"Wow! I get to go to Disneyland!" These were my exact words when my mom told me the family was moving from the Philippines to the United States of America. I was only 9 years old then but boy was I excited. So excited that when we finally arrived in the U.S. I thought a miniature golf course (with a castle and windmill) on the side of the highway was Disneyland. I told my mom, “It doesn't look very big." You can imagine how shocked I was when I finally went to the real Disneyland. It was definitely bigger than a miniature golf course.
Since then I've only been back a handful of times but this past weekend I was lucky enough to bring my daughter and husband to share in the Disneyland experience. This trip was even more special because it was Mickey's Halloween Party and also a first for both father and daughter. I loved the fact that most of the people standing in line for the event, my daughter included, were wearing costumes. She dressed up as Snow White even though I knew she would've rather dressed up as her favorite Disney character Minnie Mouse.
When we first entered the park we took photos with Pluto, Donald Duck and my daughter's favorite Minnie Mouse. They were dressed in Halloween costumes which made the photos extra-special. My daughter's face lit up when she spotted Minnie Mouse in her purple and orange Halloween dress and hat. She smiled from ear to ear as Minnie knelt down to pose next to her. The joy on her face alone was worth the trip.
Our next stop was The Pirates of the Caribbean. We rode with two toddlers and in hindsight I think they could've waited a few more years before this ride. The talking skeletons and firing canons were probably a little more than they could handle at that age. I hadn't seen it in about 15 years so I noticed a lot of improvements especially the addition of Jack Sparrow.
After that traumatic experience, we decided to leave the kids with my friend's nanny so the grown-ups could go through the Haunted Mansion. (I guess we learned from the "Pirates" experience). The inside was decked out with spooky decorations from the classic movie, "The Nightmare Before Christmas".
We worked up an appetite from all the walking and riding so we decided to stop by the Hungry Bear for some burgers and fries. But we took a slight detour to trick-or-treat at numerous stands that had candy and healthy treats available for all the guests. The candy they were giving away were what you would call the "good" candy. I mean Kit Kat, Snickers, M & M's and even apple slices and baby carrots for the health conscious trick or treaters.
We then took a relaxing train ride around the park and got a chance to see all the Halloween decorations in Tomorrowland, Main St. and New Orleans. The ride brought back so many memories for me. I felt just as excited as I did when I was nine years-old.
Before you knew it, it was time for the fireworks spectacular "Halloween Screams-A Villainous Surprise in the Skies". I have seen lots of fireworks in my day and I have to say this one was the best.
After more trick-or-treating (because a pound of candy simply isn't enough) we headed toward Tomorrowland. My daughter fell asleep in my arms while daddy rode Captain EO and Space Mountain. His face in this souvenir photo says it all.
Once her power nap was over my daughter insisted on ending the night with a game of skiball at the arcade. We danced our way out to some party music that played in Tomorrowland while picking up more candy on our way out.
If you haven't been to Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland be sure to check it out before October 31st. You'll leave with memories that will last a lifetime!
Thank you to Disneyland for making our first family trip to "the happiest place on earth" such a memorable one! It definitely will not be our last.
Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post. I was given tickets to attend the event and the views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.
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