Halloween Time is here at Disneyland! While there are many ways to enjoy the spooky season at all the theme parks in Southern California, no one does Halloween for families better than Disney. The Disneyland Resort goes all out for the Halloween season without ever including anything gory or gruesome, making it the perfect place to celebrate the season with your kids. As a mom of a toddler, I love spending time at Disneyland during the Halloween season because it’s a safe place for my son to enjoy all the best parts of the holiday. Here’s my list eight favoritee things to do with your little one in the parks during Halloween Time at Disneyland!
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1. Plaza de la Familia
If you’re looking for a holiday-themed event without the “scary,” check out the beautiful Plaza de la Family in DCA, where you can celebrate Dia de Los Muertos Coco style. All the festivities are focused on the theme of family bonds, making it a great location to spend some time together with your family.
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Add your own family memory to the Arbol de la Vida (Tree of Life) or check out the free craft area where you can color an alebrije mask of Dante or Pepita.
We enjoyed “A Musical Celebration of Coco,” an outdoor show which plays several times throughout the day. You can also catch a beautifully crafted puppet version of Miguel walking around the area or take your own family photo with Miguel in front of the “Recuerdame” mural.
Paradise Garden Grill features a special seasonal menu of Mexican food. Treat your little ones to a kid’s Quesadilla or Street Style Taco Plate while you enjoy the return of the popular Watermelon Candy Cocktail. If you time your meal right, you’ll be able to enjoy a live mariachi band while you dine.
2. Haunted Mansion Holiday
In my opinion, the best time to introduce your little one to the iconic Haunted Mansion is during the holidays when the ride takes on a more whimsical and fun vibe with the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. The Stretching Room prominently features a welcoming Jack Skeleton wishing everyone “Happy Holidays!” instead of the scarier monologue. The overlay is a fusion of Halloween and Christmas, giving the typically more-daunting Haunted Mansion a cartoon-like design that makes it less scary and more fun for small children.
See if you can find your name on Sandy Claus’ list and make sure to check out this year’s gingerbread house in the Ballroom on the dining room table. This a fun ride to enjoy after you’ve watched the movie first, as there a many hidden “Easter eggs” throughout the ride that nod to the film.
Don’t believe me that your little one will enjoy Jack wrecking the halls? Here’s my toddler’s review of Haunted Mansion Holiday!
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And here’s a delightful photo report from MiceChat’s MiceShots crew you won’t want to miss:
MiceShots: A Spirited Look At Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday
3. Grand Californian Hotel Lobby
The Disneyland Resort Hotels also go all out for spooky season. You’ll want to make time to stop by the Grand Californian during your visit. (Tip: you don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the fun Halloween additions to the Grand Californian’s lobby).
Some of the most unique (and delicious) Halloween treats are available at the Grand Californian bakery cart. This year features several Coco themed treats, including specialty cookies and crispy treats. They’re almost too lovely to eat, but too tasty not to.
Every Halloween, Disney’s pastry chefs cook up a special display created with all edible ingredients. This year’s giant cake display is a nod to the movie Coco and is a true artistic masterpiece. Your kids will be amazed to discover the creation is made entirely from candy and rice cereal. Make sure to check out the sign that outlines how many pounds of sugar, eggs, butter, chocolate, and rice cereal it takes to create the display. It is really quite impressive!
4. Halloween Character Meet & Greets
Mickey and Friends are decked out in their Halloween costumes on both Main Street and Buena Vista Street. It’s always a treat to see each year’s new costumes. You can find Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Goofy, Clarabelle, Chip, and Dale ready to show off their seasonal attire.
Don’t worry though! If you were hoping to catch a photo with Mickey in his classic attire, head over to ToonTown where you’ll find all your favorite friends without their Halloween costumes. We also enjoyed a special performance of the “Straw Hatters” on Main Street with Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Pluto in their standard gear. Both spooky Mickey and classic Mickey can be spotted at different times throughout the day, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
5. Holiday Family Photo Opportunities
If you’re not planning on purchasing Genie+, it might be worth buying a Photopass during the holiday season. You can catch photo ops with some of your favorite Disney characters or grab a family photo in the front the giant Mickey Pumpkin on Main Street. Take advantage of the luxury of a Disney photographer and you can easily get the entire family in the shot. The fun photo opportunities during Halloween will provide you with some “frame-worthy” moments.
6. Cars Land Halloween Décor
If you’re looking for “kid-friendly” Halloween décor, you won’t want to miss Cars Land’s Haul-O-Ween Throughout the land you’ll discover a Halloween themed overlay sure to delight both kids and their parents who will appreciate the silly puns like the big “Trunk or Treat” sign or the horror movie posters that pay homage to classic Halloween movies “cars style”.
The giant orange cones at the Cozy Cone Motel are decked out with silly jack-o-lantern faces. At Cozy Cone, you’ll also find some yummy Halloween treats like the Candy Corn Churro.
Nearby, your kids can meet Lightening McQueen and Mater dressed in their Halloween “car-stumes.”
Make sure to take advantage of the many fun photo opportunities throughout Cars Land where you can, once again, put your Photopass to use.
7. Villains Dance Party
On weekend evenings, the villains take over Tomorrowland Terrace for a night full of dancing. During the Villains Dance Party, you’ll dance along with the Evil Queen, Maleficent, the Queen of Hearts, and the Cheshire Cat at this family-friendly dance party. The dance floor is less scary and more fun, making it perfect for little kids who want to dance out those wiggles. You’ll learn a group dance together with the villains, then freestyle with the DJ while the characters take their break in between sets.
Last weekend, we caught the Ugly Stepsisters rocking out with the kids on the dance floor in between sets. The DJ plays upbeat music all evening while families dance the night way alongside their favorite villains.
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8. Halloween Screams Fireworks
Disneyland’s Halloween Fireworks feature popular Disney villains and all the classic music that reminds you of the season. The best part of this show is that it’s just spooky enough to be Halloween themed, but not too scary for little ones.
Our three-year-old recognized most of the characters and songs throughout the show and was especially excited to hear music from his favorite movie, Winnie the Pooh, during the “Heffalumps and Woozles” segment. And the “scream along” section at the end invites the audience to participate, and kids always love to join in!
You’ll get the full experience in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, but watching in front of Small World or on the Rivers of America are also great options if you’re looking for a less busy location to watch with little ones. If you’re visiting during a weekday, the fireworks won’t be running, but you can still watch the projection show and enjoy the music.
Disney Parks Ticket & Travel Offers!
You can snag the latest Disney travel deals from our partners at Get Away Today – INCLUDING THE NEW CALIFORNIA TICKET OFFER:
The new California ticket offer is even cheaper if you get it from MiceChat and Get Away Today than those offered by Disneyland directly. The new 3-day ticket comes with options to add park-hopping, Genie+ and options for week-day only or weekends included.
Not a California resident? We have great deals for you too!
Check out the latest offers for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Knott’s Berry Farm, including new low hotel rates, extra days and nights for free, special perks, and a “4-Park Magic Ticket” to Walt Disney World:
- Disneyland California Resident Ticket Offer – HERE
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(MiceChat works with Get Away Today to provide you with the best theme park travel deals and we may make a small commission on any sales made through our links)
Let’s Hear From You
And that’s my top tips for a kid-friendly Halloween at Disneyland. Do you have any tips to add? What are you most excited to explore this Halloween at Disneyland? We stopped by the Plaza de la Familia first and it did not disappoint. Then, we came back later in the weekend to Rope Drop Haunted Mansion Holiday. With so many fun things to enjoy, we are so excited to share this season with our son.
I’d love to hear from you!
