Disneyland is without a doubt the happiest place on earth, and for about two months every year it becomes the spookiest place on earth! Disneyland’s very underrated Halloween season is almost over, so here’s everything you need to know before you go to make the most of your trip for the spookiest time of year.
Attractions
Disneyland does a few amazing overlays of your favorite rides for the Halloween season, and these are the ones you have to check out!
Haunted Mansion Holiday
Although this may look like a Christmas ride, Haunted Mansion Holiday is based on the cult classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. From September until January, Jack Skellington and his pals from Halloweentown take over the mansion in a fun and festive overlay of one of Disneyland’s most classic rides. This is one of my favorite attractions and it’s not in the park all the time, so be sure to check it out before it closes in January.
Pro Tip: Since this ride is seasonal, the line can get pretty long, so either ride it first thing in the morning or grab a fastpass for later and cut the line.
Space Mountain – Ghost Galaxy
Arguably the best ride in Disneyland, Space Mountain also gets a thrilling overlay for Halloween. Passengers board a “bloodcurdling fright flight” where they are chased by a galactic ghost through space. While I do prefer the regular version of this ride, the Halloween overlay is really fun – and actually kind of scary.
Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark
One of the newest rides in Disney’s California Adventure (just across the way from Disneyland), Guardians of the Galaxy is a super fun thrill ride, but for Halloween the creatures in the Collector’s fortress have escaped, turning it into a more dangerous adventure. This special Halloween version starts at 5pm everyday, so if you go before then it will still be Mission Breakout. This ride is one of my absolute favorites, and I think that the overlay is really well done and adds a fun twist to the ride!
Food
One of the best parts about going to Disneyland is the food. Every season they put out a bunch of delicious treats for a limited time only. Here’s the best ones you have to try.
Pumpkin Spice Beignets
One of my personal favorite Disneyland treats, beignets are a standout that get a seasonal version for Halloween that is to die for. The pumpkin spice flavor isn’t too intense or artificial with these, and is just enough flavor to bring the spirit of fall.
You can get them at the Mint Julep Bar in New Orleans Square.
Halloween Churros
This year Disney blessed us with a BUNCH of delicious churro flavors like orange sugar with candy corn sauce, pumpkin spice, oreo with marshmallow sauce, and a sour apple churro with a caramel sauce. There are also two churro sundaes, a Churro Bite Cereal Sundae at the Hungry Bear Restaurant, and a churro sundae with cookie butter gelato at the Golden Horseshoe.
Specialty churros vary by cart, which are all throughout the park.
Halloween Hot Dog
Disneyland doesn’t always have the best hot dogs, but this seasonal one is supposed to be great. It has spicy meatballs, cheese sauce, and oven roasted tomatoes. It also comes with a side of chips or apple slices, and it a pretty good value for $9.
You can find this at Coke Refreshment Corner at the end of Main Street.
There are countless other Halloween treats to find, and if you’re looking for Halloween desserts, The Jolly Holiday on Main Street is the place to head. They have a mummy macaroon, pumpkin cheesecake, a Cruella de Vil brownie, and a sweet potato hand pie that’s supposed to be amazing.
There’s also a lot of great Halloween themed candy items at Candy Palace on Main Street and Pooh’s Corner in Critter Country. Here you can find themed candy apples, rice crispy treats, and cake pops.
Pumpkin Spice Funnel Cake Fries
Yeah, you read that right. Funnel cake fries. These flaky and crispy funnel cake fries are dusted with pumpkin spice sugar coating, drizzled with a pumpkin spice sauce, and topped with a – you guessed it- pumpkin spice whipped cream. This is one of the items that I’m most excited about, and they look amazing.
You can find them at Award Wieners on Hollywood Boulevard.
Slow-Burnin’ Mac and Cheese Cone
Another Disney classic, the cones in Cars Land are a great snack, and the famous mac and cheese cone has been Halloweenified. This snack is a macaroni pasta with spicy red pepper cheese sauce with crushed chili cheese puffs on top, served in a black bread cone. If you’re a fan of spicy foods this is definitely for you.
You can find this at the Cozy Cone in Cars Land
Candy Cone Pie
Candy corn is one of the most beloved and controversial Halloween candies, and you can find a cream pie that resembles it in Cars Land. While this cream pie is delicious, it is on the small side, so conscious of that when ordering.
You can find this at Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land
There are countless foods to try for the Halloween season, but these were some of the ones that stood out to me the most. For a full list of all the amazing foods for Halloween, click here
Decorations
One of my favorite parts of the Halloween season, Disney really delivers on decorating both parks beautifully for the spookiest time of year. Here are the spots that you absolutely need to see.
Note: Most of the decorations are better viewed at night, so make sure you stay after sunset to get the full Halloween experience.
Main Street Pumpkin
The most iconic decoration for Halloween, the Main Street pumpkin is right at the entrance of Disneyland, and is a great picture spot. But be warned, the line can get really long to snag a picture in front of this Mickey Jack-o-lantern, so be sure to get there early and get a picture with a shorter line.
Character Halloween Costumes
While this isn’t technically a decoration, I thought I would include it in this article. Mickey and all of his friends have adorable costumes for Halloween that make your pictures with them a little extra spooky. Characters have costumes at both Disneyland and California Adventure, and are typically found at the front of each park
Carthay Circle
Buena Vista street has been taken over by Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the tower of the Carthay Circle theater is bursting with bats. The trees surrounding are filled with purple lights that give an amazing spooky touch to the area. This can only be viewed at night.
Cars Land
The entirety of Cars Land is decorated for Halloween, and there are insane details hidden in this area of California Adventure. This includes your favorite Cars characters in their own Halloween costumes, and great photo ops throughout the land. Decorations are viewable day and night, but are best enjoyed at night for the full effect.
Halloween time at Disneyland is one of the best of the year, and there is so much to enjoy during this season. I hope that this article was helpful and that you have an amazing time on your next trip. Stay spooky!