There are a lot of things to look forward to for Halloween at Disneyland. The parks get dressed up in seasonal colors, special ride overlays and and entertainment are produced, and there’s the cornucopia of fall goodies to be found. Sure, the Halloween Time decorations and entertainment at Disneyland are great, but let’s be honest, the best part is definitely the food. We’ll start today’s Update with the seasonal treats around the Disneyland Resort and then head through Downtown Disney to see what’s new. We’ll finish up by heading back into the parks for some glamour shots.
Before we get started, you should get caught up with Part One of this week’s Disneyland Update which ran yesterday:
Disneyland Update: Halloween Screams Back Into Disneyland and Much More!
Halloween Time Food
Halloween officially started on September 3rd, and with the decor of bats and various Disney villains, a whole array of seasonal food has flown in too. Here are a few shots of our favorite items thus far. We’re still early in the season, so we have quite a bit of time to try everything that looks tempting… Don’t blame us for any unintended weight gain by looking at these treats.
Halloween Time Decor at DCA
While the overall vibe for Halloween at Disneyland is lighthearted and old-fashioned, things are much darker over at Disney California Adventure. The decorations on Buena Vista Street are a rich purple and bats adorn the lamp posts and flee from the belfry atop Carthay Circle.
A real highlight of the decor on Buena Vista Street is the Headless Horseman statue. But how much cooler would this have been if he occasionally came to life at night? It’s neat to hear the clopping of the horse at night around the statue, but it’s missing an element of motion.
The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is slowly being transformed into Villains Grove for Oogie Boogie Bash. Temporary decorative walls help obscure the view into the Grove.
Candles, lights, and decorative details have been installed and some MiceChat readers wrote to say they could hear the area music and see lighting being tested from their Grand Californian hotel room.
Special lighting has been installed everywhere to achieve the transformation of the area at night.
Just across the way, the grizzly bear at the rapids ride has his giant candy bucket at the ready. What do you give a 20′ tall apex predator who comes trick-or-treating? Anything he wants!
Cars Land is where Halloween really revs up.
The cleverness of the decorations is both whimsical and perfectly themed to Radiator Springs Screams
The movie posters are hysterical and a Halloween Time addition.
The cars characters themselves have been dressed in Halloween costumes.
Both of the smaller rides in the land have been given minor overlays with some props added to the queues and Halloween music.
As with Buena Vista Street, the lighting at night really casts a beautiful but creepy glow.
Trunk Or Treat!
Nighttime sparkles. As you exit the park for the evening, you’ll be treated to a breathtaking sight of thousands of twinkly purple lights. The music is much eerier compared to what plays during the daylight hours. It’s quite fitting for the nighttime transformation of Buena Vista Street.
Projections once again paint Carthay Circle in Oogie Boogie Bash artwork.
You may have noticed that the Oogie Boogie over the DCA gate has been redone from the previous version. He’s much happier looking than the old version. They’ve essentially made him less scary.
Here’s what he looked like in 2019:
Plaza de la Familia
Don’t miss Plaza de la Familia in the Paradise Gardens area! There’s a lot of heart here. Everything is themed to the Pixar film Coco, including a special street show that is not to be missed.
As with many things at Disney these days, there are lots of photo ops so you can become Instagram famous.
There are crafts for kids as well.
And the menu at the Paradise Garden Grill has been switched over to some tasty Mexican fare. It had been Festival-inspired favorites since the parks reopened in April.
Check your Disneyland app for Celebration of Coco showtimes. We have a little 2 minute clip for you below:
Beyond the Parks
Out in the Esplanade, Halloween Time banners have returned. They’re California Adventure themed on one side and Disneyland on the other.
Do any of you remember the neon Christmas trees that Downtown Disney tried in 2019? Well, they seem to have morphed into pumpkins.
Lots of colorful displays. Pumpkins stacked, pumpkins on sticks, pumpkins of every color.
And if you stop by the Pin Traders shop (or a number of other locations) you can participate in Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit (like the Easter egg hunt). I think we found one:
The mural at the old ESPN Zone has been updated again, this time for Halloween.
Disneyland Resort Refurb Calendar
Currently Under Refurbishment:
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: (July 12th-Winter 2021)
- Newstand: (August 6th-September 15th)
- Main Street Photo Supply Co.: (August 31st-October 16th)
Upcoming Refurbishments:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: (September 7th-Fall 2021)
- Mark Twain Riverboat: (September 13th-17th)
- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island: (September 20th-23rd)
- Sailing Ship Columbia: (September 20th-TBD)
Attractions Which STILL Have NOT Returned:
- Disneyland Monorail (but not for long – the attraction is currently testing without guests)
- Donald’s Boat
- Goofy’s Playhouse
- Mickey’s House
- Minnie’s House
- Star Wars Launch Bay
- Red Car Trolley
- Blue Sky Cellar
Tents at DCA
Within the past few days, these tents popped up near the World of Color viewing area. Don’t get too excited, they are only for an Oogie Boogie media event.
Around the Parks
And, I’d like to share some favorite images from my several days in the parks this past weekend.
The Bootstrappers are always great to see. Even if you don’t stop to watch the show, they add a lot of ambiance to New Orleans Square.
While walking through Redwood Creek, I stopped to admire the detailed sculptures. They each tell a story.
Disneyland Tickets and Hotel Discounts!
Our partners at Get Away Today have worked tirelessly to create the BEST theme park and hotel deals for our readers. You can purchase theme park tickets (that are good through 2022!) HERE and book a hotel/ticket package for your family vacation HERE!
There are all sorts of new theme park tickets and travel deals, including up to 25% off at the Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotels, a 2 free days offer at Walt Disney World, ticket deals to various theme parks, and DISCOUNT TICKETS TO DISNEYLAND: More details and to get a quote (HERE)
Thank You For Reading!
I really appreciate you hanging in there with me through two long updates. But there was just so much to see! Halloween is a major transition for the resort and it really does feel completely different than my last visit in August. Yes, it’s been reaching 90º outside, but it cools down quickly in the evenings… which helps a lot. But are the parks starting Halloween too soon, or does it make sense to quickly transition once kids have gone back to school? Do you have visions of macarons and funnel cakes dancing in your head? Let me hear from you below.
If you missed yesterday’s Disneyland Update, please take a moment to give it a read. We included lots of videos to help put you in the mood:
Disneyland Update: Halloween Screams Back Into Disneyland and Much More!
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