Editor: Please welcome our latest guest author Megan Prine. I apologize for not posting this earlier this month, she wrote it on time. But it slipped through my schedule. I hope you get a chance to enjoy the tour this year or next.
Review: Happiest Haunts Guided Tour At Disneyland: When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake, spooks come out for a swinging wake, especially during Halloweentime at Disneyland! And there’s no better way to get up-close-and-personal with the Park’s ghostly residents than to embark on the Happiest Haunts tour, a seasonal offering that promises not to be your typical Disneyland guided tour.
Cost: $68 per person ($64.20 with an Annual Pass or AAA discount), which may seem pricy on top of Park admission, but you get a lot of BOO for your buck!
What to Expect: During this 3+ hour experience, guests are treated to an interactive quest through Disneyland and California Adventure. My tour group went in search of Aladdin’s magic lamp, which had been stolen by the Disney Villains (booo wah ha ha ha haaa!). A highlight for me was definitely our wacky hostess Joanna, whose demeanor and antics reminded me of Saturday Night Live’s Mary Katherine Gallagher. I’m guessing each tour guide brings their own amusing “flair” to the Happiest Haunts tour.
As we traversed the Parks in our quest for the lamp, Joanna shared a variety of spooky stories and Halloween lore. Along the way, we got front-of-the-line privileges (faster than FASTPASS!) on six attractions, which all tied into our search for the lamp in one way or another. I don’t want to give too much away, I’ll just say that the rides are mostly E-ticket and we were treated not once, but twice to delicious Disney desserts (tip: don’t take a bite of the poison apple). Tour guests also receive a limited edition pin, which was not yet available when we took the tour in late September but was promised to be delivered by mail (but hasn’t arrived yet…).
Discover Disney Secrets: Tour Guests will learn what happens to Master Gracey and the Haunted Mansion’s other resident spirits while Jack Skellington takes over for the holidays. And be warned, you should watch out for hitchhiking ghosts who wander the Parks and may try to sabotage your quest.
Family Friendly? Before we went on the tour I actually wondered if it would be too “kid-centric”. Though kids would definitely enjoy it (it’s not too scary), there were no little boys or ghouls in our 10-person tour group and we all had a blast.
Reservations: We were able to walk up a few hours before the 5:00 p.m. tour and reserve our spot, however, I recommend calling in advance (714-781-4565) to secure your reservation as Halloween nears.
If you want to experience Halloweentime at Disneyland with a bit of a twist, this tour won’t disappoint. Learn more about the Happiest Haunts and other Disneyland guided tours at Disneyland.com.
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