Halloween was my favorite time of year growing up. You got to dress up as something magical or made-up, trick-or-treat for candy from your neighbors, and carve jack-o-lanterns in the kitchen of your childhood home. In my opinion, the best part of this time of year is the Disney movies. Along with other Halloween lovers, I would watch them religiously during the fall months, and during the rest of the year as well. Now, as an adult, I look back on those years with fondness. Revisiting Disney classics around Halloween is my way of reconnecting with that time in my life. Here are the three must-watch childhood Halloween movies!
- Halloweentown
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This four-part movie series was by far the most exciting to me as a child, and I’m happy to report that they are just as fun to rewatch as an adult. Marnie Cromwell finds out that she is a witch, and has adventures with her family in Halloweentown––the dimension where all supernatural creatures reside––while balancing her life in the mortal world. I always found myself daydreaming about this mythical reality where Halloween was going on all the time. Revisit this one, and I promise you’ll be just as intrigued (I’m still mad about Disney switching out the actress who played Marnie in the final movie though).
- Twitches
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This fun set of two movies is about twin witches (hence the term “twitches”) who were separated at birth and sent to the mortal world to be protected from “The Darkness” that threatens their home dimension. When they find each other again and find out about their origins, they go on a journey to reconnect and save their home in the process. The movies star Tia and Tamera Mowry, the iconic set of twins from Disney’s hit show Sister, Sister. As a kid, I enjoyed the fantasy idea that I have a twin somewhere else in the world, and as an adult, I like the darker vibe that it has compared to other kids’ Halloween movies.
- Hocus Pocus
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This classic Halloween movie is, surprisingly, one that I didn’t watch until last year. However, when I finally watched it, I knew that I had been missing out. The 90s special effects are reason enough to watch this movie about a curious teenager who is new in town and accidentally brings three witches from the Salem Witch Trials back to life, 300 years after their death. The witches cause trouble with trick-or-treaters in order to become immortal, and it is up to the teenager to save the town. There is something so fun about getting invested in a Disney movie, and this does just that, as well as making you excited to plan a weekend trip to Salem!
I hope you take these recommendations and watch some films that will make your Halloween season as exciting––and nostalgic––as possible. Enjoy stepping back into your childhood with interesting stories of witches, goblins, ghosts, and more!
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