2017 Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort

Disneyland is holding Mickey's Halloween Party 14 nights this year, and celebrating Halloween Time September 15 through October 31.

Cars Land is receiving a Haul-o-Ween makeover for 2017. Photo © Disney.

Halloween Time – Friday, September 15 through Monday, October 31

Halloween Time brings the return of popular attractions to Disneyland, and for 2017, introduces new Halloween elements in Disney California Adventure. While Jack Skellington has claimed Disneyland's Haunted Mansion as his own, transforming it to the Haunted Mansion Holiday, Oogie Boogie has set his sights on Disney California Adventure park across the esplanade. The main entrance gates will feature an Oogie Boogie sculpture, and a cloud of bats will swirl around the spire of the Carthay Circle Theater. Buena Vista Street will be treated with Halloween decor, including a new Headless Horseman statue.

Cars Land plays host to the first-every Haul-o-Ween festival, featuring the Radiator Springs residents in their Halloween costumes. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters attractions will each feature Halloween music and decor for the season.

In addition to the Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy returns for Halloween Time. Also returning are the popular Dia de los Muertos displays in Frontierland and the Main Street Pumpkin Festival. This is always a fun time to visit Disneyland, with the Disney characters dressed in Halloween costumes and the park decorated for the season.

Halloween Time is shorter in 2017, and there are only 14 Mickey's Halloween Party nights on the calendar—three fewer than last year.

Oogie Boogie and friends will play a prominent role in Disney California Adventure's Halloween decorations. Photo © Disney.

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Mickey's Halloween Party

This after-hours event takes place on 14 nights this year, and requires a separate event ticket to attend.

Mickey's Halloween Party includes trick-or-treat stations, themed entertainment, a performance of the event-exclusive Halloween Screams fireworks, and a return of the Frightfully Fun Parade and Ride of the Headless Horseman down Main Street, U.S.A., both introduced in 2016.

Ticket prices jumped quite a bit again this year, with Halloween night tickets breaking the $100 mark for the first time. The most expensive tickets are now $120 per person, up from $99 in 2016, $84 in 2015, and from $77 in 2014.

The least-expensive advance purchase ticket available with an annual passholder discount now $85, up from $72 in 2016, $63 in 2015, and $56 in 2014. AP discounts apply to only three of the parties, all on weeknights.

Disney has added two perks to the price of the Halloween party ticket. The three-hour early admission period before the party begins now offers park hopping for the first time. Access to both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland has not been included in the ticket price in the past, and this gives Halloween partiers a chance to see the seasonal decorations in both parks before the main event begins.

PhotoPass downloads of souvenir photos taken during the event are also now included, although this perk won't matter as much to Signature and Premier annual passholders.

Dates and prices are as follows:

• Adv – Advance purchase discount for general public
• AP – Discounted price for Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club members and Disney Visa cardholders
• Gate – Day of event price

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
9/17	9/18	9/19	9/20 Hours: 6:00–11:00 Prices: • Adv: $95 • AP: $85 • Gate: $105	9/21	9/22 Hours: 7:00–Midnight Prices: • Adv: $105 • AP: $105 • Gate: $105	9/23
9/24	9/25 Hours: 6:00–11:00 Prices: • Adv: $95 • AP: $85 • Gate: $105	9/26	9/27 Hours: 6:00–11:00 Prices: • Adv: $95 • AP: $85 • Gate: $105	9/28	9/29 Hours: 7:00–Midnight Prices: • Adv: $105 • AP: $105 • Gate: $105	9/30
10/1	10/2	10/3 Hours: 6:00–11:00 Prices: • Adv: $105 • AP: $105 • Gate: $105	10/4	10/5	10/6 Hours: 7:00–Midnight Prices: • Adv: $105 • AP: $105 • Gate: $105	10/7
10/8	10/9	10/10 Hours: 6:00–11:00 Prices: • Adv: $105 • AP: $105 • Gate: $105	10/11	10/12	10/13 Hours: 7:00–Midnight Prices: • Adv: $105 • AP: $105 • Gate: $105	10/14
10/15	10/16	10/17 Hours: 6:00–11:00 Prices: • Adv: $105 • AP: $105 • Gate: $105	10/18	10/19	10/20 Hours: 7:00–Midnight Prices: • Adv: $120 • AP: $120 • Gate: $120	10/21
10/22	10/23	10/24 Hours: 6:00–11:00 Prices: • Adv: $105 • AP: $105 • Gate: $105	10/25	10/26	10/27 Hours: 7:00–Midnight Prices: • Adv: $120 • AP: $120 • Gate: $120	10/28
10/29	10/30	10/31 Hours: 6:00–11:00 Prices: • Adv: $120 • AP: $120 • Gate: $120	11/1	11/2	11/3	11/4

As we've noted in past years, Disney seems to have realized that some locals are taking advantage of the three-hour "early" admission offered on party nights, and are using the party as their semi-annual trip to Disneyland. In past years, going the party route offers a slightly higher cost per hour, but a lower absolute price. The party also offers smaller crowds and access to exclusive Halloween entertainment.

That math doesn't work as well in 2017, with the Halloween Party ticket costing as much as $23 more than a one-day ticket for the same day. Someone planning to visit on Halloween day this year can choose to buy a one-day ticket valid from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (10 hours) for $97, or buy a Halloween Party ticket, valid from 4 p.m. to midnight (8 hours) for $120.

Advance purchase tickets for the Halloween Party are now available for purchase for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders, Disney Rewards Visa card holders, and Disney Vacation Club members. Passholders can purchase tickets online by logging into their account on the Disneyland website. DVC members and Disney Visa card holders can purchase by calling (714) 781-4400, or in person at a Disneyland Resort ticket booth. Tickets go on sale Monday, July 24 to the general public.

What to do if the party you want is sold out?

Mickey's Halloween Party tickets usually sell out well before the end of September, and we recommend that you buy your tickets as soon as you can commit to a night. However, the most popular nights sell out even faster, and each year readers find themselves scrambling to obtain tickets because they waited too long.

Before you turn to Craigslist, StubHub, or eBay (all of which bring with them the very high risk of being defrauded), here are official ways you may still be able to buy legitimate party tickets directly from Disney:

• Call Disneyland and order tickets by phone – a limited number of tickets may be available by phone for events that are sold out online. Call (714) 781-4636 to purchase by phone. Expect to wait on hold for at least 10 minutes.
• Visit Disneyland and purchase tickets in person – a limited number of tickets may be available at the Disneyland ticket booths for events that are sold out online. However, if you tried to purchase tickets by phone and the night you wanted was sold out, they will not be available at the ticket booths.
• Disneyland Resort Hotels – if you are a guest staying at one of the three Disney-owned hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel, or Grand Californian Hotel), check with your hotel desk the morning of the event to see if they have tickets available for purchase. Last year, MousePlanet Community Leader Angela told us that a small number of tickets were reserved for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests, and were released for sale at 5:30 a.m. the morning of each party. Officially these tickets are intended only for concierge-level guests, but we've heard conflicting stories about that, and it seems some guests in standard rooms have been allowed to buy the tickets as well. If you're already staying on property, it does not hurt to ask. Angela warns that these tickets sell out very quickly, so don't wait until the party starts to try to make your purchase.
• Friends or family – if friends/family already have tickets, they may be able to purchase additional tickets the day of the party. Again, a small number of tickets are reserved for same-day sales to help accommodate ticket holders who may have miscounted how many they need, or who had friends/family unexpectedly join them. As with the tickets reserved for hotel guests, these are very limited, and go on sale as soon as the ticket booths open in the morning. If at all possible, get there first thing in the morning to increase your chance of getting tickets. You must have the other event tickets with you—the cast member needs to see them, and cannot just trust your word that "so-and-so already has tickets."

Costume guidelines

The costume guidelines for the 2017 events are similar to those in place in 2016, so there shouldn't be too much confusion this year.

For attendees 13 and under, the rules are pretty straightforward: "Costumes and some masks may be worn, as long the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible."

There are also universal guidelines that apply to all guests regardless of age:

• Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable, or violent.
• Guests who dress like characters may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other guests.
• Costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
• Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects, or materials that may accidentally strike another guest.
• Layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged and may be subject to additional security screening.
• Costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. (for example, full-length Princess dresses).

The published policy for guests age 14 and up has more rules:

• Capes may be worn if the length does not go below the waist.
• Themed T-shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, and hats are acceptable.
• Acceptable accessories include: transparent wings, plastic light sabers, toy swords and tutus. Headwear may be worn as long as it does not cover the face.
• Masks of any kind may not be worn.

As always, we recommend that adults who want to wear costumes into the park during the event pay attention to all of the rules, and err on the side of caution to avoid any problems at the gate.

The 2017 guidelines do not give any information about when costumes may be worn. In the recent past, adults and children could wear their costumes all day if visiting on a day for which they held tickets to that evening's Halloween Party. In practice, that really meant anyone could dress up on party days, because Disney wasn't exactly pulling people in costume aside to ensure they had a Halloween Party ticket or that day.

However, the rules were more strict in prior years, with guests allowed to enter the park in costume only during actual party hours. That meant that visitors who were spending the day in the theme parks but also had tickets to that night's party had to leave the parks and change into their costumes when the party began at 4:00 or 5:00. We don't have any indication of which policy Disney intends to implement this year, but with recent changes to the overall security practices in the parks, don't be surprised to see the more stringent rules in place again.