Fall is like a second summer in Southern California, but with the added bonus of toadally fun Halloween events in August, September and October. Yes! That means we have several months to celebrate Halloween in Southern California theme parks! With warm, beachy temperatures, beautiful sunsets and so much fall fun, we thought we'd put all of the fall hoppenings in one place. Here's how to plan a SoCal Halloween trip. We go over all the Halloween hoppenings so you can attend several events. There's so much to do, from not-so-spooky family-friendly events to downright terrifying scary events geared for adults and the bravest teens.
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Fall is our busiest season in the Frog Pond, with so many daytime and nighttime Halloween events to attend between Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. It's a labor of love to study these events and bring our best money-saving and time-saving tips to you so you can plan a frogtastic visit. We link relevant blog posts below each park for further reading to help you choose the best Halloween events for your party and to get the most out of your trips.
Family-Friendly SoCal Halloween Events
Let's start off easy with the perfect fall fun for tadpoles and people who love Halloween but want to keep it light and fun. Some events are every day of the season, but most are on select dates or just over the weekend. Some events are included with regular park admission, and some take place after the park closes for the day and require a separate ticket. Here's what to do in SoCal this fall!
Most events take place on weekends, but Disneyland celebrates Halloween every day of the season.
Halloween Time at Disneyland — Daily Aug. 22 to Oct. 31, and is included with theme park admission
Halloween Time is one of the best times to visit Disneyland. With a giant Mickey Pumpkin to greet you in Disneyland — one of the most photographed places on earth! — to special decor, lighting, character costumes, ride overlays, special fireworks/projection shows and themed foods in both parks, it's festively fall every day from Aug. 22 through Oct. 31. You can also check out the Plaza de Familia in Disney California Adventure through Nov. 2 for special entertainment, characters and cultural dishes. The entire season is appropriate for all ages. It's all included in your Disneyland ticket. The Halloween Screams projection show usually includes fireworks Friday through Sunday.
Be sure to visit Cars Land — especially at night — to see special decor and lighting. Plus, the vehicles wear their "carstumes."
Plus, in 2025, the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration is still hoppening this fall! You can catch the Paint the Night Parade or World of Color Happiness! on your trip! We do recommend taking two or three days to do it all this season.
Related blog posts for planning:
- Our Spooky-Good Guide to Disneyland Halloween Time 2025
- Your Guide to Ghoulishly Good Disneyland Halloween Time Treats
Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party at Disney California — Select dates Aug. 17 to Oct. 31, and requires a separate ticket
Mr. Oogie Boogie is inviting you to his Halloween Party at Disney California Adventure. You need to purchase a separate ticket for this party, and everyone can wear costumes. Guests of all ages can go trick-or-treating! There's a Frightfully Fun Parade and special villains in the park. The only scary thing about this party is that tickets sell out scary fast when they go on sale in June each year. The party usually falls on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights. You can now buy tickets directly through Disneyland.
Related blog posts for more reading:
- Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland — Dates, Details and Tips!
- Our Oogie Boogie Bash Party Park Plan to Maximize Your Time
Brick-or-Treat Monster Party! at LEGOLAND California — Select dates Sept. 20 to Nov. 1, and included with park admission
Grab your costume and your tadpole's trick-or-treat bag. You can participate in a costume contest, watch live shows and meet LEGO monster characters! While you just need a regular admission ticket, most of the Halloween fun takes place in the afternoon and evening. Save on LEGOLAND tickets from Undercover Tourist. Be sure to log into your Undercover Tourist account to unlock extra savings and even more ticket options!
For more reading:
Knott's Spooky Farm at Knott's Berry Farm — Thurs. to Sun. Sept. 25 to Oct. 31, plus Oct. 13, and included with park admission
The park is transformed with spooky decor. Guests can dress in costume, and the tadpoles can trick-or-treat in Ghost Town. Join in the fun to play games, participate in a costume cavalcade (with PEANUTS characters in costumes too) and watch seasonal entertainment. If you are planning to visit Knott's and several other parks or zoos in LA or San Diego, consider saving money with a GoCity Pass (extra discounts when you buy through Undercover Tourist).
Read more about Knott's Spooky Farm:
HalGLOWeen at the San Diego Zoo — Friday through Sunday nights in October and included with admission (kids FREE)
Did you know kids 11 and under visit the San Diego Zoo for FREE during the month of October? One adult with admission can bring up to four tadpoles (11 and younger) for free! Go for the day to see the animals and stay for the glowtastic festivities on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights after 5 p.m. Enjoy special glowing entertainment and creatures at night. We could not pull Lily away from the dance party with bubbles.
Find out more in our blog:
Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld San Diego — Select dates Sept. 5 to Nov. 2, and mostly included in park admission
Wear a costume, go trick-or-treating (for a fee), join dance parties and enjoy special Halloween entertainment at this daytime event. This event takes place on the weekends.
Read on to learn more:
The Count's Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place San Diego — Select dates (TBD) and mostly included in park admission
Enjoy entertaining shows, parades and dance parties with your favorite Sesame Street characters in costumes. You can wear a costume too! It mostly falls on weekends. Trick-or-treating has a small fee. Water park attractions may be open for some of the season.
You can save on tickets to Sesame Place! Learn more about this smaller park from Undercover Tourist:
Scary SoCal Halloween Events for Adults and Teens
If you're looking for jump scares, spooky entertainment and more terrifying fun, we have the perfect events for you. All of these are separately ticketed events. They take place after the theme park closes for the day and are recommended for ages 13 and up.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood — Select dates Sept. 4 to Nov. 2, and requires a separate ticket
This is one of the heart-thumping highlights of the Halloween season. The annual event runs on select nights in the fall. Walk through movie set-quality haunted houses, scare zones and a Terror Tram. This popular event can sell out most nights. You can save on select Halloween Horror Nights tickets through Undercover Tourist! We recommend the After 2 p.m. Day/Night Combo ticket to get an early start to your night (some haunted houses open 90 minutes early!) and maybe hit a few daytime rides that may close early for the event. You can also add on Universal Express if you want to skip the lines (because the lines can get scary long for this popular event). There are no official Halloween hoppenings in this park during the day, but daytime visitors might catch some of the scary decor and may get treated to some characters in costumes.
Additional blog posts for more info:
- Your Screamin' Guide to Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights
- How to Slay Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood Early Entry
- A First-Timer's Guide to Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood
- How to Maximize Your Time at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood
- A Sinister Guide to Sips and Snacks at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood
Knott's Scary Farm at Knott's Berry Farm — Select dates Sept. 19 through Nov. 2, and requires a separate ticket
It's the original, OG theme park Halloween event, and it's simply terrifying. Enter the park in fog and darkness. Creatures run, slide out with sparks flying and creep up on you in scare zones around the park as you make your way to haunted mazes with more terrors waiting inside. There's no place to hide. There is a chaperone policy in place. You can purchase tickets to this event from Knott's.
Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego — Select dates Sept. 12 through Nov. 1, and requires a separate ticket
This is the gentlest, smallest and most affordable event of the theme park horror events. Enjoy spooky entertainment, spooky mazes, themed scare zones and a few thrill rides. Tickets are on sale now! Get special savings through Undercover Tourist.
Learn more about this thrilling event:
Tips for Planning a SoCal Halloween Trip
Here are some tips for planning a SoCal Halloween trip.
- Stay hydrated. Fall can be hot and dry.
- Dress in layers. Hot days can sometimes turn to cool nights, especially later in the season.
- Bring good walking shoes.
- Plan a beach or pool day to rest between events. It's still summer in SoCal!
- Try to visit in August, September or late October for lower crowds. The first half of October is busy in SoCal due to school breaks.
- Buy tickets to must-do events early for the best prices and availability. The Oogie Boogie Bash sells out early.
- Include a weekend in your visit, since most of the events or entertainment occur on weekends only. Disneyland Halloween Time takes place every day, and the Oogie Boogie Bash occurs on select weeknights (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and Sunday Nights
- Save money by purchasing theme park tickets and Halloween event tickets through Undercover Tourist.
- Plan a costume that won't overheat you or has a removable layer.
- Follow the costume guidelines for each theme park. Stay away from scary or gory costumes, long costumes that drag on the ground and any props that resemble a weapon. Some parks and events do not allow costumes at all or costumes for adults.
- If you attend a late-night event, do not overdo it that day. Save your energy for the nighttime.
- Avoid making big plans early the next morning after a late-night event.
- Read up on each park and event before you attend, as they each have different guidelines. We've linked our hopful blog posts throughout this post for your convenience.
- Make those Disneyland theme park reservations in advance, as dates can fill up quickly in the fall.
You can save some green for all of the daytime events at theme parks and zoos in Los Angeles and San Diego through Undercover Tourist. You can even save on some of the separately ticketed events (such as Halloween Horror Nights and Howl-O-Scream).
Related: Best Time to Go to Disneyland
Related: Best Time to Visit Universal Studios Hollywood
Keep hopping!
