We’ve attended The Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train a couple of times now. The kids have only attended recently. This Halloween season my mom joined us as we headed out to Stanley Park to check out the Alice in Nightmareland theme. This is one event we are never entirely sure what to expect.
Our girls can be sensitive to theming for events like this. For this reason, we attend the event early in the evening when it was still light out. There are options for times earlier in the day where there are also no actors walking through the park, which can make a difference for those who do not want to interact with any character performers. The Mad Hatter performers did a fantastic job being in character and were a highlight of the night.
You can wander towards the barn and inside is a Halloween movie playing and some art for children and children at heart to do. My girls always ask to go there first. They love taking their time being creative. The pumpkins were all so unique.
Another stop that is a must for us is visiting the Stanley Park Ecology Society. It’s a great opportunity to learn about animals in the area, especially ones that come out at night. I had no idea there were multiple types of bats within Stanley Park! The people there are more than willing to answer all of my kid’s questions about the different animals, which means so much to them.
Going while it is daylight means you get to watch the sunset while there. In my opinion, it makes the park very pretty and brings out some amazing colours. We hopped onto the train just after dusk, knowing that that sun would set fully while we were on the train ride and bringing the ride experience to an end when it is dark.
IS THE RIDE OKAY FOR KIDS?
Is the ride okay for kids? It depends on the children. The Alice in Nightmare land theme was a bit intense for kids. Even with it daylighting out some parts were over the top and dare I say not necessary. Thankfully my kids are quick to notice what is not real and talk about how everything is made by people who set it up. However, there were some moments through the ride where I made the decision to redirect their attention to distract them from a scene. My kids do not need to see a queen surrounded by blood and guts. No thank you. You know your own children, trust yourself.
I would actually really appreciate The Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train considering offering a more family-friendly theming for next year. Why does the focus have to be on scaring and gore? I don’t think more needed to be added to the Alice theme to make it more haunted for Halloween. If I wanted to take my kids to something that may frighten them there are other events we could attend. My kids love train rides and they enjoy Halloween but they like the happier side of it. Maybe in the future a different approach will be taken as I heard multiple families with their kids get off the train and comment on how creepy and scary it was.
What is done well, is the attention to detail in the artwork. The jabberwocky is done perfectly. You’ll see it towards the end of the ride. If you don’t know the actual story, and only the Disney version this part won’t make sense. You’ll still appreciate the design and construction of it. The details of using original artwork from the book was greatly appreciated.
Now we wait to see what the theme will be next year.
