Halloween is by far my favorite holiday, and every year I spend months planning costumes, making decorations, and even squeezing in some trips to Walt Disney World. I’ve come up with some great traditions of ways to celebrate Halloween with a little Disney magic both from home and in the parks. So, let’s get to celebrating, only four more days until Halloween!!
In The Parks
If you are lucky enough to visit WDW in either September or October, you’ll get to experience their wonderful take on Halloween.
- Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party– This is the ultimate Halloween extravaganza in the Magic Kingdom Park and runs several times a week leading up to the holiday. It requires the additional purchase of a hard ticket, but to me, it is worth the extra expense. Guests can trick or treat, enjoy dance parties, and take in the Villains Mix n Mingle Stage Show, Mickey’s “Boo To You” Parade, and HalloWishes Fireworks. However, the best part about MNSSHP are the costumes! Guests go all out in creating some pretty outrageous getups, and every year I am amazed by their creativity. So, don’t be shy, and put that costume on, you’ll be glad you did.
- Main Street Decorations – While MNSSHP only runs on certain nights and requires separate admission, these decorations can be enjoyed at all times while strolling down Main Street, U.S.A. There are scarecrows guarding Town Square, fall bunting made of beautiful leaves adorning each building, and pumpkins literally everywhere. Take some time to check each detail out, as many of them reflect the stores they are above!
- Treats – Throughout all of WDW there are special Halloween treats offered during the season including chocolates, candy apples, and cupcakes. Be sure to try them all!
- Haunted Mansion and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – These two attractions are definitely the creepiest in the parks, so what better way to celebrate Halloween by experiencing them. Extra points if you ride at night! Just remember- there’s no turning back now.
At Home
If you can’t make it to WDW this Halloween season, there are plenty of ways to incorporate some Disney into your home celebrations!
Decorations – This is where I go a little crazy every year. My house is decked out from top to bottom with every kind of Halloween detail you can imagine, and many of them are Disney related. Most of my Disney decorations are Haunted Mansion themed, and include a bat shaped bottle stopper, singing bust ornaments, Mickey dressed as a butler ornament, tombstones from the graveyard, and coasters mimicking the gravestones of Master Gracey, Madame Leota, and others. My favorite item is a Minnie and Mickey Halloween countdown clock that you change every day, which adds a level of anticipation for Halloween as it gets lower and lower!- Costumes – The great thing about Disney is that there are endless characters to choose from for costume inspiration. Obviously, this year Ana and Elsa costumes will be all the rage for little girls, but there are so many other great ones to choose from. You can go with something everyone will recognize, like Ariel or you could even go with something a little more obscure like I did this year as the tightrope girl from the Haunted Mansion stretching room portrait. There are endless possibilities in terms of Disney costumes, so get creative!
- Movies and Shows – There are some great Disney movies and specials to choose from to get you into the Halloween spirit. Every show on the Disney Channel will have a Halloween special, so be on the lookout for those. In addition, there are some great Halloween themed movies and shorts to enjoy including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, Disney’s Halloween Treat, and Disney Sing Alongs Happy Haunting. Get watching!
- Pumpkins – An easy way to get into the Disney Halloween spirit is to carve a pumpkin in the likeness of your favorite Disney character! While I love the look and feel of a real pumpkin, I recommend carving a fake one so that you get to enjoy your creation year after year! Some fun examples of Disney pumpkin carving in my past years include Vampire Mickey, Tinkerbell, and Minnie.
From trick or treating in the parks to carving your own pumpkin creations at home, there are some great ways to bring Disney into your Halloween. Be sure to share some of your favorite ways to bring some Disney magic into your holiday by leaving a comment below! I would love to hear your ideas about how your get creative!
Happy Halloween!
(Photos from the author’s personal collection.)
What is your favorite way to bring Disney into your Halloween celebrations? Be sure to let me know by leaving a comment below, I would love to hear from you!
Caitlin Corsello was born and raised in New York. She graduated from Adelphi University with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling in 2012. Her love for Disney started as an infant and has continued to grow with family vacations to Disney parks almost every year since. She holds a particular interest in WDW’s parks and attractions, never passing up an opportunity to visit. She looks forward to continuing to explore and learn about all things Disney and to share that passion with readers.
