary farm like I do. I think it would be a great money maker since so many don't like the very scary Halloween events at other parks.

Indeed, later at night would be ideal, say 8 or 9 till 1 or 2. I love Scary Farm myself and the gorier, scarier events and I'd still want to see this heh.