Mickey’s Halloween Party is the best fun that your family will have all Halloween season. Here are the top ten reasons why.
Today I get to tell you all about why I am OBSESSED with Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland! YAY!
Fall is my favorite time of year. Perfect weather, perfect clothes, perfect pumpkin-y foods, and perfect holiday: HALLOWEEN! I am a bit of a Halloween geek. I adore Halloween, and I always have. I wore costumes to school in high school on Halloween. True story. Somehow, I still had friends. 😉 The Halloween that I love includes smiling pumpkins, glittering decor, cheerful witches, and dancing skeletons. I don’t do dark and gory. It is just NOT my thing. This is just one more reason why Halloween at Disneyland makes my heart sore. Smiling. Pumpkin. Mickey Mouse. Heads. *Swoon.* I love cheerful, not-so-scary, kid friendly Halloween activities, and Mickey’s Halloween Party is PERFECT for that!
Believe it or not, I am not exaggerating when I say that stepping into Disneyland in October makes my heart soar. I can’t really describe how much giddy joy it brings me to take my kids to Mickey’s Halloween Party, but I am going to attempt to contain my excitement a smidgen as I tell you the top ten reasons why I adore Mickey’s Halloween Party.
- The Decorations on Main Street, U.S.A.
Disneyland itself can make a person giddy, but Disneyland draped in PUMPKINS?! Oh yes. YES, YES, YES! In typical Disney fashion, every detail is perfection, from the giant character pumpkins above the gate onward.
When it’s almost party time the Cast Members (park employees) appear in new, Halloween colored, uniforms and new decor begins to pop up. My personal favorite additions are the giant, glowing Mickey Mouse ghosts, which are only out at the party.
2. The Villains & Other Unusual Characters
As the party opens, the villains crawl out of the shadows. Captain Hook, Cinderella’s Evil Stepmother and Ugly Stepsisters, Doctor Facilier, Jafar, Cruella DeVille, Maleficent, and so many more. It’s AWEEEESOMMMMMEEEEE! Other unique characters can be found as well, including my man Jack Skellington (more on that later). We have only been to Mickey’s Halloween Party twice, sadly, but the first time we went as Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smee. Although Captain Hook can sometimes be found in the park, Peter Pan is not usually found in the park, so you can imagine our glee upon finding him during the party! We waited for a ridiculous almost two hours to meet him for our obsessed three year old who had been Peter Pan for Halloween two years in a row Once it was finally our turn, this is how our son reacted . . .
Go figure. Life with kids, am I right?
3. The Haunted Mansion
EEEEK!!!!! I am a big Nightmare Before Christmas fan, so the sight of the ride The Haunted Mansion transformed into a Nightmare Before Christmas fun filled joyride is pure glee! Inside, outside — it’s all amazing! Plus, you can meet my boyfriend Jack Skellington and his actual girlfriend Sally in the square during the party!
4. The Ghoooooulish Dapper Dans
The Dapper Dans are the barbershop quartet that sings on Main Street, U.S.A. all year long, but during the Halloween party they are transformed with ghostly makeup and float down the Rivers of America past the New Orleans District of Disneyland singing eerily harmonized songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Be still my beating heart.
5. Eating Pumpkin Beignets in the New Orleans District at Cafe Orleans
Last year when we were attending Mickey’s Halloween Party our very young children were melting down around dinner time, and my husband declared that we were going to splurge for a nice, sit down meal. We landed at Cafe Orleans, and it turned out to be a fantastic meal. We paid far too much to have a little glowing Jack Skellington head bobbing in the kids’ drinks, and we even got to devour pumpkin beignets for dessert. Best of all, Cafe Orleans is located on the banks of the Rivers of America, so while we ate we got to people watch all the costumed party-goers as we were serenaded by the Ghoulish Dapper Dans. It was a truly perfect moment.
6. The Jack Skellington Caramel Apples & Other Spooooky Food
I love me some themed food — I am convinced that Halloween Oreos taste better than regular ones! — and Disney does themes better than anyone. During the party all sorts of special goodies appear in the shops. My personal favorite? The Jack Skellington Caramel Apples, of course! See my copycat recipe HERE.
7. Costumes, Costumes Everywhere!
I love costumes. My costume closet overfloweth. Yes, that’s right, I am an adult who has a full costume closet. A costume closet stuffed with adult costumes and costumes that I wore growing up. There are also three chests stuffed with kid costumes in this home. My kids live in them 90% of the time when they are at home. They even sleep in them! We are make-believe people.
At Mickey’s Halloween Party, everyone is in a costume! (It’s not required, it’s just FUN!) Adults, kids, families, even characters! Mickey is a Wizard, Minnie is a Witch, Winnie the Pooh is a Honey Bee! Little girls may wander the lanes of Disneyland in princess dresses everyday of the year, but it’s not everyday that you see Captain Hook and Peter Pan walking hand in hand . . .
(85 degree weather, and he wore that coat and wig all day. Let’s hear it for awesome dads!)
The first year we attended we dressed as the crew from Peter Pan.
The second time we attended as the crew from Frozen. Again . . . let’s hear it for awesome dads! What a good sport!
8. Special Nighttime Entertainment
A couple of the special events of the evening that we love are the special Halloween themed parade, Paint the Night, and the Halloween themed fireworks show, Halloween Screams. Paint the Night has lights and glitz galore, and it’s really fun to see all of the characters in costume. Halloween screams is just a fantastic fireworks show, and I love the use of green and purple along with the orange fireworks!
9. Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy
This one breaks my rule about no creepy Halloween stuff a bit, but it sticks with my rule that I love all roller coasters, so I’m gonna just look the other way and pretend the ghost graphics aren’t too creepy for my liking. (They are.) Definitely one for the slightly older kids, this is the typical thrilling Space Mountain ride, zooming all over in the dark, but with some rather ghoulish ghost images zooming past as well. Great for a thrill!
10. Trick or Treating Around the Park
Candy galore! For some people, this might be the main allure of Mickey’s Halloween Party, but not for me. For me it’s just a nice bonus. I can get candy anytime, but I can’t be at Disneyland anytime. However . . . if I happen to be waltzing past a treat station without a long line, well, I’ll be stuffing my face approximately 35 seconds later.
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Well, what do you think? Are you all jazzed up to go to Mickey’s Halloween Party now? How could you NOT be?! I am!! I wish we were going this year, or, better yet, that we lived close enough to go EVERY year! If you are thinking about taking your family to “The Happiest Place on Earth” this Halloween season then you should check out the travel agency Get Away Today. They have vacation LAYAWAY PLANS! Isn’t that brilliant?! Paying off your vacay a bit at a time makes it so much more realistic and affordable, and the plans start with as little as $125 down! Check out their amazing discounts and packages, and be sure to use the coupon code BLING to get an additional $10 off of your booking!
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If you enjoyed this post then be sure to check out these posts as well:
30+ The Nightmare Before Christmas Ideas
DIY Jack Skellington Mouse Ears Tutorial
30+ Family + Group Costume Ideas
SEE ALL OF MY HALLOWEEN IDEAS HERE!
SEE ALL OF MY DISNEY IDEAS HERE!
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Cheryl says
September 26, 2015 at 3:16 pmHello,
Thanks for sharing the fun and joy of Halloween. My favorite? Jack the Pumpkin King from Nightmare Before Christmas. I love that movie. Stopping by from SITS today 🙂
Donna @ Modern on Monticello says
September 19, 2016 at 9:00 amThanks for sharing, your pictures are awesome! I was supposed to travel next month to enjoy the Halloween party at Disneyland but had to change my plans unfortunately. Really hate that I’m going to miss all this but maybe next year. Thanks again.
April says
September 21, 2016 at 11:09 amI love Mickey’s Halloween party too! It looks like you had so much fun. I can’t go this year, but play at the parks quite often. I would love for you to link up this post at the Magical Monday Blog hop (still open)!
Samantha says
September 21, 2016 at 12:15 pmWe go to Disneyland once a year, but I’ve never been to MIckey’s Halloween Party! It looks like a blast and I’m sure my kids would love it. Thanks for sharing at the Family Joy Link Party.
Pamela says
September 24, 2016 at 8:41 pmWe love Disneyland!! We have never been to the Halloween Bash though. It didn’t exist when my kids were little. But someday….!
Liz Schweizer says
September 26, 2016 at 6:05 amWe are a Halloween- and Disney-loving family but I’ve never had much interest in combining the two–until now! Sounds amazing!!!
Sarah Westover McKenna says
September 26, 2016 at 4:30 pmOh, it is! Make it happen!!! 🙂