Enjoy Frightful Fun During Halloween at Disneyland
It’s all thrills and chills during Halloween at Disneyland.
As summer slips into fall, happy haunts begin to materialize at the Disneyland Resort. With ghoulish glee spread throughout Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, fun-loving mortals can enjoy Halloween makeovers of beloved rides, fiendishly festive treats, and spellbinding shows and decor designed to raise your spirits, and possibly a few more. We’ve gathered all of the merry mischief, plus a few insider tips, to help make the most of this year’s Halloween season at Disneyland.
When does the Halloween decor go up?
The frightful festivities kick off on Aug. 23, 2024, when both parks are transformed with atmospheric Halloween and harvest decor. At Disneyland’s Halloween Time (which runs through October 31), the autumnal Main Street Pumpkin Festival welcomes visitors with hundreds of grim grinning gourds and a giant, showstopping Mickey-O-Lantern. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and other Disney characters also stop by to greet guests and debut their new, haute Halloween costumes. You can snap a selfie with Miguel and Mirabel at a Día de los Muertos display in Frontierland, while you might spy Disney’s infamous villains haunting Fantasyland.
At Disney California Adventure, Oogie Boogie’s smirking visage greets guests to Buena Vista Street where light-strung trees glow purple and animated recreations of black and white Halloween cartoons fill storefront windows. At the central plaza, a statue of the Headless Horseman clutches his glowing pumpkin noggin while the Art Deco bell tower of Carthay Circle is emblazoned with creepy, crawly projections come sundown. Lightning McQueen and Mater get in the spirit when Cars Land’s Radiator Springs becomes Radiator Screams with clever seasonal decor, including traffic cone witch hats, orange gas can pumpkin patches, and “Rust in Peace” tombstones. Guests can also join in on a Día de los Muertos celebration at the marigold-filled Plaza de la Familia with an elaborate árbol de la vida (tree of life), towering calaveras, and favorite tunes from Pixar’s Coco. Plus, for the first time this year, guests can purchase an activity map at each park to seek out hidden character-themed pumpkins with Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit.
What rides get special Halloween makeovers?
It wouldn’t be a Halloween visit without a spin through the Haunted Mansion, and thankfully, the manor with hot and cold running chills reopens for the season after being shuttered for renovations earlier this year. Continuing the annual Halloween Time tradition, the ride is transformed into the Haunted Mansion Holiday when Jack Skellington, his phantasmic pup Zero, and other characters from Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas move into the eerie estate. Note that due to the ongoing revamp of the ride’s entrance, Haunted Mansion Holiday is only available via a virtual queue which requires guests to reserve a timeslot through the Disneyland app on the day of their visit (see the Disneyland site for more detail).
At Radiator Screams, not-so-scary ride overlays include Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree, a Halloween hootenanny with tractor-pulled carts spinning a do-si-do as Mater croons seasonal ditties such as "Monster Truck Smash.” There’s also a simulated tire yard dance at Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween with trackless cars twirling to Halloween-themed songs from the Italian roadster. For a more thrilling adventure, including a few hair-raising plunges, brave guests can help Rocket rescue Groot from a horde of monsters at Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark (starting at 3:00 p.m. daily).
One of the Halloween highlights is Cars Land, where favorite "Cars" characters celebrate Haul-O-Ween in costume.
Where can you find Halloween food and drinks?
Add a little Disney magic to traditional Halloween treats, and you get devilishly delicious goodies that look as fantastic as they taste. Every season, the park’s candy shops and eateries burst with clever creations such as pumpkin Mickey cake pops, candied “poison” apples with green-tinted white chocolate skull faces, and Oogie Boogie churros with green icing and wiggly gummy worms. Also, the Stage Door Cafe’s infamous Graveyard Banana Funnel Cake topped with banana cream, chocolate cookie dust, and Halloween candy is back again this year.
As part of Disney California Adventure’s Plaza de la Familia festivities, Paradise Garden Grill serves up a special menu of Mexican dishes such as pineapple-marinated al pastor tacos and crispy, chile verde flautas with queso fresco, tomatillo salsa, and pickled onions. Restaurants at the adjoining Disneyland Resort hotels get in on the fun as the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa’s Storytellers Cafe and Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel are decked in seasonal decor with regular visits from Disney characters donning their Halloween garb.
Which Halloween shows should you see?
New this year at California Adventure’s Disney Theater, guests can enjoy regular daytime performances of Mickey’s Trick and Treat, an interactive show with songs, special effects, and a magic potion concocted by Mickey and pals. Plus, everyone goes home with a treat! Over at the Plaza de la Familia, a Coco-themed musical performance tells a touching tale through colorful folklórico dancers, mariachi musicians, and a hand-animated Miguel figure that you can pose with after the show.
When the sun sets on Disneyland, Jack Skellington serves as the Master of Scare-omonies for Halloween Screams with eerie projections that illuminate multiple park locations including Sleeping Beauty Castle, “It’s a Small World,” the Rivers of America, and Main Street, U.S.A. MagicBand+ holders can glow along with the show, and on select nights, fireworks add extra dazzle.
In Disneyland, Frontierland hosts a Dia de los Muertos celebration. At Disney California Adventure, visitors can get into the spirit at Plaza de la Familia, inspired by "Coco."
Tips for Visiting During the Holidays
While Disneyland Resort’s Halloween programming draws plenty of brave souls, you’ll often enjoy lighter crowds earlier in the season. As expected, late October dates, in addition to weekends and holidays, are likely to be busier. Note that the inaugural Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon weekend (September 5-8) and the unofficial Gay Days (September 13-15) will draw more crowds.
Given the popularity of the Haunted Mansion Holiday and its highly-anticipated reopening at “Halloween Time,” guests may want to reserve a time slot via the Disneyland app’s virtual queue upon arrival. Lighting Lane Multi Pass also allows guests to reserve dedicated time slots for popular attractions (an additional fee applies). To go behind the scenes, book a Happiest Haunts Guided Tour which takes guests on a two-hour walking tour with Halloween fun facts, photo ops with the Haunted Mansion’s hitchhiking trio, and reserved viewing for Halloween Screams.
Smart Tip: For more tips on making the most of your visit, check out PlanDisney, an official Disney resource with honest, practical advice from a vetted panel of Disneyland Resort experts.