The Housewife Travels: Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland resort

In celebration of Brent's acceptance to USNTPS we decided to treat ourselves to two of our favorite things: Disneyland and Halloween... and candy. OK, three things.

*It requires the purchase of a special ticket which is separate from regular park admission. You don't need to buy regular park admission to attend the party. The party ticket also includes parking. A great perk is that it allows you entrance into the park 3 hours prior to the party itself. Which means though the party may be from 7pm-12am you can actually go from 4pm-12am!

*The same as any other time at Disneyland, weeknights in general are less busy but the party itself ALWAYS sells out. Buy your tickets online as far in advance as possible. (We had to move our trip back because tickets sold out.) Lighter crowds on a weeknight will only effect your hours in the park pre-party and for the first hour or two after the party starts while general admission guests are still meandering their way off of rides and out of the park. Line wait times will significantly decrease as the party gets going. We only waited ,at most, 15 minutes for the popular rides later in the night.

*Look for entrance lines especially designated for party-goers. Once you're in the the park you'll be given a bracelet which allows you to stay within the park after the party starts.

*One of the best reasons to attend Mickey's Halloween Party is to dress up! Only during the Halloween party are guests of ALL ages allowed to wear costumes. (Normally only children 10 and under) It's really fun to dress up and run around the park, even as an adult. It really helps you feel the magic.

*Another great advantage is the special decor that is exclusive to the Halloween Party. In late September Disneyland is dressed in it's fall finest but during the Halloween party everything gets a little more spooktacular. (Not scary or gross) The employees are decked out in neon colors with bat accents. Mickey shaped pumpkins pop up everywhere and fog drifts off the Waters of America from Pirates Cove.

*And of course there's the special entertainment. Dance clubs with rockin' music, a special fireworks show and parade and, my favorite, the Cadaver Dans that sing their ghostly renditions of Disney favorites as they float through the mist around Pirates Cove (formerly Tom Sawyer island.)

Grace and I had fun getting our groove on at the Monster University dance party. The rest of the gang wasn't cool enough to join the fun. That's OK. We dance to the beat of our own drum.

*Halloween isn't complete with out begging candy from strangers. There are treat stations and treat trails set up all over the park. Some trails weave you through festively decorated restaurants and others can be found on your way from ride to ride. You can even trick-or-treat at characters homes in Toon Town! In true Disney style there was no crappy candy to be found. All delicious chocolatey goodness. Plenty of Reese's peanut butter cups! They also had gluten-free and healthier options like Cliff bars, pretzels, Kettle chips, carrots, and fruit leather at each station which we're yummy too.

We put no limits on the candy intake. We just let the kids eat to their hearts content. Though we did warn them not to over stuff themselves since it would increase the likelihood of them puking on rides. They did a good job regulating themselves but we have photographic evidence that the sugar levels were off the charts. That mixed with the late hour caused some good times to be had.

*There are lots of character opportunities during the party. All of your favorite villains are roaming about the entire night. Jack Skellington and Sally are the most popular to see and some people wait in line upwards of two hours. We had seen them on a recent trip and didn't need to waste the time. We opted for a 5 minute wait for a theme appropriate visit with Peter Pan and Wendy.