The magic of Disney never ceases to amaze me. We went to Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party at Disney's California Adventure Park on Friday night and it was incredible!



Our fun began as soon as we came in to Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and a little girl was screaming with joy across the lobby because she thought I was one of the Disney Princesses. I have never been more flattered. We all received quite a few compliments on our costumes as we headed for the gates, which helped to build our cheerful mood for the evening. There is something magical about walking around in public wearing a silly costume that just makes people lower their guard. Everywhere we looked children and adults alike had big smiles on their faces. Total strangers were going out of their way to talk to each other. Music and laughter filled the air. It was just pure fun and I couldn't wipe the grin off of my face.

Our boys were some of the lucky few who received special Mickey Mouse pumpkin buckets and flashlights when we arrived so they were feeling like VIPs as we toured the Treat Trails. The staff working at the treat stops seemed to be having a great time as they passed out huge handfuls of candy to the kiddos. They even offered a few treats to Mom and Dad. There were also nutritious snack options (apple slices, fruit leather, etc.) for the more health conscious guests. The lines were fairly short because this is a special ticketed event and the park limits the number of guests.

There are lots of fancy Disney character photo stations all over the park and those lines weren't ridiculously long either. I really enjoyed the gathering of Disney Villains in Candy Corn Acres. The Bowler Hat Guy from Meet The Robinson's stood next to me as I prepared to take a photo of my family and just as I snapped the picture he stepped right in front of the camera then sauntered off. He is a dastardly villain indeed!

We had such a good time pointing out the elaborate decorations and other guest's costumes to each other. There has probably never been a larger gathering of glittering fairies, pretty princesses and Clone Troopers in one place. Even with the abundance of Star Wars characters, Cole was the only Obi-Wan Kenobi we saw that night. He had a tiny lightsaber and pointed it in warning toward a few small Darth Vaders as they walked past him. It's so cute when the kids get into the character of their costume.

Drew and Noah's costumes were a BIG hit. It's surprising how many people know and love the Jabbawockeez. All over the park people were pointing them out and giving them compliments. When someone would excitedly call out, "JABBAWOCKEEZ!" Noah would thump his chest and toss up peace signs at them. It was hilarious! Noah's confidence grew with all of the positive attention. By the end of the night, he was doing arm waves and showing off his robot dance moves whenever he heard music. Coley also enjoyed the the festive music and, as bashful as he can be, was caught dancing more than once.

At the end of the night, as they headed for the gates with candy buckets almost too heavy to carry, the boys agreed that this was one of the best nights of their whole lives. It just doesn't get any better than that!










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Labels: Disney, Disneyland, Halloween