Spirited seasonal décor and characters dressed in Halloween looks will appear in both theme parks, presenting countless photo opportunities. The Main Street Pumpkin Festival brings a horde of hand-carved gourds to Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park, including the giant Mickey Mouse Pumpkin. At Disney California Adventure Park, Halloween decorations and projections evoke an air of eeriness in Buena Vista Street. Plus, Cars Land becomes Radiator Screams, where the residents and establishments are decked out in their Haul-O-Ween best.
At Disneyland Park, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and some of their pals will cast a ghostly glow with new outfits made with luminescent fabrics and bat details. Jack Skellington and his friends from “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” will wreck the halls of Haunted Mansion Holiday once again. The attraction’s ballroom will showcase the latest rendition of the annual bespoke gingerbread house.
Each night through Oct. 31, the supernatural “Halloween Screams” nighttime spectacular will summon projections, special effects, and music on Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle, Rivers of America and in front of “it’s a small world.” MagicBand+ adds another devious dimension to the show with ominous illuminations and shivering vibrations. On select nights, fireworks will conjure in the skies above. To make way for “Halloween Screams,” the nighttime spectacular “Wondrous Journeys” is scheduled to make its last performance of the year on Aug. 31.
At Disney California Adventure Park, three attractions will undergo seasonal transformations with Halloween spins – and drops. The family-friendly Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in Cars Land opts for a happily hair-raising soundtrack to become Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree. The nearby Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters takes guests on a wicked whirl as Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween. For the first time, the resident “car-acter” Guido will sport a ghoulish “car-stume” as he welcomes guests to the Casa Della Tires.
As the afternoon winds down each day, the thrills go up at Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! in Avengers Campus. Unique to Halloween Time, the attraction transforms into Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark, a scream-worthy adventure to save Groot from creatures running amok in The Collector’s Fortress.
From Sept. 8 through Nov. 1, Disney character-themed pumpkins will be hidden around the Downtown Disney District for Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit; with the purchase of a map from participating locations, guests can commemorate their search with a collectible keepsake. Downtown Disney District will also feature fall décor, entertainment, and special offerings from select locations.
Dining locations across the Disneyland Resort will serve up frightfully flavorful food and beverages, such as pumpkin fritters and a Halloween cake. This year’s array of Halloween merchandise includes apparel, home décor and collectibles with in-trend designs.
Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter @iamcg83