Disneyland Halloween 2024 Ultimate Guide
Our guide to Halloween Time 2024 at Disneyland, California Adventure & Downtown Disney features tips & tricks for the event, throughout September and October. Info includes Oogie Boogie Bash, decorations, food, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and more!
Disney has released the Full 2024 Calendar of Events at Disneyland, which includes the dates for spook season. Halloween Time at Disneyland starts on August 23, 2024 and runs through October 31, 2024 (with Plaza de la Familia and A Musical Celebration of Coco continuing until November 2, 2024 for Día de los Muertos).
The huge news here is that Halloween 2024 at Disneyland starts in August–the first time ever it has ever kicked off that early. The typical cadence for Halloween is it starting the first Friday in September, sometimes with a soft opening on the Thursday before that. That means that, following the historical pattern, Halloween should have started on September 6, 2024. That’s late, but consistent with past precedent (including 2019, when it started on September 6).
For Halloween 2024, instead of starting one week earlier and moving forward to August 30, Disneyland is essentially starting two weeks early with the August 23, 2024 start date. While earlier than ever at Disneyland, this is still later than the start date of Halloween at Walt Disney World (by almost 2 full weeks!) in recent years.
There are sure to be complaints about this from diehard Disneyland fans who think it’s “too early” for Halloween or don’t want to “endure” two more weeks of Haunted Mansion Holiday. But we strongly disagree. To the contrary, we have been advocating for an earlier start of the spook season at Disneyland for the last few years.
From our perspective, this all comes down to demand. Halloween Time crowds have been getting worse and worse, to the point that mid-September until late October is one of the busiest stretches of the entire year. There’s an element of seasonality to this with fall breaks at West Coast school districts. A big part of it, though, is simply that Halloween continues to grow in popularity.
The other big reason we’ve advocated for this is due to the difficulty of purchasing Oogie Boogie Bash tickets the last couple of years. That hard ticket event keeps getting more and more popular, and the virtual queues for the most recent Oogie Boogie Bash were a veritable nightmare (before Halloween).
Adding more parties to the calendar dilutes demand and enables more people–who were previously shut out–attend. (For full details, dates, and pricing about this hard ticket event, see our Guide to the Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party.)
That’s pretty much our view on moving the start date forward for the 2024 Halloween season at Disneyland. Starting right after schools go back into session during what’s historically one of the slowest times of the entire year will spread out demand, draw guests to the park earlier during the season, and (hopefully) make dates in October a little less crazy.
In the grand scheme of things, this is a net positive for both Disneyland and guests, even the fans who might complain about it starting “too early.” (That is, unless those people enjoy chaotic crowds, long lines to park, or waiting around for hours on end in virtual queues. In which case, complain away!)
For now, that’s everything we know about Halloween 2024 at Disneyland Resort. What follows is our normal guide to the seasonal event, which should be about 95% accurate. (The biggest changes will likely be to Oogie Boogie Bash and the character costumes, which should be new again for 2024.)
Above is a photo Disneyland released of the most recent Halloween character costumes. Keep in mind that this is a publicity shot, and you cannot meet all of the characters together like this. Nor can you meet them in front of the awesome Mickey Mouse pumpkin head on Main Street, for that matter.
For each of the last few Halloween and Christmas seasons, Mickey & Friends have been getting new costumes each year for their meet & greet appearances around Town Square. These are a huge hit with fans, and the costumes are usually really good for Mickey, Minnie, Daisy & Donald Duck, and especially Goofy. (Pluto is present, too, but typically just gets a new collar.)
Minnie and Mickey don luminescent sheer fabrics that will give a ghostly glow to their festive new ensembles at Disneyland. Be on the lookout for lots of cobwebs and details like bat bowties and spider-shaped bells.
These costumes are really well done, and some of them are arguably even better than last year. While we liked last year’s whimsical looks, the more stately and sophisticated styles of Minnie and Mickey Mouse are nice. In particular, the more formal suit suits Mickey Mouse, who is reminiscent of a phantom mayor.
The luminescent fabric is also great for Chip ‘n’ Dale, allowing them to be spooky spirits and lift up their ghostly layer to reveal the pumpkin shirts underneath. They’re playful meet & greet characters, and these costumes give them something to work with. We had a hoot meeting them, as they imitated Sarah’s baby bump and showed off what’s on their stomaches, too.
Speaking of which, we’ve had the chance to meet all of the characters for Halloween, and it can be a tad tricky. All of these meet & greets are in Town Square, but the locations aren’t clearly marked, the characters rotate, and most do not have PhotoPass. If you want to meet them, your best bet is being in Town Square between 9:45 am and 2 pm, which is when most of them appear.
Failing that, some of them are back out in the evenings between 5 pm and 10 pm. Those appearances are more sporadic, and characters are not out during the afternoon parade or fireworks. Another option is seeing them at the very beginning of the day, shortly after Disneyland opens and they appear at the Train Station; they also do the same thing at the end of the night. This is not a meet & greet, but you can get selfies and see them much more easily.
The bottom line is that we’d caution against planning to meet specific characters unless you’re willing to dedicate a lot of time to it. The far better approach is going with the flow, and meeting whoever has the shortest line, PhotoPass photographer, etc. Disneyland purposefully makes these meet & greet unpredictable so the lines don’t get unmanageable. (In case you’re frustrated by the vagueness and wonder why it’s done this way–that’s it.)
Another big update is that the Halloween Screams nighttime spectacular returned with supernatural projections, special effects and music on Main Street, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Rivers of America, and “it’s a small world.” Halloween Screams also integrates with MagicBand+ to add other effects. Note that Halloween Screams is only presented with fireworks on select nights, which typically means weekends or busy holiday weeks.
To make way for Halloween Screams, the new Disney100 nighttime spectacular Wondrous Journeys has now made its last performance of the year. Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate that Disneyland does the seasonal fireworks for Halloween and Christmas, but it’s kind of unfortunate that the new Disney100 show is going on hiatus for the rest of the year. Wondrous Journeys is a new classic–one of the best fireworks shows that Disneyland has ever produced.
For everything you need to know about watching nighttime spectaculars at Disneyland, including best viewing spots, pyro vs. projections shows, etc., see our Guide to Fireworks Viewing at Disneyland.
There’s also new merchandise and food for Halloween at Disneyland Resort. At the intersection of these two things, there are several new collectible popcorn buckets, the most popular of which is witch Minnie Mouse as a Sanderson Sister from Hocus Pocus. There’s also a new glow-in-the-dark Skeleton Mickey Mouse popcorn bucket that seems highly coveted.
Here are our quick-hit recommendations for Halloween food based on what we’ve tried:
- Pumpkin Chai Cream Puff, Poison Apple Macaron & Halloween Macaroon (note the different spellings) – Jolly Holiday Bakery
- Pumpkin Churro Funnel Cake – Hungry Bear Restaurant
- Te Kā Dog – Award Wieners
- Candy Corn Churro – Cozy Cone Cafe
- Pumpkin Spiced Tiramisu Ice Cream – Salt & Straw
Finally, there’s a seasonal version of the Goofy’s Kitchen buffet for the first-time, but we haven’t had a chance to try that yet. It’s unclear whether this is just decorations, or if it’s also Halloween-themed cuisine, too.
That covers everything new or changing for Halloween at Disneyland Resort. What follows is everything else you need to know before you go, based on our decade-plus of experience doing spook season at Disneyland Resort…
As a quick overview of what to expect at DCA, Buena Vista Street is decked out in Nightmare Before Christmas decor and Cars Land has an amusingly clever Halloween overhaul once again. Back in Paradise Garden’s Plaza de la Familia, there’s an underrated celebration inspired by Pixar’s Coco that features live entertainment, meet & greets, craft making, unique foods, and merchandise.
Inside Disneyland, you’ll find the giant Mickey Mouse pumpkin and other decor on Main Street, Ray Bradbury’s Halloween Tree, and Dia de Los Muertos decorations in Frontierland. At the front of both parks, you’ll also find Mickey and other classic Disney characters meeting for photos in their Halloween costumes. There’s so much more to Halloween Time than just these basics, so let’s cover everything you need to know!
Halloween Crowds at Disneyland
Anyone who has visited Disney California Adventure and Disneyland at Halloween knows it can get pretty busy. In fact, the last several years have featured really heavy crowds, which is a big reason why so much of the event has shifted over to Disney California Adventure.
In large part, the goal of these Halloween attraction overlays and decorations is to draw crowds to Disney California Adventure during the busy Halloween Time season. Additional rumors have suggested that the goal is to phase-in the idea of DCA as the “Halloween Park” and draw crowds away from Disneyland.
Generally speaking, crowds start out slow in early September, which is one of the least busy times of the entire year at Disneyland. Towards the end of the month, attendance starts to pick up, and crowd levels become moderate by early October.
By late October 2024, expect pure chaos. This is especially true on weekends. In fact, it can be so busy during the Halloween season, that all of the parking at Disneyland can close to capacity. (Due to changes to Magic Keys and how they charge for parking, we highly doubt this will be an issue in October 2024…but it has in the past.)
Beyond that, the hard ticket Halloween party has led to a veritable roller coaster of crowd patterns. On dates when Oogie Boogie Bash is held, Disney California Adventure is less busy during the daytime hours and Disneyland is busier. The opposite is true on non-party dates–DCA is busier and Disneyland is less busy.
The reason for this crowd dynamic is pretty simple and straightforward. Since DCA closes early to day guests on dates when Oogie Boogie Bash is held, tourists avoid DCA and do Disneyland instead. After all, who wants to pay full price for a ticket only to get kicked out several hours early?
Accordingly, the best strategy is to purchase Park Hopper tickets and visit DCA during the daytime hours on Oogie Boogie Bash dates before Park Hopping over to Disneyland at around 3 pm. Do the opposite on dates when Oogie Boogie Bash is not scheduled. If you do not purchase Park Hopper tickets, we don’t recommend this strategy–the time you’re losing due to DCA’s earlier closing is not offset by lower crowd levels.
For more specific recommendations and attendance projections, see our September 2024 Disneyland Crowd Calendar and October Disneyland Crowd Calendar.
With all of that said, we think Halloween Time at Disneyland is an incredible time to visit Disneyland. In fact, after Christmas at Disneyland, Halloween Time at Disneyland is our absolute favorite time of the year to visit, particularly when it starts in mid-September. The only reason Christmas gets the edge is because all of its entertainment is included with the normal cost of admission.
We’ve updated this post with new photos and thoughts about the festivities, so let’s take a look at Halloween Time at Disneyland & Disney California Adventure, sharing some of our tips and reviews for the various offerings. And speaking of that hard ticket event at DCA that disrupts crowd dynamics, here’s what you need to know about it…
Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party
Oogie Boogie Bash seems like a good place to start the substantive portion of this guide as it is the major Halloween offering, which is in its fifth year in 2024. We won’t fixate on this party too much as we have the aforementioned Guide to Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party that covers it in excruciating detail.
It’s a really well done (if uneven) event with a lot of selling points and more than enough to fill an evening, which is where our strategy guide so you know what to prioritize comes into play. We’ve attended the party every single year, and always have a blast. Read our Photos & Review: Oogie Boogie Bash Party Report for more on what we did, photos, etc. last year.
Additionally, there are a few things you need to know about Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party…
First, Oogie Boogie Bash sells out quickly. The same will likely happen in 2024 when tickets go on sale, so if you’re already planning ahead, be prepared and buy them ASAP if you’re hoping to attend. (We will be closely monitoring what’s released and will notify subscribers of our free email newsletter immediately when Oogie Boogie Bash dates are announced!)
With that said, you may be able to purchase tickets to Oogie Boogie Bash on the day-of at ticket booths or the on-site hotels if there are cancellations or Disneyland releases more tickets. This is highly unlikely, so we don’t want you to get your hopes up, but it has happened in the past.
Second, on nights when Oogie Boogie Bash is occurring, DCA closes at 6 pm. This is significant because it results in Disneyland being more crowded on party days and DCA being less crowded until around 4 pm, as tourists don’t want to use their tickets for what amounts to a little over a half day at DCA.
As such, we highly recommend Park Hoppers during the Halloween season. If you’re not attending Oogie Boogie Bash, start in DCA on the mornings of the event, and then head over to Disneyland in the evenings. The latter will absolutely be busier than on a normal night, but it’s still your best option from a crowds perspective.
DCA Halloween Decorations
On Buena Vista Street, there’s Halloween decor inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Oogie Boogie has risen from the shadows to take over Disney California Adventure, and his oversized silhouette rises above the main entrance turnstiles, and a bat motif is present throughout the area.
At night, Buena Vista Street looks even better, as the special lighting and audio take prominence. This lighting is pretty well done, and even the simple touches like purple lights in the trees really enhance the area. The whole area has a wonderfully spooky vibe and is really enjoyable.
However, it doesn’t hold a candle to the best area of Disney California Adventure at Halloween…
The “Haul-O-Ween” decor in Cars Land takes the crown there, and is an absolute hoot. Cars Land has received an extensive Halloween overlay, as the citizens of Radiator Springs don their Halloween costumes and decorate their homes to celebrate “Haul-O-Ween.”
From Fillmore’s Jack-Oil Lanterns and Flo’s Spider-Car to Witchy Miss Lizzie’s shop, Radiator Springs has become Radiator Screams. This overlay nails the vibe of Cars Land, which always has had a ton of cool ‘wink and nod’ type details that are meant to elicit a chuckle out of astute guests.
I’m surprised at the level of detail in the Haul-O-Ween overlay, and there’s really a ton to see, especially if you take the time to really explore the land. Some of it is totally cheesy, but in way that really works for Cars Land, and that’ll put a grin on your face.
We highly recommend visiting Cars Land for Haul-O-Ween just before sunset, and sticking around for the unique lighting moment (it’s different from the normal one).
Although they are not “decorations” per se, the Super Hero Lightning McQueen and Vampire Mater meet & greets are incredibly popular (and the costumes are HILARIOUS!). There’s also the glorious Clown Red costume, which I can only assume is synergy for the upcoming cross-over film, Pennywise the Car.
We’d recommend asking a Cast Member when the sets for each character start, and jumping into line 5 minutes before one of their sets. Once the vehicle actually appears, the lines tend to balloon.
DCA Halloween Attractions
Every night once the sun goes down, Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! transforms into Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark. This means you can experience two versions of this attraction in the same day.
Monsters After Dark has a different plot, starting immediately after the conclusion of Mission: BREAKOUT when (spoiler alert!), the Guardians have successfully escaped the Collector’s Fortress. Unfortunately, Groot was accidentally left behind. So now you’re helping Rocket distract the creatures while he saves Groot. There’s also an oddball song, “Monsters After Dark,” created especially for this attraction.
Whether you love it or loathe it will likely depend upon your opinion of Mission: BREAKOUT. I do appreciate that there’s an entirely unique storyline, and enough to differentiate this attraction from the regular Mission: BREAKOUT, but I can’t say it does a ton for me. There are a few clever, tongue-in-cheek moments, and it’s fun enough.
My only quibble with Monsters After Dark is that it replaces the iconic classic rock songs that play a huge role in the regular attraction with an incredibly grating “song” that attempts to sound like death metal and, as best I can tell, has lyrics consisting of only three words: MONSTERS AFTER DARK!
Nevertheless, Monsters After Dark is incredibly popular. We’d recommend doing it as early as you can. Failing that, save it until the end of the night, and jump in line at the last minute.
For the Haul-O-Ween overlay in Cars Land, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters transforms into Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween.
We did both of these attractions, and found them to be quite cute and fun. Ultimately, nothing has changed aside from the soundtracks, but those are well-done. This is particularly the case with Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree, which is every bit as goofy as you’d expect for this attraction. As with the normal version of the attraction, Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree is a hoot that we highly recommend.
Haul-O-Ween in Cars Land is a smash hit with guests, and for good reason. It’s clear a lot of work and effort was put into the decorations and attraction overlays, and the results bear that out with something that’s detailed and just plain fun. I’m optimistic this is just the start of what will become a huge Halloween draw at DCA, and hope it expands even further.
Music of Coco at Plaza de la Familia
As with Viva Navidad during the holiday season in November and December, the entertainment at Plaza de la Familia is the sleeper hit of the September and October entertainment at Disney California Adventure. This celebration of Latino holiday culture takes place in the Paradise Garden area at the back of the park, and is easy to miss as a result.
Plaza de la Familia’s daily festivities include dancing and live music, crafts and face-painting for children, special Mexican foods at Paradise Garden Grill and BoardWalk Pizza & Pasta (and nearby carts), Mariachi music, a special photo opportunity with Miguel from Coco, and an iconic Tree of Life experience.
The highlight of this all is the Musical Celebration of Coco street party. This brings to life songs from Pixar’s Coco via enchanting performances by the Storytellers of Plaza de la Familia, singer/storyteller Mateo, a folklórico dance ensemble, and the Grammy-winning Mariachi Divas. Miguel even makes a cameo in an appearance inspired by Mexican folk art!
This is the sleeper hit of Halloween at Disneyland Resort, and is something every guest should see. Find time to fit it into your schedule, because it’s full of fun cultural offerings. It’s a rich cultural experience with touches of Disney whimsy–the kind of thing you’d expect the old EPCOT Center to deliver!
Disneyland Halloween Decorations
The bulk of the Halloween decorations at Disneyland Resort are in Disneyland. This is apparent as soon as you approach Disneyland from the Esplanade, as the Fab Five are all above the turnstiles in pumpkin form. These just might be our favorite decorations, as they are clever and really set the tone from the beginning.
The decorations continue in front of the Main Street Train Station, and then throughout Main Street once you’re into the park. While other areas of Disneyland are decorated, Main Street definitely has the most decorations. Our favorite of these decorations is the large Mickey Mouse pumpkin photo op at the near end of the street.
This is a popular photo op early in the day, but is less popular during the middle of the day (grab your first photo of it in mid-afternoon when the Southern California skies are most likely to be blue–after the coastal haze has burned off). It’s again popular on the way out of the park at the end of the night, unless you wait until the very end, which is when we recommend grabbing a second photo of it.
Much like Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Disneyland normally has pumpkins adorning the ledges and windows on the second story of Main Street buildings. Many of these are decorated to reflect the adjacent shops, and there are a ton of clever hidden gags and references in these, so keep your eyes peeled.
Main Street normally has a lot of decorations, but Frontierland is the show-stealer when it comes to Halloween. Perhaps the coolest “decoration” of all is one that’s frequently overlooked, and that’s the Ray Bradbury Halloween Tree in Frontierland. This tree is modeled after Bradbury’s 1972 novel, titled The Halloween Tree.
As a Disney history fan, I really appreciate this tree. Ray Bradbury was a huge proponent of EPCOT Center. There’s a good chance EPCOT Center wouldn’t have been the theme park it was at opening without Ray Bradbury so strongly advocating for it among other scholarly minds.
His writings on the significance of Disney theme parks have given them an air of legitimacy to otherwise dismissive critics, too. Ray Bradbury is definitely deserving of this tribute, and I hope it continues on for decades to come. If you want to read and see more, read our The Halloween Tree at Disneyland post.
Also in Frontierland, there is plenty of Dia de los Muertos decor near Rancho del Zocalo. These vibrant and authentic decorations are really well done, and a great change of pace from the normal pumpkins elsewhere.
Disneyland Halloween Attractions
Haunted Mansion Holiday is the flagship attraction during the holiday seasons (both Halloween and Christmas) at Disneyland, and we absolutely love it. We think it’s brilliant how the attraction is totally transformed into something different, and how it changes each year to keep the locals coming back to see those changes.
Some traditionalist Disneyland fans don’t care for it, and if you’ve never seen regular Haunted Mansion, you might be disappointed by seeing the overlay instead of that, but for everyone else, this is great fun. In the last few years, an Audio Animatronics Sally figure was added to Haunted Mansion Holiday’s graveyard scene. Also, there’s a new cake in the ballroom every year.
In terms of when we recommend doing Haunted Mansion Holiday, early morning is your best bet. Normally, Haunted Mansion is a low-wait attraction, but since the overlay is a big draw for locals, the line for Haunted Mansion Holiday gets longer and longer as the day goes on.
By nighttime, it’s often one of the longer lines in the park. Although it’s not specific to Halloween Time, read our Ideal 1-Day Disneyland Park Itinerary to get an idea of more strategy for the park, but move Haunted Mansion Holiday up to an earlier time due to its increased Halloween popularity.
Definitely don’t wait until night to experience it. The ambiance at night in the queue is better, but that can be seen without getting in line for the attraction. Since the entire ride is indoors, there’s no benefit to actually waiting in line and doing Haunted Mansion Holiday at night.
Halloween Entertainment at Disneyland
Each night through October 31, you can see “Halloween Screams” presented high in the sky over Disneyland.
Halloween Screams is hosted Jack Skellington and his ghost dog Zero, with the nighttime spectacular featuring soaring flames, projections of rising ghosts and classic Disney villains like Maleficent and Ursula the Sea Witch, lasers, spotlights, and other effects set to a medley of Halloween-inspired songs.
Note that there are two versions of Halloween Screams. On weeknights, it’s presented as a not-so-frightful projection and special effects show in Disneyland…without pyro. On weekend nights, Halloween Screams is enhanced with fireworks. You can view Halloween Screams from several different locations throughout the park, including Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle and the façade of “it’s a small world.”
We’re big fans of Halloween Screams, and highly recommend viewing it no matter what–but especially on a weekend, when there’s actually pyro (well, if the Santa Ana winds cooperate!).
If you’re looking to meet unique characters or familiar Disney friends in their Halloween costumes, you’re in luck. The two most popular characters are Jack Skellington and Sally, who “materialize” near Haunted Mansion. Aside from them, our favorites are Mickey Mouse and friends, who meet in Town Square throughout the day wearing their Halloween costumes.
In addition to the above, free-roaming characters are common at Disneyland, and those are great for spontaneous interactions and random moments. As for the others, we highly recommend consulting the “characters” drop-down in the Disneyland app, which gives set times for each character.
For Town Square in particular, arrive slightly before the time of the character you want to meet, and inquire with a character attendant where the character you’d like to see will be meeting. This is our approach, and it saves us a good deal of time waiting in line!
Halloween Food at Disneyland
Disneyland’s Halloween snack game is strong. This is because these seasonal snacks can be marketed to Disneyland locals, many of whom actually might make a special trip to the parks to try some of them. This is great for guests, especially pumpkin fanatics like us.
Seriously, we love pumpkin foods. Our fridge is currently stocked with pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin macaroons, and pumpkin cheesecake. We have pumpkin coffee and pumpkin candles. Disneyland Resort Halloween snacks are heavily skewed toward pumpkin lovers like us. If you don’t love pumpkin foods, you’re far less inclined to be as smitten over Disneyland’s Halloween snacks as we are, but there’s still plenty for you.
To us, this is one of the biggest draws of visiting during the Halloween season, and we enjoy these snacks so much that we usually spend multiple days following the “Food Guide” pamphlet and grazing around the parks. You can see some of our favorites in our Best Halloween Foods & Desserts at Disneyland post.
Disney’s Happiest Haunts Tour
We have not done the Happiest Haunts Tour at Disneyland. Consensus on it seems to be that it’s less informative than the Holiday Time at Disneyland Tour, and more about adventure and the charisma of the tour guide. Everyone seems to gush over the Christmas tour and we really didn’t think it was all that great, so we opted not to do this tour (which still generally gets positive reviews, but slightly less positive reviews than the Holiday Time at Disneyland Tour).
This tour is generally a scavenger hunt/adventure through Disneyland and Disney California Adventure that takes guests on a number of “spooky” attractions (roughly 6) with front of the line access. The scavenger hunt is tied together as a story that the tour guide tells along the way and supposedly has a surprise ending. You’ll probably know based upon the description whether this tour will appeal to you. It doesn’t really appeal to us, but your mileage may vary.
Overall, Halloween Time at Disneyland is a ton of fun, and a great time to visit both in terms of offerings and park atmosphere. September and October are great times of year to visit Disneyland, generally, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be disappointed with a fall trip to Disneyland, even if you aren’t a Halloween fan.
While Halloween doesn’t top Christmas in terms of best times of year to visit, it does have a lot to offer that’s different from the “normal” Disneyland entertainment, and the Halloween offerings are far more than some light decorations, even if you opt not to attend the Halloween Party.
If you’re heading to Disneyland for Halloween Time at Disneyland, we have tons of posts to help you plan, including our Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets, a look at Disneyland Area Hotel Reviews & Rankings, our Unique Packing List for Disney Trips, an index of our Disneyland Resort Restaurant Reviews, and a number of other things in our comprehensive Disneyland Trip Planning Guide!
Your Thoughts…
Do you enjoy Halloween Time at Disneyland? Which seasonal event at Disneyland is your favorite? Have you attended Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party? Have a favorite attraction overlay and entertainment during the Halloween season at Disneyland and DCA? Any questions? Hearing from you is half the fun, so if you have additional Halloween tips or questions, please share them in the comments!
I was there last Friday and I am very disappointed not to have spotted you! I’m from the UK and didnt have data switched on on my phone so couldnt check twitter etc… Mew.
And also we totally missed Big Thunder Ranch, we headed over about 6pm and was told it closed at 5.30 – epic fail! (I was way too distracted by a Ghirardelli run to DCA).
I really enjoyed getting to see Halloween on my first visit to the West Coast. Really did enjoy Ghost Galaxy, and I think Space Mountain is better there anyway than MK.
Agree that fab 5 pumpkins at the entrance are awesome – took a few shots of them at both night and day but my night shots are not great.
Love is not love without a violin playing goat.
Did I miss something? I thought Billy Hill & the Hillbillies had been retired?
I am so excited just bought tickets for our family to go Oct 18th. Our kids are 10, 12 & 14 and while they know we’re going to California to go on a cruise, I’ve decided to keep this part of the trip a surprise! Did I say how excited I am??!
Anyway, any recommendations about where to watch the fireworks from? Is it best to get spots by a certain time? My husband loves fireworks and I want the whole trip to be perfect. 🙂
Just be centered in front of the castle so you can see it all. The fireworks are amazing-the best show I’ve seen.
Tom found your blog by accident. Thank you for such an informative blog. I have gone to the Halloween Party twice. Both times in late September. The first time it was amazing! I loved the ambiance of the Halloween Decorations. Halloween at Disney is so much fun. I enjoyed the people in costumes and meeting all the villains and taking pictures, I loved the trick or treating and the Mickey Disco party. I am a senior citizen(early sixties) but I turn into a ten year old at these events. I recommend everyone do the party at least once. The second time was the first night and it was so crowded that my husband and I decided never again, but my niece and her husband are going and when she told me I got so excited for her. I want to do the Haunted tour now, but can’t seem to find enough information on it. Does anyone have info on this tour and whether it is worth the $80.00 they charge? P.S. the Villains at the end of the night doing their routine was just fabulous!
l
Hullo!
I have a question that I can’t seem to find an answer to anywhere on the internet. XD
I’m an annual passholder, but I’ve never attended the Halloween party. I would like to, on one day, visit the park in the morning and stay through the party. I have no qualms paying for the extra ticket. My question really is on the costumes. If I wanted to wear a costume to the Halloween party, would you by chance know if I could also wear it during the regular park hours, or if I would have to exit, change, and re-enter the park once the Halloween party hours started.
See, I want to wear my Sora (kingdom hearts) cosplay, and I feel like it would be cool to go in the morning to get pictures with characters like Peter Pan–that won’t necessarily be at the Halloween party. But I also don’t want to be not allowed in without a change of clothing.
Thanks much!
-Stephanie
Technically, you aren’t allowed to wear a cosplay costume on a “normal” day in the park, so you’d have to wear normal clothes, and then change for the party. With that said, you might be able to get lucky and not have anyone say anything. I wouldn’t chance it, though!
There are a ton of characters at the party.
Hello,
I really enjoyed reading your blog, mainly because I’m a pumpkin everything type person as well… Lol…
As far as my experience goes, I have been going to Mickey’s Halloween Party for the past five years and will be attending again this year, I am definitely both a halloween and disney buff so any opportunity I get to celebrate, its fair game.
As far as crowds go, in the first years of the party the crowds where low but so was the lack of parties, photo ops, entertainment, rides open, candy stations, etc. Over the years the crowds have gotten larger but they have also expanded pretty much every aspect of the party, they have the cadaver dans floating in the river singing halloween songs, the villains have their own area and musical show, there are a lot of characters meet and greets ( I never get through all of them so I usually go for the family favorites), now most of the rides are open (not all but the most popular ones are up and running) and there are plenty of candy stations around. So even though the crowds are bigger there is way more stuff to do other than see awesome costumes ( please note that bigger crowds does not mean a full park, there are way less people than during the day… Way, way less and did I mention in awesome costumes??). I guess I should write a walkthrough/advice for those who haven’t been, are going, etc.
So here’s a quick walkthrough, make sure you get to the park 4 hours before the party starts, people will look at you weird because they have no idea why an adult is in costume (warning, people will take photos of you so don’t freak out). You will pick up your bracelet and small candy bag at the entrance then you can either go yo too town and start trick or treating and taking photos with costumed characters or you can walk around the park. I recommend bringing a large halloween candy bag, we always take them and fill them up there’s no limit to how much candy you can get.
After the initial entry, they will start kicking normal day visitors out, it gets hectic because people coming to the party have to push their way through the people getting out, which is why showing up early is a great idea. Moving on, by 7:00 or 6:00 pm depending which night you go, the party is in full swing. They decorate the park with light shows, they bring decorations you don’t see during the day, the halloween music starts bumping up, the villains come out to hang out, the dance parties start, the river is filled with fog with the cadaver dans singing on a raft… You get the gist, the atmosphere is full blown halloween awesomeness!! Now here is where you decide what you want to do for the night, wether it is trick or treating, photo ops, dance parties for little ones, or rides. We are usually in elaborate costumes so rides are out of the question, however, there is practically never a long wait for a ride (except ghost galaxy) if you are there to ride, go there first. As far as photo ops go, the wait lines are not that big usually about 10-15 minutes, sometimes none with the exception of Mickey and Minnie and of course Jack Skellington for them be prepared to wait a while. We usually leave them for last, they are there until closing so the lines at the end of the night are very short. As far as the parade goes, it has definitely become bigger over the years but it is still small, it is a great way to take a break from trick or treating and walking around in general. If your costumes are good, you might be asked to join in a special car ( we got asked!!), you get a free photo they take in the back lot and you get to interact with the people involved (it’s awesome!!). Continuing, there are two parade times, during these times the candy stations are almost empty so go get some candy. However, there’s practically a candy station on every corner so as you walk around the park, you are getting it by the dozen. Lastly, the fireworks show, it is usually around 10 PM, do not miss it, it is great and unique. As far as my experience goes, we’ve gotten there early and late. On both occasions We had a great view of the show, of course if you want premium front row seats then get there about 45 minutes early. Please note that is never too crowded where you only see partial fireworks. After the fireworks, surprisingly most people leave the park. This is when most of crowded rides and photo ops are half empty and the best time to do it, also the candy stations will be empty in case you want more candy or “healthy snacks” also known as baby carrots. Oh and don’t miss the closing villain show at the end of the night, I had no idea it existed and stumbled upon it accidentally half way through, it’s on my list this year. Hope this helps out some skeptics and noobs.
This was great–thanks so much for your tips, and for sharing how the party has expanded over the years!
Thanks for all the great details and tips. Planning to surprise the kids with this next year.
Hey Tom, Love your website. It has been very informative for planning.
We are surprising our 2 and 3 year boys with a trip to Disneyland for Halloween. We are spending Thursday, Friday and Sat at the parks and have the Halloween passes for the Oct 31 party.
Specific to the party, where (and how do you get) the best viewing area for the fireworks show & parade? With two young kids, standing around in one spot an hour before the show isn’t an option. I am also looking at booking the world of color dining package in California adventure while we are there to get good seating. Not sure if there is a similar option in the disneyland park.
Also, a more general question, our 2 year old isn’t quite 40″, so we are planning on skipping most of the roller coasters. We’ll probably split up and take the 3 year old on a few of the bigger rides. I haven’t been to Disneyland since 2008 and have never been with small children. Are there any ‘can’t miss’ recommendations? The kids obviously lack stamina to ‘do it all’ and spend all day and night at the park so we want to make sure and make the most of our time in the park between naps and time at the pool.
Our family is going to Disneyland the week of October 19th. We’re going to purchase the 5 day park hopper passes purchase the Halloween Party tickets for the 22nd so we can have 5 1/2 days in the park. Soooooooo excited and can’t wait to go! So glad I found your blog for all the great info and tips!
Have a great trip! 🙂
Hoping you all can help out a Disneyland Newbie. We are planning on going to the party Oct. 2014 (2nd trip to DL ever!) and I can’t seem to figure what the general schedule will be for the calvacade and fireworks etc. The party tickets I have say 6pm -11pm, and entrance up to 3 hours before, but does that mean fireworks will be at 11pm, or what? Any other tips for a newbie on what to prioritize during the party, the typical guidebooks etc. don’t really cover or give a sense how much is reasonable to do at special events.
The event schedule isn’t out yet, but you should be able to find an image of last year’s map (with times) via Google. Expect roughly the same time for events this year. Have fun!
we are going on the 10th(friday) and they told me the calvacade is at 8:30 and 9:30 is the firework show
If we want to have the Halloween experience at Disneyland, but not actually going to the Mickey’s Party, would it be worth to go on September 20?
If we have tickets to both the park for the day and the party at night, do they make you exit the park and then re-enter with the Halloween Party ticket or can you just stay in the park?
No, they don’t make you exit and re-enter. It’s a ‘soft’ clear of the park, not a hard one.
So you could choose not to leave the park and still get to see the fireworks and parade?
We went last year on a Tuesday and a Friday night. The Disney cast members were out in full force checking arm bands (you trade them in for your tickets) and particularly on the Friday night they acted like a huge human barrier as they closed in on the gates, kicking out people without the right wrist bands. We must have had ours checked at least 10 times during the evening – on rides, by photographers and by random cast members. At 9.00 when we were having photos with villains at the main street train station, there were 2 people being escorted out.
It was so much fun. Can’t wait to go this year! 5 weeks to go. Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy is just the best!
Hi just stumbled upon youre blog. I am curious itll my 3rd year attendimg mickeys not so scary halloween, ive heard mny people talk about halloween treats. But i just dont know where to go. As a annual pass holder its embarrassing not knowing these things. Is it a buffet or something private. And where do you go.
You mean like trick or treating? There are lines throughout the park. As for Halloween snacks you can purchase, they are also sold throughout the park at restaurants–you’ll see little signs up.
I’ve been to Mickeys Halloween Party twice now and I enjoyed it greatly each time. While the Calvacade may be a shorten parade ,it’s plenty of parade for me. Love the guests dressed up, the spooky atmosphere,and of course the fireworks at the end of the night. Espically love the river flooded with fog and the cadaver Dans floating on a raft while performing. Don’t really care for the trick or treating but my teen loves it.You’re right about the character lines. They are a huge time sucker . All in all ,this is just a really fun Halloween event that doesn’t include someone jumping out of a maze screaming at you.
The fog on the Rivers of America during the Halloween party does look really awesome. The ambiance of the party alone might make it worthwhile–thanks for sharing your experience! 🙂
Do the Cadaver Dans perform on non-party nights? Also, would Fantasmic run on party nights?
I just emailed Disneyland and they don’t release party dates until 6 weeks before the first party. UGH! We need to book our airfare now to make a trip in late Sept or Oct. With the Diamond 60th celebration I don’t know if we should book for Halloween or not, and Disneyland isn’t releasing any info yet 🙁
Cathy wrote: “…a really fun Halloween event that doesn’t include someone jumping out of a maze screaming at you.”
RIGHT, Cathy?!?! I can’t stand that!!
Honestly, I never watch the parades – too much Broadway cheese for me, so I’m glad the Cavalcade is short. Don’t miss Fantasmic, though. It’s the BEST show Disney puts on (I’ve probably seen it 100 times over the years, having worked at the park on and off since ’87.) And I’ll admit, Disney fireworks have spoiled me silly; I can’t sit through anyone else’s firework show.
My 10 year-old and I are going to Mickey’s Halloween Party for the first time. We’re so excited you’d think I was 10, as well. 😉
Thank you for this blog, Tom ~ I shall visit often!
G.
My boyfriend and I are planning to go to Disneyland Monday Sept 29th- Wed Oct 1st. I know the Halloween party is scheduled for Tues, Sept 30th, but we did the Halloween party at WDW last Oct and while it was fun, we don’t see the need to spend the money again at Disneyland. Does anyone know if there will be other fireworks that week? The Sept schedule I’ve looked at seems like things slow down, the parks close earlier and the fireworks are only shown at the weekend. Do things become busy again for Halloween and do they add the fireworks/fantastmic again during the week? Thsnk you!
We are considering going to Mickey’s Halloween Party on Halloween day. However, I am concerned about the crowd level. Since Halloween is on a Friday this year, I am assuming the crowd will be heavier than in past years. I’m wondering your thoughts on how crowded you expect this year to be. I have two children….five and three, and I’m just concerned that the crowd level will be too overwhelming. What are your thoughts?
Although they (supposedly) limit the number of tickets sold to these parties, that “limit” is pretty high. I would expect the parties close to Halloween to be incredibly crowded.
“The attraction would consist of moving the Big Thunder Ranch to the Captain EO theater at night, and just letting them roam around in there.”
I LOL’ed.
So jazzed for my September trip now!
What bad could come of releasing goats in a theater?! I can only imagine glorious hi-jinks and good times! 😉
Hi,i am really interested in taking my son this year, we are annual pass holders and since my son doesn’t require a pass since hes 2yrs old,will i need to purchase a ticket for him for mickeys Halloween party ?
You will not have to pay for children 2 and under at the Halloween event.
Love the article! It really was the main reason we chose to go during Halloween, that and my birthday is the 25th : ) I have bought us 3 day park hopper tickets for Saturday the 25th, Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th. So my dilemma is this, should I buy the Halloween ticket on Friday the 24th and have 3 1/2 days or buy it for Monday and have the whole morning plus the night? BTW it will be my daughters’ first vacation EVER!
There’s no doubt Disneyland will be MORE CROWDED on Friday compared to Monday or Tuesday.
Thanks for the information. Thinking of going to the Disneyland Halloween party this year (2014) and I thought they did have a parade during this party. I saw a video from someone that attended last year on You Tube that looked like a parade. Did they recently change something?
I guess it’s considered a “mini parade” from reading prior posts 🙂