The 2018 Halloween season starts September 7 at Disneyland. And we know you are planning to go because Halloween Time is the best time to visit Disney. This post has information about the 2018 Happiest Haunts Tour and a review of the 2016 tour; it will be different for 2018- so no spoilers here!
I make no secret around here that I love Disneyland, Halloween, and the Haunted Mansion.
When I landed in Disneyland last month for a work event, I knew just where we’d have to start our visit.
I ran the Disneyland 10K one year as a Haunted Mansion maid! We ran right by the mansion on this route.
Happiest Haunts Tour Review at Disneyland
The Mansion goes down every year in late August to create the fantastic Nightmare Before Christmas overlay.
We were both at the Disneyland Half weekend?but didn’t get a chance to ride due to the closure.
Welp, when we arrived we were once again greeted with closed gates.
#WHOMPWHOMP
It looked like a press event was going on, and well, I wasn’t invited. Le sigh.
We decided to drown our sorrows in butterscotch beignets.
Zomg so good!
That’s when we saw a tour go by with very cool name tags.
I looked at Sarah and said, “We should do that!”
And without missing a beat she pulled out her phone and started calling. “Yes, we should!”
How To Book the Happiest Haunts Tour
You can start making reservations for the Happiest Haunts Tour 30 days in advance.
Halloween Time is September 7 to October 31, 2018, so that means reservations are open now for tours in September.
Call (714) 781-TOUR (8687) to make reservations.
What Happens on the Happiest Haunts Tour
First, you need to know what this tour is all about. For 2018, we don’t have the details just yet (see below). I will update as they become available.
I believe this was the 4th year that Disneyland had offered this tour and it’s been a little different each time.
In 2016 the theme was the Haunted Mansion and Guests received a thorough background about the creation of this attraction.
If you love the Haunted Mansion like we do, then this was the tour for you!
photo: Trips with Tykes
Happiest Haunts Tour Details
- Daily tours are available September 7 through October 31, 2018.
- Tours begin at 5:00 PM
- Price is $85 plus tax for Guests ages 3 years of age and older?Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members receive a 15% discount.
- Separate theme park admission is required for all Disneyland Resort Tours and is not included in the tour price.
- A 15-Guest maximum is permitted per tour. Tours fill up quickly, so early booking is recommended.
- Full payment is due at time of booking and is nonrefundable.
- All tour Guests will receive a delicious treat, special collectible pin and credential to commemorate the tour.
The 2018 tour is confirmed to be back on the schedule, but we don’t know what the theme will be at this time.?
The tour will run every day at 5 pm and will cost $85 per person.
Photo: courtesy of Disneyland
2016 Happiest Haunts Tour
We started the tour promptly at 11 and made our way down Main Street as our tour guide filled our ears with background information.
In an effort to preserve the magic, I’m not going to give all the details away, but I’ll give some basics so you know what we experienced.
We learned about Walt’s vision for the attraction, the backgrounds and talents from the Imagineers involved, how the World’s Fair played into the creation, and much more.
We met Ophelia, one of the first animatronic flowers in the Tiki Room.
Our journey took us from Main Street, U.S.A. to Tomorrowland, to Adventureland and finally through New Orleans Square.
We had a stop at the Tiki Room, grabbed a quick snack & a show, and ended the adventure with a FastPass for the Haunted Mansion.
Spooky and creepy? No. Interesting and entertaining? YES!
While we were on the tour, I shared our journey on via Instagram stories. The stories don’t last forever, but I saved most of the slides.
*Mostly spoiler-free experience
Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.