Everything You Have to See At Disneyland This Halloween

Disney is the expert when it comes to decorations and immersive experiences. You didn’t think Halloween would be any different, did you? No, siree. In fact, fall is one of my favorite times to visit. There’s something for everyone and you’re not going to want to miss a thing! So I made this AWESOME I-Spy Bingo game to pass some time while you wait in line. Be sure to grab your copy below!

Halloween comes to Disneyland Resort September 15th. With so many classic and new experiences, there’s more than ever to see. Mickey pumpkins, and candy corn is plentiful and it might be a little difficult to figure out where to look first! As a Disneyland vet I’ve got the scoop. Everything you need to Know about Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort!

Main Street Decorations

The party starts before you even hit Main Street with character carved pumpkins overlooking the crowded gates below. All the classics characters are there, so be sure to take some time and spot your fave! Once you walk through those magical gates you’ll be greeted by a sea of orange!

The real showstopper is the giant carved Mickey pumpkin right in the middle of the town square. This is such an iconic photo opportunity for the parks, you simply can’t pass it up! Get there early though, because the line starts to back up pretty fast. You’ll also find some festive banners decorating the street lamps

Haunted Mansion Holiday

A fall trip to Disneyland wouldn’t be complete without a ride on Haunted Mansion Holiday where Jack Skellington has taken over those haunted halls. The line for this can get pretty ridiculous this time of year, often over 60 minutes. But the wait is well worth it, and there’s plenty to keep you entertained in line. There is no detail missed and no rock left unturned when it comes to Disney’s all out decorating of this classic attraction. It really is a show stopper and cannot be missed! I am so inspired by what Disney has done to create this overlay, I even created a few copycat DIY’s. (Be sure to sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss those posts!)

My tip for beating the crowd is to make this one of your first stops of the day. There is a FastPass, but I’ve rarely seen it in use. Keep a look out for a special visit from HalloweenTown residents.

Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy

A relatively new addition to Disneyland’s Halloween line up is the Ghost Galaxy overlay at Space Mountain. The experience is not anywhere near as immersive as Mansion, but Space Mountain on it’s own is awesome so be sure to carve out some time. I highly recommend you try and snag a FastPass for this one, as the wait time will get pretty high. There are several jump scares and, well, a galaxy full of ghosts – so it may not be suited for younger kids. If you’re not sure, you can always use rider swap to see what it’s all about first.

Dia de los Muertos in Frontierland

An often underappreciated part of the festivities is the Dia de los Muertos overlay in Frontierland. The bulk of the action takes place right when you enter from the main hub. Here you can catch a festive mariachi band and some delicious sugar skull inspired treats. With Disney’s new movie Coco set to release this November, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few surprises in this area as well.

California Adventures

While there are always some decorations at DCA, it never really feels like Halloween – or even Fall (except for all the Pumpkin Spice Lattes). But this year, it looks like California Adventure is stepping up their game. Concept art for the park entrance posted on Disneyland’s site shows Oogie Boogie’s sinister silhouette overtop the turnstyles. I’ll be posting real life photos from my visit next month.

Carsland

The real surprise for Disneyland Halloween Time is in Carsland. The announcement came out from the D23 Expo that Lightening, Mater, and friends would be pulling out all the stop(lights)s. I absolutely love the spooky tire tower to the left in this image from the parks. But I think I’ve even more excited to see super hero Lightening and van-pire Mater! There will also be ride lay overs as Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters becomes Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree transforms into Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree.

I literally cannot wait to check out this area!! It looks like it will be decked to the nines, and now that Tower of Terror is gone, we really needed some spooky somewhere.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is an AWSEOME after hours in park event. It requires a ticket all its own, but with it you’ll get to meet and greet with some of Disney’s best villains and trick or treat on Main Street! Check out this great article from Highlights Along the Way to learn more!