Disneyland's Fall Season: A Spooky and Delicious Adventure Awaits

It might not be officially fall for a little bit longer, but Disneyland and California Adventure kicked off the fall season with returning favorites and experiences, as well as some new additions in preparation for Halloween. Disneyland invited The Best War Games to explore what the two Southern California parks have to offer guests over the next few months, from delicious food to spooky ride overlays and costumed meet-and-greets. Spooky season is a personal favorite for several reasons, and Disneyland captures the spirit of Halloween so well that it has become a must-visit attraction during this time at the theme park.

Disneyland Decor for Halloween Season

Disneyland and California Adventure never skimp when it comes to decor, and Halloween is no different. From the giant Oogie Boogie that talks to guests walking in the Esplanade to the massive winking Mickey pumpkin at the top of Main Street, there are a lot of details to get you in the Halloween/Fall mood.

I might argue that California Adventure gets a little spookier with its design and theming because of Oogie Boogie Bash, but both parks do a great job of mixing the playful with the spooky. There’s nothing here that I would call scary – it's all family-friendly as you walk around the parks – but those little details are what give these seasonal overlays so much character. My personal favorite is California Adventure’s Headless Horseman, whose horse lets out a neigh from time to time and spouts a little smoke from its nose.

Halloween Time Merch Offers Fall Style

Disneyland’s Fall season brings with it a new selection of merchandise, from Spirit Jerseys to popcorn buckets and sippers. There’s a little something for everyone this fall season, but some personal favorites include the Victor Geist Haunted Mansion Sipper, a Halloween Mickey MagicBand+, plenty of Nightmare Before Christmas items tied to Oogie Boogie Bash, and the Plaza De Familia designs are exceptional.

There’s usually a central theme to the Halloween merchandise at Disneyland, and this year it feels like they are going for a more classic look. It’s a great set of designs with a little something for everybody.

Tasty Halloween Treats Highlight Disneyland's Fall Season

A new season means new food and, for me, it’s the thing I look forward to the most. As you might expect, the Fall/Halloween menus at Disneyland and California Adventure feature plenty of fall flavors like Pumpkin and Caramel, with some more adventurous items as well.

There are savory entrees like the Oogie Boogie Burrito and the Haunted Hound Dog, and TONS of treats like the Monster Funnel Cake and the Pear Cherry Cheese Crumble. Some favorites from past years also return, like the Bulgogi Toasted Cheese sandwich at Jolly Holiday, which comes with a delicious Corn Cheese Soup for dipping; and the Mickey-shaped Pumpkin Salted Dulce Cream Puff at Rancho Del Zocalo.

Disneyland classics like the Mickey-Shaped Beignets and the Harbour Galley cookies get their own seasonal iterations as well. In the case of the Beignets, they are the fan-favorite Pumpkin-Spice Flavored Mickey Beignets, while Harbour Galley offers fresh-baked Pumpkin Cookies with an optional Cream Cheese Dip (for an extra charge).

If you’re a fan of Pumpkin Spice, then there are numerous ways to experience the cinnamon and nutmeg-y combination. I was surprised by the Pumpkin Spice Breadsticks at Pizza Planet, which paired well with the caramel dipping sauce. The Bulgogi Toasted Cheese is excellent as well, as are most of the sandwiches at Jolly Holiday. And while the Monster Funnel Cake was over the top, my 7-year-old was obsessed with the conglomeration of favors. There are too many food items to try for just one visit, but everything I tried was delicious.

Mickey and Friends Show Their Halloween Time Spirit

Mickey & Co. Are always rocking a new fall/Halloween suite of outfits. In Disneyland, you’ll see different outfits than in California Adventure, with a central theme or design sensibility unifying every character’s look. In Disneyland, you’ve got Mickey looking a bit like a wizard, Chip and Dale as superheroes, and Goofy as a robot, for example.

Disneyland has been doing these costumes for a long time now, and they still find creative ways to give each character a new look while keeping the color scheme or theme the same. It’s just a fun thing to experience each year – seeing what the new costumes will be.

Disneyland and California Adventure Rides Get Spooky Makeovers

While the new Halloween merch and food always take center stage at Disneyland and California Adventure, a few of the parks’ attractions get in on the spooky season with unique overlays. For most of the rides, these Halloween variations don’t change much about the core attraction, but it’s a fun twist on some fan-favorites.

In Disneyland, Haunted Mansion gets its regular Haunted Mansion Holiday makeover, which rethemes the ride with Nightmare Before Christmas. There are still a few elements from the original ride that peek through, but if you’re a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas, you will not be disappointed. And while Haunted Mansion Holiday debuts in August for Halloween/Fall, the overlay stays active until January, fueling the debate over whether Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween or a Christmas movie.

The Annual Haunted Mansion Gingerbread House Design

Disneyland usually makes a few changes to the Haunted Mansion Holiday experience each year, but the one that fans look forward to most is the Gingerbread House in the dining room section. Each year, Disney Imagineers create a massive Gingerbread House that typically has some animatronic elements and a few surprises for repeat riders. It’s all brought together by pumping in a Gingerbread scent, which puts you in the holiday mood.

For this year’s house, Disney did something a bit unique, playing into the overabundance of crows that tend to circle the park in the evening. Last year’s rotating Frankenstein display was going to be tough to top, so Disneyland went an unexpected route with something that is sure to speak to the Disneyland fans.

Radiator Springs and Guardians Bring the Frights in California Adventure

Over at California Adventure, you can enjoy a few different Halloween-themed rides that target a wide variety of ages. For the younger crowd, Luigi’s Honkin' Halloween adds some Halloween music to the balletic ride, while Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree does the same. Radiator Springs/Cars Land goes all-out when it comes to Halloween theming, from Mater and Lightning McQueen in costume to the Cozy Cones sporting Jack O' Lantern faces. It’s one of the best spots in all of Disneyland’s two parks to immerse yourself in the fall spirit.

And for the older guests, Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout gets a Halloween-themed overlay in the evening called Monsters After Dark. Once again, it’s functionally the same ride as Mission Breakout, but the scenes in between the drops feature Rocket Raccoon and Groot trying to wrangle an escaped monster.

If you’ve been on the base version of the ride, you know that version is lighter in tone, with music blaring as you drop from some tremendous heights. Monsters After Dark ups the scare factor with some heavy metal music that fits the Halloween vibe. Of all the attractions in Disneyland and California Adventure that add some Halloween theming, this is the closest one to delivering something scary.

Plaza De La Familia Celebrates Dia De Los Muertos

Also in California Adventure, guests can honor the spirit of Dia De Los Muertos through the Pixar animated film Coco with a storyteller experience featuring songs from the movie, colorful costumes, and fantastic dance choreography. You can also meet the Coco marionette that features in the Storytellers show, enjoy Mexican-inspired food, add a note on the Memory Wall, and partake of some arts and crafts.

With a Coco ride slated for California Adventure in a few years, Plaza de la Familia is a fantastic appetizer for the celebration and experience to come. Southern California is steeped in Mexican heritage, so it only makes sense for California Adventure to embrace that culture through Dia De Los Muertos and Coco tie-ins. It’s just one of many ways that Disneyland is embracing everything that makes the Fall season special.

Nighttime Spectaculars Cap Off a Fall Visit to the Parks

To conclude your night at Disneyland during the Halloween season, there are two nighttime spectaculars available on select nights. Paint the Night, the stunning nighttime parade that returned with the 70th Anniversary, is still going, and typically offers two showtimes – one before fireworks and one after. Disneyland has some incredible parades, but Paint the Night is a particular fan-favorite thanks to its elaborate spectacle and its clever nods to the Main Street Electrical Parade. If you’re going to be camping out for a prime spot for fireworks viewing, you might as well take in Paint the Night. You won’t regret it.

Fireworks are a mainstay of the Disneyland experience and, as you might expect, the park has an offering for the season. Halloween Screams has been Disneyland’s Halloween fireworks nighttime spectacular for the last 15 years or so, with various tweaks and changes made over that time.

The combination of Jack Skellington’s narration, cameos from iconic villains, bright and colorful fireworks, and iconic spooky Disney music makes Halloween Screams a fantastic fireworks show. It’s playful, a little scary, and some of the fireworks will fully light up the Main Street circle. Also, try to position yourself so you can see the Jack Skellington orb on the left side of the castle (when facing it). There’s something special about Disneyland fireworks that you can’t get anywhere else, and when the show is a hit like Halloween Screams, it’s a must-see.

Oogie Boogie Bash Offers Something Special for the Halloween Fans

It was not part of our media event, but Oogie Boogie Bash is a mainstay of the Halloween season at California Adventure. This after-hours, separately ticketed event includes meet and greets with some unique characters you don’t normally see in the parks like Syndrome from The Incredibles and Agatha Harkness from Agatha All Along; treat trails where you can get some candy from designated spots throughout the park; and the Frightfully Fun Parade featuring iconic characters with a spooky slant.

For me, the best part of any after-hours Disney theme park event is the lack of crowds at the park, which keeps wait times low and allows you to enjoy California Adventure in a more leisurely setting. Of course, if you want to partake in everything Oogie Boogie Bash has to offer, you will be waiting in line for those character meet-ups and treat trails, but there’s typically plenty of time to do everything.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, and Halloween time at Disneyland never disappoints. From the food to the merch to the Halloween-themed experiences, there is something to enjoy in every corner of the two Southern California parks. Some will argue that Christmastime is the best time to visit Disneyland, and there are some fantastic things going on for the holidays, including the Haunted Mansion overlay. But for my money, Halloween/Fall really captures the magic of the theme park atmosphere.