Halloween at Disneyland: What You Need to Know
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“Spooky szn” lovers rejoice! Halloween is set to return to the Disneyland Resort from September 2 to October 31, 2022! Experience all your favorite Halloween activities, character meet-and-greets, décor, events, and more at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney this fall. Keep reading for a breakdown of everything you need to know about Halloween at Disneyland.
DISCOUNT DISNEYLAND HALLOWEEN TICKETS
Photo by Taylor Gregory via Unsplash
There’s still time to save money on your last-minute Disneyland Halloween vacation by booking discount Disneyland tickets with my recommended travel partner, Get Away Today! Take advantage of their special offers, like Extra Day Free ticket and Extra Night Free Anaheim hotel deals. Sign up with your email for a special deal on already discounted Disneyland Halloween tickets, plus alerts on the latest Disneyland news and how it might affect your vacation plans.
Here are some tips to help you have the best experience when traveling to Disneyland for Halloween:
Book your Disneyland Halloween tickets and Theme Park Reservations early. Halloween at Disneyland is popular, and park tickets and Theme Park Reservations will go fast. Theme Park Reservations are free and required to enter Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, in addition to your park tickets. You must purchase a Park ticket before making a Theme Park Reservation. PRO TIP: Check the Theme Park Reservation Calendar before you book your tickets to see if the dates you want to visit are available.
Purchase a Park Hopper ticket for the most flexibility. A Park Hopper ticket is like a 2-in-1 ticket that gives you access to two parks in one day. Park-goers could “hop” from one park to the other with a Park Hopper ticket any time of the day pre-pandemic. But since Disneyland reopened to the public last year, park guests with Park Hopper tickets can only hop between parks after 1 p.m. When booking a Theme Park Reservation for a Park Hopper ticket, you’ll only need to book a reservation for your starting park. For example, if you’re starting your Park Hopper ticket day at Disneyland, you’ll only need a Theme Park Reservation for Disneyland.
Disney California Adventure closes early on Oogie Boogie Bash days. Oogie Boogie Bash is a separately-ticketed event, and all non-party goers will need to exit DCA early if they don’t have a party ticket.
If you have a 1-Park per Day ticket, I recommend making theme park reservations for Disneyland on Oogie Boogie Bash party nights.
If you have a Park Hopper ticket, I recommend making reservations to visit Disney California Adventure Park first on Oogie Boogie Bash party nights, then hop over to Disneyland Park after 1 p.m.
Check out a list of Oogie Boogie Bash party days in my blog post, When to Visit Disneyland in 2022, to help you plan your trip.
Add Genie+ service to your park tickets. Easily add Genie+, Disney’s paid Fast Pass replacement, when you book your discount Disneyland tickets or vacation package with Get Away Today. With Genie+, you’ll get expedited access to some of your favorite attractions. If you’re visiting Disneyland for only one or two days, I highly recommend investing in Genie+ to get on all your favorite rides with little wait time. But, if you plan on spending more than three days in the parks, I recommend considering a different park strategy, like Rope Drop (free), to get you through your day.
What You Need to Know About Halloween at Disneyland
Let’s start at Disney California Adventure; A larger-than-life Oogie Boogie from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas will be displayed over the Disney California Adventure entrance. He’ll heckle park-goers as they enter the park like he heckles “Sandy Claws” in the movie.
As you head down Buena Vista St., Mickey Mouse and friends will be around in their Halloween costumes for fun photo opportunities. Watch Carthay Circle Restaurant as it comes alive with bats, green energy pulses, and other spooky Halloween projections at night. Don’t forget to grab a photo in front of the 10-foot statue of the Headless Horseman.
In the Disneyland app, you’ll notice my favorite ride in Avengers Campus, Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!, transforms into Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark at night. When we were in the parks during Halloween last year, the line for Monsters After Dark was 200 minutes long! So, plan accordingly if you want to get on it.
In Cars Land, Radiator Springs, “the glorious jewel strung on the necklace of Route 66,” will transform into Radiator Screams. Resident “car-acters,” like Lightning McQueen, Mater, Cruz, and Red, will meet park guests in their best “car-stumes.” Also, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters will transform into Mater’s Graveyard JamBooree and Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween.
From September 2 to November 2, 2022, Paradise Garden will turn into Plaza de la Familia, like in the Disney and Pixar movie Coco. Celebrate the spirit of Día de Los Muertos Disney style, and enjoy live entertainment, delicious foods, hands-on crafts, and interactive experiences.
Across the way at Disneyland, Main Street U.S.A.will transform with pumpkin displays and the iconic giant Mickey Mouse pumpkin. You may also encounter your favorite Disney characters — including villains! — in new ghoulish Halloween costumes.
Over in New Orleans Square, the beloved Haunted Mansion attraction will transform into Haunted Mansion Holiday featuring festive décor inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. See Jack Skellington, Zero, Sally, and Oogie Boogie on this reimagined ride. This version of Haunted Mansion is my favorite! This is definitely a ride you’ll want to purchase Genie+.
Entertainment
At night, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle will turn into something out of a nightmare as Halloween Screams, a vibrant projection, and fireworks* show will take place every night during Halloween at Disneyland.
Don’t forget to catch A Musical Celebration of Coco, a musical show celebrating the story and songs from Disney and Pixar’s Coco, on the walkway near Goofy’s Sky School in Disney California Adventure. The show is a standing show, so check the Disneyland app for show times and arrive early to stake your place.
Food
Let’s talk about the food! The food at Disneyland during Halloween is delish! Everyone was going gaga over the Spiced Pumpkin Monkey Bread at River Belle Terrace (not on the list of foods being offered this year 😢) and the ever-adorable Mickey Mummy popcorn bucket last year. The popcorn bucket sold out multiple times and people were buying four or five at a time (probably to resell it).
This year, the Mickey Mummy popcorn bucket will glow in the dark! Check out my Instagram post for tips on how I snagged mine.
Here’s a list of some of the new food and drink items I’m excited to see being offered at the Disneyland Resort this year:
Oktoberfest-inspired Burger at the Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland.
Pumpkin Cheesecake at the Jolly Holiday Bakery and Cafe. I’m excited for this one even though I’m not going to Disneyland for Halloween. 😝
Pumpkin Cold Brew at Red Rose Tavern in Fantasyland.
Footlong Spicy Pulled Pork Dog at Award Weiners.
Ghost Pepper Nachos at Lamplight Lounge.
Pumpkin-spiced Horchata Cold Brew at Pacific Wharf Cappucino Cart.
Cranberry Grape Punch at Smokejumpers grill.
There’s also a bunch of new adult beverages at Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream, Hollywood Lounge, Lamplight Lounge, Smokejumpers Grill, and more!
And let’s not forget about all the new specialty Halloween churros that’ll be offered at Disneyland this fall:
Pumpkin Pie Dip Churro at the Fantasyland Churro Cart.
Pistachio-cherry Churro served with a ghost pepper grape sauce at the New Orleans Square Churro Cart.
Pumpkin Spice Churro at the Tomorrowland and Buena Vista Churro Cart.
Chocolate Cookie Crumble Churro with creamy peanut butter-vanilla dipping sauce at the Town Square and Sleeping Beauty Churro Carts.
Peanut Candy Churro at Grizzly Peak Churro Cart.
Sour Candy Churro at Hollywood Churro Cart.
See the full list of foods being offered at Disneyland during Halloween on the Disney Parks Blog.
Special events
Returning to Disney California Adventure this year is Oogie Boogie Bash. This separately-ticketed Halloween event is for all ages. Party days are on select nights beginning September 6 through October 31.
Tickets for this event are sold out. A limited amount of Oogie Boogie Bash tickets went on pre-sale for Magic Key Holders on June 28. D23 Members could also purchase tickets the same day as Magic Key Holders for the first-ever D23-only Oogie Boogie Bash on September 10. Oogie Boogie Bash tickets went on sale to the general public on June 30.
In Downtown Disney, families can participate in Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit, a family-friendly pumpkin hunt from September 9 to October 31. On your hunt, check out the color pumpkin décor and specialty offerings, and visit the on-property hotels to see their Halloween-themed lobby displays.
*Halloween Screams will have a fireworks show on the weekends only. Performances are subject to change or cancellation, including due to weather.
Editor’s note: The blog post, Halloween at Disneyland: What You Need to Know was first published on June 20, 2022, and updated on August 29 with updated information from Disney Parks Blog.