Disneyland Halloween Guide to the Spooktacular Magic
Disneyland Halloween Guide to the Spooktacular Magic
Disneyland takes Halloween to a whole new level. Both Disneyland and California Adventure get decked out for the fall season. With Disneyland being a little more “fall” and California Adventure being a little more “Halloween”, you can get a taste of whichever vibe you prefer. From September through October, the park is decked out with festive decorations, glowing pumpkins, and hauntingly fun attractions. Special events like Oogie Boogie Bash bring thrilling entertainment, while beloved rides like the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain get spooky makeovers for the season. Characters appear in their Halloween costumes, and there’s a wide array of themed treats, parades, and shows to enjoy. Whether you’re a family with kids or a Disney enthusiast, Disneyland during Halloween is an enchanting mix of magic and fright that you won’t want to miss.
When Disneyland Halloween Begins
Disneyland Halloween Treats & Snacks
Top Disneyland Halloween Activities
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Important Info & FAQ
Can adults dress up in Costumes?
Adults are not allowed to wear costumes at Disneyland EXCEPT during the Oogie Boogie Bash party. This is the one time of the year when adults can have fun along with the kids and dress up as their favorite characters.
That being said, if you are visiting during Halloween and not going to a party there is nothing against “Disneybounding” as your favorite character while visiting the parks. This involves finding everyday clothes in colors that match your favorite characters. You can also find some fun themed accessories to help you complete your outfit.
There are a few specific costume rules if you’re dressing up for the Oogie Boogie Bash party. Find them here.
Is everything included in the Admission tickets:
The biggest mistake that visitors make when visiting Disneyland in October is not understanding the difference between Halloween Time and the extra ticketed Halloween Party, Oogie Boogie Bash.
Halloween Time attractions and entertainment occur during the whole season for all park guests that have a park ticket and park reservation. The Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party happens on select nights and is not included with your park admission but instead is a separate party ticket that must be purchased.
Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party is a special ticketed event that occurs on various Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (and a couple of Saturdays) in September and October.
These parties are very popular and sell out far in advance. If you are not able to obtain tickets online and are staying onsite you can try to see if the hotel happens to have any extra tickets available for hotel guests. Tickets will cost around $145 with the prices varying based on weekends and dates near Halloween.
While the Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party is a lot of fun and offers you a chance to trick or treat, see rare villains, and watch a Halloween parade, there is still plenty to enjoy about Halloween at Disneyland even if you don’t have a party ticket.
When Disneyland Halloween Begins
Guests can enjoy the Halloween decorations at Magic Kingdom Park from sometime in August (the first night of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party) until Halloween night, October 31 (the final night of the party). Opening night varies based on the year. In 2024 it was August 9th, while a few years ago it was August 23. Make sure you research the exact dates for the year you wish to visit!
Accommodation
Hotels & Apartments:
If you want the chance to look for a wide variety of accommodations, in a full price range, here is you best search options:
Hostels:
If you are more interested in parties, nightlife and having automatic meet ups then maybe a hostel is for you! Check out the options here.
Disneyland Halloween Treats & Snacks
Disneyland goes crazy about holiday-themed food, and Halloween Time has too many themed snacks and treats for me to list here. Just know that you’ll find amazing holiday churros, special popcorn buckets, alien macarons, fancy cupcakes, and even some spooky savory specials.
Find the entire list of Halloween food on this Disneyland post.
Disneyland Halloween treats
Top Disneyland Halloween Activities
Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party
Oogie Boogie Bash is the main Halloween event at Disneyland. Held at California Adventure Park, this is a special extra ticketed event that occurs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (and a couple of Saturdays) in September and October. You MUST buy an additional ticket to attend the party.
If you have an Oogie Boogie Bash party ticket, you can enter Disney California Adventure three hours before the party time starts. The party starts at 6 pm and ends at 11 pm. During that time you’ll be able to ride attractions, eat good, grab candy on a treat trail, see the Halloween parade, and visit Villain’s Grove.
On party nights Disney California Adventure Park will close early, so make sure you’re aware of that if you’re not attending the party. If you are attending the party, expect long lines to get into the parks at 3 pm.
Once in the park, you must get a party wristband at one of two check-in locations. When the party starts, guests not wearing wristbands will not be allowed access to any lands and will be moved out of the park. However, it is worth the extra hassle! Complete with Trick or Treat, unique character experiences, the Villains Grove, The Frightfully Fun Parade and more, the Logie Boogie Bash is something for your Disney Bucket-list!
Disneyland Halloween Entertainment Halloween Screams Fireworks (Disneyland Park)
The special Halloween fireworks show used to only be shown during the Halloween party nights, however this year it’s available for all park guests on most nights at 9 pm. Jack Skellington plays host as the “Master of Scare-omonies” and invites some of Disney’s notable villains to make an appearance.
A tip is to make sure you can see the top left of the castle – that’s where Jack appears. If your viewing point doesn’t have a line of sight for that area you may miss a bit of the cohesive story of the show. There are also castle projections that are pretty amazing, so it’s more than just fireworks. The projections are also shown on It’s A Small World.
Trick or Treating Treat Trails
One of the popular parts of the Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party is getting to go trick or treating around the park. The treat trails more of a visual experience and most have villains characters putting on a show in the middle of the line.
TIP: bring a tote back or large backpack for all the candy. The small bag you’re given for the party will hold about two trails worth of goodies. If you don’t want to carry a bag of candy around the park, consider renting a locker at the front of DCA. It’s $7 for a small locker and $10 for a large. This can also work well if you need to change your costume or bring a jacket for cool evenings.
Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit
Downtown Disney also has a Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit activity that you can buy for $9.99. The board game also comes with a souvenir cup, which you can get when you buy the board or after you’ve completed it. You search around the Downtown Disney District at specific stores and restaurants in search of character-themed pumpkins. It’s so much fun!
Halloween Souvenir Shopping
In addition to the yummy food, Disneyland also goes all out with Halloween-themed merchandise in the parks. You’ll find Halloween ears, spirit jerseys, Halloween Loungefly backpacks, and plenty of other items. They do not hold back and honestly I think some of the best items come out at the holidays!
Halloween Clad Character meet and greets
There are a lot of opportunities for Halloween Clad Character meet and greets. This is especially great because not only can you really get a good Halloween experience without paying extra, but you can get it at both parks. Cars Land in DCA gets all decked out in its Halloween best. And even the Haunted Mansion gets an amazing overlay for the Halloween and Christmas seasons featuring Jack Skellington.
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