Having just returned from a trip to celebrate Halloween 2023 at Disneyland, I thought I would do an overview post about all of the fun happenings taking place this year. I will provide reviews and tips of anything I actually did or if I think something might be worth the money.
Halloween 2023 at Disneyland
Personally, I found planning a trip to Disneyland for Halloween a little annoying. They don’t really announce much in advance, so it’s hard to plan a trip to visit from across the country. For instance, they initially announced that Halloween time would kick-off at the resort in early September. Then, in August they announced a special Halloween themed meal that didn’t start until September 21st. Unfortunately, by then I already had my trip booked and couldn’t change it to accommodate a meal. Ha! So, here’s a rundown of everything I know about celebrating spooky season at the resort.
Halloween at Disneyland Park
Disneyland became fully decorated in early September. You can see characters in their special costumes as well as a special fireworks show “Halloween Screams” with regular park admission. Unfortunately, we only met Minnie in her costume as the line for Mickey was too long. Also, I was very surprised to discover people staking out spots for the fireworks 2+ hours in advance!
In mid-August they announced and started selling tickets for the Happiest Haunts Tour as well as the Plaza Inn Dining Package. I didn’t book either of these add-ons for a couple of reasons. For one, we visit the park so infrequently that a tour eating up hours of our day didn’t make sense. I decided against the dining package due to the timing (we are east coasters) who don’t eat dinner at 10 PM ET. However, if we ever go back at Halloweentime, I will look into booking something with reserved seating since people started lining up hours in advance to see the fireworks.
Halloween at Disney California Adventure Park
DCA also has some decor that can be seen during a regular park day. However, the real fun comes during the separately ticketed Oogie Boogie Bash event. I just published a full review of this party in addition to the Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party that you can read by clicking those links.
Halloween at Downtown Disney
Individual businesses in Downtown Disney celebrate the fall season with seasonal foods. Additionally, guests can pay $10 to do Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit scavenger hunt to look for character-inspired pumpkins. You can also look for pumpkins without paying for the scavenger hunt, but you receive a prize of a small character sipper for completing the hunt.
Halloween at Disneyland Hotels
The one late addition to the offerings that annoyed me is the Goofy’s Kitchen Halloween meal. It didn’t start until September 21st! I would have loved to have done this, but we were there too early. Nonetheless, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel had a nice display for spooky season. Unfortunately, the treat stand doesn’t open until later in the day so we didn’t get to sample any of those goodies either.
Is Fall a Good Time to Visit Disneyland?
While I encountered some frustration with DL releasing special events too close to the dates, I still enjoyed my trip. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back during this time of the year. My biggest complaint was the heat. If I go back in fall, I will probably aim for a late September date just to avoid the heat and ensure maximum Halloween event enjoyment.
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