By Lindsay Brookshier, Mickey Visit

This article contains affiliate links from Mickey Visit. 

Halloween at Disneyland has become one of the most popular times of the year to visit Disneyland Resort, comparable even to the spectacular Disneyland Holiday season.

Disneyland goes all out when it comes to holidays, and Halloween is at the top of the list for top tier decorations - including a larger-than-life Mickey pumpkin at the beginning of Main Street, U.S.A. You can expect seasonal overlays on popular attractions, spooky entertainment, hauntingly delicious desserts and a level of classic Halloween immersion.

Image of the Halloween Screams Fireworks show. Sleeping Beauty's Castle can be seen in the image, lit up in a pink/red/orange hue. Fireworks and projections can be seen to the left of the castle.
Image courtesy of Disneyland Resort

Halloween Screams Fireworks

Disneyland is known for their firework spectaculars with amazing pyrotechnics, music and projections that capture Disney’s flair for immersive storytelling. The Halloween fireworks show, Halloween Screams, is introduced with a welcome from Jack Skellington and his dog Zero from the Tim Burton favorite The Nightmare Before Christmas. This spooky show pays homage to favorite Disney villains including Maleficent and Ursula with a few rising ghosts along the way set to a soundtrack of Halloween inspired songs.

Read all our tips for Disneyland Fireworks here!

Halloween Screams runs until Halloween in Disneyland Park for all guests to enjoy and is not limited to those enjoying the ticketed Halloween event, Oogie Boogie Bash, at Disney California Adventure.

TIP! For guests without tickets to the now sold out Oogie Boogie Bash that occurs on select nights throughout the Halloween season, having a Disneyland park hopper ticket is a necessity to be able to hop over to Disneyland once the party begins. You’ll find 2-5 day discount Disneyland tickets from our travel partner with additional discounts exclusively for Mickey Visit readers.

On weekend nights and holidays, the show is presented with projections and fireworks. On most nights Monday-Thursday the show is presented with just projections and no fireworks. Check the entertainment schedule for the most up to date programming details.

Haunted Mansion Holiday

Image of the front of Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland Resort. A large, white mansion can be seen in the background. In the foreground, a scarecrow with a pumpkin head can be seen.
Image courtesy of Mickey Visit 

The Haunted Mansion receives a retheme based on Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas that will encompass both the Halloween and Holiday season. The overlay is extremely popular whether you know the film or not due to the amazing effects, songs and characters incorporated into this classic attraction. The King of Halloween has taken over the celebration of Christmas, and guests are invited to witness what happens when “two holidays collide.” The showstopper of this popular overlay is the giant gingerbread house display which changes designs every year located in the ballroom and a delightful gingerbread scent you can enjoy as you drift by in your doom buggy.

Some guests even prefer this version over the classic because the attention to detail and immersion to aspects of the film are just that spectacular. This attraction becomes more popular than ever during the Halloween season, so I recommend going straight here in the morning, riding before park close or utilizing Disneyland Genie+ to avoid long waits.

Image of Ray Bradbury Tree in Disneyland Resort.
Image courtesy of Disneyland Resort

Ray Bradbury’s Halloween Tree

This detail is a touch of Disney history that should not go unnoticed on your Halloween visit. As you enter Frontierland, next door to the Golden Horseshoe, you can find The Halloween Tree. The Halloween Tree is dedicated to Ray Bradbury, along with his book of the same name, and is worth taking the time to visit.

Ray Bradbury holds a special place in Disney history due to his work on the EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World, his close friendship with Walt Disney and his insightful observations on Disneyland.

Image of Cars Land inside Disney California Adventure Park decorated for Halloween. Image shows the main walkway of Cars Land with tires and traffic cones hung in the air, above the walkway. They are designed to look like scary faces. Image is taken at night and includes light up signs and decor that are red, purple, yellow, green and orange.
Image courtesy of @domtabon on Instagram

Cars Land

Cars Land in Disney California Adventure is themed after the movie Cars and features such close attention to detail that its easily become one of the most impressive parts of the park. That same level of detail has been applied to the spooky season as it celebrates “Haul-O-Ween” with Halloween overlays and every inch of the land covered with decorations.

From Fillmore’s Jack-Oil Lanterns to Flo’s Spider-Car to Witchy Miss Lizzie’s Shop you’ll have a blast finding all the details that transformed Radiator Springs to Radiator Screams. You can also see your favorite cars, like Lightning McQueen and Mater, in their Halloween costumes greeting guests throughout the day. Or take a spin Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree or Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween! For guests staying nearby at a Disney on property hotel, being close to California Adventure during the Halloween season can be an especially welcome Halloween treat as you’re close to the action.

2021 Knott's Scary Farm
Image courtesy of Knott's Scary Farm

Knott’s Scary Farm

We'd be remiss if we didn’t mention Knott’s Scary Farm! Knott's Berry Farm may be a short drive away from Anaheim and Disneyland Resort, but a visit simply can't be missed!

Knott's Scary Farm is the largest Halloween event in Southern California. The entire theme park is transformed into haunted mazes, attractions and shows. Featuring more than 1,000 spooky creatures hiding in every corner of the park waiting to thrill and scare every guest.

Keep in mind that Knott’s Scary Farm is not recommended for children under 13 and this Halloween event leans into the more adult, macabre side of Halloween. This ticketed event is not far from Disneyland and is a great addition to your trip especially for teens looking for a terrifying thrill.

You can always rely on finding the top tier seasonal celebrations at Disneyland during your visit to Anaheim along with a variety of other local Halloween events to please every member of your group.

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