It’s Time for Halloween at Disney World!

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but fall is fast approaching.  Halloween candy is suddenly out at all the grocery stores.  Those “Spirit of Halloween” temporary shops filled with costumes and decorations for Halloween are starting to pop up around every corner. It’s true.  Autumn is coming, and with it, Halloween.  Halloween at Disney World has been an extremely popular time for many years.  Usually, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties (a separate, ticketed event) start in late August and run through Halloween weekend.  This year, Halloween at Disney World will look a bit different.

Halloween at Disney World
Disney prepares for Halloween (Photo: Disney Parks)

No MNSSHP Events–Cancelled

All the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties (MNSSHP) originally scheduled for this late summer and fall have been cancelled and refunded.  While this is disappointing, it is also extremely easy to understand.  With tickets for this event approaching $100 per person, attendee expectations are high.  Many of the cornerstones of a MNSSHP would be impossible under the current restrictions due to Covid-19.

Halloween at Disney World Halloween Fireworks
Hallowishes fireworks Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (Photo: Disney Parks)

The Boo-to-You Parade, a staple of the MNSSHP, and my personal FAVORITE Disney parade, can’t happen in this era of social distancing.  Nighttime fireworks displays are NOT happening at the moment, again due to the gathering of crowds.  The special Halloween themed fireworks extravaganza is another vital component of MNSSHP.

One of the big highlights of the annual MNSSHP is that you can see characters you don’t often see, and most characters are in Halloween costumes of their own.  That’s very fun, but again, character greetings are not possible right now due to social distancing needs due to the pandemic.  Even the various shows and dance parties that are part of any MNSSHP can’t happen right now due to social distancing requirements.  Finally, you can’t trick or treat at the candy sessions in our current climate, because the social distancing lines would be EVERYWHERE, and it would be a mess.  So the parties are not happening this year.

Halloween Decorations at Magic Kingdom

There may be no Halloween parties this year, but Halloween is still coming to Disney World.  Disney will decorate the Magic Kingdom for the fall season, with lots of pumpkins and grinning jack o’lanterns.  Traditionally, most of the Halloween and fall decor is mainly on Main Street.  Some years, there’s been a little overflow into Frontierland.

It’s time for Halloween at Disney
It’s Time for Halloween at Disney World! (Photo: Disney Parks)

Main Street USA will be decked out for Halloween from September 15 through October 31.

Halloween merchandise, however, is another story.  That will be (and already is, in many cases!) EVERYWHERE throughout the Magic Kingdom.  For more information on what Halloween merchandise has been released this year on ShopDisney.com, please visit this post.  Most of the Halloween merchandise featured at ShopDisney.com is also available in the park.  Disney has a short window of opportunity to sell their Halloween merchandise, so they will make it very easy for us to find!

Halloween at Disney World
Halloween merchandise has arrived! Candy spiral ears—so cute! (Photo: Disney Parks)

Cavalcade of Characters

Since the parks reopened in July, character greetings have been off limits due to social distancing requirements.  Disney’s solution has been periodic “character cavalcades” where the characters come out on floats and interact with guests from a distance.  These happen a few times each day, and are vaguely reminiscent of the Move it, Shake it “mini parades” that they were doing the last couple of years.

For this Halloween at Disney World, Disney plans to jazz up the character cavalcades.  The characters will be dressed in their Halloween costumes!  I love this idea, and am happy that guests will be able to see the characters in their Halloween costumes without purchasing a pricey Halloween party ticket.

Halloween at Disney World Donald and Daisy
Characters in Costume Photo: Disney Parks

The really cute thing is that it seemed that each character had at least a couple of different costumes, so if you went every year to the party, the characters would be in different costumes.

Halloween at Disney World
Piglet in Costume (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Keep in mind these pictures are from MNSSHP from a few years ago, so we have no way of know which characters you might see this year in a character cavalcade, or what costume they might be wearing.

Halloween at Disney World, Mickey and Daisy
Mickey and Daisy in costume. (Photo Brooke Hudson)
Halloween at Disney World Mickey and Minnie
Mickey and Minnie at Halloween (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Adult Guests can Dress Up, TOO!

For the first time, Disney is letting adult guests wear costumes into the Magic Kingdom during regular business hours.  Previously, the only time adult guests (and children over 14) could wear costumes was to the separate ticketed event, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.  Costume masks are NOT allowed, however, for adults or kids.  Approved face coverings are still required, however.

Disney Face Masks Disney Princess
Maria loves her new Disney Princess themed face mask. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

All guests may wear their Halloween costumes or favorite Disney themed (or inspired) costumes into the Magic Kingdom this year, during regular park hours. The Halloween season at Disney World this year is from September 15 and October 31. It will be a TON of fun to see what everyone wears.

Just leave the costume weapons at home.  Consider the heat, and think about safety.  As Edna Mode would say “No Capes!”. They get caught, stepped on, ripped, dirty AND they’re heavy.  Capes are technically allowed, but we recommend against them!  Do YOU want to argue with Edna?

Disney Hollywood Studios vacation planning reasons to visit Disney trip planning meet Edna Mode
Edna Mode at Hollywood Studios

ShopDisney.comhas a lot of fun options for all ages (see last week’s blog post for more examples).

Halloween at Disney World: Snacks!

Let’s face it, when we start talking Halloween, most of us immediately start thinking of CANDY.  Sweets and treats, right?

Halloween at Disney World means LOTS of sweet treats, all themed to the season.

Halloween snacks at Disney World
Halloween goodies at Disney World (Photo: Disney Parks)

There are Halloween themed cupcakes and cookies and candy treats all over the Magic Kingdom during the Halloween season. You’ll find Halloween themed drinks, special Halloween ice cream flavors, even Halloween themed popcorn buckets!  If you have the budget (and the sugar tolerance), you could quite happily indulge in different Halloween sweet treats for DAYS.

PhotoPass Halloween Surprises!

If you’ve read many of my other posts, you’ve probably recognized that I am a BIG fan of Disney PhotoPass.  I love that there are so many opportunities throughout the parks where you can get pictures of your family or group without one of you having to NOT be in the picture in order to take the picture.

Disney Photopass Private Photo Shoot Inside Magic Kingdom

I also tell you all the time to take LOTS of Disney PhotoPass pictures when you are in the parks, because the quality of the photographers vary, as do the lighting conditions and the surrounding crowds.  You just don’t know what you’ll get, so play the odds!

One favorite Disney PhotoPass treat are the “Magic Shots”.  These are the pictures where the photographer “magically” adds something to your picture that will show up later, when you see the picture.

For example, you might see Tinkerbell sitting on your hand, or you might see a character sitting next to you on a bench.

Epcot Magic Shot Minnie Mouse
Minnie Mouse Magic Shot (Photo: Disney PhotoPass)

Halloween Magic Shots

For Halloween, Disney has had a few Magic Shots in their arsenal, but USUALLY those were reserved for MNSSHP guests.  This year, some special Halloween themed Magic Shots will be available in some areas of the Magic Kingdom throughout the day between September 15 and October 31.  Keep in mind that not all PhotoPass photographers will have access to all Magic Shots.  If the line is long, and the photographer is busy, they may not have time to set up a Magic Shot.  These are special “extras”, not automatic or to be expected.

Here are a few sample Halloween Magic Shots that have been available in the past.  We don’t know yet what Magic Shots will be available this year. I’ll keep you posted as I learn more.

Are you ready for Halloween?

It still feels a bit early for me, but looking at all this stuff is starting to get me in the Halloween mood.  We won’t make it Disney World this year for the Halloween fun; our trip is in November this year.  But next year’s big family trip is in October, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the Magic Kingdom all decked out for Halloween.  I’m hopeful that at least some of these changes for day guests to the park will stay in place for next year, even if they have the ticketed parties next year.

Costume silliness from a couple years ago. I was a witch (too easy!) and my husband went as Iron Man. (Photo: Linda Harkness)

Are you ready for Halloween at Disney World, or even in your neck of the woods?  Do you add any Disney touches to your at home celebrations?  Please comment below.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

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Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

P.S. If you are thinking about a Disney vacation in 2021, now is the time!  Vacation packages are available for most of the year.  Please email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for a free, no obligation quote.

Construction Update: TRON at Magic Kingdom

Today’s Construction Update focuses on Tron at Magic Kingdom.

Announced in Summer 2017, there hasn’t been a lot of activity surrounding the Tron coaster-style attraction coming to the Magic Kingdom.  I suspect this is partly because Tron doesn’t have the big fanbase that Disney once hoped it would have, and partly because so much attention has been focused on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, opening this summer at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios.

This is probably a positive thing, we haven’t all been driving Disney crazy with the equivalent of “are we there yet?” for THIS attraction…unlike we did for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  (But hey, it worked, so I’m NOT complaining!)

Shanghai Disneyland’s #1 Attraction

The Tron attraction currently under construction at Magic Kingdom is based on TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland.  This attraction was an opening day attraction for Shanghai Disneyland.  TRON is a giant hit for Shanghai Disneyland.

Shanghai Disneyland TRON Lightcycle Power Run
Shanghai Disneyland’s TRON Lightcycle Power Run

TRON Lightcycle Power Run is a coaster-style attraction that has passengers ride a train of two wheeled Lightcycles for a race through the digital frontier.  Just like the movie, I guess.  Although both Tron movies kind of confused me…I really liked the original one, though.  Did any of you see the original Tron (1982) or it’s sequel, Tron Legacy (2010)?

TRON Lightcycle Power Run is the highest rated attraction at Shanghai Disneyland.  I’m guessing that led the powers-that-be to consider if the attraction could be a good fit another park.

Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom

It makes sense right?  A popular attraction, already designed and tested.  Some changes might be necessary, but basically, the heavy lifting is already done for the attraction.  Imagineering already did the design, the creative work, choosing the materials, the budget, the schematics, the plans, even the way the queue works–all that’s been done before.   Construction even knows what problems came up during that phase, and how they were solved.

But where to put the new attraction?  It make sense in Hollywood Studios, because it’s based on a movie property…but Hollywood Studios is currently getting all the focus for Star Wars, so maybe NOT there.  Epcot Future World might be a good fit–the whole digital frontier thing is vaguely futuristic…of course the original movie is almost forty years old at this point.  AND there’s already a TON of stuff happening at Epcot (see last week’s post), so maybe it’s not the best choice either.

Disneyland in California is currently using a LOT of space for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, so maybe not there.  California Adventure just finished the whole Pixar themed update….so maybe not there.

Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World hasn’t gotten anything new in a LONG time.  And we have some room over there next to Space Mountain, on the side… WINNER!

Ok, I have no idea if that’s how the decision making process went AT ALL.  But it’s fun to think about, isn’t it?  Bottom line, they decided to bring Tron to Magic Kingdom, and they’re making room for it by basically expanding the footprint of the Magic Kingdom.  Disney is putting Tron next to Space Mountain, into some unused land between Tomorrowland and Storybook Circus.

Disney TRON Attraction Billboard
Tron Billboard, visible from Storybook Circus

Impact on Nearby Attractions

To accommodate construction on Tron at Magic Kingdom, a few other attractions ARE being affected.

  • Tomorrowland Speedway: This one is pretty short term.  The Tomorrowland Speedway closed in January 2019, and is expected to re-open mid May 2019.  Disney is moving and/or re-routing the track to make room for Tron.
  • Walt Disney World Railroad: This is painful one.  The Walt Disney World Railroad is closed for at least the next year, possibly longer.  To soften the blow, Disney plans to park the train at the Main Street station, and allow guest to explore the train and take pictures with it.  But the lovely and relaxing (one of my FAVORITE ways to take a break) ride around the circumference of the park is not possible for the foreseeable future.   They haven’t officially said, but I believe some track has to be re-routed and they don’t want the trains coming through the construction areas.  Sigh.  I’m excited about a new attraction, but very bummed about no train for a long period of time.
  • UNOFFICIAL: I haven’t been there to verify this, but there is a walking path between Storybook Circus and Tomorrowland that I suspect may be impacted by Tron construction as well.  This area is often inundated with smokers, so it’s not the quiet restful path it once was.  It’s always been a pretty good “cut-through” or short-cut.  However, the path runs right next to the train tracks for a bit, and then along the Tomorrowland Speedway track as it approaches Space Mountain.  I have a hard time believing this area has been left untouched and accessible, but I will confirm for you first chance I get.

Progress Update

Disney Tron Attraction at Magic Kingdom Construction Milestone Reached
Tron at Magic Kingdom: Milestone Reached

This week, the first steel support columns were put in place for the new attraction.   Prior to the columns being put in place, cast members and team members working on bringing Tron at Magic Kingdom to reality celebrated a major milestone.  They were invited to sign their names on one of the columns, making their “permanent mark” on the attraction.  Wouldn’t that be cool?  To know forever that a tiny piece of you, your signature, was part of that attraction?  I think that would be pretty thrilling!

Disney hasn’t been too committal on when we can expect to take our first ride on Tron at Magic Kingdom.  However, Disney is promising that the new Tomorrowland attraction WILL be open in time for the 50th Anniversary celebration in 2021.

I’m happy to see that Disney continues to invest in new attractions and expansions to our favorite parks.  As crowds continue to grow, I think it’s more important than ever that new attractions arrive to absorb more people.

How do you feel about Tron at Magic Kingdom?  Is this an attraction that you’re excited to check out?  Were you a fan of the Tron movies?

Please comment below and let me know if you’ll be eager to check this one out when it comes on line!

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

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