As summer’s intense heat cools to more comfortably crisp temperatures, shadows lengthen and spooky season descends, Disneyland Resort’s spirited Halloween Time celebrations commence, with fan-favorite fall festivities and seasonal offerings returning once again to the Southern California theme parks and surrounding complex.
Since the start of September, every corner of the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks, along with the hotels and the Downtown Disney District, has been adorned in a rich array of autumnal décor. And, as in years past, certain parts of the resort and park attractions take on a new life through signature Halloween-themed overlays, soundtracks and entertainment lineups.
Disneyland Park
In typical fashion, beloved Disney characters are out to meet and greet guests in person, casting a ghostly glow while dressed in brand-new Halloween outfits. And, for the first time, Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel will welcome characters dressed in their ghoulish Halloween garb, and feature seasonal décor and themed desserts from September 21 – October 31.
Besides finding the Mickey and friends crew decked out their latest fall finery, guests might also encounter Jack Skellington—the charismatic anti-hero of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”, a landmark film that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year—or his patchwork girlfriend, Sally. Various classic Disney villains are also out roaming the parks, looking to elicit smiles or screams from fans of all ages, and available to pose for photo opportunities.
Mickey Mouse and friends are donning new Halloween duds this year. (Source: Disneyland Resort)
And, of course, the menus at various food and beverage venues currently include a vast selection of seasonal items, from specialty drinks and main dishes to snacks and sweet treats. Dining locations throughout the parks and wider resort are offering more than 50 frightfully flavorful Halloween-themed food and beverage items.
And, seasonal merchandise, available only during Halloween Time, spans everything from souvenir sippers, trinkets and stuffed animals to clothing and accessories, home décor and special-edition collectibles. Really, any Disney- and Halloween-themed retail article you might imagine, a version of it can probably be found somewhere within the resort right now.
Jack, Sally, Zero and their deranged cohorts come straight out of Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion film to once again “wreck the halls” of the Haunted Mansion Holiday in signature style. The annual overlay sees the classic Haunted Mansion attraction in New Orleans Square transformed into a bizarre blend of Halloween and Christmas traditions by the overzealous oddball residents of Halloween Town.
A small sampling of this year's vast Halloween Time seasonal merchandise available at the Disneyland Resort. (Photo Credit: Laurie Baratti)
Another returning favorite, the supernatural nighttime spectacular “Halloween Screams” summons spectral projected imagery, pyrotechnic special effects and a rousing musical score to accompany fireworks conjured in the skies above the park (on select nights). The multimedia performance is best enjoyed from viewing areas on Main Street, U.S.A., near Sleeping Beauty Castle, in front of “it’s a small world” and along the Rivers of America. And, now, guests who’ve purchased the new MagicBand+ product will experience an added dimension to the show, as it delivers ominous illuminations and shivering vibrations.
Disney California Adventure Park
Disney California Adventure Park’s Buena Vista Street takes on an eerie aspect of its own, being covered in creepy Halloween decorations and image projections. Oogie Boogie, the amorphous antagonist from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, presides over the park’s entrance. He’s also a central figure during the separately ticketed (and sold out) after-hours “Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party” event, which takes over the park on select nights between now and October 31.
PHOTO: Disneyland Halloween Screams Nighttime Spectacular. (Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort)
For the season, the park’s Cars Land sees Radiator Springs, home to Lightning McQueen, Mater and their friends, become Radiator Screams, with the four-wheeled characters and their local establishments all dressed up in their best “car-stumes” and decorations. Its family-friendly attractions also take on a seasonal spin, such as Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters, which transforms into Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, which becomes Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree.
Meanwhile, at the park’s Avengers Campus the high-speed thrill ride “Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!” also puts its own spin on the spooky season celebrations. Each day, as the afternoon winds down, “Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark” takes over the tower attraction with a special hair-raising storyline that only exists during Halloween Time. In this scream-worthy adventure, guests join the Guardians to save Baby Groot from the many alien monsters who’ve escaped their enclosures in The Collector’s Fortress and are running amok.
"A Musical Celebration of Coco" being performed at Plaza de la Familia, Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Resort. (Photo Credit: Laurie Baratti)
Paying homage to the spirit of Día de los Muertos—a Latin American holiday that falls just after Halloween, and celebrates the undying bonds of love and family—Paradise Garden Pier transforms again this year into “Plaza de la Familia”, an area inspired by Pixar’s Academy Award-winning animated film, “Coco”. Among other things, guests will find the plaza’s eateries are serving up mouth-watering Mexican dishes created with authentic ingredients especially for occasion.
The colorful outdoor corridor features several interactive stations where visitors can pose for photos, write their own memories of loved ones and post them to a vibrant Memory Wall or design their own paper “alebrije” (spirit guide) mask. They might even meet Miguel (who, in this incarnation, appears as a life-size articulated puppet) following performances of “A Musical Celebration of Coco”, a vibrant street show that tells the story of “Coco” through live music, dances and puppetry. The Plaza de la Familia installation continues now through November 2.
Haul-O-Ween at Cars Land in Disney California Adventure Park. (photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort)
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