The annual Halloween golf cart parade took place on Monday at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. For this event, guests rent golf carts and decorate them with their own Halloween “costumes,” often inspired by Disney Parks attractions. The parade took place at 4:30 p.m. on October 30, 2023.

Halloween Golf Cart Parade

The parade began with two horses and their riders leading the pack, carrying an American Flag and a Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground flag.

One of the golf carts was a giant Zero, Jack Skellington’s ghost dog from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Another golf cart was a massive recreation of the Stretching Room from the Haunted Mansion.

Jessie and Bullseye from “Toy Story” had their own covered wagon-inspired golf cart.

Another “Nightmare Before Christmas”-inspired golf cart was in the parade, bringing the Mayor of Halloween Town’s car to life. The Mayor’s car was also a popcorn bucket this year for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Another golf cart was styled to look like a Walt Disney World Monorail car.

WDWNT also took part in this year’s parade, and our golf cart was inspired by the defunct attraction, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter — with “Skippy” as the driver!

Here’s a look at our golf cart in action.

Watch the full 2023 Halloween Golf Cart Parade:

Fort Wilderness guests also decorate their campsites for Camp-Or-Treat.

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After being granted a deadline extension to file their response to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s (CFTOD) motion to dismiss their federal case, The Walt Disney Company has responded to both motions, accusing the parties of taking part in “ongoing constitutional mutiny” and asks the judge to reject the motion.

Disney Files Memorandum in Opposition to State Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss

In the filing against DeSantis, Disney says that the Florida Governor “now seeks desperately to avoid any official responsibility” for “orchestrating a secret plan to punish Disney for its comments on public affairs and to exercise continuing control over its entertainment programming.”

Disney asserts that the Governor and the Secretary of Commerce are “proper defendants who can and must be held liable in their official capacities for the executive functions they perform in implementing the State’s anti-Disney speech-control program.”

Disney’s legal team state that DeSantis and his allies “openly reject the foundational First Amendment rule that a state cannot deploy its official powers to punish the expression of disfavored political viewpoints.”

Consistent with that outlook, their motion to dismiss rests explicitly on the premise that states are free to wield the ‘structure and composition’ of representative political institutions as cudgels against those who express opinions not acceptable to the ruling party.

The memorandum further claims that the argument from the State that says “Disney lacks standing to advance its case against the State Defendants in particular” is incorrect, as “Disney’s constitutional injuries are directly traceable to the State Defendants’ executive duties under the challenged laws, and they would be redressed by an order declaring the laws unconstitutional and enjoining Defendants from continuing to implement and enforce them.”

Disney also goes on to argue that their claim is not barred by sovereign or legislative immunity, as DeSantis has previously stated.

The State Defendants’ soveriegn-immunity defenses fail for the same reason their standing objections fail.

As for the legislative immunity, Disney states:

But there should be no misunderstanding: Disney’s claim substantively challenges laws that violate the Constitution and injure Disney, and the Governor’s statements and actions orchestrating the enactment of those laws are absolutely relevant to the merits of that claim, just as the statements and actions of legislative and executive actors are relevant to any otherwise-cognizable claim alleging that a law was enacted for an impermissible purpose.

The memorandum to DeSantis and his legal team concludes with the statement that “The State Defendants’ motion to dismiss should be denied.”

Disney’s Memorandum in Opposition to CFTOD Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss

A second memorandum was also filed today by Disney against CFTOD, opening with the statement,

Defendants are right about one thing: this case involves “a frontal assault” on a “bedrock principle of our constitutional order.” […] Governor DeSantis and his allies are engaged in an ongoing consitutional mutiny.

Disney’s legal counsel claims that CFTOD’s motion to dismiss rests upon the same reasons as that of DeSantis, and follows up by saying that “that premise is not just legally unsupported,” but that “it is profoundly un-American.”

Wat Disney Parks and Resorts […] — which has proudly called Florida home for more than 50 years — is an especially prominent target of the State’s attacks on free speech, one with the resources to hold the State accountable for its wrongdoing.

But if the State’s strategy succeeds, Disney will assuredly not be the last entity punished for espousing disfavored viewpoints. If the line is not drawn here, there is no line at all.

The memorandum goes on to give background and the argument for Disney’s request that the motion should be denied, including “Inquiry Into the Challenged Laws’ Motives Is Not Prohibited” and “State Laws Relating to Government Structure Are Not Immune From Constitutional Scrutiny.”

RCID was not an internal bureaucratic agency — it was the poltiical representative of local landowners, who for fifty years had elected the officials charged with regulating the use of their land, just as in most other Florida special districts.

In replacing RCID with a Governor-controlled receivership, the State eliminated landowner voting rights and local accountability of land-use regulators.

The memorandum closes with Disney claiming that “even under Defendants’ view that Disney and the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) were functionally equivalent,” that CFTOD doesn’t and can’t show that Disney’s views on the “Don’t Say Gay” act “were in any way relevant to the efficient operation of RCID or the effective development of private property within the District.”

Disney vs. DeSantis & CFTOD

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company initially clashed over the corporation’s opposition to a much-debated and controversial Florida law regarding classroom instruction and discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, alongside various other recent state laws and proposals in a similar vein.

Now-former CEO Bob Chapek initially remained silent and passive on the issue — until massive internal criticisms from Cast Members, the LGBTQ+ community, and controversy over Disney making hefty political contributions to campaigns and individuals allegedly against their own stated human principles came into focus.

After Chapek denounced the law, Governor DeSantis moved forward with various verbal and legal assaults on Disney, including the attempted dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Ultimately, the District was renamed and DeSantis appointed his own Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board of Supervisors.

DeSantis is attacking what he calls “woke politics” allegedly invading the state — frequently stating his intention to put the people of Florida first through his actions and via the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District:

Disney has gotten away with special deals from the state of Florida for way too long. It took a look under the hood to see what Disney has become to truly understand their inappropriate influence.

After the CFTOD Board attempted to declare Disney’s final agreements with RCID null and void, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against the Board and DeSantis, calling their actions a violation of their constitutional rights.

In the lawsuit, Disney cites “A targeted campaign of government retaliation—orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech—now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”

Disney regrets that it has come to this. But having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.

The Board then filed a state lawsuit against Disney and Disney is now countersuing on the state level, arguing that because RCID was never actually dissolved, the CFOTD is essentially the same entity and is going back on their word. 

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Everyone’s favorite Good Guys doll is back for the Halloween Horror Nights season at Universal Studios Japan.

Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos

This year’s Chucky haunted house features a brand new theme. Check out the new, scary, and grotesque horror at Universal Studios Japan! Chucky goes on a rampage at this crazy carnival you won’t soon forget… IF you survive!

Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos is finally here! In this brand-new production (restricted to guests ages 15 or over), guests will enter this new, crazy carnival hosted by Chucky. Take one step inside and find yourself in a shocking hellscape. With your 3D glasses on, you’ll enter a surreal environment and see a kaleidoscope of colors and disorientation. You won’t be able to help but scream when Chucky comes at you from every corner!

This year, you’ll be able to find Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos inside Stage 18, from 10 a.m. to park close. The house is quite a sight to see, but becomes even more twisted when you put on 3D glasses. You’re sure to find Chucky delighting in all of the chaos inside.

Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos is new this year, but Chucky has been featured at the event here at Universal Studios Japan in the past. The last three Halloween Horror Nights event seasons have offered Cult of Chucky: Hospital Ward of Madness as a house. Instead of a hospital ward, guests will be visiting Chucky in a vibrant and colorful carnival-inspired house.

Chucky played a major part in this year’s Halloween Horror Nights season around the globe. Not only was Chucky featured at Universal Studios Japan, but Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida both had their own versions of a Chucky house.

All three of these houses are very different, despite featuring a killer Good Guy doll chasing you the entire time. Be sure to check out our reviews of Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood.

Watch our video of Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos:

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The Mr. Toad ball cap we first found at Walt Disney World is now also available at Disneyland Resort.

We found the hat at World of Disney in Downtown Disney District.

Mr. Toad Ball Cap – $29.99

Mr. Toad is embroidered on the front of this orange ball cap. He’s depicted in full color with his yellow waistcoat and red jacket, while other characters from “The Wind in the Willows” are depicted in outline behind him.

The hat has an adjustable strap on the back with a silver buckle.

Mr. Toad was created by novelist Kenneth Grahame for his children’s book “The Wind in the Willows,” published in 1908. Disney adapted the story as one half of “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad,” the other half being based on Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

“The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” premiered in 1949. When Disneyland opened six years later, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, inspired by “The Wind in the Willows” segment of the film, was an opening-day attraction. The ride remains to this day, although it received a major update in the 1980s. Watch our video of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride:

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was also an opening day attraction at Magic Kingdom, but it was later replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh — something many fans protested.

Will you be wearing this Mr. Toad ball cap to the parks? Let us know in the comments.

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