Halloween time is coming to Disneyland again on September 2nd. Theme parks around the country are preparing their festivities, and Disney has announced what they’ll be doing at the Disneyland Resort. If you’ve gone to Disneyland’s Halloween party, the offerings will look familiar.
Décor and Minor Experiences
Pumpkins and spooky décor will come to both parks, as well as Downtown Disney. The Headless Horseman statue will return to DCA, and the Mickey Jack-o’-Lantern will be back on Main Street. Characters will be dressed for spooky meet-and-greets, seasonal treats will change out, and Halloween photo opportunities will come to both parks.
Attraction Overlays
The Guardians of the Galaxy will have an overlay with an operational change. During the day time, Mission:BREAKOUT! will run like normal. But when the sun goes down, the ride will temporarily close to change over to Monsters After Dark. This more thrilling version of the ride will then run until the park closes each night. While the changes are minor, Monsters After Dark is worth the visit for anyone who likes the variability that the ride offers.
Jack Skellington and his friends will flood the Haunted Mansion for the festivities. Our friends at Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters will redecorate to Mater’s JamBOOree and Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween. The visuals will change, but you can expect day-to-day operations to be the same.
Plaza de la Familia
Paradise Gardens Park at DCA will be decorated to celebrate Día de Los Muertos. The activities will be centered around Coco, with “A Musical Celebration of Coco,” an art display titled “The World of Coco,” photo opportunities, and a hand-animated figure of Miguel. Perhaps my favorite part of the plaza is the memory wall, where guests are invited to share memories of their ancestors. Día de Los Muertos is a great chance to share inspiring stories about our families. If you want to participate and are looking for more information about your ancestors, ancestry.com and familysearch.org can point you in the right direction. Frontierland will also have have some decorations for the holiday.
Oogie Boogie Bash
This is the separate-ticketed Halloween party at California Adventure check out our article on those festivities to learn more. Unfortunately, these events are sold out for the season. The tickets sold out entirely in just a few days. Because it was so popular, Disney may end up adding more party nights in the future.
The Halloween season is one way that Disney makes sure there’s always something exciting going on in the parks. While not much new is coming this fall, it is a different atmosphere in the park. As always, costumes will be allowed for adults on the days of Oogie Boogie Bash, so the entire family can dress up together. The seasonal offerings are a great way to see the parks in a new way.