Disney’s HalloweenTime returns to the Disneyland Resort for its second Halloween season – it officially started on Friday, September 21, though the decorations have been going up over the last several weeks. But it’s not really official until Haunted Mansion Holiday opens, and on Friday Jack Skellington and the HalloweenTown gang returned for their 7th season.

I visited on Saturday – had to see what was new! Most of the decorations are the same as last year – the cute Halloween display along the tram route, big character pumpkins over the main entrance, the huge Mickey pumpkin in Town Square and the many jack’o’lanterns in the windows on Main street. You can see pictures from last year HERE and HERE.

The new addition this year is Goofy’s Candy Corn Acres in Sunshine Plaza at Disney’s California Adventure. “Sweetness and Sunshine in Every Bite.” It’s very cute – Goofy has been busy planting all sorts of kinds of Candy Corn – carrot candy corn, pumpkin candy corn, cactus candy corn, etc. Each is in its own garden patch with a sign identifying the variety. There’s even candy corn kernels hanging from the palm trees!

There’s a stage where Goofy’s prize-winning “World’s Largest Candy Corn” is displayed…if you notice, it appears that someone has taken a bite out of it! Well, periodically Heimlich pops up and raves about how much he *loves* candy corn, before he disappears again.

The stage is also the setting for some live entertainment – the show I saw was hosted by the Mayor of Candy Corn Acres (also the town’s dentist, and he encourages everyone to eat lots of candy corn!). Chip and Dale, in their straw hats and neckerchiefs, were also on hand to help. Various audience members spun the wheel located up on stage to determine what games we were going to play – Candy Corn Bowling, where audience members used a candy corn bean bag to knock over some candy-corn colored bowling pins, Corny Jokes, where the audience had to answer candy-related riddles (What kind of candy can you make a shirt out of? Cotton candy.), and Wordscramble, where the audience had to come up with words spelled with the letters of “candy corn”. Chip and Dale came up with acorn, of course. 🙂

Disney characters make frequent appearances there throughout the day – I saw Farmer Mickey, Minnie in her candy-corn-colored dress, and Pluto.

Oh, and they’ve also changed the background music in that area – instead of classic California tunes, now it’s all candy-themed songs – On the Good Ship Lollipop, The Candy Man, My Lollipop Tree, Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows, etc.

It’s a fun addition, and I have to say that there’s no kernel of truth to the rumor that says it’s all a plot, and that the area is a husk of its former self. You can’t believe everything you “ear”. 🙂

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