disneyland

Mickey’s Halloween Party

One of my favorite times at Disneyland is almost here! Starting September 9th all of the Halloween haunts will fill the park. I talk about Disneyland a lot, and I mean a lot (which reminds me that I never got to writing about our WDW trip!) If you haven’t gone to Mickey’s Halloween party you should really consider it. You can check out my top five reasons why it’s one of the best times to attend the park. The ticket is a special admission, ranging from $79-$99 depending on when you attend, Halloween being the most expensive. The ticket doesn’t include parking this year so that’s a bummer but we usually stay the night, which I highly recommend. Last year was the most enjoyable for us, the year before was way too crowded and just not as fun compared to last year. The park was crowded at first as the regular admission guests and special ticket holders fill the park. Once the haunts begin (and no, it’s not scary. I get the question all the time) the park thinned out. We pretty much walked onto every ride we wanted to go on. The treat trails were enjoyable and the cast members were happier than the year before.

The Dapper Dan’s transform into Cadaver Dan’s and it’s amazing! I wish I caught their facial expressions but I caught this just as their performance ended. It was spectacular!

Like I said in my top five reasons on why to attend, the treats are pretty darn good. Last year we skipped a lot of the candy and went straight for the healthier treats. We love the: apple chips, the graham bug crackers, carrots (once we got a lot of these we started getting candy if that was the only other option), and fresh apple packs.

The best part of the experience for us is dressing up a family. We always get so many ideas as we walk around but in the end I always ask the kids what they would like to do as a family instead. For 2015, we did Alice in Wonderland. The hubby and I went as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, I DIY’ed our costumes. Payton was the perfect Alice, missing teeth and all. Brayden had two options: Mad Hatter or White Rabbit and he went for the White Rabbit, he loved saying, “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date!”

This year our costume theme was chosen by Brayden, if you know him you know right away he said Star Wars. His costume will be purchased, as he wants to be a Storm Trooper, he won’t be wearing a mask to the park because masks cannot be worn. The only exception is if your eyes show, so the Storm Trooper mask is out but Payton’s Darth Vader is okay. I am going as an Ewok and Jim as Han Solo. I will be DIY’ing ours again.

For the White Rabbit I purchased a vest suit from Walmart for around $12. On the vest I added a felt heart and clock. I purchased this hat and red bow tie (this was a men’s and it was fine).

For Alice, I purchased the dress from Etsy, her headband and black heart flats were from Target and White Rabbit purse here.

For the Tweedle’s I found the yellow shirts at a t-shirt mart. The red hats and Jim’s pants were from Amazon. The tricky part of the hat was making sure the flag’s stood up. I had altered them for Halloween night using a blue and white striped paper straw. The bibs were made from white felt and the bow’s I purchased from Michael’s. I literally eye-balled everything in my typical fashion. Jim had Alice socks on too from Vans which were cool.

The Halloween party, plus the evening stay is our tradition for Brayden’s birthday. Last year we did breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen the morning after and had a cake for him and my parents who were celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary.

I always look forward to the seasonal treats. Did you know I have a Disneyland Treats Instagram account? Go follow me. I try and post all the fun goodies as soon as they come out.

Have you gone? Are you planning on attending? I would love to hear your favorite thing about Mickey’s Halloween Party!

Mickey’s Halloween Party – 5 Reason’s Why You Need to Go!

If you follow me on instagram you know that we go to Disneyland a lot! If there’s something else you know about me is that I love Halloween almost more than any other holiday. Halloween time at Disneyland is one of my favorites and I have been counting down since our visit last year to go back to Mickey’s not so scary Halloween party. The good news is that tickets are on sale and they will sell out, don’t wait! I waited last year and after one day three different dates sold out. The event ranges from $69-$84. You might think it’s crazy but it’s really worth it! If you don’t have an annual passport you can arrive at the park three hours before the event’s start time and it includes parking. This year we are making a weekend out of the event by staying at The Disneyland Hotel to celebrate Brayden’s 4th Birthday. Here are a few reason’s why you’ll love the special event:

1. Treats. I mean seriously, the treats are freaking insane. I would say that you could probably skip going trick-or-treating on Halloween and just go for the fun treats at Disneyland. We are a family of four and we skipped a few trick-or-treat stations and we still had way too many treats. When you go through the main gates they will give you a treat bag for each guest. My suggestion is to bring larger bags to dump the treats into. This year my goal is to go mainly for the healthy treats because our kids love the dried apples (and the frozen apple juice next to Casey Junior, it’s a must for every visit!) and it’s one treat I always stock-up on when we go to the park anyway. They also make for great snacks to send to school as a special treat!

2. Costumes. I could go and sit on a bench and just people watch. I have been brainstorming our family costumes since last year and I can tell you it’s already August and I have no clue. It’s amazing to see the adults get so into the fun. Some costumes are mediocre and some are so extraordinary that you might confuse a guest as a cast member. Tip: When you’re dressing your little ones add some glow sticks to the mix. Last year Payton went as one of 1,000 Elsa’s. She wore Twinkle Toes which added some icey flair and we could always see where she was because of her lights. The park is super dark and it’s crowded so add something to identify your child quickly. If you have a Tinker Bell, add glow sticks into the skirt or make the wings light up.

Eerie fog rolling in at dusk over Tom Sawyer island. The kids loved this!

3. Special Shows & Attractions. I love Disney Villans but sadly we don’t see them throughout the year. You’ll see Jack Skellington, Cruella Deville, Ursula and many others scattered around the park. You will also see your favorite characters dressed up as well. You won’t want to miss the Haunted Mansion or Space Mountain’s ghostly surprises. You’ll love the Villain fireworks show, I was seriously blown away and loved every second because all the evilest Disney characters make a bootiful appearance. Our kids had fallen asleep about an hour before close so we could really take in all that the party had to offer. I must say my favorite part was watching all the Villains saying goodnight and going away into the Disneyland Railroad.

Big Thunder Ranch is always a secret gem. It’s back away from the crowds and there’s always a lot of characters rotating through. There’s also cookie decorating, dancing and more fun. Overall, it’s a good place to take a break.

4. Value. I know value and Disney don’t seem like they would go together in the same sentence but if you truly plan a trip you can save. Last year we went and only had to pay for three vs. four and we went on a Wednesday which was less than Friday or closer dates to Halloween. Since we went after we picked the kids up from preschool we stopped on the way up for dinner and only had a snack at the park. You’re also saving on parking because your party ticket includes parking. If you utilize the healthy treats from the treat stations you can really make it work for an evening with minimal spending. The biggest value for us last year and even this upcoming is that we stayed on property. Last year we did the Grand Californian and this year we are staying at The Disneyland Hotel per the almost four-year-old’s request. It is crazy how tired you are stumbling back to your room with sleeping kids in tow! It was really worth it because we weren’t trying to change them in the car or making the hour plus drive home.

5. The Photo Opportunities. Halloween is my favorite time at Disneyland, well that and Christmas but there’s just something so amazing about the Mickey pumpkin as you walk-in. I have loved taking our photo there ever since my nieces and nephew were babies.

Have you gone to Mickey’s Halloween Party? If so, what’s your favorite thing? If not, what would you want to see? xo.

for the love of the mouse.

Many people have a place or activity that they turn to when they feel down. After my Grandmother passed when my Mom was down I would suggest a Disneyland visit. We’ve always been a Disney family but once I had kids it changed, I see the park differently and I love it even more because I am experiencing it through their eyes. It was recently explained to me that it’s because it’s a place of fantasy. I don’t want my children to grow-up in a fantasyland, I want them to know that there are struggles in life and that all things aren’t pretend. From a previous post you know that as a family we are in the most trying time in our lives. Our children do not know there are issues, rather that mommy has a different place she lives, we call it the new normal and explain that there is a lot of in between normal we experience throughout life. Over the past month I have been spending more and more time at home as we reconstruct and start building a new future. Life has been good and life has been tough. If you follow me on Instagram you know that we go to Disneyland just about every week or bi-weekly. Just like I used to do for my Mom after my Grandma passed I have found myself resorting to a visit to Disneyland. I have found a new meaning in the phrase, “the happiest place on Earth”. I no longer stress out over visits, the kids and I try something new each visit and we call ourselves the little explorers. It has been very difficult for me to blog, I have neglected this space and I believe that if I begin to write about things I love like our visits to Disneyland then a new love will form. I look forward to sharing our Disney adventures, travel & park tips, yummy food and the joy we have as a family at the park.

Payton’s 4th Birthday {Disneyland}

(bear with me as I play catch-up of events)

Payton’s second wish for her fourth birthday was to go to Disneyland. Since daddy was in Austin for her special day, Grandma and I took the kids to the happiest place on earth. We learned last year when taking her Disneyland one week before Christmas it meant chaos and this year was no exception, it was pure chaos! Last year it was raining the morning of and this year it was nearly 80 degrees. Luckily for us, the kids don’t really care if we ride too many rides. All they seem to care about is seeing the princesses, Brayden needs to see Goofy otherwise his two-year-old planet will spontaneously combust, cotton candy, popcorn, a ride on the carousel, maybe even a coast through Ariel’s undersea adventure and finishing off the day with purchases made at The World of Disney is all they truly need. Actually, this is our routine 75% of the time, luckily for us we have passports so it makes it easy when the crowds get the best of us.

We made the most of our December 18th trip and tried doing holiday-type things like decorating sugar cookies at Mickey’s Jamboree. This was the highlight of our trip because Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Mrs. Claus and Santa were all nestled back away from the chaos. The kids could interact as long as they wanted with the characters. We were probably thirty seconds away from being tossed out of the park for Brayden’s stalking skillz (yes with a ‘z’) on Goofy and Pluto. I am sure the human behind the fluff was so annoyed with my kid. Hell, he even parked himself down next to a teenage girl during one of the last hillbilly shows and made himself comfortable. At one point he kept inching closer to her, grabbing her hand and leaning on her arm. This kid has mad skillz (again, with the ‘z’) and he’s only two. It was fun chasing him around, they had fun and I had fun watching them act like crazy ass kids. After the kids, grandma and I consumed way too many sprinkles and icing we exited the park and met my sister’s family to celebrate my nieces 9th birthday and miss p’s 4th. Dinner was chaotic like the park, but more so because my son decided he wanted to enter into his terrible two’s that day. Lord help me and let it pass quickly because I can’t look like “that” mom out in public any longer than I have already endured. Okay, enjoy the picture overload. Payton’s fourth is finally recapped. Now onto planning the fifth birthday.

Brayden already getting to dart because he made contact with Goofy. See the disinterest with Mrs. Clause?

We’re still all good here. Engaged young boy somewhat paying attention to his Grandma’s direction…somewhat…

what else is in there? I’ve already tasted all the sprinkles. I need MORE!

Payton, bless her patient heart. She decorated her cookie, obliged for her photo and stayed put with Grandma to watch the show.

Grandma now decorating Brayden’s $6 cookie.

Plethora of affection for Mickey & his pals.

“holy s*** mom! It’s actually Mickey Mouse!”

Okay, I’ll give him a hug. He seems alright and he sings about hot dogs.

But Goofy is just like me! We’re so cool we blow kisses to one another.

I ran away from my mom and found another girl. Slowly but surely I will work my way over.

we also finally talked mommy into purchasing two balloons, the yellow one is still floating high onto her ceiling 5 weeks later. take that $7 balloon that mommy thought wouldn’t last!