Mickey's Halloween Party

We recently went on a trip to Disneyland and while we were there we attended Mickey's Halloween Party. 

This is a separate ticketed event and tickets cost about $69 per person and that includes parking. The party goes from either 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm or 7:00 pm to 12:00 am depending on the night of the party. With your ticket, you can get into the park 3 hours before the party starts. Everyone comes dressed up in their costumes. They close the park early to those without a ticket so it's a lot less crowded than normal because they only sell a certain amount of tickets. Those tickets sell out so you have to make sure to buy them early. 

Here are some highlight from the Halloween Party:

Trick or Treating

How many people can actually say they went trick or treating at Disneyland? So much fun! To be honest, I wasn't super excited about trick or treating. Who needs more candy, right? But this was actually my favorite part! Even the adults got to go trick or treating! They had trick or treating stations all over the park. In each station there were about 5 candy stations. They passed out handfuls of candy or you could choose a healthy snack like carrot sticks, apple slices, crackers, popcorn, and pretzels. We left with so much candy! We also stocked up on snacks and we took them to Disneyland the rest of the week while we were there. 

Parades and Fireworks

They have certain parades and shows that are specific to the Halloween Party. This year was a little different because of the Diamond Celebration. The parade was the Diamond Celebration electrical parade but the fireworks were Halloween themed and really cool. They also have a dance party but we didn't participate because my kids just wanted to ride rides.

Shorter Lines for Rides

Because there's so many different things going on, the lines for the rides are a lot shorter than normal. We were able to ride a lot of different rides during the Halloween Party and that's what my kids like best!

The Villains

During the Halloween Party, you can meet some of the villains that you never see at Disneyland. Unfortunately, the line to meet them was about an hour and a half and we just didn't want to wait. But that was at the end of the night. The line might be a little shorter at the beginning of the night.

The Characters Dress Up For Halloween

This is the only time that you get to meet Mickey and Minnie and other characters in their Halloween costumes. If this is a priority for you, definitely do it! Keep in mind that the lines will be a little longer than if you just met them in their normal attire.

Halloween time at Disneyland

This is such a fun time of year at Disneyland when the park is all decorated for Halloween. You can still see the park decorated if you go at Halloween time and you don't go to the Halloween Party. But they bring out a few more decorations for the Halloween Party and they also play Halloween music. We were at Disneyland all week and there was definitely more of a Halloween feel at the Halloween Party than just a regular day at Disneyland.

You also get to experience Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and The Haunted Mansion Holiday. They converted both of these rides for the season and they really did a great job! If you don't go to the Halloween Party you can still experience these rides.

We had a really great time at Mickey's Halloween Party! If you're a Disney fan, this is definitely something that you should experience at least once in your lifetime!

If you're interested in booking a Disney vacation, contact me at thetravelingcircus39@gmail.com.

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo

This pasta is so delicious! Definitely a family favorite!

Printable Recipe

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo
12 oz pkg Bowtie pasta
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup half & half
3 Tbsp heavy cream
3/4 cups parmesan shavings or grated parmesan

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove from skillet and cover with foil.

Add remaining 2 Tbsp of butter to the skillet. Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, then let it bubble up and reduce for 2 minutes. Add half & half, cream, and salt and pepper, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat and add parmesan to the pan. Add the pasta on top of the parmesan and stir. Cut chicken into slices and add to the pasta. Stir until combined. Cook over low heat until heated through, if needed. Top with parsley and extra parmesan.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

This was so delicious! It's so good the way that it is but it would also be good if you added shrimp.

Printable Recipe

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 lb chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

2 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 ribs celery,chopped

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp creole or cajun seasoning

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 cups hot, cooked rice

Start cooking the rice so it will be ready to add in during the last step.

In a 4-6 quart pot, cook sausage and chicken over medium heat. Drain the grease if necessary. Remove meat and set aside. Melt the butter in the same pot. Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for  one minute. Add the vegetables, spices, tomatoes, and sugar. Mix well. Simmer over low to medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetable are mostly tender. Add the sausage and chicken back to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth and simmer 5 minutes longer. Stir in the hot steamed rice.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe