5 'Spooktacular' Ways To Get Into The Halloween Spirit At Disneyland

Halloween Time is in full swing, once again, at the Disneyland Resort! From one of a kind photo opportunities to delightful eats, Halloween themed rides, and more, will have guests dying to see these “spooktacular” offerings during this frightfully fun season from September 6 through October 31, 2019. Here are five ways to get into the Halloween spirit: 

Seasonal Foods

Image: Disney Parks Blog

With Fall and Halloween coming up, the Disneyland Resort has put a lot of time and effort in changing up the seasonal treats and savory eats around the resort for guests to enjoy. For those of you who are planning on eating the spellbinding eats, make sure to pick up a handy Halloween Foodie Guide that is available around the parks. This food guide will help you organize all the tantalizing temptations that the two parks have to offer along with other items that can be found around the resort. For those pumpkin spice lovers out there, there are quite a few different choices to try like the Pumpkin Spice Churro at over at Willie’s Churros stand in Disney California Adventure Park or try the famous beignets at the Mint Julep Bar featuring Pumpkin Spice Beignets just for this Halloween season.

Maybe you’re wanting something more savory with a kick that will haunt your tastebuds and leave you wanting more. The Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich over at Carnation Café might do the trick. The Sriracha glazed fried chicken breast with pepper jack cheese, and spicy sandwich spread is topped with a cooling creamy mustard slaw and served on a brioche bun. Not only will the food guides show you where to get these scrumptious treats, it will also list all the great Halloween souvenir novelties and merchandise that are available like the Mickey Pumpkin Ballon Bucket or the Halloween Spirit Jersey. 

Pictures

Image: Disney

Get your cameras ready! All over the park there are tons of picture perfect photo opportunities! Not only will the “Fab Five” be wandering around in their Halloween costumes at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure park but a few other friends will be joining them too! Over at the Disneyland Hotel, some Haunted Mansion inspired sets and backdrops are available all day.

Disney California Adventure has a pretty amazing photo opp with the Headless Horseman statue that looks amazing both day and night. The Mickey Mouse jack-o-lantern on Main Street, U.S.A. is a definite must- don’t forget, there are two sides! If you are heading to grab some of those delicious Pumpkin Spice Beignets over at the Mint Julep Bar, why not visit stop by and visit with Jack Skellington and Sally over by the Haunted Mansion! 

Shows

New this year that will make everyone die from excitement is that Halloween Screams at Disneyland will be available for everyone who has a valid theme park ticket. In the past, this show was only available to guests who were enjoying Mickey’s Halloween Party, but now this show will be available for all! Fireworks will be added to the show on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only (weather pending).

Over at Disney California Adventure Park, join Mateo at Plaza de la Familia, as he tells the story of Disney and Pixar’s Coco with a folklórico dance group, and GRAMMY®️ award-winning Mariachi Divas as they pay tribute to the heart warming story about family. 

Rides 

After eating your yummy beignets and taking photos with Jack and Sally, head into one of Tim Burton’s classic movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas as the Haunted Mansion is transformed into the Haunted Mansion Holiday. Jack has transformed himself into “Sandy Claws” and delivers ghoulish delights from Halloween Town to all the 999 happy haunts who dwell in the Haunted Mansion. This ride can have a long wait time so if you are planning on riding this attraction, think about getting Disney MaxPass to get a FastPass. 

Image: Disney

Over at Disney California Adventure, be sure to return to the Collector’s Fortress after 5pm and experience Guardians of the Galaxy- Monsters After Dark, the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: Breakout. Like Haunted Mansion Holiday, this ride queue can get very lengthy, try to get a FastPass for the ride with a return time after 5pm. 

With the help of the vehicular-citizens, Radiator Springs has been transformed in to Radiator Screams! Celebrate Haul-O-Ween with Lightning McQueen and  Mater as they dress up in their “car-stumes” as they celebrate Haul-O-Ween.

Don’t forget to check out two rides that have gone through a spooky transformation: Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween. Not only did the decorations change for both of the rides, the sound tracks did too!  

Displays

After taking a photo with the Mickey Mouse jack-o-lantern at Disneyland take a stroll and admire all the halloween decorations! All through Main Street, U.S.A., festive decor from candy corn colored banners to playful jack-o-lanterns can be spotted throughout the streets. Each shop is playfully decorated with Halloween theming that tie in with what the shop is, like beautifully decorated tea table by Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor or carved pumpkins on top of the Mad Hatter Shop that all have diverse hats. Many decorations in Disneyland are best viewed in the daylight.

For nighttime decorations, head to Disney California Adventure as Oogie Boogie takes over the park at dusk and changes the music to more eerie Halloween music. Windows down Buena Vista Street are decorated for Halloween and can easily be seen at night. The light posts come alive and with red eyed blinking bats that will leave you in a frightful state until you head over to the rotunda near Carthay Circle where beautiful twinkling purple lights decorate each tree and lights up the dark night sky. Spend a few moments by the Headless Horseman statue and wait until the lightning strikes, you may see him come alive along with his horse. 

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