Our Frog Family loves going to Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort. It's one of the best times of the year to visit! Both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park are outfitted with decorations, banners, lighting, characters in all-new Halloween costumes, spooky sounds and other treats (be sure to ask for some Halloween Magic Shots from the PhotoPass photographers for some extra special surprises!). Halloween Time returns from Aug. 21 to Oct. 31, 2026. The best part? It's all included with your park ticket! Hop along for all the spooktacular details!
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FAQs
- When is Halloween Time? Disneyland Halloween Time takes place Aug. 21 through Oct. 31, 2026.
- Is Halloween Time included in my park ticket? Yes. All Halloween Time decor and entertainment are included with your Disneyland ticket (and you can save when you buy from Undercover Tourist!). The Oogie Boogie Bash requires a separate ticket. The Kids Summer ticket offer runs through Sept. 7, 2026, so you can take your kids to the start of Halloween Time for as low as $48 per day in 2026!
- When is the Oogie Boogie Bash? This separately ticketed party takes place on select nights in Disney California Adventure, Aug. 18 through Oct. 31, 2026.
- Are there Halloween activities outside the park? You can enjoy seasonal decor, treats and entertainment at Downtown Disney and the hotels, including Pluto's Pumpkin Pursuit. The week of Halloween, the Disneyland hotels have trick-or-treating for hotel guests. Save on your hotel stay (with a refundable $200 deposit) through Undercover Tourist.
- Does Disneyland celebrate Día de los Muertos? You can celebrate Día de los Muertos in Disney California Adventure during Plaza de la Familia from Aug. 21 to Nov. 2, 2026.
- Does World of Color run during Halloween Season? In 2026, “World of Color – ONE” returns to Disney California Adventure park for a limited time August 10 through the Halloween season. It does not run during Oogie Boogie nights.
Overview of Disneyland Halloween Time
Disneyland Halloween Time is a spooky-fun celebration taking place all across Disneyland Resort from Aug. 21 through Oct. 31, 2026. With seasonal entertainment, special decorations (like the iconic Mickey pumpkin on Main Street!) and characters in new costumes every year, it's one of our very favorite times to visit the Disneyland Resort. Just like the rest of us, characters get new costumes each year, and you'll even find car-stumes in Cars Land. And what's the Halloween season without treats?!
Plaza de La Familia also takes place at Disney California Adventure Park during this time, celebrating the world of "Coco" and Dia de los Muertos. Just like Halloween Time, Plaza de La Familia is included with your general admission to Disney California Adventure Park.
The Oogie Boogie Bash — A Disneyland Halloween Party officially returns to Disney California Adventure for select nights during the season. This party is a separately ticketed event that runs during Disneyland Halloween Time. It's one of our Frog Family's favorite events of the year! But even if you don't attend the party, there is so much Halloween fun to be had at Disneyland during Halloween Time. Oogie Boogie Bash runs on select Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights from Aug. 18 through Oct. 31, 2026. (It's kicking off before Halloween Time starts in 2026!)
| Event | Typical Timing |
|---|---|
| Disneyland Halloween Time Tickets on Sale | Now — Included with Your General Admission! |
| Oogie Boogie Bash Tickets Go on Sale | June 18 (Magic Key sales start June 16 & 17) |
| Halloween Decorations Go Up | Mid-August |
| Disneyland Halloween Time | Aug. 21 – Oct. 31, 2026 |
| Oogie Boogie Bash Begins ($) | Select dates from Aug. 18 to Oct. 31, 2026 |
| Plaza de la Familia | Aug. 21 – Nov. 2, 2026 |
Last year, the costumes had a 70th flair, with bright colors.
When Should I Plan My Halloween Time Visit?
August and September (though hot) are generally better times of the year to visit Disneyland crowd-wise, but Halloween Time definitely brings in visitors, especially on weekends. Visit late in August, early in September and on a weekday, if you can. The earlier you go in the season, the lighter the crowds seem to be. Expect early October through Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day and Halloween weekend to be the most crowded.
If you want some motivation to visit between Aug. 21 and Labor Day, the Kids Summer Ticket offer is still running through Sept. 7, 2026. That means you can take kids ages 3-9 to Disneyland for as low as $48 per day through Undercover Tourist. Plus, you can save up to 30% on select Disneyland Resort hotel stays through Sept. 8, 2026!
If you are looking for the cheapest days to visit during Halloween Time, besides the Kids Summer Ticket deal through Sept. 7, consider Sept. 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 21, 2,, 23, 24 and 29. Adult 1-day tickets are just $104 those days!
The official and unofficial September events will make reservations fill up more quickly than usual. Gay Days take place from Sept. 18-20, 2026, so that could make the parks a little busier than normal that weekend. The first three weeks of October happen to be fall break times for many schools, so you'll see crowd levels peak for the Halloween season during those weeks. You'll want to reserve early for those times for theme parks and hotel stays.
Disneyland Kids' Summer Ticket Deal! Save up to $368 on Kids' Summer Tickets at Disneyland® Resort, including a FREE Park Hopper ticket upgrade on select tickets. Plus, get a FREE $20 Dining Dollars credit with each ticket purchase, which can be used to save 15% on Disney Gift Cards!
This timeframe also sees Tier 0 days, which are the lowest-priced 1-day ticket tiers. While the cheapest days to visit, Tier 0 days also bring in more visitors. Looking for 1-day Disneyland tickets? Undercover Tourist offers a 365-day refund policy, so you can shop with confidence. But with so much to see and do during the season, our recommendation is at least a 2-Day ticket. You can save on multi-day Disneyland tickets through Undercover Tourist (up to $58 per ticket!) No matter which Disneyland ticket you buy through Undercover Tourist, you also get $20 in FREE Dining Dollars credits that can be used towards a discount Disney Gift Card.
Tier 0 Disneyland Days During Halloween Time
- Sept. 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29
So, what can you expect at Halloween Time at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney?
Halloween Time at Disneyland Park
Disneyland explodes with Halloween decorations from Aug. 21 to Oct. 31 in 2026, boasting fall colors of yellow and orange and pumpkins aplenty, especially on Main Street. Pass under Disney character pumpkins as you enter the park and view a masked Mickey living floral arrangement.
As you stroll down Main Street, you will find hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins, which are lit at night. You can miss the giant two-sided Mickey pumpkin.
The Mickey pumpkin, jack-o-lanterns and orange bunting take over main Street U.S.A., and when you enter the park, you'll see a masked Mickey floral. Look for new additions to the ring of pumpkins surrounding the Partners Statue in the Hub. They pay homage to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with carvings of Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon!
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto and Chip 'n' Dale greet guests in their Halloween costumes. The 2026 outfits feature harlequin motifs, frilled collars and cuffs, and swirling confection details in hues of orange, yellow and black. The villains may be stalking about in Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasy Faire and Fantasyland.
In Frontierland, you can find a traditional Día de los Muertos skeleton display in Rancho del Zocalo Park. The skeleton figurines are known as catrinas and calacas. You also see colorful marigolds and other items that are traditionally found on ofrendas. It's a great place to meet Miguel or Mirabel. You can read all about the ways to celebrate in our Dia de los Muertos at Disneyland post.
A tree in Frontierland plays homage to Disney fan and author, Ray Bradbury, in the Halloween Tree. The tree, near the Golden Horseshoe Saloon, was inspired by Bradbury's novel, "The Halloween Tree," and features orange glowing lights and jack-o-lanterns hanging from its branches. It's especially beautiful at night!
If you are looking for Mickey, Minnie and pals in their normal clothes (for a timeless photo), you can find them in Mickey's Toontown. They do not wear costumes or decorate for Halloween there.
Halloween Screams Projection Show
At Disneyland Park, all guests can enjoy the nightly (through October) Halloween Screams projection show! Fireworks are included on select nights (typically weekends and holidays). Check the calendar to see show times and if fireworks are included during your visit. Hop over to find out the best places to view Disneyland fireworks. Halloween Screams is a Frog Family must-see!
It's definitely worth waiting near the castle to see this show up close due to all of the special effects at the castle. Keep an eye out for Jack Skellington and for Zero flying past the castle!
Disneyland Halloween Time Ride Layover
The Haunted Mansion transforms for Halloween Time as Haunted Mansion Holiday. Haunted Mansion Holiday ran Aug. 22, 2025, through Jan. 7, 2026, with exact dates for the Halloween season in 2026 TBD. That means Haunted Mansion was closed Aug. 9-21, 2025, to place the overlay.
Haunted Mansion Holiday is usually one of the most popular rides during Halloween Time at Disneyland. Haunted Mansion is converted to Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." The layover usually lasts through Halloween Time and Holiday Time, converting back to the traditional Haunted Mansion in January. The Mansion lights up at night — try to be there for the lighting. There is no specific time but if you are in the area (or in line) between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. the Ghost Host will give you a treat by lighting the mansion.
The ballroom always has a large gingerbread house on the table (with yummy gingerbread smells wafting up). It changes every year. Can you spot the hidden Mickey in the plates on the table?
It takes about 2 to 2.5 weeks to convert the Haunted Mansion into the Haunted Mansion Holiday (leading to ride closures). The ride is closed in January for a few weeks to return it to the normal Haunted Mansion ride. Normal Haunted Mansion is back as of mid- to late-January, and it will remain until early August.
Characters in Disneyland Park During Halloween Time
You can meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale and more friends dressed in their all-new Halloween outfits in Town Square.
Jack and Sally are in New Orleans Square near the Royal Street Veranda. They usually arrive about 11 a.m. and visit with guests through the afternoon. Jack got a brand-new look in 2025! His face now resembles a round Jack Skellington skeleton head, more like the one you see in "Nightmare Before Christmas."
Villains are out for Halloween! Cruella de Vil, Queen of Hearts, Jafar and others sometimes stomp around near the entrance to the park by the train station or the area next to the Mad Hatter in Town Square. We have caught sight of Frollo, Governor Ratcliffe and others in past years. You never know which villains may appear during Halloween Time! Maleficent and the Evil Queen tend to lurk around Fantasyland and Sleeping Beauty Castle. And don't froget about Gaston. Not that you can ignore him. He wants to keep your attention on him.
The best way to see a lot of villains at once is to watch the Halloween Cavalcade in the afternoon.
Halloween Cavalcade (and Happiest March on Earth)
In 2025, you had several hopportunities to see the characters in their Halloween costumes. (Aside from meet and greets.) There were two Halloween Cavalcades each afternoon.
This mini parade has all your favorite Disney characters, plus the villains you love to hate (including Maleficent, the Evil queen, the Queen of Hearts, Cruella and more!
Times can be found in the Disneyland app by typing in "Cavalcade." But it generally runs twice a day in the afternoon at 1:30 and 2:45 p.m. It's short and sweet and a great way to see a lot of characters all at once.
In addition, you can join Mickey, Minnie and pals in the Happiest March on Earth with the Disneyland Band. It starts at the castle and travels to the Train Station in Town Square. The characters wear their costumes for this. In usually starts about 12:15 p.m. at the castle and arrives at the train station about 12:30. The band and characters put on a short performance in front of the train station.
Happiest Haunts Tour
If you cannot get enough of Halloween at Disneyland, you might want to look into Disney's Happiest Haunts Guided Tour. The two-hour guided tour in Disneyland Park includes chilling stories, thrilling experiences, Lightning Lane entry for a ride and preferred viewing for Halloween Screams, a nighttime spectacular! (The viewing is likely near the Partners statue in the Hub.) It's the only way to get a special photo op (in the past it was with the Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion). The tour also comes with souvenirs: a pin and trading cards. Find the details in our Disneyland tours post.
Halloween at Disney California Adventure Park
Disney California Adventure offers a few grim grinning ghouls and ghosts of its own. Oogie Boogie's oversized shadow haunts the main entrance of Disney California Adventure. Listen for his voice to speak out to you from time to time. Head over to the Headless Horseman statue on Buena Vista Street. Boo-tiful purple lights are aglow, and you can hear the faint clip-clop sounds of the horse or Oogie Boogie himself.
Cars Land is decorated for the day, but it is particularly breathtaking at night in all its purple and green spooky splendor. "Radiator Screams" lights up each night around sunset, with a special lighting song at Halloween Time. Keep an eye out for Oogie Boogie Bash dates when you make your theme park reservations. Disney California Adventure closes early for day guests on those nights. (Or, check out Undercover Tourist's Disneyland Crowd Calendar to see park hours, including event dates, all in one spot!)
Oogie Boogie Bash
The Oogie Boogie Bash is a separately ticketed Halloween party that takes place on select nights from during Halloween Time at Disney California Adventure. This after-hours party requires a separate ticket but needs no reservation. Hop over to our Oogie Boogie Bash Disneyland Halloween Party post for the dates and full scoop and all of the scary details.
The party is one of the rare times guests 14 and up can wear costumes to Disneyland. Guests of all ages can go trick-or-treating and enjoy special entertainment and unique character meet-and-greets with classic Disney characters in costumes and many Disney villains. The ride wait times tend to be shorter during the Disneyland Halloween Parties — what a treat!
If you're not attending Oogie Boogie Bash, visit Disney California Adventure on a non-event night to catch this park all aglow for Halloween Time. Seeing Disney California Adventure at night during Halloween Time is a must.
Be sure to check the dates of the Oogie Boogie Bash before you book your park reservations when visiting Disney California Adventure Park this season, and reserve a day without a party so you can stay in the park after dark. The park closes to daytime guests at 6 p.m. on party nights (mostly Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays). Party guests mix in beginning at 3 p.m., making that park more crowded in the afternoons and unavailable to guests without a party ticket during the evenings after 6 p.m.
Plaza de la Familia at Disney California Adventure (Aug. 21 through Nov. 2, 2026)
Any "Coco" fans out there? You won't want to miss visiting the Plaza de la Familia at Paradise Gardens Park. You can even meet the puppet Miguel in between performances of "The Storytellers of Plaza de la Familia Celebrate The Musical World of Coco!" Listen to live mariachi music at the Paradise Garden Bandstand.
In fact, there's so much to do, see and eat at Plaza de la Familia that we've created a whole guide to celebrating Dia de los Muertos at the Disneyland Resort! Read all about the entertainment, free crafts, foods and more you can find in Paradise Gardens Park during Halloween Time.
Halloween Ride Overlays at Disney California Adventure
Prepare for Cars Land to roll into the Halloween spirit with holiday decor, music, ride overlays and characters dressed in fun "cars-tumes."
The rides put a new spin on Halloween Time with Halloween overlays. (The overlays were available a week before Halloween Time officially starts in 2025!) Muffle your screams when Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters changes to Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree.
Visit "Radiator Screams" at night to take in the "gourd-geous" Halloween scenery, special lighting and backdrop of hills in bewitching Halloween colors. It's quite a family-friendly treat!
Braver souls should get ready to #SaveGroot at Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark. Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! gets into the Halloween spirit during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. In fact, it opened a week early (each day at 3 p.m.) in August 2025! Each evening, the attraction transforms into a new experience that continues the story of the daytime ride, but now guests need to help Rocket Raccoon save Groot. It's a lot scarier than the daytime ride with a heavy metal soundtrack, so consider that if you have tadpoles who are just tall enough to ride the daytime version. They might find Monsters After Dark to be too much.
This is a very popular ride with long wait times! You can check hours on the Disneyland site. Each afternoon (party or not), the regular version of the ride closes at 2 p.m. and reopens by 3 p.m. for Monsters After Dark. So if you are park hopping from Disneyland and want to ride the OG Guardians of the Galaxy, hop over before 1 p.m., and head straight to Guardians to ride before 2 p.m. Then you can hop back later for the Monsters After Dark version. If you are riding on party nights and do not have a party ticket, you'll have from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. to ride this version. If you have a party ticket, you'll have all night to ride Monsters After Dark, but will not have access to the normal version of the ride. Got all that? It's a real headbanger.
Here's the schedule:
- 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!
- 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. — Closed to switch over
- 3 p.m. to park close — Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark (on select nights the park closes at 6 p.m. for the Oogie Boogie Bash)
Lightning Lane selections may disappear scary fast. The good news is that you can get a Lightning Lane for Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission BREAKOUT! to ride before 2 p.m. and another Lightning Lane for the Monsters After Dark version to ride beginning at 3 p.m. If you are looking to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass to skip the line, you'll need to watch the Tip Board in the Disneyland app. You cannot start reserving Monsters After Dark until early afternoon (we saw it go live right at 12 p.m.) after the normal version no longer has any time slots left. Just keep an eye on it.
Characters at Disney California Adventure During Halloween Time
You can meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale and more friends dressed in their Halloween outfits on Buena Vista Street and around the Cathay Circle Fountain area. Their costumes differ from the ones they wear in Disneyland Park. They also differ from their Oogie Boogie Bash costumes!
The Cars Land characters dress up in "carstumes" for Halloween.
Mickey’s Trick & Treat Show
The tadpoles have a not-so-scary interactive stage show starring Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Goofy and Donald (along with a mad scientist). It takes place in the Disney Theatre (replacing the new Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! during the Halloween season). Enjoy dancing, age-appropriate scary tales and bubbles. This show is a great Halloween Time addition for toddlers and small children. Plus, you get a treat at the end!
This show is pretty popular. Get in line early. The shows do fill up.
Halloween Fun at Downtown Disney and Disneyland Hotels
You don't need to enter a theme park to get in on the Halloween fun! Pluto's Pumpkin Pursuit returns to Downtown Disney. Pluto's Pumpkin Pursuit is also available inside each theme park! You may have heard of the Egg-stravaganza egg hunt in springtime at Disneyland Resort. Well, this is a decorated pumpkin hunt! You can purchase a game board and stickers ($11.99 for each location in 2025) at select merchandise locations. Have fun hunting for Disney character-themed pumpkins and placing the corresponding stickers on your game board. Return the game board to the redemption location for a spooky surprise!
You can also just try to spot these decorated pumpkins on your own for free. We always spot a few!
Downtown Disney is decorated with Halloween signs and Disney characters. They are toadally cute! How many can you spot as you walk through?
Celebrate with Halloween treats from the Disney Wonderful World of Sweets shop and Halloween merchandise at various shopping locations.
On select (it was Wednesday in 2025) nights you can catch a fall-themed movie at the Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage. Check out the @downtowndisney Instagram for which movie plays next! This special experience is presented by M&M's, and there are limited-time treats available at The Disney Wonderful World of Sweets cart (located by the stage). other nights offer live music.
Halloween Fun at the Disneyland Resort Hotels
The hotels have all-new Halloween decor and offerings this year:
- Pixar Place gets decor inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc.
- Disneyland Hotel gets Haunted Mansion-inspired touches and confection displays, as well as a Halloween-themed cocktail menu at Broken Spell Lounge.
- Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa gets confounding confection displays and has special Halloween foot treatments and wicked Halloween hair, makeup and nail treatments.
Disneyland Resort hotel guests can go trick-or-treating in treat trails on select days from 3 to 5 p.m. at all three hotels. Hotel guests can sign up at any Disneyland Resort hotel front desk and receive a required wristband and a treat map of locations. On Oct. 31, hotel guests can usually take part in a fun festivities. Hotel guests can also purchase Halloween-themed in-room celebrations.
The Goofy's Kitchen Halloween breakfast, brunch or dinner returns to the Disneyland Hotel. Dine with Goofy and pals in their Halloween costumes! (They usually pull out their park costumes from the previous year for this meal.) Enjoy special Halloween food items, themed decor, music, PhotoPass digital downloads and a Halloween-themed button.
Storytellers Cafe also jumps in on the Halloween fun with an autumn-inspired breakfast and brunch, plus a Halloween dinner. You can enjoy seasonal decor, seasonal foods and take photos with characters in their festive fall looks. Here are the 2026 returning offerings:
- Mickey’s Autumn Adventures for breakfast and brunch
- Clarabelle’s Enchanted Halloween Dinner
Whether you are a hotel guest or not, be sure to hop into the lobby of the Grand Californian to see a themed confection ... and to pick up sweet treats at the holiday cookie cart. Fans of gingerbread are going to want to grab the gingerbread Mickey skeleton if it returns!
Last year's confectionery featured Jack, Sally, Zero and Oogie Boogie.
It's two-sided! These confectionery masterpieces take hundreds of hours to create and hundreds of pounds of ingredients.
Halloween Food and Merchandise at Disneyland Resort
The bewitching Disneyland Halloween Time treats and food accessories available during Disneyland Halloween Time will have you drooling like a ghoul. You can dig into festive caramel apples, themed macarons, special churros and fall treats, such as cookies, crispies, cupcakes and cake pops.
Most restaurants offer special Halloween and fall dishes and beverages.
Carry your food in style with premium popcorn buckets, tumblers, straw clips and glow cubes. There are special savory snacks on the restaurant menus, too, with exclusive offerings during the party at the Oogie Boogie Bash.
We always make a stop at the candy shops for fun and tasty Halloween confections.
Halloween merchandise comes out in the parks and shops in the summer. There's a ton of Halloween merchandise, from spirit jerseys to bags, plushes and headwear. You can find these items in either the theme parks or in Downtown Disney. There is no shortage of popcorn buckets, sippers and other food novelties.
We got a "shriek peek" (from the Disney Parks Blog) at some of the merchandise to come for 2026.
There's a vampire Stitch plush, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jewelry, toys, accessories and of course, new headband ears!
You can see the Headless Horseman featured on a sweatshirt in 2026!
Also keep an eye out for a Día de los Muertos Coco-inspired merchandise collection that includes a hoodie, t-shirt and mug. They all feature vivid colors and motifs from the film.
Disneyland Halloween Time Park Plan
With so much fun available with your admission, you may be wondering, "How can I possibly do it all?!" Have no fear — the frogs are here!
Check out our downloadable 1-Day park plan PDFjust for Halloween Time so that you don't miss a thing (being updated for 2026)! To make the very most of your time, we recommend attending on a day when Oogie Boogie Bash is not taking place. Start your day at Disneyland Park to say hi to Jack Skellington, then let the ghoulishly good times roll! Halloween Time is truly one of the Best times to visit Disneyland!
There's so much to do and see during Disneyland Halloween Time! It's really one of our favorite times to visit! Have a question about Halloween Time or the Oogie Boogie Bash? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Guide to Oogie Boogie Bash
Related: Guide to Planning for Holidays at Disneyland
Hoppy planning!
