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The Best Halloween Theme Park Events

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It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost time for Halloween theme park events to begin for the year! So, I thought I would do a little overview of some of the various options for people who are trying to decide which one(s) are right for them.

Halloween Theme Park Events

The Best Halloween Theme Park Events

I will start this post by saying that the best Halloween theme park event is highly subjective. Not every event is for everyone. Before purchasing tickets to visit any of these experiences, I recommend you consider:

  • Location – If you don’t have the means to fly across the country, then maybe choose a smaller event closer to home.
  • Budget – Some of these experiences are included with a regular theme park ticket, but most are not. Don’t go into debt just to see something spooky.
  • Comfort with spookiness – I know that lots of people love the horror events. However, not every person has the capacity to endure muchless enjoy these events. There are loads of people and it can be sensory overload. Know your boundaries. If you don’t like being scared, then don’t go to a scary nighttime event.
  • Know your objectives – Do you want to be scared? Do you want some holiday decor and treats with some characters? Those are totally different events. Know what you desire from an event before buying a ticket.

Now, on to the actual events themselves.

Daytime Halloween Events on a Budget

If you have children, don’t want to be scared, and are on a tight budget, then I recommend visiting a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens for Halloween Spooktacular. I wrote a SeaWorld Orlando Spooktacular Halloween post a couple of years ago going over what you can expect at that event. Think fun sea themed characters and trick-or-treating. Plus, it’s all included with your daytime ticket! So, it’s easy on the purse. However, you will have to purchase a bag to trick-or-treat with.

Nighttime Scary Events on a Budget

If you are on a tight budget, I will once again recommend SeaWorld and/or Busch Gardens. In fact, you can enjoy Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Howl-O-Scream with a daytime ticket! The other two locations require the purchase of a separate ($40-$50) event ticket. Another event that I haven’t attended but have heard pretty good things about is Knott’s Scary Farm. It seems like a good time on a ~$50 budget. Full disclosure: I’ve never attended any of these events and can’t vouch for the quality of them.

Nighttime Scary Events With a Higher Budget

These next ones are a little more expensive for a general ticket. However, it can get really expensive for skip the line privileges and private tours. I’m talking about Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Parks. Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood both have HHN, but there are some differences. Hollywood’s tends to be smaller with fewer houses. However, it still has the same attention to detail as Orlando. They tend to share at least a few IP houses each year, however they each also have unique houses. I’ve never attended the one in Hollywood. However, I wrote a Halloween Horror Nights Solo Tips post as well as Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando: Tips for Anxious Folks. I’ve even done a 2023 HHN Daytime Houses Tour Review. Personally, I attend HHN for the food and vibes. As such, I will probably only attend if there’s an IP that speaks to me.

Nighttime Halloween Parties

Finally, we come to the most expensive event tickets: Disney. There’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney’s California Adventure at Disneyland. I’ve already compared the two parties in a separate post: Disney Parks Halloween Parties Compared. However, suffice it to say these are nighttime events that aren’t scary. They are more about the characters, parades, and candy! At these pricey events, everyone (yes, even adults) can trick-or-treat around the park! I’ve attended both parties multiple times now and have enjoyed it each time! The worst things about these events are the crowds and prices.

The Best Halloween Theme Park Events

While I think Disney and Universal dominate the discussion on Halloween theme park events, they aren’t your only options. SeaWorld/Busch Gardens or even Cedar Fair parks can provide a more affordable alternative for the season. However, you can’t go wrong with Universal or Disney either. It really comes down to your individual preferences and situation.

So, what is your favorite Halloween theme park event?

The Best Things in Hollywood Studios

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It’s finally time for the last of my best of series at Walt Disney World – The Best Things in Hollywood Studios!

The Best Things in Hollywood Studios

The Best Things in Hollywood Studios

I previously covered my favorite things in Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. Today, I’m discussing the last remaining theme park at Walt Disney World – Hollywood Studios! Hollywood Studios is supposed to be Disney’s attempt to take you into the movies. However, one could argue it’s kind of drifted away from the concept in recent years. Nonetheless, it’s become the go-to park for your Toy Story or Star Wars fix (among other things). It’s also a good theme park to grab some basic comfort food. So, here’s what I consider the best things in this park.

The Best Ride

I think the best ride here has to be Rise of the Resistance. It’s so immersive and technologically advanced that it’s hard not to be impressed. My mom is not a Star Wars fan. Yet, she really enjoyed this ride at Jollywood Nights in 2023. We also enjoy Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway here. I also like Slinkydog Dash here. So, I think there’s a ride that suits everyone in this park.

Best Table Service Restaurant

I have to admit, I’m a little lacking in restaurant experience in this park. Prior to Covid, I enjoyed Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine several times. I love that the theme and character outfits change out seasonally. It’s a great way to celebrate the various seasons in this park that doesn’t decorate for anything besides Christmas. However, it’s a buffet and can be pretty pricey. On a future trip I want to try Roundup Rodeo BBQ or 50’s Prime Time Cafe.

I also enjoyed the Fantasmic Dining Package at Sci-Fi Dine-In. Sidenote: I highly recommend you make time in your schedule to see Fantasmic! It’s a great nighttime show!

Best Quick Service Restaurant

I think there’s a couple of good quick service restaurants in this park. My favorite is probably Woody’s Lunchbox or Ronto Roasters. I enjoy getting a kids meal at Woody’s since it’s a smaller portion size and comes with fruit. Ronto Roasters is good for breakfast or lunch with its unique offerings.

The Best Snack

This park has a couple of good snack options as well. Nothing groundbreaking, but pretty good. For instance, there’s the Num Num Cookie. It’s essentially a huge chocolate chunk cookie/bar. I haven’t had one in years, but it was good when I had it way back in 2020. You can currently find it at Neighborhood Bakery or Market in Pixar Plaza. I also enjoy trying the seasonal lunchbox treats at Woody’s Lunch Box. Some are better than others, but they are still fun to try.

What are the best things in Hollywood Studios?

These are some of my favorite things in Hollywood Studios. What are some of yours?

Dollywood Summer Festival Tour Review

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I’ve just returned from a quick visit to the Smoky Mountains with my mom, where we got to experience some of the Dollywood Summer Festival Tour!

Full Disclosure: Due to the weather messing up the tour, we will be receiving a refund for this tour. However, I think I have a good idea of what you can expect when you take this tour.

Dollywood Summer Festival Tour

Dollywood Summer Festival Tour

During my last visit to the park, I was able to do two tours: the Dolly Parton Experience and the I Will Always Love You Music Festival Tour. My mom thought those tours sounded like fun, so we booked one for this trip. We booked this tour online ahead of time and I was able to use my gold pass for a small discount. We paid $74/each plus taxes and fees.

The website listed a 8 PM start time, but also stated that I should check in before 6 PM. That’s so that they know you are actually there and so you know where to meet up with the group at 7:55 PM. You also receive your lanyard when you check in. I know the site also mentions receiving a TimeSaver at check-in, however we didn’t receive that.

The Tour

As I stated above, unfortunately the weather ruined a good chunk of this tour. Typically, you are supposed to have a bit of a tour of Wilderness Pass before heading over to Wildwood Grove. We spent much of this time hiding out from the weather. However, we did walk over to FireChaser Express where the guides told us about its creation. The ride wasn’t running due to the weather, however you usually get to skip the line to ride it after they tell you about it.

From there, we received a complimentary snack. We were all given a deep fried s’more. There doesn’t appear to be any substitutions for this snack, regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences. The deep fried s’more was good. It reminded me of a marshmallow filled funnel cake with chocolate sauce.

After that snack, we walked over to Wildwood Grove. While we didn’t get to hear much about the newest ride, Big Bear Mountain, we did get a chance to ride it as soon as it opened back up from the weather. Our tour guide led us over to skip the line and everyone who wanted to was able to ride it. We were also given the chance to ride it a second time with skipping the line. Once was enough for my mom and I though. So, we all just stood around waiting for those other folks to ride again.

I believe somewhere around here you are supposed to receive a festival beverage – a icee/slushee beverage of some sort. We didn’t get a chance to get those though. We also missed the dance party, which I think was cancelled due to the weather. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment of all came when they cancelled the drones and simply showed the fireworks. We did have a reserved area to stand in and watch the show from. However, we missed the beginning of the show and it was really short. I imagine this would be much more worth it with the drone portion of the show.

Is the Dollywood Summer Festival Tour worth it?

While I know that we are receiving a refund for this experience, I don’t know that the whole tour is worth $74/79. It’s nice to learn about the park and to skip the lines. The added snack and beverage is great too. However, it’s a pricey addition to your park day. I think maybe they should just give TimeSaver passes to those rides to be used during the park day. Then, have you meet up at the reserved viewing area where they have the snack and beverage. That would make more sense to me.

If you are concerned about crowds for the drone/fireworks show or really want to ride the two included rides, it might be worth the price. If you are on a tight budget, you can probably skip this one.

Also, I just want to stress that our tour guides were awesome! They made the best of a less than ideal situation with the weather not cooperating. They also advocated for us to get refunds due to the weather issues. So, if you book a tour, just know that you are in good hands!

Tweetsie Railroad Guide with Tips for Visiting

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Tweetsie Railroad was the first theme park I ever visited! After 27 years, I finally returned and I’d love to offer a quick overview with tips for others considering a visit.

Tweetsie Railroad

Tweetsie Railroad

Tweetsie is a wild west themed park located in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Opened in 1957, it features historical steam locomotives and lots of fun for the whole family to enjoy. I think it’s the perfect park for a first time park goer. It’s much simpler and smaller than the parks in Orlando. There’s no pre-planning required for enjoying a day here. There’s not even a skip the line offering here!

The main draw of this park is the train ride. I was pleased to discover that the story on the train ride has been updated in recent years to reflect more modern views. As of May 2025, they appear to be working on the third stop on the train for an additional story update. So, it’s hard to say exactly what story you will witness if you visit.

Park Overview

Tweetsie doesn’t have an app. However, they do have paper maps at the park. There’s four main sections or lands at the park. You enter on Main Street, similar to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. This is where you encounter a small western town and the train depot. It’s also where you board the train ride. There are lots of fun photo opportunities here.

Next up is the Tweetsie Junction section. I highly recommend catching a show at the Tweetsie Palace and grabbing some chocolate treats at Fudge Works here. Next, you can walk over to Country Fair or ride the chair lift (or bus) up to Miners Mountain. You have to ride Mouse Mine in Miners Mountain! It’s an amazing/trippy show about mice loving cheese in a mine! Also, the deer park at the top is a fun little thing to experience as you get to see and feed (for a small price) some animals.

Shows

The park map currently lists four shows, but there’s some fine print I didn’t catch about one not starting until mid-June. So, we caught all of two shows and part of one. We watched all of Diamond Lil’s Can-Can Revue as well as the Tweetsie Magic Show at the Tweetsie Palace. The show times rotate so you can technically visit once and catch both shows. The magic show was really neat to watch.

We also watched a little bit of Hopper and Porter’s Musical Celebration at Miner’s Mountain Theater. This show is great for young children. We watched a few minutes just to see what it was about, but left when they got up and started dancing around. Ha! The Country Clogging Jamboree is also held at this theater, but the park map says it doesn’t start until mid-June. I’m sure it’s fun as I used to enjoy clogging some as a kid.

All of these shows are a great way to get out of the sun and enjoy a break. You can even get some food and sit down to eat at one of the tables at the Tweetsie Palace!

Tips

  • You can visit for more than one day with one ticket – If you enter the park after 3 PM, you can use your ticket to re-enter the park the next day at no charge! So, that’s like 1.5 days at the park for the price of one day! We didn’t do this, but it’s nice they offer it.
  • Do the chair lift early – The chair lift will shut down for high wind and storms. So, if you want to ride it, ride it early in the day. It would actually make good sense to head straight up the mountain to ride stuff before others come up there and then come back down later in the day.
  • Sit on the right-hand side of the train – If you want a good view of the show, then you need to sit on the right side of the train, facing the engine/front. That’s the side the show takes place on. However, the left side can still see the show and gets great views of the trees/nature.
  • Eat food in the Palace – The Tweetsie Palace has tables and chairs. They also sell some food there. So, it would be cool to watch a show while eating your food. We had some BBQ chicken sandwiches when we visited and were happy enough.
  • Grab some fudge or chocolates – The Fudge Works has the best food in the park. You have to try some of the fudge or other chocolate goodies here!
  • A whole pizza can be an affordable way to feed a family – Theme park food is notriously expensive. While we found the prices to be reasonable (compared to other parks), I understand that it can be pricey for people with children. You can get a whole pizza for around $30 and feed several people. So, that’s probably the most economical way to feed a family here.

Should you visit Tweetsie Railroad?

As I said above, I think Tweetsie is the perfect theme park for a first time theme park goer. It has a great assortment of rides that smaller children will enjoy. It’s also good for adults who want a relaxing park day for a change of pace. It is located in between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. So, the location may be a bit of a hinderance to some folks. It’s mostly a locals park, I think. However, it’s a quaint little park that I’m glad I was able to visit again.

Have you ever visited Tweetsie Railroad?

The Best Things in Epcot at Walt Disney World

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Continuing with my series on “the best of…”, I thought I would cover the best things in Epcot!

The best things in Epcot

The Best Things in Epcot

Having already covered the best of two other Walt Disney World parks: Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, I thought it was time to do another. Epcot is best known for its World Showcase, which highlights a variety of different countries. There’s themed buildings/facades as well as lots of food here. There’s also some cool shows and rides to experience. It’s easy to spend a whole day here.

The Best Ride

While people typically think of the food in this park, there’s also some great rides here. My family really likes Soarin’ and Test Track. Soarin’ is great for people who get motion sick easily as it’s a less challenging ride. Plus, it’s fun to fly over different locations. Test Track is currently being refurbished. However, we’ve enjoyed going fast in the car. We also liked Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure with its cute theme and trackless ride. I know the Frozen ride and Guardians of the Galaxy ride are also popular rides here.

Best Table Service Restaurant

Unlike some other parks, Epcot has a plethora of good food options. If you want a good basic sit down meal with characters, Garden Grill is great. It’s always a crowd pleaser. Adults who like to drink and/or dance, might enjoy Biergarten. If you like pizza, then Via Napoli is pretty good. I’m hoping to try the table service Japanese restaurant Teppan Edo the next time I go.

Best Quick Service Restaurant

Once again, Epcot has lots of options in this category. However, my personal favorite is Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. It’s a bakery found in the back of the France pavilion. I love having a sandwich from here for breakfast. Although, I also enjoyed some crepes from the Crepes a Emporter stand for some quick service crepe meals. Basically, I really enjoy the food in France.

The Best Snack

Once again, there are so many food options in this park! If there’s a festival going on, it makes picking one snack even harder. However, my mom and I really enjoy picking up a bag of freshly made caramel popcorn from Karamell-Kuche in Germany. I’ve been known to travel with a large ziptop bag just to carry my popcorn back home. Another favorite in this category is the patisserie I mentioned above in France. I’ve enjoyed every single pastry we’ve gotten there.

What are the best things in Epcot?

These are my favorite things in Epcot. What are some of yours?