Halloween Time Promises a Galaxy of Fun

According to D23:

Returning to life September 25 and continuing through November 1, Halloween Time brings fun for all ages to the Disneyland Resort with new screams at Space Mountain and a new, nightly fireworks show. Halloween Time offers families a chance to interact with some of Disney’s most beloved characters, dressed in seasonal costumes at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. It also gives guests a unique opportunity to experience some spooky fun with Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney villains.

For older kids and adults, Halloween Time offers a new attraction: Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. For the first time, riders will experience not only the thrill of flying through the galaxy, but the exhilaration of ghosts and ghouls screaming through space trying to contact them. Creepy creatures lurk around every turn as the eerie attraction provides thrilling drops like never before.

New this year is a fireworks spooktacular that will haunt the nighttime sky throughout the Halloween season. Jack Skellington, the Master of Scaremonies, invites everyone to join in the celebration, including a cast of Disney villains who get into the sprit with a wicked sense of fun.

Jack Skellington also returns to take over the Haunted Mansion and bring back “Haunted Mansion Holiday” to New Orleans Square in Disneyland. Transformed to a mix of Halloween spookiness and Christmas tradition, “Haunted Mansion Holiday” is inspired by the classic animated film Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack and his friends provide plenty of havoc and surprises as they celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion in their unusual style.

For not-so-scary fun, Halloween Time offers special pleasures for children and parents. Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland will again transform for the Pumpkin Festival, where more than 300 “non-identical” pumpkins will be on display in shop windows. Meeting favorite Disney characters will be easier than ever as they stop to greet guests at designated areas on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland and Sunshine Plaza in Disney’s California Adventure.special meet-and-greet areas will be located throughout Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

Also available throughout both parks are special Halloween treats, including enjoyable Halloween menu items such as Zero’s Ghostly Ghoulash served in a dog dish in honor of Zero, Jack Skellington’s beloved pet dog. Special Halloween Time gifts can be found in Disneyland Resort shops. Gifts include jack-o-lantern mouse ears and collectable pins depicting Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends in Halloween costumes.

Guests will enjoy spine-tingling fun in Disney’s California Adventure at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where a “supernatural” event happened on Halloween evening, 1939, forever haunting the building.

Also at Disney’s California Adventure, Sunshine Plaza becomes “Candy Corn Acres.” Mickey’s pal Goofy is up to his tricks once again, attempting to wow the world with his unusual candy corn treats. Candy corn carrots, candy corn pumpkins and candy corn signs are just a few of the candy corn items Goofy is preparing.

Back by popular demand is “Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party,” a one-of-a-kind celebration that returns to Disney’s California Adventure for 12 nights in October (2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 and 31). This separate ticket, nighttime event gives children and their families a chance to dress as their favorite princesses, goblins or heroes, and trick-or-treat throughout the park. It’s the ideal environment to have fun, eat special holiday treats, play interactive games, listen to “spirited” music and watch a nightly character cavalcade that celebrates the season.

Myrna Litt’s 11/5 Photo Report

It’s once again time for a photo report from Mrs. Myrna Litt. She visited the Disneyland Resort yesterday as Christmas decorations have started to be put up:

Anyone know why there was a conductor in this restaurant’s train?

 Christmas decorations have started to be put up in Sunshine Plaza.

Scaff-holding is up around the Sun Wheel.

I absolutely love these construction walls at the bottom of the picture! An absolutely fantastic design choice.

Read More about Myrna Litt’s 11/5 Photo Report

Meet Jack & Sally!

According to Disneyland Line CM magazine:

Joining the Halloween Time fun for the first time ever is Jack Skellington and Sally from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The Halloween Town natives can be found periodically roaming around the Haunted Mansion Holiday greeting Guests and signing autographs.

Dateline Disneyland Construction Update

The latest Dateline Disneyland article on MiceAge has a fine update on construction through-out the Disneyland Resort. Let’s take a look at some of the latest happenings:

The King Triton & Ariel statues have been removed, as well as most of the current theming in Ariel’s Grotto.

This is what has become of the turntable where Ariel entered to meet ‘n greet guests. No word on if the turntable structure will remain for Pixie Hollow.

A construction wall has popped up near the old Fantasyland Skyway Station. Don’t get your hopes up though, because there’s no way the Skyway is ever returning.

Let’s take a quick tour of the new Wishing Star Crystals store, which opened August 30th.

A window display.

In the store, you can buy personalized “magic crystals”.

The Conestoga Wagon near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is still 100% in tact.

This sign is in place at Harbour Galley.

Some of the exterior Haunted Mansion Holiday decorations have already arrived, & are waiting to be installed in the queue area.

Many of the Halloween displays in the shop windows on Main Street USA have already been installed.

Finally, over at Department 56 in Downtown Disney, the new wall sectioning off the store looks to be mostly complete.

Dig Up That Concrete!

Our sources are reporting that the planned repaving of the New Orleans Square Railroad Station, although removed off of the Disneyland.com calender, will still be happening as planned from September 2nd to October 16th. During this time, the train will not stop at the NOS Station, & will continue on to Toontown Station.

We’ve also heard talk that the area outside Star Tours may also be getting repaved. This will mean that the outside portion of the Star Tours queue will not be in use, & guests will enter on the other side of the Star Tours entrance marque. Hopefully the line doesn’t get too big, for there’s not a lot of space on that side, thanks to the Astro Orbitor! The tentative time for this to happen September 2nd through the 21st.

Also don’t forget that the area surrounding the Haunted Mansion will be repaved while the attraction is closed for it’s conversion to Haunted Mansion Holiday from September 2nd to the 25th.

It’s Refurb Time Again!

We have quite a few new refurbishments to add to the Attractions Refurbishments list. First off, the French Market will be closed for one day on June 24th. The Mark Twain Riverboat will be closed from August 25th to the 27th. And the Haunted Mansion will be closed for it’s conversion to Haunted Mansion Holiday from September 8th to the 25th.

There’s also a couple of refurbs that we know when they’ll start, but not when they’ll finish. Gadget’s Go-Coaster’s refurbishment will start on September 8th, & the Hyperion Theater’s refurbishment will start on September 2nd, perhaps for a new show?

As always, stay tuned to our Attractions Refurbishments page for the latest attraction refurb info!

Christmas Comes Early This Year

It looks like Christmas is coming even earlier this year, as the Costco Travel site is stating that Holidays at the Disneyland Resort will begin on November 13th, 2009:

Holidays at the Disneyland® Resort begins 11/13/09 through 1/3/10. Celebrate with family and friends as holiday magic unfolds all around you with seasonal excitement, like Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, “Believe … in Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular, “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade and Santa’s Reindeer Round-Up.

New Vacation Package Offers Fall Savings at Disneyland Resort

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 12, 2009) – Value-minded vacationers have plenty to celebrate this fall with a special travel offer: savings of $400* at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California.

From Aug. 12 through Dec. 19, 2009, guests will save $400 when they book a 4-Day/4-Night Disneyland Resort vacation package, featuring Disneyland Resort hotel accommodations – Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier – and park hopper tickets. The offer is valid for arrivals Aug. 23 through Dec. 20, 2009. Pricing starts as low as $87 per person, per day, at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.*

Each package includes four-day park hopper tickets and many extras, such as one Magic Morning admission per person. Magic Morning admission allows families to enjoy select Disneyland attractions – including Finding Nemo’s Submarine Voyage, Peter Pan’s Flight, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and King Arthur Carrousel – before the park opens to the general public. The new package also provides guests the opportunity to interact with some classic Disney characters in Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness one hour before Mickey’s Toontown opens to the general public. (Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness and Magic Morning early entry do not operate daily and are subject to restrictions.) Preferred seating at select attractions and restaurants in Disney’s California Adventure are also included.

Seasonal Fun

Beginning Sept. 25 through Nov. 1, the resort celebrates Halloween Time, a season filled with whimsical décor, a new fireworks show and some traditional spooky fun. This season of tricks and treats will feature some of Disney’s most popular villains and will unveil Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, a themed experience with haunting music and ghoulish sound effects. A new, nightly fireworks display will light up the autumn sky with a wicked sense of fun, while the traditional giant Mickey Mouse jack-o’-lantern returns to Disneyland Town Square. Also, the eerily popular Haunted Mansion Holiday attraction in New Orleans Square and Disney’s Happiest Haunt Tours will return for guests to enjoy.

For more information and to book a Disneyland Resort vacation package, guests can call the Walt Disney Travel Company at 800/854-3104 or book online at www.disneyland.com/Save400.