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Compiled by Mary Ann Galante, Times staff writer

The Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Farm should be bustling once again this Halloween.

That is because Disneyland--Knott’s cross-town neighbor--has decided not to compete with a Halloween promotion of its own.

For the past 15 years, Knott’s has renamed itself “Knott’s Scary Farm” during the Halloween season. The three-weekend promotion--which typically draws sellout crowds--fills its streets with man-made fog. Rides become mazes and ghost-haunted paths. Vampires and aliens jump out at visitors, screaming bloody murder.

The annual ambush usually draws more than 100,000 chill-seekers for the eight nights that it runs, scaring up nearly $2 million in gate receipts.

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But this Halloween was going to be different.

This year, Disneyland had planned for the first time to hold its own Halloween promotion geared to young children.

Jack Lindquist, executive vice president at the park, said in March that Disneyland planned to transform itself into a mildly haunting experience. But unlike Knott’s--which appeals to teen-agers dying to be scared--Disneyland planned to create a Halloween event for families with children ages 5 to 14.

“We won’t be doing the chain-saw massacre,” Lindquist said in March. “It will be more family-oriented--which nobody else is doing.”

Well, it turns out somebody will be doing a family-oriented Halloween promotion this year--but it won’t be Mickey Mouse.

Disneyland spokesman Bob Roth confirmed Tuesday that the Magic Kingdom has changed its plans. “It was never really on the calendar,” he said. Besides, “we realize Knott’s has a strong event in place.”

“No one (at Disneyland) is saying, ‘Let’s forget it,”’ Roth added. “It’s one of those things we keep putting off till next year (or) till we get comfortable with the format.”

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Knott’s, meanwhile, is adding a Halloween event that caters to small children and families.

“People kept asking us to do something that caters to younger children,” said Stuart Zanville, Knott’s spokesman. The result? Knott’s this year will have a costume contest and characters from the “Ghost Busters” animated TV show.

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