Continuing where we left off inside of the cottage:




As we exit:











We headed back around the rocks and entered the goat petting area:












This year they added something new to Disneyland. They converted the normal Space Mountain ride into a Halloween theme thriller known as Ghost Galaxy. You begin the ride in pitch black darkness and an eerie soundtrack. As you approach the lift hill, a nebula swirls off in the distance...that is, until a supernatural entity appears from the cosmos and chases you throughout the ride. VERY scary, and very well done.





A quick shot of Goofy in his Halloween costume. He was walking like a zombie towards me when I took this, by the way:


We then headed over across the plaza to take in some of California Adventure's Halloween decor. They usually throw some candy corn around, but this year they went all out with various "types" of candy corn.





Candy Corn Grapes:


Candy Corn Carrots:


Being sent up the conveyor:


Candy Corn Pumpkin:


Candy Corn...Corn:


Candy Corn Coconut:


Candy Corn Flowers:


And the blue prize winner, the giant Candy Corn:


Finally, we visited our favorite cat (over by the Sunshine Plaza train). He usually always sleeps, but as we had lunch, he came out to say hi.


Disneyland maintains a population of feral cats on the vicinity to rid the area of rodents. If you look closely in off-beat areas of the park, you might get a glimpse at some of these cats, or the little wooden houses that Disney provides them with.

Until next year folks! Happy Halloween!

Headed over to spend one last day at Disneyland for Halloween time this year. No, no, we didn't get to do the actual hard-ticketed Halloween event at California Adventure (maybe next year). I tried to take some pictures of the festivities for those of you who weren't there to see it.

I'm sure that most of you reading this already know that Jack Skellington and his friends from Halloween town take over The Haunted Mansion from Halloween to Christmas time. The Haunted Mansion becomes a completely different ride, both on the inside and outside.



Over in Frontierland, they throw a Dia de Los Muertos party every year.













Famed author Ray Bradbury, who was actually a good friend of Walt Disney, donated a tree to the park back in 2007. He was there for the ceremony, and the tree was forever to be known as the Halloween Tree thereafter (after the Ray Bradbury story of the same name).





Behind Big Thunder Mountain lies Big Thunder Ranch, where every year they dress the area with the best Halloween pumpkins the Disneyland cast members were able to carve up. For me this is really one of the highlights of Disneyland's Halloween celebration, as the pumpkins are always clever and unique.









Mickey in costume as a skeleton:


Mummy pumpkins:


The Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland:




An assortment of characters. Check out Captain Hook and Pooh:


Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.:


Jimminy Cricket. The lady seated behind him was continually carving away on a new one:


Santa and the front-side of the Mayor from Nightmare Before Christmas:


The Mayor pumpkin from behind:






Jack and Sally sitting in a carriage:


We headed inside the small cottage for a look at the life-size pumpkin characters.




Ana by the fireplace:


(to be continued in part 2)