Disneyland Halloween events!

Enjoy seasonal family fun at Disneyland's Halloween Time & Mickey's Halloween Party

Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort

Halloween Time at Disneyland runs from Friday, Sept 17th through October 31st

What special events take place at Disneyland Park during the month of October? LOTS of things!

Both Disneyland Park and it's "sister," Disney's California Adventure Park celebrate Halloween in a big way! But, if you haven't visited Disneyland within the last several years, you may not realize that it has become such a festive, attraction-filled occasion here. For most of Disneyland's existence, Halloween was a little-noticed observance. But, when Disneyland finally decided to start celebrating Halloween, the park really "pulled out all the stops!"

Just say "no" to fright! could be the motto for the Disneyland Resort's Halloween activities. Don't worry that the Halloween celebration at Disneyland Park will be too scary for your kids. Halloween activities at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure do NOT include the "fright fests" that are staged at other theme parks in the Los Angeles area. There will be no roving ghosts and ghouls to scare little children...because delighting children is what Disneyland's Halloween festivities are all about!

Free Halloween attractions: Events which come included in your "regular" admission ticket or annual pass take place at both the original Disneyland Park as well as the much-newer Disney's California Adventure.

Extra-fee activity: For some additional Halloween fun---and an excellent opportunity for your kids to interact with Disney and Pixar characters---you may attend the "Mickey's Halloween Party" after the theme park closes for the day.

You'll get details about both the free and extra-fee Halloween events in the paragraphs below. Hopefully, by the time you reach the end of this page, you'll know which events are going to be "must-do" happenings for your family this Halloween!

Disneyland Halloween Time Activities included with your ticket

2.) Do you like greeting Disney Characters? During Disneyland's Halloween Time, you'll also see strolling Disney characters dressed up in their Halloween costumes. You can meet them, greet them, hug them...and take pictures with them. (A professional photographer may take your picture with the characters and offer it for sale...but you don't have to buy it. You may ALSO take your own photos with the Disney characters with your own camera...completely free of charge!) With so many different Disney characters in their disguises, there won't be any forgetting that it's Halloween at Disneyland! To see pictures of cute Disney characters in their Halloween costumes, please visit the Halloween Disney Characters page of this blog.

4.) Halloween merchandise galore--- There will be an abundance of adorable Halloween merchandise for sale. You'll be able to buy your children's Halloween costumes at stores within the park, find home decorations, and purchase seasonal souvenirs---such as Disney stuffed animals dressed in costumes. An adorable orange "pumpkin" version of Mouse Ears is available, and they're so cute that it's hard to resist getting a pair of Halloween Mouse Ears...even if you don't have kids. Even some of the snack shops at Disneyland will be selling Halloween-themed munchies!


5.) Holiday Haunted Mansion--- Jack Skellington, Sally, and the rest of the Nightmare Before Christmas characters take over the Haunted Mansion ride every Fall...and it's always one of the biggest Halloween attractions at Disneyland Park. To your left is a picture of a Christmas wreath adorned with a skull (one of several which decorate the Holiday Haunted Mansion's exterior.) In the photo below, you see a white, horse-drawn hearse displayed on the Haunted Mansion's front walkway; it's decorated with Jack O Lanterns, seasonally.

If you'd like to look at pictures of Disneyland's seasonal Nightmare Before Christmas-themed Haunted Mansion, you may view the Holiday Haunted Mansion Pictures page of this website.

6.) Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy was a new addition to the Halloween lineup of fun at Disneyland in Anaheim last year. Space Mountain, the dark indoor roller coaster in the "Tomorrowland" section of the park, now has numerous special effects added during the Halloween season. It appears as if riders are traveling through a ghostly, haunted version of the galaxy! Sound effects, such as blood-curdling screams and scary music, fill the air. And out of the darkness, whispy ghosts appear. This popular Halloween attraction will surely return for the 2010 festivities. If you ride it, don't let the ghosts catch you and transport you to their eerie universe!

7.) What's NOT included with your Disneyland admission ticket this year? The Halloween Screams fireworks show. Disneyland had a big hit in 2009 with their introduction of the new HALLOWEEN SCREAMS fireworks show. 2009 was the very first year that Disneyland held a Halloween-themed fireworks & special effects display. It instantly became an absolute favorite, "can't-miss" event among Disneyland fans. Favorite Disney villains were featured...including Ursula, Maleficent, Oogie Boogie and Jack Skellington. Crowds were fierce at these special fireworks last year...and many people are excitedly awaiting to head back to Disneyland again this year to see it. Only...this year, they CAN'T. Is it because Disneyland isn't showing the Halloween Screams fireworks show? No. It's because now you'll have to pay to attend the after-hours party to see it! Halloween Screams will only be held during Mickey's Halloween Extra-Pay Party. On other nights? Forget it!

Enjoy Downtown Disney at Halloween

No admission ticket needed!

While you're visiting the Disneyland Resort, don't forget that Downtown Disney (the shopping & dining district just outside of Disneyland's gates) has its own Halloween surprises, too! Best of all, you can stroll through Downtown Disney completely free of charge! No ticket is needed to enjoy this lively shopping, dining and entertainment complex. Even parking (up to 3 hours) is "on the house!"

---Downtown Disney at Halloween--- If you're looking for Halloween merchandise, don't forget that the stores of the Downtown Disney District are themed for the season, too. The World of Disney store is absolutely stuffed with Halloween costumes, clothing and toys...and its collection of Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise is expanded for the season.

Build A Bear Workshop---There's a large, 2-story location of the ever-popular Build-A-Bear Workshop chain at Downtown Disney. During October every year, you'll be able to select from a number of Halloween costumes for the bear you have at home...or even make a brand-new Halloween-themed stuffed animal (such as Build A Bear's popular "Boorrific" ghost!) There are so many cute Halloween stuffed animals and costumes, that there's a whole page of this blog devoted just to them! If you're a Build-A-Bear lover, you'll want to head to the Halloween BuildABears page of this website to see pictures and learn about what fun creatures you can make & costumes you can get!

---Also, to learn more about the stores and restaurants you'll find in this interesting part of the Disneyland Resort, please visit the Downtown Disney section of this blog! You'll find half a dozen photo-filled pages showing you all your shopping & dining options!

Mickey's Halloween Party, 2010

Festivities will be at Disneyland Park this year...

...and NOT at Disney's California Adventure Park

What is the "Mickey's Halloween Party?" It's the grandest Halloween celebration held at the Disneyland Resort! Formerly called "Mickey's Halloween Treat" and "Mickey's Trick or Treat Party"(names you may have heard and remember,) this event is a special after-hours celebration. This popular private party (which needs an extra ticket to attend) will mark its 6th year in 2010. However 2010 will be the very FIRST year that the party will be held at Disneyland Park. (It was formerly held at Disney's California Adventure Park.) In the past, most evenings have sold out completely. There will be more tickets available for each evening of the event now that it will be held at Disneyland. Nevertheless, play it safe so you won't be left out! Be sure to get your tickets as soon as you know what your family's October schedule will be.

What goes on at Mickey's Trick or Treat Party? Plenty! Just as its name sounds, you'll find trick or treating stations where you'll receive safe candy for your kids---AND adults are invited to participate, too! (In fact, most adults DO go trick-or-treating at Mickey's Halloween Party...even if they DON'T have any kids with them!)

You'll also enjoy character dances, character greetings, and a Halloween parade featuring cute floats and rousing music! And, here's more good news: most of Disneyland's rides ARE open at the park during Mickey's Halloween Party! Here are further details about the event---

1.) Mickey's HalloweenParade: Disneyland will come alive with an exciting parade during the party; in fact, it's the highlight of the event! This is a high-energy parade where Disney costumed characters come down from their floats and dance with members of the crowd---to a lively score of original Disney Halloween music! To see photos of Mickey's special seasonal parade, please head to the Mickeys Halloween Parade page of this blog! This special parade is NOT held during "regular" Disneyland hours, by the way, so you MUST come to the after-hours Halloween party if you'd like to enjoy the show.

The trick or treating locations are clearly marked on the Mickey's Halloween Party maps which you'll receive as you enter the park. Adults are welcome to get treats, too...even if they're not accompanying children to the event.

3.) Arts and Crafts Stations: This is where kids and their parents may make items to take home with them. Last year, as more events were added to the festivities (and more rides were open,) the arts & crafts area became less-emphasized and less-visited than in previous years. Last year, the arts 'n crafts were limited to coloring. Nevertheless, for kids who LOVE to color, you won't want to miss stoping by a Halloween crafts area!

4.) Games for the kids to enter and participate in. An example of one game played last year was a bean bag-like game...with the kids shooting the bean bags from a canon!




5.) Lively dance parties are where kids and parents dance together...alongside Disney characters! These events are one of the park's highlights, giving kids a chance to actually "rub shoulders" and interact with characters! Several dances are held in various locations of the theme park...and each dance has its own group of Disney characters that will be at each location. To see photos of the Disney characters you'll dance with at the Mickey's Trick or Treat dance pictures, please visit the Dance with Disney Characters! page of this website.

5.) Disney Characters will be in HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, giving you the chance to snap some "nowhere else but the Mickey's Halloween Celebration" type pictures! (Even though you can dance with certain characters, other Disney characters will be in traditional "photo" type settings, and you'll line up to meet them.) Some characters appear 2 different times: both during the regular daytime at Disneyland, and then again for Mickey's Party at night. When that is the case, they will wear DIFFERENT Halloween costumes at night than they did during the day...so that all of your pictures will be unique. To see pictures of the Halloween-costumed Disney characters that you can meet & greet at Mickey's Halloween Treat, visit the Halloween Disney Characters page of this website!

6.) Many rides will be open...though not all. Be sure to check your party guide as you enter Disneyland, so that you may plan which rides you'd like to enjoy during the party.

7.) The Halloween Screams firework show: This is the controversial part of the party. "Halloween Screams" a terrific "spooky" Disney villain-themed fireworks extravaganza that you probably won't want to miss. The controversial part isn't whether or not the fireworks show is good; it IS. The big problem, especially amongst people that don't have kids in the age range which would enjoy trick-or-treating or character dance parties...is that the Halloween fireworks show will now be ONLY for guests who pay extra to attend the special event. These fireworks will no longer be shown on "regular" October evenings at Disneyland Parkl

Mickey's Halloween Party Dates for 2010

Here are the times that Mickey's Halloween Party will be held:

For Tuesday evening events, the party will start at 6:00 pm and end at 11:00 pm.

For Mickey's Halloween Party events held on Fridays or on Halloween Night, the hours will be 7:00 pm until Midnight. Even though weekends may be more convenient for you, the later hours may mean that younger kids might fall asleep before the party's over! The earlier hours on Tuesdays may work out better for families with toddlers, preschoolers, and any kids who tend to get sleepy early in the evening.

Mickey's Halloween Party FAQ's

Answer: If you pre-purchase tickets online at the Disneyland.com website, they will cost either $49, $54 or $59, depending on which night of the party you attend. (It's cheaper on weeknights than on weekends; and the most expensive dates are right near Halloween Night.) Tickets will either be $54 or $59 if purchased at the park on the day of the party. (That's IF tickets are still available! NO tickets are ever held back specifically for sale on the day of the event, so once they're all sold out online, they're simply gone.) Ticket prices always include parking in the large Disneyland structure, for which there is normally an $15 fee.

QUESTION: Are discount coupons or discount tickets available to Mickey's Halloween Party?

ANSWER: Actually, you DO get a print-at-home discount of $5 when you order your tickets online from Disneyland.com rather than waiting to purchase your tickets at the gate on the night of the event. (Note: no online discount is available for Friday, October 29th or for Halloween night.)

The only other way to get a discount is to be an annual pass holder. You may purchase Annual Passport Holder tickets for only $44 if you'll be attending on the following dates: October 1, 5, 12, 19, and 26. (Otherwise, you must pay the same price as non-passholders.)

Mickey's Halloween Party does not issue discount coupons that you may get from local merchants. For example, there are no Burger King coupons, grocery store discount tickets, Coke can discounts, etc.

QUESTION: What time may we enter Mickey's Halloween Party?

ANSWER: Mickey's Halloween Party starts at 6 pm on Tuesdays and at 7 pm on Fridays and Halloween night. In the past, guests had to wait until the party's "starting time" to enter the theme park. THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR!

As you may have noticed, ticket prices have jumped substantially in 2010. To "sweeten" the price hike, you'll now get to enter Disneyland Park BEFORE the event actually starts. On Tuesday parties, you may enter Disneyland at 3 pm or anytime afterwards; and on Friday and Halloween Night events, you may enter at 4 pm or later. You may begin to park 1 hour before these times. There will be no party events going on if you enter early...but you MAY enjoy Disneyland's regular rides and entertainment.

Huh? How does it work having BOTH party-goers AND regular Disneyland guests inside the park at the same time? Actually, it's a bit of a mess, in my opinion. Walt Disney World has been doing things this way already. If Disneyland handles things the same way as Disney World in Florida, the arriving party guests will be given a wrist band to wear to prove that they've already paid for the event. They will enter a busy & bustling Disneyland at 3 or 4 pm when the lines are long...but with a little luck, Early Birds will be able to enjoy some of the park's rides & entertainment, anyway. Then, when "regular" park closing time comes, announcements will be made for everyone to leave the park unless they have the special Mickey's Halloween Party wristbands. (This is quite an annoyance for the people getting kicked out; many of them would have liked to go to the party, but couldn't for one reason or another.) At the same time as the mass exodus of the park is taking place, paid party guests will be asked repeatedly to show their wristbands to Cast Members, which is quite an annoyance for the extra-fee party-goers. (Most people are used to thinking of the Disneyland employees as friendly & helpful...and NOT as the "wristband police.") But, finally all of the regular daytime guests will be gone, the crowd will diminish, you'll enjoy shorter lines to Disneyland rides...and if you're like me, you'll begin to forget your inconvenience at being made to show your wristband a "zillion" times.

The good thing about being allowed to enter at 3 or 4 pm is that there's no mad rush for all party-goers to enter the parking garage, trams and turnstiles all at the same time. When I went through this procedure at Walt Disney World last year, it was very pleasant finding only a short wait when entering the parking lot, boarding the trams and and showing my tickets at the entrance booths.

QUESTION: Did tickets to Mickey's Trick or Treat party sell out in 2009?

ANSWER: Ever since Mickey's Halloween party began, it has been selling out completely, at least on some nights of the event. Therefore, do NOT count on any same-day tickets being available! Play it safe and pre-order. (Yes, this is inconvenient. How can you know in advance if the kids will be well? If the weather will be good? Or if some other event will come up for the night you've chosen?) But, inconvenient or not, pre-ordering is the only way to guarantee your admission to the party. (Note: tickets cannot be purchased through this blog; you can only get them through the Disneyland.com website; there's a link to Disneyland's website in the last paragraph of this page...just below.)

The only way I've seen to get tickets to the sold-out dates is on EBay...where some shameless folks try to make a "killing" on them. It seems that there are some "scalpers" at work here!

You could also try posting a "tickets wanted" ad in the Los Angeles Times or the Orange County Register newspapers, as some folks have done. I even have seen an ad online at Craigslist.net from somebody looking for tickets to Mickey's Halloween Party. If you're trying to get tickets online or via the newspaper...good luck!


QUESTION: Can you wear costumes to Mickey's Halloween Party?

ANSWER: Yes! By all means! Both kids AND adults may wear costumes to this popular after-hours Halloween party at Disney's California Adventure Park. In fact, MOST children do wear costumes...and MANY of the adults do, too. (Note: Adults are NOT normally allowed to enter Disney theme parks in costume. The after-hours party is an exception to this general rule. However, children age 9 and under are ALWAYS welcome to visit Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure dressed up as a Disney Princess or other Disney character...even when there's no special party going on.)

QUESTION: How do you purchase Mickey's Halloween Party tickets?

ANSWER: You may purchase them by calling the regular Disneyland Ticketing phone number at 714/781-4400. Or, you'll also be able to buy them on-line and print them at home. You may use the following link to go to directly to the Mickey's Halloween Party page on the www.Disneyland.com website. During August, you'll probably find tickets for ALL of the party's dates available for purchase...but as time gets closer to Halloween, your selection of dates will narrow as tickets sell out! Ticket sales really pick up steam once October rolls around, so try to have your date selected by then.

On this page, you've seen pictures and discovered information covering the entire Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Halloween celebrations. Now, it's time to see some photos of specific parts of the Disneyland Halloween festivities!

You may use the button above to continue along the photo tour...or else choose a link from the list below to head to a specific page---

Backwards links:   Family-Vacation-Getaways.com HOME ::   Latest News ::   Privacy Policy ::   Advertising Policy & Disclosures ::   Back to top of "Disneyland Halloween Events"

Discover fun Halloween activities:   Disneyland Resort:   Disneyland Halloween Events ::   Woodys Roundup pics ::   Haunted Mansion pics ::   Haunted Mansion, pt 2 ::   Disney Pumpkins ::   Disney Candy Corn ::   Mickeys Halloween Parade ::   Dance w/Disney Characters ::   Halloween Disney Characters ::   Knotts-- Knott's Halloween Events::   Scary Farm Pics::   Halloween Haunt Pics, pt 2::   Six Flags-- 6 Flags Fright pics ::   Magic Mtn pics, pt 2 ::   Other parks: Legoland Halloween ::   Seaworld Halloween ::   Universal's Horror Nights ::

Explore fun Halloween costume ideas:   Halloween Costume Photo Contest ::   Captain Jack Sparrow ::   Captain Jack, pt 2 ::   Celebrity & Movie costumes ::   Cheap Halloween Costumes ::   Children's Animal Costumes ::   Clown Costumes ::   Darth Vader ::   Other Star Wars Costumes ::   Disney Princesses ::   Fairy Costumes ::   Inexpensive Homemade Costumes ::   Nightmare Before Christmas ::   Pet Costumes ::   Pirates/kids ::   Pirate Costumes/Adults ::   Plus Size Costumes ::   Superhero Costumes ::   Witch/Vampire costumes ::   Wizard of Oz ::   Contest Winners 9/08 ::   Contest Winners 10/08, pt 1 ::   Contest Winners 10/08, pt 2 ::

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