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Around Disney ~ New, tips and photos from the Orange County resort area.

Archive for the 'Halloween' Category

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Disneyland’s Halloween Time ends this weekend

October 30th, 2009, 2:00 pm by Sarah Tully

pumpkinledeThis weekend marks the end of Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort.

That means guests only have through Sunday to catch some major features at the two theme parks.

Disneyland introduced a new fireworks show, called “Halloween Screams,” for the season. The show begins at 9:25 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The best place to view the show is in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. But for the last week, Disneyland also added projections that go along with the show to be seen on mist screens on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. Read more about the Rivers of America screens HERE.

The show has been so popular that Ball Road is often backed up in the evening as visitors go to the park especially for the fireworks, said John McClintock, a Disneyland spokesman. Find tips for viewing fireworks tips HERE.

Space Mountain got an overlay with eerie creatures and a spooky soundtrack for the season, called Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. The special ride also ends Sunday. Space Mountain will return to its normal form on Monday. Read tips for riding Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy.

Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party events, which require special admission tickets to Disney’s California Adventure, are sold out.

The Halloween decorations, including the big Mickey pumpkin near Disneyland’s entrance, will come down. Disney is already starting to put up decorations for the upcoming holiday season, which starts Nov. 13.

Follow Around Disney’s Halloween coverage HERE.

More Halloween posts:


Posted in: California Adventure • Disneyland • Disneyland Resort • Halloween • • | Post a Comment »

Celebrity sighting: 90210 stars at Disneyland

October 30th, 2009, 9:00 am by Sarah Tully

Actors Matt Lanter, right, and Michael Steger of the television show, “90210,” headed to Disneyland for Halloween Time on Tuesday. They also went to Star Tours at the park. Lanter is the voice of Anakin Skywalker on the Cartoon Network series, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”

90210-for-blog-10_09_dl_04556

Photo courtesy of Paul Hiffmeyer of Disneyland Resort.

Previous celebrity sightings at Disneyland:

Posted in: Celebrity sighting • Disneyland • Disneyland Resort • Halloween • celebrities • • • | Post a Comment »

Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob heads Disney-sponsored parade

October 30th, 2009, 3:00 am by Sarah Tully

spongebob-for-blogSpongeBob SquarePants is about to encroach on Mickey Mouse’s territory.

On Saturday, a character dressed as the Nickelodeon Channel cartoon star is scheduled to serve as grand marshal in Anaheim’s Spooktacular Halloween Parade sponsored by Disney, which runs the rival Disney Channel. The parade route sits about two miles away from the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

As far as parade planners see it, SpongeBob and Disney can co-exist in harmony, despite the fight for ratings between their competing children’s networks.

“It’s not an issue, as far as we are concerned,” said Suzi Brown, Disneyland Resort spokeswoman. “We’ve been a sponsor of the parade for many years.”

After all, SpongeBob has roots in Anaheim, too: Creator Stephen Hillenburg grew up in Anaheim and graduated from Savanna High School. Read more about SpongeBob’s creator HERE.

Disney characters already grabbed the limelight in the parade as youth grand marshals: Mickey Mouse in 2002 and Buzz Lightyear of the “Toy Story” movies in 2001.

The parade landed SpongeBob through another major sponsor, Time Warner Cable. The Disneyland Resort and Time Warner each contributed $10,000 for sponsorships, said Ruth Ruiz, spokeswoman for the city of Anaheim.

“There was not any conflict with Disney. We just look at the parade as it’s a family parade. What would the children really like to see?” said Ruth Ruiz, spokeswoman for Anaheim.

The Halloween Parade has a long history in Anaheim, beginning in 1924 with baseball legends Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson serving as grand marshals.

On Saturday, the parade is set for 6 to 8 p.m. in downtown Anaheim. The parade will begin at Broadway and West Street, continuing east on Broadway, heading north on Anaheim Boulevard and concluding at Lincoln Avenue. Read more about Halloween events in Anaheim HERE.

Photo courtesy of Viacom International.

Previous Halloween posts:

Posted in: Disneyland Resort • Halloween • • • | 1 Comment »

Your Disney photos from Flickr, Oct. 28

October 28th, 2009, 11:25 am by Joshua Sudock

adffpf10182009js0001Once a week, we pick a few of the best photos that you readers post to the OCR Around Disney Flickr group, and we feature them on Around Disney.

About once a month, we’ll print your photos — giving you credit, of course — in the hard-copy edition of the Register.

Want to share your photos with like-minded Disney fans and get a chance to have them published in the Register? Visit our OCR Around Disney Flickr group and join up — you have to have a Flickr account, but setting one up is super easy. Just go to flickr.com and click “create account.”

If we pick your photo, we’ll e-mail you for your full name and the caption information for the photo, and pop it online.

adffpf10182009js0002This week’s first photo is from Flickr user LDCross. It features a little girl petting an assistance dog at Disney’s California Adventure during this year’s annual CHOC Walk, which benefits the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

The title is: “CHOC Walk 2009.” The caption reads: “Over 12,000 walkers gathered in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday, October 18th to participate in the 19th Annual CHOC Walk at Disneyland to support the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.”

See more of LDCross’s pictures.

The next photo features a little girl being hugged by her favorite Disney princesses Belle and Aurora. It was shot by Disney-Grandpa, whose real name is Ron Vertrees of Bakersfield.

The headline is: “Little Alice with Aurora and Belle.”

See more of Disney-Grandpa’s pictures.

Our next photo is from Flickr user michaelng. His real name is Michael Ng of
South San Francisco. It features a little boy hiding in a giant jack-o’-lantern.

adffpf10182009js0003The caption reads, “Best hiding place in the park. Goofy’s Playhouse Vegetable Garden.”

See more of michaelng’s pictures.

Thanks to everyone who contributed new art to the OCR Around Disney Flickr group this week! We love seeing the parks through your eyes. Please keep taking those Halloween photos.

Need some help deciding which pictures to contribute? Here are some tips on how to get your photos published at arounddisney.com.”

Keep snappin’ and having fun!

Related Posts:

Posted in: California Adventure • Disney Memories • Disney characters • Disneyland • Disneyland Resort • Fantasyland • Flickr photos • Halloween • Your Photos | Post a Comment »

Knott’s Haunt adds an extra day and discounts

October 28th, 2009, 3:00 am by Michael Mello, The Orange County Register

The grand finale of this year’s Halloween Haunt was originally supposed to be on Halloween night. But Knott’s Berry Farm has extended its fright fest for an additional day and is offering admission discounts, especially for Buena Park residents. (Hint: online tickets cost less.)

“We always seem to extend Haunt by a few days,” park spokeswoman Jennifer Blazey said. Though it’s park policy not to make specific attendance figures public, Haunt has pulled in about the same number of visitors as last year, Blazey said.

Sunday got added, in part, because nearby Cal State Long Beach will have a furlough day on Monday, and Knott’s hopes to gather in some of the young adults who otherwise would be responsible and head to bed early on a school night.

On Sunday, Knott’s will extend a special deal to Buena Park residents, who can attend Haunt for $19.99 per person (normally $31.99 to $53.99). Visitors from Buena Park will need to show some proof of residency, such as a high school ID card or a driver’s license.

“It’s a kind of ‘thank you’ to the city of Buena Park for helping us out with Haunt every year,” Blazey said.

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Brightcove video.

For those who want a fright on Halloween night, Knott’s Berry Farm is offering free Haunt admission for guests who raise a minimum of $70 in donations for Give Kids the World. That number also gets guests admission to a pre-Haunt all-you-can-eat buffet. To sign up, head to firstgiving.com. Enter “Give Kids the World” as the charity, then go to the sign-up page.

Haunt begins at 7 p.m. every night through Sunday night. For more information, visit knotts.com.

More Knott’s Berry Farm news:

Posted in: Halloween • Knott's Berry Farm | 1 Comment »

Tonight History Channel peeks behind Knott’s Haunt

October 27th, 2009, 2:21 pm by Michael Mello, The Orange County Register

Just how does Knott’s Berry Farm round up all those monsters for Haunt year after year? How do they do those special effects in the mazes?

The History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” series takes a look at these questions and others for tonight’s show.

Last year, a film crew from the network examined the behind-the-curtain action as Knott’s put on the 35th season of Haunt, including interviews with some of the evil geniuses behind Haunt, including entertainment designer Todd Faux (left).

They take look at the intensive makeup and costuming that’s done before a Haunt monster is deemed frightening enough to unleash upon the public, the thousands of latex masks that need to be made for every Haunt and just where all that blood that’s everywhere comes from.

Modern Marvels is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. tonight on the History Channel. The show is a repeat.

More Knott’s Berry Farm news:

Posted in: Halloween • Knott's Berry Farm | Post a Comment »

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