Halloweentime

innerSpaceman · 10-05-2009, 12:19 PM

I was pretty enthralled with this year's Halloweentime offerings.

The fireworks show is really fun. Pretty exploding sky things matched to often cheesy but enjoyably upbeat arrangements of appropriate Disney and Nightmare Before Christmas tunes. The groovy version of Poor Unfortunate Souls was an especial favorite.

I have really enjoyed the two short-run pyro follow-ups to the overlong-running Remember. Nice shells, with some cool new effects, good pyrography and entertainment have marked both Magical and the new show, Halloween Screams. The big Orb to the left of the Castle is an especially good element of the Halloween show. They don't have to be masterpieces if they run only a month or two. On that basis alone, Halloween Screams is a smashing success. It's totally fun and beautifully pretty.

Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy is fun as well. Also kinda cheesy, but good-humored and also fine for a month's run every year. Hopefully, some of the effects will be improved in years to come. It's basically just a series of projections, and some of them come off better than others. A few are really funny. None of it scary, I'd venture, to anyone tall enough to ride Space Mountain.

The outside sound and lighting treatment is a different story. Spooky, creepy, moody, and fantastic. Nightime only ... so view it after dark. There's a special "gag" about every 7 minutes or so. We watched for over half an hour without seeing any one of the them twice. I have no idea how many there are, but I intend to watch far longer next time. It's mesmerizing. And I plan to join the Standby Queue just to get the close-up view from the upper deck.

A total WIN.

Rounding out the entries ... new lighting on the big Mickey Pumpkin in Town Square that goes from Orange to Blue. The Main Street pumpkins are still cool. Nice intermittant lighting on Small World (but catch that quick -- it goes dark for Xmas overlay prep before Halloweentime ends).

And though the Haunted Mansion overlay has worn out its welcome with me, the exterior of the Mansion is always spectacular this time of year. I'd rather have HM Classic at Halloween, but the Nightmare version is another fun change for the season.

The new Disney Gallery located in the old Main Street Bank building is nicely done (though I don't like it nearly as much as the original locale). There's some wonderful Haunted Mansion artwork in there to complement the season.

Murphy the Dragon is really plussing Fantasmic. I saw her breathe fire for the first time. And while I knew that would make all the difference in the world, I was not prepared for how unbelievably AWESOME it was. A Fantasmic campout is needed in the nearish future.

All in all, a full evening's fun of one Halloween thing after another. I was delighted. And I intend to return for more.

Kevy Baby · 10-05-2009, 12:51 PM

I was enjoying all the Tweets over the weekend on this. It sounds like a must-see.

Deebs · 10-05-2009, 12:58 PM

I'ma go cry now. SO jealous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

I was enjoying all the Tweets over the weekend on this. It sounds like a must-see.

And yeah, the Tweets were killing me. Wanna go real bad.

Chernabog · 10-05-2009, 01:08 PM

With the exception of the GAWDAWFUL Jack Skellington voice in the fireworks, two thumbs up from me. BJ and I shall be hitting the park sometime next week after work just so he can see all of the stuff.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded · 10-05-2009, 10:21 PM

Yeah, lots of "WINS!" for Halloween this year. The show by Small World is fun also as an alternative to the Castle. Enjoyed it all.

Morrigoon · 10-05-2009, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chernabog

With the exception of the GAWDAWFUL Jack Skellington voice in the fireworks, two thumbs up from me. BJ and I shall be hitting the park sometime next week after work just so he can see all of the stuff.

Lemme know when you do! Be advised that the park closes earlyish M-F.

Cadaverous Pallor · 10-06-2009, 08:14 AM

Agreed on the fireworks. So much fun! Plenty of new life in those reworked songs, plenty of fun new shapes in the sky. The fast pacing was genius, I thought. No sleepy middle section like you sometimes get. Poor Unfortunate Souls was hilarious - I've never heard "so sad" sung so happily. My fav was the reworking of GGG that sounded like the singing busts formed a boy band.

Just this side of campy and "fun for the kids". Loved it.

I have a coworker who didn't like the fireworks. After I saw them I told her my opinion, and mentioned the projection balloon thing. She was confused and we realized that wherever she was standing, it must have been out of her view (she said Plaza Inn, so I guess a tree got in the way or something). Make sure you can see to the left of the castle, as Maynard warned us in our Gallery visit.

Love the Bank Gallery too, btw. The interior is gorgeous and the offerings are worth a look. The new locale needs something though....hmmm....perhaps a courtyard?

Must go back for Murphy, though we might have to wait until November, due to blockout days and Mickey's trick or treat thing, which I heard was so insane on last Friday night that they were parking people at the Anaheim Convention Center.

RStar · 10-06-2009, 08:39 AM

Does anyone know- have the fireworks been going last fri, sat, & sun? I haven't been hearing them and it's been windy.

I tried to make it all three days, but didn't. I'm going to try again this fri. (or sat or sun, depending).

And is sat usually busier than fri? Sounds like last ffri was so bad, makes me wonder.....

Ghoulish Delight · 10-06-2009, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RStar

Does anyone know-

Yes, someone knows.

wolfy999 · 10-06-2009, 08:53 AM

Yes, they ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday with no problems.

10-05-2009, 12:19 PM	#1
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Halloweentime I was pretty enthralled with this year's Halloweentime offerings. The fireworks show is really fun. Pretty exploding sky things matched to often cheesy but enjoyably upbeat arrangements of appropriate Disney and Nightmare Before Christmas tunes. The groovy version of Poor Unfortunate Souls was an especial favorite. I have really enjoyed the two short-run pyro follow-ups to the overlong-running Remember. Nice shells, with some cool new effects, good pyrography and entertainment have marked both Magical and the new show, Halloween Screams. The big Orb to the left of the Castle is an especially good element of the Halloween show. They don't have to be masterpieces if they run only a month or two. On that basis alone, Halloween Screams is a smashing success. It's totally fun and beautifully pretty. Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy is fun as well. Also kinda cheesy, but good-humored and also fine for a month's run every year. Hopefully, some of the effects will be improved in years to come. It's basically just a series of projections, and some of them come off better than others. A few are really funny. None of it scary, I'd venture, to anyone tall enough to ride Space Mountain. The outside sound and lighting treatment is a different story. Spooky, creepy, moody, and fantastic. Nightime only ... so view it after dark. There's a special "gag" about every 7 minutes or so. We watched for over half an hour without seeing any one of the them twice. I have no idea how many there are, but I intend to watch far longer next time. It's mesmerizing. And I plan to join the Standby Queue just to get the close-up view from the upper deck. A total WIN. Rounding out the entries ... new lighting on the big Mickey Pumpkin in Town Square that goes from Orange to Blue. The Main Street pumpkins are still cool. Nice intermittant lighting on Small World (but catch that quick -- it goes dark for Xmas overlay prep before Halloweentime ends). And though the Haunted Mansion overlay has worn out its welcome with me, the exterior of the Mansion is always spectacular this time of year. I'd rather have HM Classic at Halloween, but the Nightmare version is another fun change for the season. The new Disney Gallery located in the old Main Street Bank building is nicely done (though I don't like it nearly as much as the original locale). There's some wonderful Haunted Mansion artwork in there to complement the season. Murphy the Dragon is really plussing Fantasmic. I saw her breathe fire for the first time. And while I knew that would make all the difference in the world, I was not prepared for how unbelievably AWESOME it was. A Fantasmic campout is needed in the nearish future. All in all, a full evening's fun of one Halloween thing after another. I was delighted. And I intend to return for more.
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10-05-2009, 12:51 PM	#2
Kevy Baby Chowder Head Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Yes Posts: 18,500	I was enjoying all the Tweets over the weekend on this. It sounds like a must-see. __________________ The thing about quotes on the internet is that you cannot verify their validity. - Abraham Lincoln
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10-05-2009, 01:08 PM	#4
Chernabog Biophage Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Moon Posts: 2,679	With the exception of the GAWDAWFUL Jack Skellington voice in the fireworks, two thumbs up from me. BJ and I shall be hitting the park sometime next week after work just so he can see all of the stuff. __________________ And they say back then our universe Was a coal black egg Until the god inside Burst out and from its shattered shell He made what became the world we know ~ Bjork (Cosmogony)
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10-05-2009, 10:21 PM	#5
Bornieo: Fully Loaded Lego Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Disneyland, USA Posts: 3,704	Yeah, lots of "WINS!" for Halloween this year. The show by Small World is fun also as an alternative to the Castle. Enjoyed it all.
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10-06-2009, 08:14 AM	#7
Cadaverous Pallor ohhhh baby Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Parental Bliss Posts: 12,364	Agreed on the fireworks. So much fun! Plenty of new life in those reworked songs, plenty of fun new shapes in the sky. The fast pacing was genius, I thought. No sleepy middle section like you sometimes get. Poor Unfortunate Souls was hilarious - I've never heard "so sad" sung so happily. My fav was the reworking of GGG that sounded like the singing busts formed a boy band. Just this side of campy and "fun for the kids". Loved it. I have a coworker who didn't like the fireworks. After I saw them I told her my opinion, and mentioned the projection balloon thing. She was confused and we realized that wherever she was standing, it must have been out of her view (she said Plaza Inn, so I guess a tree got in the way or something). Make sure you can see to the left of the castle, as Maynard warned us in our Gallery visit. Love the Bank Gallery too, btw. The interior is gorgeous and the offerings are worth a look. The new locale needs something though....hmmm....perhaps a courtyard? Must go back for Murphy, though we might have to wait until November, due to blockout days and Mickey's trick or treat thing, which I heard was so insane on last Friday night that they were parking people at the Anaheim Convention Center. __________________ The second star to the right shines in the night for you
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10-06-2009, 08:39 AM	#8
RStar Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Me & Manyard hangin out! Posts: 5,433	Does anyone know- have the fireworks been going last fri, sat, & sun? I haven't been hearing them and it's been windy. I tried to make it all three days, but didn't. I'm going to try again this fri. (or sat or sun, depending). And is sat usually busier than fri? Sounds like last ffri was so bad, makes me wonder..... __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup! www.StarTownGifts.com
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10-06-2009, 08:53 AM	#10
wolfy999 Eyes like Sapphires! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 2.4 miles from Disneyland Posts: 1,523	Yes, they ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday with no problems. __________________ Diane "Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin 1937-2008 DISNEY IS FINALLY PAYING ME BACK......STILL OWES ME ABOUT (oh, wait....way too much)!
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