Halloween at Disney
How to celebrate the spooky season at Disney destinations
Updated: September 22, 2023 | Original post: August 13, 2019
If you’re looking for spooky, creepy, but “not so scary,” then Halloween at Disney is a perfect option for you! Over the years I’ve been able to experience a number of holidays at Disney Parks and Resorts, and Halloween at Disney World, Disneyland, and even the Disney Cruise Line is growing in popularity -- for good reason! Here are some fun ways to celebrate the spooky season at your favorite Disney destinations.
Courtesy of Disney Parks
Halloween at Disneyland
First let’s talk about arguably the better theme park at Halloween - Disneyland. Although the spooktacular fun doesn’t last as long as at the Walt Disney World Resort (select dates in September-October, compared to Walt Disney World starting the party in late August though Halloween and sometimes even Nov. 1) it is still packed with mischievous fun for the whole family to enjoy!
Oogie Boogie Bash
Courtesy of Disney Parks
Any The Nightmare Before Christmas fans? Oogie Boogie takes over to throw the most epic Halloween party at Disney’s California Adventure Park that guests have ever seen, complete with trick-or-treating, a dance party, festive treats, a parade, and of course, villains amok. The park is transformed by decorations, spooky sounds, and haunted trails, plus a few characters that you won’t typically get to see at the Disney parks except for these special ticketed events. A few fun villains you can see include Mad Madam Mim, Mother Gothel from Tangled, and Sid from Toy Story. One of my favorite additions for 2022 is Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck and Clarabelle Cow dressed up as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus! For realistic expectations, it is tricky to get ticket to Oogie Boogie Bash because of its limited dates and massive popularity.
Other Halloween fun
One of my favorite things about the park in California is the World of Color night show spectacular. In place of traditional evening fireworks, Disney has created a mesmerizing display of projection, music, and storytelling on a magnificent water feature. During this special Halloween party event, you’ll get to see a villain version of the World of Color spectacular with Mister Oogie Boogie as your frightful host.
Some of your favorite attractions also receive a spooky transformation, including Guardians of the Galaxy - Monsters After Dark, and for our younger trick-or-treaters, Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-o-ween and Mater’s Graveyard Jamboree. On the Disneyland side, Haunted Mansion always receives a Nightmare Before Christmas theme that lasts through December — not to be missed! These are just a few examples of the variety of hauntings for all ages when you celebrate Halloween at Disney!
Halloween at Walt Disney World
On the other side of the country is a very special celebration, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (or MNSSHP as we call it!) This celebration has continued to evolve and improve over the years. Disney went above and beyond by revamping the entire fireworks spectacular for MNSSHP 2019. A show that was already spooktacular is now hosted by Jack Skellington and features new technologies with projections, lights, and amazing fireworks. The show will made its debut August 16, 2019, but took a hiatus during the pandemic when the parties were paused, and then converted to Boo Bash After Hours. We did get to see it this year at MNSSHP in 2023 and it is very cool!
What can you do at MNSSHP?
Some of the amazing things you can look forward to at MNSSHP is of course adorable decorations (nothing says Halloween at Disney more than Mickey pumpkins), special Halloween treats and beverages, characters dressed in their Halloween costumes for adorable photo-ops in your Halloween costumes, themed dance parties, and more! Plus, many attractions are operating with little wait times.
I always recommend picking up an event map because it will show you where all the trick-or-treating spots are throughout the parks so you make sure to maximize your time and your candy intake! The trick-or-treat stations are sponsored by Mars candies and they hand out a hefty scoop at each location. This is one of my son’s favorite parts about the night!
Also check the times guide to find out when special events are happening that are unique to the party, such as the “Boo to You” parade (one of my favorites), stage shows, and the previously mentioned Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular fireworks show. Agent Tip: Catch the 2nd parade viewing as it will be less crowded! The main stage show is now hosted by the witches of Hocus Pocus and they are putting on a villainous spell-tacular! Agent Tip: They do one final show at midnight when the party ends, and this was less crowded for better viewing.
Our Toy Story gang was ready to go for the After Hours Boo Bash (2021). This was a modified version of MNSSHP post-pandemic reopening. My son (age 5 at the time) loved trick-or-treating and riding Buzz Lightyear. We made it all the way to midnight and it was worth it for fewer crowds and lower wait-times!
What to do at MNSSHP with young kids
For our younger guests that prefer the not so scary part of the Not So Scary Halloween Party, there are plenty of treats to be had, including a Disney Junior Dance party with some of your kiddos’ favorites like Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, Timon and more. We caught part of this while we had dinner at Cosmic Rays and it was so cute! All the kids and parents dancing to fun music and the characters just out in the middle of it all with them!
Plus there will be lots of treats and fun characters to take photos with. My son currently isn’t into meeting the characters, but I have some clients whose kids were all about that! There are a number of character stops through the party that will be clearly marked. Some are regular characters and some are also dressed up in their halloween costumes — for example, Pooh was a bee, Eeyore was a clown, Piglet was a fairy, and Tigger was a pirate!
Many of the classic attractions will still be open for the party that don’t have height requirements, such as Dumbo, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, PeopleMover, Peter Pan’s Flight, and more.
There is an enchanting extra you can add on to make you feel like a VIP at the party! There are a limited number of spots for the fireworks dessert party, but for a flat fee you can partake in an all-you-care-to-enjoy dessert buffet, drinks, and private seating for the fireworks. Advance reservations are highly recommended for this, so let your travel agent know if this is something you’re interested in reserving.
Is it MNSSHP worth it?
MNSSHP is an extra ticketed event, but you don’t need to purchase a regular park ticket the same day. While we cannot add them onto your Disney Vacation Package, we can still purchase them for you as part of our services. This allows for a seamless experience to make sure everything is linked properly in your plans and My Disney Experience itinerary.
With this ticket you are able to enter Magic Kingdom park starting at 4:00 pm, even though the party officially starts at 7:00 pm. I’ve had many families utilize the afternoon as a pool or rest day (napping is encouraged), then party until midnight!
Based on my 2023 experience again I say it is absolutely worth it! Many of the attractions were 5-10 minute wait times. We arrived right at 4:00 pm, the entry process was swift and smooth, and the magic began immediately as we received our wristbands, treat bags and a full size M&M’s candy! We were able to ride over 14 different attractions during that time (many multiple times like Buzz Lightyear and even Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!), plus we caught the shows, trick-or-treating, and ate some awesome snacks. A big perk was being able to join the virtual queue for TRON at 6:00 pm. When our boarding group was called we practically walked right onto the attraction — it was faster than when I purchased the Individual Lightning Lane on our last trip!
It definitely got us in the spooky mood for the Halloween season! We had such a fa-BOO-lous time and I highly recommend this event to all my clients traveling during Halloween to Disney World.
Halloween on the Disney Cruise Line
While most people think of celebrating the Halloween holiday at the Disney Parks, let’s not forget about Halloween on the High Seas aboard the Disney Cruise Line! These hauntingly good celebrations are available on most itineraries departing late September through Halloween. Some of the activities you can expect in addition to the characters in costume and festive decor (are you sensing a theme here?) are:
DisneyCopyright.com
Mickey's Mouse-querade Party with ghoulish games, trick-or-treating, and plenty of character photo ops and dancing!
On board fun like mask making and pumpkin carving
Haunted tales of the high seas
Costume contests
And more!
Plus, you can visit Disney’s award-winning private island Castaway Cay on select sailings and (as always) enjoy our top 10 reasons to go on a Disney Cruise.
The Disney Cruise Line website always states that some activities may vary by sailing, please contact the best travel agents specializing in Disney Destinations for upcoming itineraries and details!
Vacation planning for Disney at Halloween
Around every turn is no shortage of Disney magic and spooky fun that is sure to get you in the Halloween spirit! The hardest question isn’t IF you’re going it’s what will you dress up as when you celebrate Halloween at Disney!
If you’re interested in visiting a Disney Destination for the upcoming Halloween season, contact us today for your free vacation quote!
One of our amazing agents can help you plan the perfect itinerary for you and/or your family! As always, our vacation planning services are complementary to you when you book your vacation through Spirit of Adventure Travel.
