By snoadmin
For decades, Disneyland has upheld its legendary motto as the “Happiest Place on Earth – and as a profitable worldwide travel destination for all ages – but in the daunting month of October, can it be transformed into the “Scariest Place on Earth”?
Well, not quite.
Nevertheless,the Disneyland Resort’s second annual HalloweenTime is a celebrated occasion dedicated to the more, for the lack of a better word, “fluffy” attributes this spooky holiday possesses. Although the mood of the park still remains entirely innocent, it has not failed to present its version of the holiday in a suitable manner for all to enjoy.
It can be certain, though, that Disney has maintained its high standard of decorating pizzazz, as the light-hearted spirit of Halloween is felt through the elaborate decor that blankets the park.
When it comes to details, Disney’s got it covered. Every inch of the experience in the park is paved in a festive manner, with more than 300 jack-o-lanterns sitting around everywhere from the windows to the flowerbeds. It seems as if no rock can be unturned without a pumpkin underneath.
Each lamppost down Main Street, U.S.A. is adorned with ribbons in the colors of the season. None of the sights are short of perfection – something Disney seems to always uphold.
An astonishing sight that many guests will enjoy and pose for a picture with is the 12-foot-high Mickey Mouse head sculpture made of, you guessed it, pumpkins.
Once inside the park, visitors can see Disney characters walk around dressed up in their own elaborate Halloween-themed costumes.
Farther within the park, Disneyland has once again re-themed its famously spooky attraction, the Haunted Mansion. Covered with bows, cobwebs and large jack-o-lantern-headed monsters lurking about the queue, Haunted Mansion Holiday is nothing short of another spectacular display of the celebration.
Known for being the scariest ride the resort has to offer (as scary as anything Disneyland can have, anyway), the attraction has been transformed into a frivolous recount of Jack Skellington, the main character from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and his skewed attempt at making Christmas.
In this case, Disneyland has once again weaseled in the fluff – and lots of it. If you do love the ride, however, and enjoy the movie, it’s worth the long wait.
Just as magically spooky in its own naive kind of a way is Disneyland’s sister park, Disney’s California Adventure. The outside entrance of California Adventure is adorned with enormous candy corns in place of the “A’s” of the letter statues that spell out “California,” but the decorations don’t stop there.
A few steps inside and guests will see a new setup called “Candy Corn Acres.” This “ranch” is an intricately designed area festooned with crops of candy corn on the vines and stalks of what would be corn, carrots, pumpkins and grapes.
Past the harvest yard are the routine attractions visitors shouldn’t miss: Soarin’ Over California, California Screamin’ and the menacingly amusing Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This time, though, Tower has undergone a special modification due to the holiday, so make sure you listen for the new sounds being projected around the area.
A nice little added treat (not trick – this is Disneyland, remember?) to the whole experience is a candy-themed playlist that can be heard all day throughout park. It features songs such as “Lollipop,” “The Candy Man” and “I Want Candy.”
No need to worry, though, if you’re not familiar with these songs. After an hour or so within the park, you’ll be singing the words in no time.
When visiting the Disneyland Resort for HalloweenTime, you may be comforted to know you can leave your shrieks and screams at home. The embellishments and details will undoubtedly remind you of the joyful soul of the holiday that is ever-so-often forgotten.
HalloweenTime will run through Oct. 31 at the Disneyland Resort.
