Disneyland Commentary

Disneyland Holidays

September 5, 2009

So I'm taking my usual Saturday morning spin around some of my favorite Disney websites and starting to see how both Disneyland and Walt Disney World are getting decked out for Halloween still seven or so weeks away as I write this.  Now no matter how you cut it, Halloween is no holiday.  In fact, as I've mentioned elsewhere, it's a day I don't get at all, never have, never will.  It's become a commercial enterprise of the highest proportion but for what? 

For Disney theme parks, Halloween has become a very big deal so much so that it takes a couple of weeks for the parks to ramp up all their decorations then prepare to sell the public on "separate admission" Halloween events.  And there's the rub.  Not only do they sell Halloween treats and trinkets in their stores, shops, and carts, they nail you with special admission events outside the very high park prices you are already paying.  Who can blame them I suppose?  Everybody has to make a living, even multi-billion dollar corporations.

Keep in mind, I fully admit to being the original Halloween Scrooge. One thing that really bothers me out here in California is the fact that the beautiful month of September is pretty much crossed off my Disneyland calendar as a time of year to go.  Not only are the post summer refurbishments going on but this year, both the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain are being taken out of service to install their Halloween overlays.  Those are two prime attractions that are rendered unusable just so they can be readied for the real Disney Halloween season that gets going during the last week of September.  I am told the Haunted Mansion in Disney World does not have a Halloween / Christmas overlay simply because, with people coming to WDW from all over the world, the weeks it takes to install and de-install holiday overlay is not an option. 

As much as I dislike Halloween, I do enjoy the Nightmare Before Christmas - Haunted Mansion overlay but its mostly for the Christmas theming.  Christmas at Disneyland?  I've got to admit they do a fantastic job with Christmas.  Christmastime at Disneyland can be a wonderful time of year but as I learned last year - there is a cautionary note.  If you go down to Disneyland as part of your Christmas season to enjoy the beauty of park in all its Christmas glory, then it will be a great experience.  If you go down to Disneyland to try and put yourself in the Christmas spirit, then you might come away disappointed as once again, the shear commercialism of it all may be a bit of a downer.  Disney wants to give you a magical Christmas experience but they also want to make money.....lots of it. 

Christmas and Halloween are the two big holiday events for Disneyland, the two roll in together for one big three or four month season.  Poor Thanksgiving doesn't have much of a chance.  Disney also spends some with Valentine's Day, Easter, and the spectacle of New Year's and 4th of July firework shows but these are minor as compared to what goes on in the autumn and early winter.  My favorite time to go to Disneyland is probably mid-November or early December - far enough away from Halloween but still experience some of the magic of Christmas.

Many years ago, I adopted this guy as my absolute favorite Halloween character.....One of the great sayings of all time "I got a rock..."

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