As leaves change color and the Halloween spirit creeps in, Disneyland Resort is reveling in the arrival of fall with returning celebrations beginning Sept. 1, 2023 – featuring an assortment of seasonal fun and fare for family and friends.
Materializing Sept. 1-Oct. 31, 2023, Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort debuts bewitching new outfits for Mickey Mouse and his pals at Disneyland Park and, for the first time, seasonal enhancements at Goofy’s Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel. This year, the annual bespoke gingerbread house at Haunted Mansion Holiday takes the form of a mansion mausoleum that stands 9 feet, 13 inches tall.
Celebrating the spirit of Día de los Muertos, eternal love and the everlasting bonds of family, Plaza de la Familia at Disney California Adventure Park, Sept. 1-Nov. 2, 2023, offers delectable Mexican cuisine and beloved entertainment featuring the story and songs from Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award®-winning “Coco.” New this year, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa pays tribute to the celebration with a detailed confectionery display.
Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort
Spirited seasonal décor and characters dressed in Halloween looks are appearing in both theme parks from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, 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 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” wreck the halls of Haunted Mansion Holiday once again. This year’s rendition of the attraction’s annual bespoke gingerbread house – a merrily macabre mausoleum – employs two new creative techniques: it’s the first to feature cotton candy decorations that take the form of a frightfully fun food ghost and masterfully molded gingerbread chains that trap a haunted apparition inside.
Each night during Halloween Time, the supernatural “Halloween Screams” nighttime spectacular summons 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.
Featuring Halloween history and chilling tales, Disney’s Happiest Haunts Guided Tour** returns to Disneyland Park this year with reserved viewing for “Halloween Screams,” expedited access to Pirates of the Caribbean, a themed treat and more.
At Disney California Adventure Park, three attractions have taken on 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 sports 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 are 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 also features fall décor, entertainment and special offerings from select locations.
For the first time, Goofy’s Kitchen will feature characters dressed in Halloween outfits, seasonal décor and themed desserts from Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. The spirited celebration continues at the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa with pumpkin carving demonstrations and live entertainment on select afternoons in October.
Dining locations across the Disneyland Resort are serving up more than 50 frightfully flavorful food and beverages, such as a pumpkin bundt cake and a Halloween cake. This year’s array of Halloween merchandise includes apparel, home décor and collectibles with in-trend designs.
Plaza de la Familia and tributes to Día de los Muertos
Honoring the Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the vibrant Plaza de la Familia cultural experience brings back brilliant marigolds, heartwarming live entertainment and family crafts to Paradise Gardens in Disney California Adventure from Sept. 1 through Nov. 2. Paradise Garden Grill reprises its celebratory menu inspired by Mexican cuisine for a limited time, including items such as the carnitas burrito and plant-based chorizo quesadilla.
Throughout the experience, storytelling and music from Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award®-winning “Coco” highlight the everlasting bonds of family. Several times per day, “A Musical Celebration of Coco” presents a talented company of Folklórico dancers, plus Mariachi singers and musicians, that recount Miguel’s adventure to the Land of the Dead. A hand-carved little Miguel inspired by Mexican folk art even makes a whimsical cameo appearance. Guests can take photos with little Miguel after the performance, add remembrance notes to the Memory Wall and more.
Colorful tributes to Día de los Muertos are on display across the Disneyland Resort. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa showcases a new confectionery sculpture inspired by “Coco,” featuring Miguel and his dog Dante. Over at Disney California Adventure in his Cars Land detailing shop, Ramone displays an “ofrenda” celebrating the life of the town’s good friend, Doc Hudson. Disneyland Park presents its traditional installation in Frontierland, adorned with marigolds and banners of papel picado.
Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party
The sold out, separate-ticket event Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party**** takes over Disney California Adventure on 25 select nights between Sept. 5 and Oct. 31. Guests already holding tickets to the after-hours event are invited to wear their Halloween costumes and enjoy a wickedly fun evening of attractions, special food and beverages, entertainment and more. Highlights include entrance to Disney California Adventure Park three hours before the party begins, the immersive Villains Grove, treat trails and character sightings – plus the “Mickey’s Trick and Treat” show and “Frightfully Fun Parade.”
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