Dressing Up With Mickey & Friends

Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope you're all out being someone, or something, else while it's acceptable, getting your candy on. I know I am, for more than the first time this season. My first Halloween outing was earlier this month at Walt Disney World. There's nothing like a Disney party, because everyone's a kid, whether you're 2 or 102. As you know, barely a year goes by without us making some pilgrimage to some Disney park and this year, Orlando win out. It was 100% so we could check out the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion at Universal, but I'll get to that goodness in another post.

If you've never visited Disney on a holiday, drop everything you're doing and start planning, because it is everything. I prefer Halloween, because school is in, it's less crowded, you get to dress up, the weather normally doesn't suck and everyone gets to trick or treat. Yup, everyone! Here are some other reasons:

Characters Dress Up

Mickey and the gang get in on the Halloween fun, too. Your normal characters come out in full costume (more so than usual) for pictures, making then highly sought after opportunities

Villians and Other Rare Character Sightings

Ever wonder why you never see Jafar or the Evil Queen or those nasty stepsisters? They're reserved for precisely these events. You'll also see characters like Tarzan, the cast of The Country Bear, Brer Fox and Captain Jack Sparrow.

Lines to meet and greet these characters can be loooooong, so be prepared to wait and possibly pick and choose. This year, I saw much less than normal, but it was also the very start if the partying for the season. Sometimes you get lucky and you can swoop in, get some photos and be on to the next thing before the crowds start up again. That's happened to me with the Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Piglet group.

Did I Mention Candy?

Everyone with a MNSSHP ticket gets a candy bag upon entry. There are treat stations set up all around the park. Your map will tell you where and cast members have special Mickey light-up signs to guide you. We don't necessarily even want to eat all the candy, but it's included and it's fun and then we don't have to buy candy for trick-or-treaters.

Awesome Seasonal Shows

I'll admit it. Sometimes just the shows are worth the price of admission. They always center around the villains and this year WDW had a Hocus Pocus theme. The Sanderson sisters were back and calling on their "friends" to help throw the biggest, baddest bash ever. From where I was standing, I would have sworn the real Winifred, Sarah and Mary were there. That's how good the costumes were.

Aside from the castle show (strategize ways to get around that don't involve the castle, because you aren't getting in there), there is a fantastic parade. The Boo To You Parade always starts off with the Headless Horseman. I see they've gotten him to slow down his horse, so people can actually see him and get pictures. Alas, I was still to slow. Everyone gets a spot in the parade: the villains, your face characters and even obscure ones like the traveling ghosts. It's not to be missed. Wait out the night and do the second parade later in the evening and stake out a spot near the start. You won't have to jostle as much for s place to stand or wait to get across the road. Plus, when others are just seeing the beginning, you can be riding rides, getting pics or collecting candy.

Shorter Lines

Because everyone's there for candy, dance parties and Rare Character photo opps, the lines for the rides that are open are usually super short. Sometimes they add a Halloween twist to rides, like Space Mountain.

Special Magic Photos

You can always get some pretty special photos throughout the year, including the ones where they magic in a Disney thing into your photo. During Halloween, these magic pics take on a fun and sinister feel.

The Decorations

I love Halloween and harvest season. Disney overhauls their park every night the party is on by putting out an obscene amount of jack-o-lanterns, Disney-fied scarecrows, orange bunting and so much more. There are quite a few funky Halloween projections throughout the park as well. The more you look, the more you see. Plus there's a fantastic score of Halloween music in the background.

The Halloween Fireworks Are (Ooh) AHHmazing

Okay, yes. The fireworks are always amazing, but the Halloween ones are particularly awesome. They revolve around those sinister villains you rarely see, giving them a ghoulish vibe. The castle is used as a backdrop, so you'll want to get front and center for them, because the castle projections are half the fun.

If you decide that Halloween at Disney is for you, and I think you should, find a costume that isn't super involved, but still creative (you'll have to pack it) and plan to spend the morning and afternoon doing something else, because staying there for 16 hours is super tiring. You can get in a few hours before the party starts with your ticket, so you can enjoy the park before some of the rides close and get in a quick dinner before the fun starts.

What's your favorite time of year to visit Disney?

Maryland On The Cheap: Inexpensive Events in Ocean City

Ocean City, Maryland is among the leading resort towns on the east coast. It features a busy boardwalk, a close to 10-mile long beach and loads of family-fun activities including an ice-skating rink and amusement parks. Whether you are out for a family getaway or a weekend with friends, Ocean City has you covered. And if you are traveling on a budget, here are some inexpensive or free fun activities that you can find exhilarating as well as gratifying.

Family Beach Olympics

Family beach Olympics take place on Tuesdays between 6.30 pm and 8:30 pm at the 27th street beach. There are a wide range of events including tug-of-war, sand castle contests, and relay games. Children must be in their parents’ company.

Free Family Programs

There are family programs each day at 10 a.m., offered free of charge courtesy of Ocean City Life-Saving Station. You can see fish feeding at museum’s aquarium as well as learn about sharks, knot-tying and beach safety.

Sundaes in the Park

A weekly event, Sundaes in The Park encompasses a free concert and an ice cream Sunday. It takes place at Northside Park, from 7 p.m. While adults enjoy music, children have their special entertainment. The event ends at 9 p.m. with a fireworks display.

Ocean City Beach and the Boardwalk

Ocean City Beach is credited with being among the cleanest beaches in the area, offering a wide selection of activities like sunning, swimming, kayaking, fishing, etc. The Boardwalk is the beach’s central feature. Also called the Atlantic Avenue, the Boardwalk is home to several eateries, amusement parks, retail stores and nightlife destinations.

Beach Volley Ball

You can grab a partner and go ball playing at Dorchester Beach Volleyball Park. There are about ten public courts where you can enjoy volleyball during the summer daytime hours. There are several other public nets scattered across the beach.

Kite Festival

You can also treat your family to a four-day long spectacular kite-flying festival. Thousands of fans travel to see refined kite flyers from across the globe displaying their aerial artistry. There are also kite-making workshops as well as kite battles.

Sunset Park Party Nights

Sunset Park provides the perfect view of the sun as it goes down over the Isle of Wight Bay. You can watch the sunset as you enjoy a free concert that runs between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm. While entrance to the park is free, beverages are available for purchase. You are advised to bring your own seating.

Visit the Ocean City Centre for the Arts

The Ocean City Centre for the Arts is the destination for everything art in Ocean City. It houses the Non-profit Art League of Ocean City. Its newly constructed bayside facility comprises an expansive two storey gallery, classrooms, art library, a pottery studio, as well as five operational artist studios. There is usually a monthly display of new artworks, of both regional and local artists, at the gallery.

Biking

For the safety of everyone, cyclists must observe the set regulations and schedules. You can enjoy biking throughout Ocean City at any time of the year, but with restricted time periods on the Boardwalk over the summer season.

You will never run out of things to do in Maryland. The ocean is not the only place to have fun. There is a wide selection of parks, play fields, as well as sports venues providing everything from serene picnic areas to world-class tennis courts. Your dog can also enjoy at the dog’s park.

If you've ever been to Maryland, what were your favorite things to do there?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

The Real Halloweentown

If you watched Disney Channel in the late 90s, you may remember the cult movie Halloweentown. It starred Debbie Reynolds and spawned three, just as cheesy, sequels (Halloweentown II, Return to Halloweentown and Halloweentown High). It's recently come to my attention that this was filmed in a real town, one that isn't too far from where I live. St. Helens, Oregon is a little town about 45 minutes away and each October they go all out to decorate the town like the movie. What?? How did I not know about this before? I'm still not sure how this passed me by the entire time I've lived here, but I was determined to see this awesome display of Halloween.

So, a few weeks ago, we got in the car and made our way to "Halloweentown" to check it out and get in on some of the activities they have to do. While it was not as amazing as it sounds, it was still worth the drive out. It could also be that we went in the evening, when they had different events happening in the afternoon.

Visitors are encouraged to dress in costume, either from the movies or your own choosing. The goal is to make the town as much like the monster-packed other dimensional town as possible. I didn't realize this until we got there, because they don't really have a website and their Facebook page is lacking. On the list of things to do was taking a pontoon boat ride to the nearby island. Unfortunately, there was no place to sign up and no info on where to do so and once we got there, I found a flyer that said one had to have made reservations online. I eventually found this website, which is less informative, that has a phone number to call.

Anyway, let's talk about what we did do and see on our visit:

The town square, which is right in front of the old City Hall building (now a museum) has a ton of decor and photo ops to help you commemorate and share your visit with your social networks. There are signs everywhere with the hashtag to use. Obviously, the giant jack-o-lantern in the square is the biggest draw, but we enjoyed everything on display. And check out City Hall! That's an eyeball keeping watch on the town.

All of the town's merchants get in on the fun by creating their own scarecrow which is displayed out front, so visitors can vote on which they think is the best. Many shop fronts also go a little further by making their windows Halloweeny. You'll see decor, props and even ghouls hanging out.

There are a ton of houses that go all out with their decorations. I was driving when we passed all of them, though, so I didn't get any pics. One house had a wraparound porch that was covered in life-size statues of horror icons, like Freddy, Beetlejuice and Michael Myers. 

We wandered the waterfront, where a lot of people were gathered to purchase a hot dog and cuddle up by the bonfire that was put on by the Fire Department. Halloween music was being piped into the area and it was a perfect way to check out the creative costumes on display.

After we had warmed up, we headed to The Klondike for dinner. When St. Helens was a port city on par with Portland, the Klondike was a hotel, with several floors full of awesome rooms, but as Portland began to take more and more of the business and fewer people stopped at St. Helens, the Klondike closed down rooms and eventually closed. After some time, a local decided this historic building was being wasted by sitting empty and they reopened it, using the old dining room as a new restaurant. 

The decor is warm and lovely, incorporating some of the old hotel doors. The building is said to be haunted, with employees seeing things move and hearing voices, which makes it the perfect Halloween dinner destination. Throughout October, you can book a reservation for a seance or a tarot reading to heighten the spooks.

Though we weren't there to see it, on weekend days, you may see things like a haunted car parade, a parade where the littles can show off their costumes, a fair, ghost stories, boat tours, haunted tours and pumpkin painting. 

Now, I wouldn't make a special trip across the country to check out Halloweentown, but if you're in Portland in October, the drive isn't that bad and it's fun to dress up, see where the movie was filmed and get a ton of pictures in the meantime. Everything takes place in the historic downtown area, which is very walkable. Pretty much parking is your only challenge.

Does your town do anything awesome for Halloween?