One last look back at this year's Halloween festivities at Walt Disney World

hIt seems like every year, the Walt Disney World Resort expands the scope of its annual Halloween festivities. Take -- for example -- this past Saturday. When there were pumpkin carving contests at both "Disney's Wide World of Sports" complex as well as at Downtown Disney.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Of course, if you loved Halloween, the place that you really had to be was the Magic Kingdom. Where "Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Party" was held multiple times during the month of October.

It seemed like everywhere you went in that theme park, things had been spruced up and decorated in order to get into the Kingdom into the spirit of the season. Whether it was the jack-o-lanterns that peered down at you from the second story floor of Main Street U.S.A. ...

Photo by Jeff Lange

... or the colorful cornstalk-and-pumpkin displays in Town Square, everything seemed to be dressed up for Halloween.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Even the Magic Kingdom's train station (which is currently undergoing a significant restoration) got into the act. Sprucing up its scaffolding ...

Photo by Jeff Lange

... so that it appeared to be a working train station, rather than an active construction site.

Of course, to get the full effect of what a truly amazing place the Magic Kingdom can be when it's celebrating Halloween, you really had to wait 'til after dark.

Photo by Jeff Lange

When characters that you never expected to see ...

Photo by Jeff Lange

... are suddenly loose in the park, surprising all sorts of WDW guests.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Speaking of surprises: A lot of people who attended this year's "Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Party" were truly surprised by the finale of the "Hallo-Wishes" fireworks display. Where it seemed like the entire Magic Kingdom was surrounded by exploding shells.

Did you ever wonder what an pyro effect like that might look like from outside the theme park? Then take a gander at this photograph ...

Photo by Jeff Lange

... which I took while staying at the edge of Seven Seas Lagoon over by Disney's Polynesian Beach Resort.

That's a pretty spectacular way to bring today's photo essay to a close, don't you think?

Jeff Lange is the staff photographer / archivist here at JHM. He recently released his very first DVD, "Jeff Lange's Trick or Treat." Which offers full coverage of last year's "Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Party" at WDW's Magic Kingdom. If you'd like to learn more about this entertaining recording, we suggest that you follow this link.