2011 Disneyland Halloween events!

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

2011 Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort

Halloween Time at Disneyland runs from Friday, Sept 16th through October 31st

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

Disneyland celebrates Halloween in a big way these days! 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 Park'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 does 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: A number of events which come included in your "regular" admission ticket or annual pass to Disneyland Park...and we'll be describing these in detail on this page.

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 separately-ticketed "Mickey's Halloween Party" after the Disneyland 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

You may enjoy the following Halloween attractions at Disneyland as a part of your "regular" Disneyland ticket purchase

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 our Halloween Disney Characters page.

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 our Holiday Haunted Mansion Pictures page.

6.) Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy is a fairly recent addition to the Halloween lineup of fun at Disneyland. 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 fill the air. And out of the darkness, whispy ghosts appear. 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 a new HALLOWEEN SCREAMS fireworks show. It instantly became a 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 in 2009...and many people are excitedly awaiting to head back to Disneyland this year to see it. Only...this year, you CAN'T see the Halloween fireworks show during normal Disneyland Park hours. Why not? It's because now you'll have to pay to attend the extra-fee, 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!

---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, 2011

Festivities will be at Disneyland Park after closing time...

...and you'll need an extra-fee "special event" ticket to attend

What is "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 7th year in 2011. However 2011 will only be the SECOND year that the party will be held at Disneyland Park. (It was formerly held at Disney's California Adventure Park.)

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, rousing music, and plenty of your favorite Disney characters!

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 Halloween Parade: Disneyland comes 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 wave & smile to members of the crowd at eye-level. The parade is set 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.

2.) Trick or Treating Stations are placed around the park. This is where you and your kids may pick up wrapped candy, both chocolate and non-chocolate, and healthier alternatives such as fruit leather, bagged apple slices and mini-carrots.

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.) 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.

4.) Disney Characters will be in HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, giving you the chance to snap photos you can take nowhere else but the Mickey's Halloween Party event! (Even though you can dance with certain characters, other Disney & Pixar characters will be in traditional "photo" type settings, and you'll need to line up in order 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!

5.) Most rides will be open...though not all. Some rides will be closed for refurbishment; others always close at dusk (eg. the canoes, river boats, and rafts.) 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.

6.) The Halloween Screams firework show: "Halloween Screams" is a fun, "spooky" Disney villain-themed fireworks extravaganza that you probably won't want to miss. The Halloween fireworks are best when seen from the area in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Mickey's Halloween Party Dates for 2011

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

6 pm to 11 pm dates: On the following dates, Mickey's Halloween Party will start at 6:00 pm and end at 11:00 pm: Monday, October 3; Tuesday, October 11; Tuesday, October 18; and Tuesday, October 25.

7 pm to Midnight dates: On the following dates, Mickey's Halloween Party beins at 7:00 pm and ends at Midnight: Friday, September 30; Friday, October 7; Friday, October 14; Friday, October 21; Friday, October 28; and Monday, October 31.

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

QUESTION: How much will ticket prices be for the 2011 Mickey's Halloween Party?

Answer: If you pre-purchase tickets online at the Disneyland.com website, they will cost either $49 to $64, depending on which night of the party you attend, and whether or not you order in advance. (It's cheaper on weeknights than on weekends; and the most expensive dates are right near Halloween Night. Also, tickets are discounted for most nights if you purchase them online in advance...rather than at the park on the day of the party. 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 28th or for Halloween night. Also, there is a cut-off time to remember; to get your print-at-home discount, you MUST purchase your tickets by the day PRIOR to the event at the latest. You may still purchase your ticket online the day you plan to attend...but you CAN'T get a pre-sale $5 discount for same-day purchases.)

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 (in conjunction with your print-at-home discount) if you'll be attending on the following dates: September 30th, October 3, 11, 18, and 25, 2011. (Otherwise, you must pay the same price as non-passholders.) Unfortunately, there is also a time-limit to getting your Annual Passholder discount. You may not get your passholder discount if you try to claim it on the day of the event at the Disneyland ticket booths...which doesn't seem fair; passholders should receive some kind of recognition for their loyal support of Disneyland. But, those are the rules.

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 weekdays, and at 7 pm on Fridays and Halloween night. However, you may actually enter Disneyland Park several hours before the party's "starting time."

As you may have noticed, ticket prices have jumped substantially since the party moved from Disney's California Adventure to Disneyland Park itself. To "sweeten" the price hike, you'll now get to enter Disneyland Park BEFORE the event actually starts. On dates when Mickey's Halloween Party begins at 6 pm, you may enter Disneyland at 3 pm or anytime afterwards. On Friday party dates and Halloween Night, you may enter Disneyland Park at 4 pm or later. You may begin to park in the Disneyland parking structure 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 our opinion.It goes like this: the arriving party guests are given a wrist band to wear to prove that they've already paid for the event. They enter a busy & bustling Disneyland at 3 or 4 pm when the lines are long...but with a little luck, the early party-goers will be able to enjoy some of the park's rides & entertainment, anyway.

Then, when "regular" park closing time comes, announcements are made over the loudspeaker system for everyone to leave the park unless they are wearing the special Mickey's Halloween Party wristbands. (Daytime visitors are given the opportunity to purchase Mickey's Party tickets at full price without leaving the park.) At the same time as the mass exodus of daytime guests is taking place, paid party guests may stay in the park enjoying the rides. However, to prove that they've paid for the after-hours event, party-goers are asked repeatedly to show their wristbands to Cast Members, which is quite an annoyance for the 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 are gone, the crowds diminish, you'll enjoy shorter lines to Disneyland rides...and 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. We attended Mickey's Halloween Party on both the opening and 2nd nights of the event last year, and it was very pleasant finding only a short wait when entering the parking lot at 3:30 pm...or when boarding the trams and showing our tickets at the entrance booths.

QUESTION: Will tickets to Mickey's Trick or Treat party sell out in 2011?

ANSWER: Ever since Mickey's Halloween party began, it has been selling out completely, at least on some nights of the event. When the Halloween party was held at Disney's California Adventure, ticket sold out completely on MOST nights that the event was held. But in 2011, there's good news for people who don't like to plan in advance! Now that Mickey's Halloween Party has been moved to Disneyland Park, the Halloween parties now hold more guests...and you will PROBABLY find that last-minute tickets are available. The key word is PROBABLY; not all party dates sold out in 2010, especially the dates early in October. Nevertheless, you can NOT count on any same-day tickets being available! The only way to play it absolutely safe is to 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.

Problems with pre-ordering: Although it's best to pre-order, there can be problems with doing that. Last year on October 5th, the 2nd night of the Halloween Party, it was raining. You might have expected that nobody would show up on such a chilly and miserable evening...but there was actually a nice-sized crowd of people at the party. Why? Because the guests had pre-ordered their tickets & HAD to attend the party...or else lose their money. (There is a "no refund/no date-changes" policy when you buy tickets in advance.) On top of the dampness and chill, certain features of the party didn't work well in the rain. Not all of the meet 'n greet characters were in their places; trick-or-treat stations moved under shelter (and weren't in the spots marked on the park map); dance parties couldn't be held until the rain stopped (because the dances are held in places without solid roofs.) Thank goodness that the rain finally did stop, or it would have been quite a sad party, indeed!





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 Disneyland 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: Ticketing for non-season pass holders begins on July 1st. 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 July and 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 if tickets sell out for certain dates. 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---

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

Discover exciting 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:   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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