Imagine this: it’s 2012, you just got done with yet another week in elementary school. No homework, no responsibilities, and no school for a few days. It’s been getting darker earlier and earlier as each day passes and as Halloween comes closer. The best way to ring it in: Monstober on the Disney Channel.Â
When I think of Halloween, my mind immediately travels to the Disney Channel, and all of the Halloween specials I enjoyed throughout my childhood (as well as in my teenage years). For college students like me, Halloween is one of the best times of the year. From watching scary movies with my friends to leaving candy outside my dorm room for my floormates, there’s always something spooky happening in October. If you’re anything like me and you want to remember what Halloween felt like as a kid, then curling up with a cozy blanket and watching one of these Disney Channel Halloween episodes will help you remember that feeling.Â
“Girl Meets World of Terror 2” – Girl Meets World (Season 2, Episode 18)
Something unique about Disney Channel Halloween episodes is that a lot of them tend to be crossovers with other Disney Channel shows, “Girl Meets World of Terror 2” being one of those. This episode, from the show Girl Meets World, includes the main cast of the original show, as well as Austin Moon and Ally Dawson from Austin & Ally. As someone whose favorite Disney Channel show growing up was Austin & Ally, I especially loved this crossover episode as it had my favorite characters all in one place. My personal favorite parts of this episode were the costumes and the aesthetics. As Girl Meets World takes place in New York City, the show already has an artistic feel to it. Combine that with the aesthetic of the 1920s in the form of Riley and Maya’s flapper costumes, and it makes for an automatic feel-good episode. Not only does this episode have flapper costumes, but Riley’s younger brother, Auggie, dresses up as the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz, with his friends dressing as the cowardly lion and the Wicked Witch of the West. If you knew me at all, you would know how much I appreciated and loved this costume. Lastly, we have Austin and Ally dressing up as a BLT sandwich, which is hilarious in itself. To go along with the setting of New York, the characters also traveled to Central Park to go to a haunted house. What could capture Halloween better than that?
“The Whining” – Jessie (Season 2, Episode 1)
I always loved Jessie growing up, and the Halloween specials that the show created were always so packed and fun to watch. This episode in particular is a parody of the book (and movie), The Shining. I was younger when I first watched this episode, so I didn’t know what The Shining was, luckily. Now being older, I really appreciate the parody on the movie, and how it’s translated into an entertaining story that kids can enjoy too. I loved how Disney incorporated costumes from the original movie and assigned each character a role that comes from the original story. Despite the fact that it was so entertaining, it’s definitely a rough watch for me because it’s so scary. For the people who want quite a scare, this is the episode I recommend for you.Â
“Costumes & Courage” – Austin & Ally (Season 2, Episode 1)
Not to be dramatic, but this episode changed the trajectory of my life. As previously mentioned, Austin & Ally was one of my favorite shows growing up. I was just absolutely obsessed with the dynamic between the characters Austin and Ally; I was constantly rooting for them to end up together. As a massive Swiftie, this is everything I wanted in an episode; Austin Moon having the opportunity to perform with Taylor Swift! Unfortunately, she never actually appeared in the episode, as Dez’s character accidentally knocks out “Taylor Swift,” leading Ally to have to overcome her stage fright and perform as Taylor in disguise. To top it all off, the song Austin and Ally performed together, “Don’t Look Down,” is one of my favorite songs in the show. This show created so many good songs, but this one was probably the best. It’s extremely catchy, and the performance that Austin and Ally put on was spectacular.Â
“Haunt-A-Rooney” – Liv & Maddie (Season 3, Episode 4)
This has to be one of the most entertaining episodes on the Disney Channel. We have multiple plot lines happening across Wisconsin, which is where the show Liv and Maddie takes place, as well as New York City, where characters Liv and Joey travel to for the Central Park Spooktacular. In Wisconsin, we have Maddie and Willow taking part in their usual antics with Maddie’s little brother Reggie, pranking one another. Though in my opinion, the real best part of the episode is the plot in New York City. At the Central Park Spooktacular, Liv and Joey have a lot going on. Liv is dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood when she runs into Holden, her potential love interest at the time played by none other than Jordan Fisher, who is dressed up as the Big Bad Wolf. Unbeknownst to them, a photographer snaps a photo of them, where it seems like they are going to kiss. This episode was also a crossover with another Disney Channel show, Best Friends Whenever. The characters from that show teamed up with Liv, Joey, and Holden in order to find the photographer and delete the photo from his camera. Not only is this episode highly entertaining, but Dove Cameron and Jordan Fisher look absolutely incredible in their “couple” costumes.Â
The Disney Channel has given me so many special core memories over the years. It was such an amazing part of childhood, and it’s still a source of comfort for me to this day. Monstober was definitely one of my favorite parts of being a kid, and just because I’m older now, it doesn’t mean that has to end.Â