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 (plus, ask for some Halloween Magic Shots from the PhotoPass photographers for some extra special surprises!). Hop along for all the spooktacular details!
Overview of Disneyland Halloween Time
In 2024, Halloween Time kicks off even earlier than ever before! Halloween Time runs Aug. 23 to through Oct. 31, 2024!
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.
In fact, you can have some new Halloween Fun outside the parks this year at Goofy's Kitchen Halloween breakfast, brunch or dinner at the Disneyland Hotel! It's hoppening during Halloween Time, but the start date is to come. Dine with Goofy and pals in their Halloween costumes! Enjoy special Halloween food items, themed décor, music, PhotoPass digital downloads and a Halloween-themed button. Reserve up to 60 days in advance.
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 People's Day and Halloween weekend to be the most crowded.
That being said both official and one unofficial September events will make reservations fill up more quickly than usual. In 2024, the first ever Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon weekend takes place Sept. 5-8, 2024. Gay Days take place from Sept. 13 to 14, 2024, so that could make the parks a little busier than normal in early to mid-September. The first three weeks of October happen to be fall break times for many schools, so you'll see crowd levels peak for Halloween season those weeks. You'll want to reserve early for those times for theme parks and hotel stays. 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. 23 to Oct. 31 this year, boasting fall colors of yellow and orange and pumpkins aplenty, especially on Main Street. Pass under Disney character pumpkins as you enter the park. As you stroll down Main Street, you will find hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins, which are lit at night. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto and Chip 'n' Dale greet guests in their Halloween costumes. 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. It's a great place to meet Miguel or Mirabel.
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!
On select nights with fireworks, there is a Halloween Screams Plaza Inn dining package. It includes villain-themed treats (both sweet and savory), a specialty beverage, a lanyard, a credential and reserved space to watch the fireworks on the north side of the Plaza Inn patio.
Disneyland Halloween Time Ride Layover
One of the most popular rides during Halloween Time at Disneyland is the Haunted Mansion Holiday. Haunted Mansion is converted to Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." The layover 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.
Wait times for the Haunted Mansion Holiday are significantly longer than at other times of the year, so we recommend you make this one of your priorities before 10 a.m. The ballroom always has a large gingerbread house on the table (with yummy gingerbread smells wafting up). can you spot the hidden Mickey in the plates on the table?
It takes about 2.5 weeks to convert the Haunted Mansion into the Haunted Mansion Holiday. The Haunted Mansion may be closed the first few weeks of August in 2024 (official dates to come). It usually reopens with the start of Halloween Time.
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. In 2023, they wore luminescent sheer fabrics that had a ghostly glow. Look for spooky details such as cobwebs, bat bowties and spider-shaped bells!
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.
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.
Halloween Cavalcade
Sometimes there is a Halloween Cavalcade! Times can be found in the Disneyland app by typing in "Cavalcade." But it generally runs twice a day in the afternoon at 1:45 and 2:45 p.m. It's short and sweet and a great way to see a lot of characters all at once.
Disney Villains Dance Party
And last but not least, there is a Disney Villains Dance Party at Disneyland. It kicks off the season on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (and holidays) in Tomorrowland. You can join villains and learn the Monster Mash between 7 and 11 p.m. Lily really loves these character dance parties and can't wait to boo-gie down some more this Halloween season! We learned new dance movies with the Queen of Hearts and Cheshire Cat, followed by Lady Tremaine and the Stepsisters.
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.
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 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, dance parties 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!
Tickets were on sale to the public on June 29, 2023, but sales were paused and opened again on July 11, 2023. Magic Key Holders were able to purchase tickets during the pre-sale on June 27, 2023. Purchase as early as you can! This event tends to sell out quickly, as in within hours.
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
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!
Take part in activities such as free crafts, including coloring a mask or recording a family memory. Other fun things to do include trying out the special colorful photo walls and Tree of Life photo locations.
Learn about Día de los Muertos, enjoy mariachi music, sample Mexican dishes or catch a showing of the "A Musical Celebration of Coco" show — Miguel makes an appearance with his guitar. This show is a highlight of the holiday season. It usually takes place about hourly from late morning through evening, depending on the day. Show times are in the Disneyland app. The Plaza de la Familia festivities occur from Aug. 23 to Nov. 2, 2024.
Guests can even catch a glimpse of a colorful ofrenda in Cars Land honoring the beloved Doc Hudson.
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 "car-tumes." The rides put a new spin on Halloween Time with Halloween overlays. 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. 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 between 11 a.m. and 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)
Now that Genie+ is here, 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! before 2 p.m. and another Lightning Lane for the Monsters After Dark version beginning at 3 p.m. If you are looking to use Genie+ 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 (such as 12 or 1 p.m.) or once the normal version no longer has any time slots left. One day we saw Monsters After Dark Lightning Lanes become available at 1 p.m. Another day it was about noon. On a really crowded day, that could be earlier.
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 "cartumes" for Halloween.
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 for selects dates of the Halloween season. 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 ($9.99) 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 at World of Disney or Disney's Pin Traders for a spooky surprise (we think it's the best prize yet)!
Celebrate with Halloween treats from Marceline's Confectionery and Halloween merchandise at various shopping locations.
Don't miss the SCAREolers, a frightfully fun a cappella group. They sing Halloween songs such as, “I Put a Spell on You” and tributes to our favorite Disney Villains. They usually perform Friday through Sunday evenings, late September through Oct. 31. You might also hear Halloween carolers on select afternoons in October at the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Around Oct. 28-31, Disneyland Resort hotel guests can go trick-or-treating at all three hotels. Hotel guests can pick up a treat map of locations and sign up at any Disneyland Resort hotel front desk. On Oct. 31, hotel guests can also take part in a costume contest and movie night on the Adventure Lawn at the Disneyland Hotel.
Whether you are a hotel guest or not, be sure to hop into the lobby of the Grand Californian to see a "Coco" themed cake with Miguel and Dante ... and to pick up sweet treats at the holiday cookie cart.
And, as mentioned, enjoy Halloween-themed character dining at Goofy's Kitchen through Oct. 31, 2023.
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, Vampire macarons, special churros (candy corn churro anyone?) and themed 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 special offerings during the party at the Oogie Boogie Bash.
The 2024 Halloween merchandise is out in the parks and shops in 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. We are toadally frogcited for the Nightmare Before Christmas Tee, spirit jersey, woven shirt and sling bag. Also, be on the lookout for a Hocus Pocus spirit jersey and a Sanderson Sisters plush set.
There is no shortage of popcorn buckets, sippers and other food novelties.
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 Hopper Park Plan just for Halloween Time so that you don't miss a thing! 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!
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: Best Time to Visit Disneyland
Related: Guide to Oogie Boogie Bash
Related: Guide to Planning for Holidays at Disneyland
Hoppy planning!
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