Exploring the Magic: Disneyland Comes Alive During Halloween
My birthday falls in October, which we have nicknamed “Volktober” because of how much I love my birthday month. This year we decided to celebrate my birthday early with a long weekend at Disneyland. Now, for those who don’t know, October is usually a busy month at Disneyland because of how great they are at decorating for the holiday. In addition to decorations, they have so many themed treats and characters in costumes – and let’s not forget about the “Oogie Boogie Bash” at Disney’s California Adventure (DCA).
One of the most beloved traditions at Disneyland is the “Nightmare Before Christmas” overlay they do at the Haunted Mansion. Now, the Haunted Mansion is admittedly not one of my favorite rides. I know, I know. I actively avoid that ride as much as possible because I personally find it boring. However, during Halloween and Christmas I find it much more enjoyable. The holiday overlay is incredible, and my favorite part is the gingerbread house they hand make for the ride every year. It just smells so good when you pass by it!
Food, of course, is a big part of any visit to Disneyland and DCA. This year they added a Halloween-themed character lunch and dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel. The food was tasty, as usual, but the most fun part was all the characters in their Halloween costumes. It was just so festive and exciting! My family also mentioned that it was my birthday, so at the end of our meal the servers came over with a birthday cupcake and sang their birthday song. It was embarrassing, but so much fun.
This year we also attended the “Oogie Boogie Bash” at DCA. This is a special event that requires a separate ticket. This party had previously been held at Disneyland but moved to DCA in 2019. While we had fun at the party, I must admit that I preferred our previous experience several years ago when it was held at Disneyland – it felt less cramped, and the lines seemed to move faster. That said, we did have a blast at the party. We attended the Disney Junior dance party where the characters did a special Halloween-themed show, we went through nearly all the treat trails and got so much candy. And the most fun was getting photos with characters that you don’t normally see every day.
We always have a blast at the Disneyland Resort, but there’s something about being there during Halloween time that just makes it extra special!
Have you ever visited Disneyland at Halloween time? What were your favorite character costumes, themed treats or theme park memories?