10 Things Not to Miss During Halloween at Disneyland

Please note: Halloween festivities will resume at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure this year on September 1, 2023!

Last weekend, my family went to Disneyland for the first weekend of Halloweentime at the Parks. We had been there for the Holidays before- having gone in both November and January- but had never seen the park decked out in it’s spookiest. So we decided to finally go check it out!

We were only there for a day and a half, so we really needed to make the most of our time. We didn’t get a chance to see everything, but if you’re planning a trip during Halloween {which started on September 6th and goes until Halloween night} I hope this list helps you!

10 Things Not to Miss During Halloween at Disneyland

1. Haunted Mansion Holiday: This Nightmare Before Christmas-themed overlay is open for both the Halloween and Holiday seasons at Disneyland, since the movie dabbles with a little bit of both Halloween and Christmas.

Here you’ll find the ride you know and love, but after Jack Skellington- as Sandy Claws, of course, has had a little fun redecorating. You’ll find characters from the movie throughout the ride, new effects, and even a giant, REAL gingerbread house in the ballroom!

Catch Haunted Mansion Holiday now through January 6, 2020- but make sure you head there first or get a Fast Pass because this ride gets a lot of attention this time of year!

2. Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT- Monsters After Dark: Another ride to get a Halloween overlay is Guardians of the Galaxy {formerly Tower of Terror} over at Disney California Adventure.

Unlike Haunted Mansion Holiday, this overlay only takes place at night. Starting at 5pm, the whole storyline of the ride changes. Instead of trying to break the Guardians out, you’re returning after the events of the original ride- and there are monsters on the loose. Rocket needs help getting Groot though, so it’s your job to help him- without getting eaten by a monster.

You can get a Fast Pass for Guardians of the Galaxy any time of day, but Fast Passes for the Monsters After Dark overlay begin distribution at 2pm. Don’t forget to check out your ride photo, which will also have a special border for the occasion!

3. Cars Land Celebrates Haul-O-Ween: Every detail of Cars Land is decked out for Halloween, including two of the rides. Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters becomes Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween, with Halloween-themed music and special decorations.

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree, and includes gravestones with puns throughout the line and a mummy tractor out front! But don’t worry if your little ones are a little sensitive- the rides work the same way as always, and despite the Halloween nature of them they aren’t scary.

4. Popcorn buckets: If you want a snack that can satisfy the whole family, popcorn is the best bet. If you want that snack to come with a souvenir that would make any Halloween mantle extra magical, you’ll want to spring for a popcorn bucket!

This fall, you can get the Mickey Pumpkin Balloon popcorn bucket, the Oogie Boogie popcorn bucket, or the AP-Exclusive Purple Cauldron Popcorn Bucket. The AP-Exclusive cauldron also includes $1.50 refills throughout the Halloween season!

5. Pumpkin Spice Everything: Love pumpkin spice? You can find it throughout the parks, from Market House {Starbucks} in Disneyland, where you can find PSL’s, to Red Rose Taverne in Disneyland or Flo’s V8 Cafe in DCA where you can find a Pumpkin Spice Shake. You can even grab Pumpkin Spice Beignets at the Mint Julep Bar!

6. Spooky Treats: Want something that’s a trick and a treat? Halloween treats are popping up left and right throughout the parks. Some of them premiere Friday {check out this official Disneyland Candy Guide to find out what you’ll see} but some were already around when we were there.

Our favorite so far? The Halloween Whoopie Pie in the lobby at the Grand Californian! You do NOT have to be a guest at the hotel to enjoy the the treat cart.

While you’re there, check out the GIANT Oogie Boogie cake in the lobby! {Tip: Get to the Grand really quickly when you go over the bridge across the way from Grizzly River Run!}

7. Check out the decor: In addition to the obvious GIANT pumpkin Mickey on Main Street {a must-see!}, there are SO many fun details throughout the entire resort! From shop windows to tree decor to every square inch of Cars Land, the whole place has fun details that are just here for Halloween.

The Headless Horseman on Buena Vista Street at DCA was a big hit with my 10 year old, who thought it was super spooky when it started talking! I also loved this adorable Spider Car outside of Flo’s V8 Cafe!

8. Halloween Screams Fireworks: For the last several years, Halloween fireworks at Disneyland were only viewable to Halloween party attendees. Now that the party is over at DCA, there is a Halloween show every night, called Halloween Screams- and on select nights {basically Fri-Sun, weather permitting} it includes fireworks!

9. Meet Villains: While some villains, like Gaston and Captain Hook, are spotted year-round, they spend more time out and about during this time of year. You’ll also see villains who aren’t typically there, like Maleficent.

Another meet and greet that is unique to Halloweentime {and the Holidays} is Jack Skellington and Sally! You can meet them in New Orleans Square along with some characters from The Haunted Mansion!

To find characters, check the Disneyland app for times and locations. Keep your eyes peeled though- there have been some surprises lately that aren’t shown on the app!

10. Plaza de la Familia: While Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is NOT the same as Halloween, it occurs around the same time so it is currently being celebrated in the Parks as well. Dia de los Muertos begins at night on October 31st and continues until November 2nd, and is a way to honor those we have lost who continue to touch our hearts.

Over in the Plaza de la Familia at Disney California Adventure, you can make your own alebrijes mask {Dante or Pepita}, share a family memory to hang next to the Arbol de la Vida {Tree of Life}, and even see Miguel and Mariachi dancers put on a show several times a day. There’s also a big ofrenda that has meet-and-greets with Miguel {in marionette form} throughout the day! Even if you don’t celebrate Die de los Muertos, it’s definitely worth checking out!

Whether you’re spending just one day or an entire week at Disneyland during Halloweentime, you’ll never run out of things to see, do, and eat! It’s truly a fantastic way to celebrate the season and we’ll be making a habit of going back to see it whenever we can!

Want even more Halloween fun? Check out the Oogie Boogie Bash– a separately ticketed event happening on select dates this September and October at Disney California Adventure. You can learn more about it here, but hurry- there are only a few dates left!

Ready to buy your Halloweentime tickets? Get discounted tickets from our partner Get Away Today! Need a hotel room too? Save $10 on packages including hotel + park tickets when you use code NQSH!