I'm back! This is my busiest time of year, so like I said, I'll be working on this project at my soonest convenience.
@spacemt354, good to hear from you! I'd definitely love to get some maps pumped out for this project once all is said and done.
I want to take a
quick step away from WestCOT and refocus on something I abandoned several months back: Halloween Time at Mirror Disneyland. This event is loosely inspired by Halloween Horror Nights and mostly inspired by Hong Kong Disneyland's wonderful Halloween event. I'm going for a dynamic that appeals to all age demographics; scares for teens and young adults, and trick-or-treating and cute stuff for the little ones...and I guess the elderly?
I want to also point out that this portion of the project is not a ripoff of the
incredible Disneyland's Undead Nightmare project that has surfaced in this forum recently from user
@Outbound. I highly suggest y'all check that out, too! It's for sure a different and wholly original concept which, as always, is great to see around here. Kudos!
Halloween Time at Mirror Disneyland
An evil wind is howling, a dark fog is creeping in, and sinister forces have cast a shadow over Disneyland. The Villains from classic Disney stories are back, and they're eager to make this year's Halloween a wicked one. Come celebrate with them for an unforgettable Halloween filled with Disney fun both day and night... It's sure to be a spooky good time...
Since the first "Christmas Bowl" in 1956, the holidays have always been a major Disneyland celebration. But it wasn't until 2005 that Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort became a major seasonal offering.
In the late 1990s, inspired by the success of their seasonal enhancement the "Country Bear Halloween Hootenanny," WED and Disneyland officials began looking for other attractions to decorate for the macabre All Hallow's Eve. For years, Knott's Berry Farm and Universal Studios had cornered the market on the elusive Halloween season. Disneyland, meanwhile, was left with nary a pumpkin in sight.
In 1993, the animated classic Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas debuted, garnering a devoted fanbase with great affection for the film's hero Jack Skellington. The film introduced beloved characters such as heroine Sally, the flying ghost dog Zero and the villainous Oogie Boogie, and they have been delighting Disneyland Guests each year since the 2001 premiere of Haunted Mansion Holiday, a seasonal overlay that transforms the classic and delightfully unlivable Haunted Mansion into a merry collision of Halloween and Christmas.
Despite its monstrous success, "HMH" was still not enough to compete with Knott's Scary Farm down the road. The creative demands that would be placed on WED would call for an ethereal blend of the creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky, unequaled in the annals of the entertainment industry. The vision of the various artists, sculptors, designers, engineers, story tellers, special-effects experts and others would soon outgrow a mere attraction overlay and pour into a seasonal celebration held through the entire Park; one in which would forever change Walt's Magic Kingdom...
"The spell's been cast! This September and October, Disneyland Park presents a new, separately ticketed, after-hours event hosted by Jack Skellington (from Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas') and the Disney Villains. Our wonderfully wicked 'monster of scare-e-monies' has rallied the biggest baddies in show business for a Halloween spooktacular unlike any other, including access to some otherworldly attractions and entertainment, trick-or-treating in costume with your favorite Characters, haunted houses and scare zones, and other old favorites sure to wake the dread.
So whether you're a baby boo, teen werewolf or full-grown mummy, there's something fang-tastic for all.
Disney's All Hallow's Celebration - A Halloween Event at Disneyland Park
- Select Nights September - October
- Event 6:00PM to 2:00AM
- All Guests may dress as their favorite character during the event, but may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
- Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
- Costumes may not contain any items that resemble (or could easily be mistaken for) an actual weapon.
- Masks of any kind may not be worn, except for medical purposes."
- Halloween Time Press Release, September 2005
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By 2005, the Disney staff had worked around the clock to unveil the world premiere of Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. The popular Haunted Mansion Holiday was delayed into November and renamed "Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland," leaving the classic Mansion well enough alone for the October holiday. One by one, scenes of the Halloween show were completed, and finally, on September 2, 2005, Halloween Time was ready for its "underworld debut." The nightmare had at long last come true... Halloween Time has traditionally been highlighted by Disney's All Hallow's Celebration, special parades and firework displays, and attraction overlays, including the Country Bear Halloween Hootenanny and Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy. It might hold true that in Disneyland, every day is a holiday, but when the clock strikes midnight on that first Friday of September, the frightful fun begins...
In search of goodies? Travel down the wonderfully wicked Treat Trails in the misty, dream-like realms of Disney's All Hallow's Celebration, a specially ticketed, after-hours event held every other night from the first Friday of September through October 31st. Disneyland remains operational during the day and transitions into the Celebration at night. The event features select scare zones and haunted houses, live entertainment, and trick-or-treating in the Park. You never know where a trail may lead - and it's all in search of a sweet and delightful ending!
The magic of the Halloween Season begins as we explore the ten cardinal realms of Walt Disney's Disneyland. Almost every "land" is renamed exclusively for the ticketed All Hallow's Celebration. Naturally, during normal operating hours, much of the decor and elements from the Celebration are left on display, a festive touch for those in search of frightful fun.
Ghost Town, U.S.A.
(Main Street, U.S.A.)
Sleepy Hollow
(Liberty Street)
Forsaken Jungle
(Adventureland)
New Orleans Square
Folktale Forest
Frontierland: Curse of the Full Moon
Galaxy's Edge: Fall of the Resistance
Fantasyland
Haunted Hollywood
(Hollywoodland)
Tomorrowland: INVASION
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The date is October 31, 2020. This date is remarkable, for today marks the conclusion of Halloween Time and the All Hallow's Celebration's 15th Year.
Our spooktacular adventure begins amidst the autumn decor, music and color of the Esplanade. The Esplanade is the heart of the Disneyland Resort. An accessible, spectacular port of transportation and travel, the air is filled with otherworldly music of this most spirited season. Unsettling lights, fog, fountains and trees set an eerie threshold to the Main Gate of our haunted Magic Kingdom.
Jack Skellington and Zero stand guard over the ornate turnstiles, warm and welcoming. Large bats, headstones and jack-o-lanterns fill the space between the ghostly pair, whilst orange, yellow and purple bunting hangs in lieu of the typical red, white and blue. Once through the turnstiles and beyond the gate, we glimpse the storied clock tower of Main Street Station, decked in the autumn bunting and covered in ghastly cobwebs. Huge (but friendly) black widow spiders have overtaken the station as well as the famous Mickey Mouse Floral. In fact, the typically smiling face of Mickey now appears spooked by the massive spiders! The flowers surrounding Mickey resemble that of a massive spiderweb. We still hear the haunting echo of the station master calling out announcements as the authentic, 3-foot narrow gauge heritage Disneyland Railroad pulls into the station.
***
More to come!