Part of Disneyland Resort’s annual Halloween Time celebration is the Dia de los Muertos display in Frontierland in Disneyland and Plaza de la Familia in California Adventure – and although Dia de los Muertos does take place close to Halloween it’s not the same as Halloween.
We enlisted the help of Matisse Rainbolt, a folklórico dancer and content creator who shares her love of traditional Mexican dance with her 1.5 million TikTok followers – and performs in “A Musical Celebration of Coco” at Disney California Adventure – to take a look at how Disneyland Resort celebrates the holiday of remembrance.
@matisseazul so is the sky blue or red??? #balletfolklorico #folklorico #bailefolklorico #coco #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos #mexico #baile #culture #cultura #latina #dancer #dance #zapateado #unpocoloco #pocoloco #FomotionalFinds ♬ Un Poco Loco – Anthony Gonzalez & Gael García Bernal
But first, let’s review the similarities and differences between Dia de los Muertos and Halloween:
Halloween vs. Dia de los Muertos
Modern Halloween celebrations are mostly costume and candy-centric, but its origin dates back to the festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-en), which was celebrated on October 31st in ancient Britain and Ireland to commemorate the beginning of the winter season and the start of a new year.
During this important cultural festival, souls of those who had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those who had died during the previous year were believed to journey to the other world. People also set bonfires to frighten away evil spirits and wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by ghosts who were thought to be present.
Similarly, Dia de los Muertos – or Day of the Dead – also has ancient cultural roots. According to the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, Calif., the celebration can be traced to rituals practiced more than 3,000 years ago by the Olmecs, Toltecs, Mixtecs, Zapotecs, Maya, and Aztecs to honor death, and although predominant in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is also celebrated in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, and Haiti.
“People often confuse Día de Muertos with Halloween,” Rainbolt says.”I have heard people describe Día de Muertos as a ‘Mexican Halloween’ countless times, but it is a completely different holiday. When we dress up for this holiday, we do not dress up in costumes, we dress in traditional Mexican clothing.”
Did you know the Day of the Dead is actually two days?
Spirits of the dead are believed to return home to visit their relatives on November 1st and 2nd. To welcome them, families build altars (ofrendas) in their honor. In the U.S., altar-making sometimes extends beyond the home to public spaces, including museums, schools, community centers, and even Disneyland.
“Día de los muertos is a holiday where we celebrate and honor family, friends, and loved ones who have passed away,” Rainbolt says. “The key word here is celebration. Although it is sad for someone to pass away, we use this holiday to celebrate their life rather than dwelling on their death.”
Rainbolt also explains that November 1st is the day families celebrate children who have passed away, while the 2nd is when they celebrate everyone (also known as All Souls day).
Día de los Muertos Ofrendas
A very important aspect of the Dia de los Muertos celebration are the ofrendas that honor family members who have passed away, usually constructed with several levels to represent the layers of creation in Aztec mythology – the heavens, the earth, and the underworld.
Because ofrendas are homemade and personalized, each is unique; however, most share common elements that also have significance:
- Salt – Represents the prolongation of life after death, allowing the dead to return from the underworld yearly.
- Marigolds – The bright orange and yellow color and strong scent let the dead know which road will take them to their altars. This is also why many people leave a marigold petal path from the tombs of loved ones to their houses.
- Food and Drinks – Left on the altar so loved ones can enjoy their favorite meals. One traditional food served during this holiday is pan de Muerto (bread of the dead), a sweet roll decorated with two crossed pieces of dough shaped like bones. Water is also always present among the offerings, because people believe spirits become thirsty during their journey to the land of the living.
- Personal Items – Displayed on the altar to maintain the memory of those who have departed, including photographs, hats, pipes, watches, rings, and necklaces.
- Candles – The glow from candles helps the dead find their way to their altars, especially at night.
- Skulls – Molded from clay or ceramics, they remind the living that they will also become dead ancestors someday.
How Dia de los Muertos is celebrated at Disneyland Resort
Enjoy the cultural experience of Día de los Muertos at the Disneyland Resort, which celebrates the everlasting bonds of family and our loved ones who have been – and will forever be – part of our lives. Honor this festive Mexican tradition through Nov. 2! https://t.co/zkCteNEV3g pic.twitter.com/9bDGzi9UT8
— Disneyland Resort (@Disneyland) September 30, 2021
Through Nov. 2, 2022, Disneyland park guests can visit the Dia de los Muertos display in Frontierland’s El Zócalo Park featuring golden marigolds and papel picado (tissue paper) banners, along with two traditional ofrendas and three large skeleton mariachi musicians (calacas).
But the larger celebration is across the esplanade in California Adventure where Paradise Gardens is transformed into Plaza de la Familia, an immersive plaza inspired by the movie “Coco” and Dia de los Muertos.
“Plaza de la Familia is a vibrant celebration of the everlasting bonds of family, inspired by Día de los Muertos and Disney and Pixar’s hit film ‘Coco,’” said Disney Parks Live Entertainment Creative Director Susana Tubert. “I’m excited for our guests to once again experience Miguel’s story in ‘A Musical Celebration of Coco,’ enjoy authentic Mariachi performances, and learn more about the traditions of this celebration.”
The plaza features a Mexican Árbol de la Vida (Tree of Life), where guests can post personal messages to loved ones on the Memory Wall. In addition, they can design paper alebrije masks of Dante and Pepita (the spirit guides from “Coco”) and see live Mariachi concerts on the bandstand.
Tubert also points out that the stage in Plaza de la Familia incorporates lyrics from one of the songs in “Coco” – “Music is my language, and the world is mi familia.”
“I feel like that really captures the essence of all our cultural celebrations at Disneyland, which is to be culturally authentic and uniquely Disney,” she said.
Brief Spanish and English descriptions throughout the plaza also give context to the experiences and explain the roots of Dia de los Muertos and its traditions.
“We are being engaged in this cultural experience,” said Disney Parks Media Rep Princeton Parker. “And as someone who didn’t grow up with the Day of the Dead, I appreciate the opportunity to not just step into this world, but learn about it.”
The representation of Dia de los Muertos in California Adventure also includes daily performances of “A Musical Celebration of Coco” at the plaza entrance featuring music from the Mariachi Divas, puppetry, folklórico dance, storytelling, and of course, popular songs from the movie, including “Remember Me.”
“Growing up [in Southern California], I always wanted to dance in a show at Disney, but never imagined it actually happening,” says Rainbolt (pictured above in green). “I never saw the Mexican culture represented like this growing up – and was always made fun of for the type of dancing I did – so I am very proud to be able to represent my culture in the Coco show at Disney California Adventure and give representation to the next generation, and pride to the generations before me.”
Even the meet and greet opportunity at Plaza de la Familia reflects the holiday’s traditions. Guests can take photos with the hand-carved Mexican folk art-inspired Miguel puppet and his performer in front of a colorful mural named after the iconic song from the film “Recuérdame” (“Remember Me”) that depicts Miguel’s family in Santa Cecilia and the Land of the Dead.
But that’s not all.
In Cars Land, Ramone celebrates Día de los Muertos at his detailing shop, Ramone’s House of Body Art, with a traditional ofrenda honoring the memory of the late great Doc Hudson AKA The Hudson Hornet.
“It’s incredible to see such amazing representation of our culture at Disney California Adventure,” Rainbolt says. “From the Coco show, to the mariachis, to the ofrenda in Cars Land, and Honoring your loved one’s name in Plaza de la Familia- Disney is doing a great job of honoring our culture.”
Flavors of Dia de los Muertos at Paradise Garden Grill
Special food and beverage offerings are also available at Paradise Garden Grill in Plaza de la Familia through Nov. 2, 2022, including traditional Mexican dishes like tacos and tamales.
This year, California Adventure Culinary Director Chef Jeremiah Balogh also introduced many new items, including a plant-based chorizo quesadilla, elote (roasted street corn), and a new vanilla-cinnamon version of the colorful “Coco cake.”
- Street-style Tacos – Trio of sirloin beef tacos with pickled vegetables, Spanish rice, and pinto beans (New)
- Traditional Tamale Plate – Green chile chicken tamales with Spanish rice and pinto beans (New)
- Carnitas Burrito – Pork carnitas, Spanish rice, pinto beans, and salsa verde served with house-made tortilla chips (New)
- Plant-Based Chorizo Quesadilla – Poblano, onions, and mozzarella topped with cilantro crema and served with salsa Roja and escabeche (New)
- Elote – Roasted corn on the cob topped with crema, cotija, chili powder, and chicharrones crumble (New)
- Coco Cake – Layers of vanilla cake filled with cinnamon mousse and iced with cream cheese frosting (New)
- Watermelon Candy Cocktail – Tequila, watermelon schnapps, and pineapple juice with a chamoy and chile-lime seasoned rim (New)
- Coco Sipper (New)
- Coco’s Dante Straw Clip (New)
Rancho del Zocalo in Disneyland is offering a special Dia de los Muertos Pan Dulce Ice Cream Sandwich made with Mexican sweet bread, dulce de leche ice cream, caramel drizzle, whipped topping, and a chocolate skull.
Dia de los Muertos is celebrated every year as part of Disneyland Resort’s Halloween Time festivities, so even if you can’t make it to the parks this week, be sure to mark your calendars so you can be sure to celebrate Dia de los Muertos at Disneyland next year.
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Let’s Hear From You!
Did you visit Disneyland during the Dia de los Muertos celebration this year? What’s your favorite part of the celebration? Is it Plaza de la Familia, A Musical Celebration of Coco, the delicious food, or all of the above? Let us know in the comments! And our thanks to Matisse Rainbolt for helping us with this article. You are an amazing talent Matisse!
@matisseazul
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