For some of us, starting Halloween season right after Labor Day makes sense. If stores can start selling spooky decorations mid-July, then we should be able to celebrate ASAP. Disney Parks and Resorts got the message a few years ago, noticing they could sell a lot more tickets to special Halloween nights if there were more Halloween nights.
Despite a vague IP line between the two Anaheim Parks, Disney’s most notable villains invaded California Adventure to move the festivities there. The “Oogie Boogie Bash” has been the place for kids to safely meet the scarier parts of Disney’s magic while getting candy and… carrots.
As D23 Expo occurred in September this year, a natural confluence happened. The D23 Fan Club offers a “members only” night to the Halloween parties anyway, so why not combine it with Disney’s biannual (ish) celebration? Thus D23 Expo’s Saturday afternoon thinned out as members walked over to California Adventure.
In the midst of a grueling heat wave, storm clouds moved over Anaheim. Not the work of Chernobog, but it could have been. The air was hot and humid, and the occasional rain drops didn’t really break it. If you rode a ride that was fast enough, it wasn’t so noticeable. The Incredicoaster eventually provided a cool breeze. As always, Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark has top-notch air-conditioning.
Avengers Campus proper nods to the season with a Marvel Zombie Captain America. Kept at a safe distance by raging around the Avengers Quinjet, Zombie Cap snarls and… snarls. That’s about it.
Visiting Villains Grove seemed like the perfect capper to getting some candy, riding a few attractions, and seeing a few villains from a distance. An overlay on the Redwood Trail, Villains Grove uses lighting effects and music to evoke a sense of foreboding on the trail. Aided by machine-generated mists, it both was and wasn’t what I expected. Though many presences are felt, no villains themselves are actually there.
For this particular night, walking from intense humidity to intense humidity enveloped in artificial mist maybe wasn’t the most energizing of ideas. On a cooler night, it’s probably fine. The real question after walking through is… is the Cheshire Cat really a villain?
