[Question] Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

[SteamboatMickey<3]

I've read a few reports on here that it was crowded.
Well, what is crowded in terms of the party? It's not a full attendance day, so it's not full. Does anyone have an idea of how many people they let in?
The Disneyland operator didn't have a number.
Also, how do they get the other guests to leave when it begins?

[gomezaddams]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

It seems like that it is as many as they can sell. They have not divulged the actual number. It is far too crowded for my money. Some people have a great time, others not so much. Do remember that although the attendance cap is supposed to be lower, that a number of stores & restaurants are closed, so there are less places for guests to go.
The wrist band is used to thin out the regular guests. There are a number of check points & seems effective.

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Do remember that although the attendance cap is supposed to be lower, that a number of stores & restaurants are closed, so there are less places for guests to go.

Higher prices, fewer services. Once again Disney charges more for less.

[SteamboatMickey<3]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Hmm, shall be interesting to see what it's like, it will be my first time. I'm not worried about stores or restaurants closed. I'm going for the scenery and fireworks. I doubt I'll have a bad time.

---------- Post added 10-26-2012 at 01:19 PM ----------

Higher prices, fewer services. Once again Disney charges more for less.

What is higher priced? Are you referring to the entrance fee or actual products or food costing more than a regular day at Disneyland?

[clara]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Hmm, shall be interesting to see what it's like, it will be my first time. I'm not worried about stores or restaurants closed. I'm going for the scenery and fireworks. I doubt I'll have a bad time.

---------- Post added 10-26-2012 at 01:19 PM ----------


What is higher priced? Are you referring to the entrance fee or actual products or food costing more than a regular day at Disneyland?

Pretty much everything. For instance, I went to the very first Halloween event when it was at DCA back in 2004 and paid $23 for the ticket. This year, we paid $69. Just one example.

Oh and are you going this weekend?

[SteamboatMickey<3]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

I'm going on Halloween.

[clara]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

I'm going on Halloween.

Yay! Have fun, I'm going tonight. I'm ready with a plan to face the reported crowds!

[swampymarsh]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Do remember that although the attendance cap is supposed to be lower, that a number of stores & restaurants are closed, so there are less places for guests to go.

Also a huge difference in the number of guests in line and on rides. That is where most guests are on a regular day.

The thing that makes the park appear crowded, is that guests concentrate in certain areas. The treat stations, a handfull of character Meet and Greets, and the hub and Main Street for fireworks and the parades.


If all the same guests spread out on a regular day I think waits would nice.

[JMazz]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

The cut staffing is where I think ppl really feel the pinch. My optimistic side is hoping for reports of better staffing.

[FlubberZorro]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

I was there for the party last night and after the horror stories I read here, was expecting the worst. It was not bad at all.

This was my first Halloween event, so I don't have any comparisons other than a regular weekend night and it seemed pretty light. The longest wait was for HM- 20 minutes. Many of the other rides were almost walk-ons or 10 minutes or less.

Some of the shops were closed, but staffing was fine. Only bummer, fireworks cancelled due to weather.

[mouseknotts]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Some of the shops were closed, but staffing was fine. Only bummer, fireworks cancelled due to weather.

I am sorry to hear the fireworks was cancelled, that has always been one of the high points of the night. But knowing that they only cancel the fireworks to keep people safe would take some of the sting out. Trust me if a fireworks show goes bad, it gets real bad. Safty is important. Having said that it is still a real letdown not to see the fireworks.

[Bryan Dobson]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

I just came back today from my third trip to Disneyland this year. I bought the extra pass for the party on the 26th because I had to see what it was about. The decorations were nice, the treats but it was insanely crowded.

I actually found it far more crowded after the party started than earlier in the day, which was crowded to begin with. Understandably the mansion lines were very, very long.

The majority of the treat lines, great for kids I suppose, were so long in most cases that you could waste the majority of the night in just a few lines for cheap candy.

I love Disney, always will but I'm not going to go to one of these again in the future.

[SteamboatMickey<3]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

So, I went and I survived and was not disappointed. I don't understand people saying it was too crowded. I've seen the park WAY more crowded on a normal operating day. All the candy lines moved along just fine. Certain stores being closed? Who cares. I wasn't there to shop. Certain restuarants closed? Again...who cares! There were plenty open and the Halloween party had so much to do, eating at a restaurant would have taken too much time out. Understaffed? No. I didn't experience any of that.

[ravencroft]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Think about this. My estimate for the attendance is 25,000 guests. If each guest takes home two pounds of candy, that is 50,000 lbs of candy or 25 tons of candy!! The candy was distributed in cardboard boxes containing 30lbs each. 50,000/30 = 1666 boxes and there were 10 treat stations so that would mean 160 boxes of candy at each treat station.

I think the estimate of 25,000 guests is conservative. I am pretty sure disney limits the number of tickets to a planned for number. They do not sell all the tickets they can.

[wiigirl]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Higher prices, fewer services. Once again Disney charges more for less.

[MSCguy]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Easy. The capacity is 1 person more than your crowd tolerance level.

[G24T]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Easy. The capacity is 1 person more than your crowd tolerance level.

Great post.

I believe that last year's capacity was 30,000 and while I don't know what this year's was I can say that this and last year's (both I attended were sold-out events) and this year's crowds felt pretty much the same, with a few slightly annoying caveats, for 2012. Generally people this year were more cunning. They knew that the fireworks were going to be right after the parade so the hub & main street became a huge cluster-funk a half hour before the parade begins to the half hour after the fireworks ended. But meanwhile in the rest of the park it was pleasantly manageable and dare I say, empty feeling. The real turmoil (to me) appeared the be during the hours where the parades or fireworks were not happening. Several huge waves of people oozed around the park on a seek-and-destroy mission to hit as many of the candy stations as possible. Sometimes these blobs would bump into each other throughout the park causing unfathomable traffic snarls but for the most part if you managed to stay away from the mess it was quite pleasant.

About the only thing that was predictable between last and this year's Halloween parties were the stand-by times for the seasonal attractions.

OH, and one small complaint about the park's decision to run only 2 trains during a sold out event as this made waiting for the train a twenty-five minute adventure in candy organization.

[PascalGal]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

Wasn't it reported on another board that the first sold out party totaled 35,000 people? A CM told me that the party totals vary based on certain factors, but he did think that number sounded accurate.

[JMazz]

Re: Mickey's Halloween Party - attendance capacity?

So, I went and I survived and was not disappointed. I don't understand people saying it was too crowded. I've seen the park WAY more crowded on a normal operating day. All the candy lines moved along just fine. Certain stores being closed? Who cares. I wasn't there to shop. Certain restuarants closed? Again...who cares! There were plenty open and the Halloween party had so much to do, eating at a restaurant would have taken too much time out. Understaffed? No. I didn't experience any of that.

I am so glad that you didn't deal with what our party was experiencing.
This gives me hope for next year. Let me help you understand.

60+min for BTRR and Space
up to 45 min for HMH (this line was up and down time-wise, very odd for an omnimover IMO)
Matty at 25+
PP and tea cups and Toad at 35-45 min (start of the party)
Hungry Bear at 15 min to place an order
Less restaus open = more lines elsewhere (I care)
Less retail open = more lines elsewhere (I care)
Less registers open for both retail and restaus = more lines (I care)
Lines and more lines that seemed to intersect one another and go nowhere
The hub and MS were a total gridlock
A major lack of staffing was the root of the problem - this was the first party of the season and I am pretty sure based on what we saw and what we experienced and who we spoke to, the park was not prep'd for this event based on the number of tickets sold. Our two posts about our respective events seem like night and day. I, however, do understand that it is very possible to have two very different experiences for the same type of event. After all, they were a month apart. Again, I am very glad you had a great time, but plz don't discount the reports of others who attended a different date than you.