In this episode of the Where In The Park Podcast, we’re exploring the history of Halloween at Disney Parks. What began as a humble pumpkin parade has grown into the multi-month seasonal celebration we know today.

Early Beginnings: Holidayland, Pumpkins & a One-Night Parade

Our story begins in Holidayland at Disneyland, which was a 9-acre recreation area next to the park with spaces for picnics, a sports field, a circus tent, and more. You would know this space today as show buildings for Pirates of the Caribbean and other back-stage areas behind New Orleans Square, on the other side of the train tracks. Holidayland opened in 1957 and closed by late 1961 for a variety of reasons, which could be an entire episode in and of itself. For this story, though, know that, in 1959, Holidayland became the first location in which Halloween was celebrated at Disneyland. The festivities were one-day only – on Saturday, October 31st. 

One week earlier, the park distributed 1,000 pumpkins throughout Holidayland for children to take home, carve, and bring back on Halloween. After the carving contests concluded, kids took their pumpkins to the Mickey Mouse Club Theater in Fantasyland to receive their prizes, which included free park admission for the day for the kids and their chaperone. They paraded down Main Street U.S.A. with their carved pumpkins in what was called the “Parade of the Pumpkins”, and prizes were handed out for best pumpkins and costumes. And, to our knowledge, this was the first and only time Disneyland held such an event.

After that, Disneyland kept Halloween mostly quiet. There may have been decorations like seasonal banners, some pumpkins here and there… but no official Halloween programming for 13 years, when Walt Disney World would try something different.

Slow Steps & Early Experiments: 1970s and 1980s

In its 2nd year of operation, Walt Disney World put on “Halloween Weekend” on October 28–29, 1972. As part of that event, the Haunted Mansion was open with free admission for guests seventeen and under (back when individual ride tickets still existed). The program for the event included character meet-and-greets, a “Pearly Band and Disney Character Show” at the Fantasy Faire Stage with “A special salute to Halloween in music and entertainment”, as well as the “Special Halloween Parade”, which ran twice each day, with the Wicked Witch from Snow White as the “Grand Goblin”. Halloween Weekend would continue in 1973 and ’74 with additional entertainment, such as viewings of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. 

In 1976, WDW started a “Saturday Night at the World” series, which included festivities every Saturday throughout the fall and winter that year. Each night of the event would celebrate a different theme, and the park hours were extended to midnight at a time when normal operating hours were until 7 pm. On October 30th, the theme was Halloween.

On October 30, 1976, WDW started “Saturday Night at the World Halloween Party”, which included festivities every Saturday throughout the fall and winter that year. Each night of the event would celebrate a different theme, and the park hours were extended to midnight at a time when normal operating hours were until 7 pm. 

During this time, guests could also participate in trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, and take pictures with characters around the Walt Disney World Village, which is the location where Disney Springs is found today.

In 1979, the Magic Kingdom introduced the “World Series of Entertainment”, a separate-ticket event featuring famous musical talent who would perform at the park. On October 27th of that year, they held a special show called “Halloween Hysteria”, where, from 9 pm to 1:30 am, guests were treated to a magic show and Halloween special effects with entertainment by Dr. Hook, The Police, Michael Johnson, and Sealevel. 

Despite the success of the event, both Disneyland and Walt Disney World took a slight hiatus from Halloween festivities during the 1980s, with only occasional specialty food items and decorations around the park. 

The 1990s Revival: Halloween Returns

By the 1990s, Disney began reintroducing Halloween more deliberately. In 1994, Disneyland held a one-night Halloween celebration. A Southern California radio station announced free admission to Disneyland to anyone who dressed in a Halloween costume and entered the park between 6:00 am and 8:30 am on Halloween Day. The response was overwhelming—so many people showed up that the surrounding roads backed up for miles. The park reached capacity, and many visitors were turned away. That traffic jam and surge of interest were unexpected, but Disney got the message – guests were eager for bigger Halloween experiences at Disney parks.

That next year, in 1995, Walt Disney World launched the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP). Similar to the "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party" events that had been running since 1983, this was a ticketed, after-hours event at Magic Kingdom. The Halloween Party was designed especially for families, with a fun night of trick-or-treating, character appearances, music, and special shows. The first MNSSHP was held on just one night - October 31, 1995. Over time, Disney expanded the number of nights. In 1997, it increased to two nights. In 1999, three nights, and it continued to expand to what we see today (which we’ll cover a bit later). 1999 is also the first year that the Boo-To-You Halloween Parade debuted at the Magic Kingdom.

Around this same time, Disney introduced smaller Halloween ticketed events at Disneyland. In 1995 and 1996, Mickey’s Halloween Treat debuted as a one-night event with trick-or-treating, a cavalcade, pumpkin carving contests, and live actors inside the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. We invite you to check out this 10-minute YouTube video from RickyDoodleBug’s experience at the event in 1995. It is actually quite amazing to see the similarities and differences in the celebrations compared to today. Some fun sections in the video caught me by surprise, so definitely check it out. 

Expanding the Magic: 2000s and Beyond

Anyway, as the new millennium arrived, Disney began to realize just how much storytelling potential Halloween offered inside its parks. It was an opportunity to reimagine beloved attractions, to showcase villains and spooky characters who didn’t always take center stage, and to experiment with more after-hours entertainment.

One of the first major steps in that direction came in 2001, when Disneyland introduced Haunted Mansion Holiday—an overlay inspired by the film Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. For the first time, two holidays collided inside the same attraction. Jack Skellington and his friends from Halloween Town took over the Haunted Mansion, bringing new music, new visuals, and a whole new sense of magic. The idea was bold but brilliant: take something classic and give it a seasonal twist. Fans absolutely loved it. Every fall, the Mansion closes for about two weeks so Imagineers can transform it with more than a hundred jack-o’-lanterns, hundreds of flickering candles, and a gingerbread house centerpiece that changes each year. The overlay runs all the way through the winter holidays, making it one of the most popular seasonal transformations in Disney history.

Mickey’s Halloween Treat would return annually starting 2005 at Disney’s California Adventure. It was renamed to Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party in 2008, and then moved back to Disneyland in 2010 as Mickey’s Halloween Party.

As the seasonal offerings grew, they continued to add more details to the parks. An example of this is the Halloween Tree in Frontierland at Disneyland. It’s a real oak tree covered in glowing orange lights and painted jack-o’-lanterns, standing as a tribute to the late author Ray Bradbury. Bradbury was a lifelong Disney fan and the author of The Halloween Tree, a 1972 novel that celebrates the spirit and history of the holiday itself. On Halloween night in 2007—thirty-five years after his book was published—Bradbury himself helped dedicate the tree at Disneyland.

A plaque at its base reads:

On the night of Halloween 2007
This stately Oak officially became 
The Halloween Tree
Realizing famed author Ray Bradbury’s dream
Of having his symbol for the Holiday
Become part of Disneyland.

This plaque contains masks in the corners, resembling the ones worn by the characters from the book. The tree honors Bradbury’s legacy, and every fall it lights up once again, reminding guests that Halloween at Disney isn’t just about candy and costumes—it’s also about storytelling, imagination, and wonder.

A few years later, Disneyland would continue to grow its Halloween entertainment. On September 25, 2009, the park debuted Halloween Screams (also known as Halloween Screams: A Villainous Surprise in the Skies) – A fireworks spectacular hosted by Jack Skellington himself. This show would run during Mickey’s Halloween Party from 2009 – 2018. 

Walt Disney World was also reinventing its Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary parties from the 90s — this time introducing the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular in 2015, and the Happy HalloWishes fireworks show (also known as Happy HallowWishes: A Grim Grinning Ghosts Spooktacular in the Sky), which ran from 2005-2018. It was replaced by Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular, which is still being performed during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties today. Guests can also enjoy seasonal attraction changes, such as riding Space Mountain in near-total darkness. This ride concept was not just at the Magic Kingdom, as Disneyland’s Space Mountain turned to Nightmare Nebula in 2007. This Cast Member-exclusive version took riders through space in complete darkness while hearing villainous cackling and screaming along the way. This version was only around for 1 year and was replaced by Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in 2009. Ghost Galaxy had originally debuted at Hong Kong Disneyland's Space Mountain in 2007, and it used enhanced projections and audio, both inside and outside the building, to tell the story of a nebulous ghost that was not thrilled with space travelers getting closer to his home along the final frontier.

By the 2010s, Halloween had officially become a season, not just a date on the calendar. Decorations began appearing earlier and earlier—it started in mid-August this year—and both coasts embraced the idea of Halloween “time.” At Disneyland, Mickey’s Halloween Party eventually shifted back to Disney California Adventure, turning into a darker, flashier event: Oogie Boogie Bash, which launched in 2019 and continues annually today.  This event brings immersive treat trails, a villains-themed parade called the Frightfully Fun Parade, and multiple Halloween-themed attraction overlays such as Villains Grove at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark, and the “Mickey’s Trick and Treat” interactive show at the Disney Theater. Guests can dress up, trick-or-treat, and enjoy shorter ride times in a park bathed in eerie lighting and fog effects. It is still family-friendly, but it feels just edgy enough to keep longtime fans coming back for more.

During our research for this episode, we found it interesting that only the Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs get into Halloween at Walt Disney World. While shops at other parks may include seasonal merchandise, the holiday is not as widely celebrated as in other parks. Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, however, you can experience Minnie’s Halloween Dine at Hollywood & Vine. This character buffet experience is similar to one any other time of year, but during this season, the characters are dressed in cute Halloween costumes, and some seasonal décor appears around the restaurant. 

Halloween Around the World

Beyond the United States, Halloween was not a holiday celebrated worldwide. Disney was looking to change that by introducing the holiday to their parks in new ways that would draw in attendance in an otherwise quiet season. 

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea began celebrating Halloween in 1997, with “Disney Happy Halloween,” which featured a parade and treats for children twelve and under. The following year, they added the “Happy Halloween Twilight Parade.” They also began converting their Haunted Mansion into a Nightmare Before Christmas theme named Haunted Mansion "Holiday Nightmare” in 2004. They have also enjoyed the Night High Halloween fireworks, a show, which is about five minutes long, that has run during the Halloween season since 2009.

Disneyland Paris held their first Soirée Halloween Disney in 1997. They created a new storyline of The Mystery of the Pumpkin Men in 2004, in which guests encountered “funny, orange-hued Pumpkin Men invading HalloweenLand inside the Disneyland Park.” In 2008 came La Fête Pas-Si-Trouille de Mickey, which translates to “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Party”, which ran until 2012, and included the Halloween Soiree fireworks show. In 2009, “Terrorific Night” premiered at the nearby Walt Disney Studios Park. Children under 12 were discouraged from attending, as the event featured a darker theme, including 5 terror zones, ride overlays, and a special movie called "Terror".  Unfortunately, this event also only ran until 2012. Check out The Coaster King's blog in our referenced articles below to check out the photos and first-hand experience from the last year of the event. Though they no longer have separately ticketed events, Halloween is still celebrated at Disneyland Paris with the Disney Halloween Festival running throughout the month of October.

Hong Kong Disneyland introduced its first Halloween event in 2006, complete with costumed characters, ride overlays, creepy photo ops, and haunted-house-style attractions. In 2007, as I mentioned earlier, they launched their own version of Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, which ran until 2013. They would also have Disney’s Nightmare in the Sky fireworks show, which only ran for one year in 2010 during their Haunted Halloween event. There have been a number of creepy and twisted haunted walkthrough attractions on Main Street, U.S.A. over the years, including Graves Academy, Main Street Haunted Hotel, and The Nightmare Experiment. In 2025, for the parks's 20th anniversary, the Halloween celebration includes a new Villainous Block Party, A Wicked Jungle River Cruise: Halloween Edition, the return of their award-winning "Let's Get Wicked" stage show - the latter of which has been running each year since 2019, when it replaced Horrors of the Amazon.

Shanghai Disneyland joined in the fun in 2017 with ghostly pirates inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, a villain’s cavalcade, and a Guardians of the Galaxy dance party. Their first late-night Halloween Party was held on Halloween day of 2019. This Halloween season, the park is celebrating “Donald & Villains Halloween Party” which includes “Spook-tacular Halloween Party Zones.”

We know that this was just a brief look at the parks around the world, and we covered over 20 years of Halloween magic, but one thing is clear - each park adds its own cultural flair—some leaning into the spooky and others keeping it lighthearted—but all capturing that same feeling of festive fun.

The success of these events doesn’t just make fans happy—it often made financial sense, too. Disney realized that special ticketed nights meant smaller crowds, exclusive merchandise, and higher per-guest spending. Over time, Halloween became one of the company’s biggest seasonal moneymakers. And by stretching the season to start in August, Disney found a way to turn what used to be a quiet time of year into one of the most profitable.

Full Circle Reflection

But even as Halloween grows bigger every year, it still carries echoes of that very first celebration back in 1959. It’s still about families, creativity, and a shared sense of wonder. The pumpkins are bigger now, and the parades are louder, but the heart of Halloween at Disney remains the same: bringing people together through imagination and just a touch of mystery.

So whether you’re walking beneath the glowing branches of the Halloween Tree, watching the Headless Horseman ride through Magic Kingdom, or simply taking in the fall décor around the park, you’re part of a story that’s been growing for over sixty-five years. From Holidayland’s humble pumpkin parade to today’s global Halloween celebrations, Disney has proven that a little bit of spooky can go a long way when there’s magic in the mix.

That’s a wrap on this episode! Be sure to head over to WITP.com/podcast to see all of the pictures and resources referenced in this episode. Continue the conversation and share your Disney Halloween memories by joining the WITP Explorers FB group! Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, leave a rating and review, or whatever your podcast player allows you to do. We truly appreciate your support! Until next time, we’ll see you somewhere in the park!

🎃 Articles referenced in this blog🎃

AllEars.net — The Not-So-Scary Story of Disneyland’s Halloween Tree
Best of Orlando — The Colorful History of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Business Insider – How Disney Parks Have Celebrated Halloween Through The Parks Celebrate Halloween Through The Years
D23 — Disney's Dark Side 
D23 — The Legend of Disneyland’s Halloween Tree
D23 — Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (A to Z Entry)
Disney Parks Blog — Halloween at Disneyland 2025: Oogie Boogie Bash Dates and More
Disney Tourist Blog — The Halloween Tree at Disneyland
Disney Tourist Blog – Guide to Halloween 2025 at Disney World
Disney Wiki (Fandom) — Halloween Events
Disney Wiki (Fandom) — Halloween Screams
Disney World Info — The History of the Disneyland Halloween Tree You Never Noticed
Duchess of Disneyland — The Short Life of Holidayland
Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks: Celebrations Around the World from Fall to Winter – October 20, 2020 by Authors Graham Allan, Rebecca Cline, and Charlie Price - Affiliate link - WITP may earn a small commission from the purchase of this book using the link provided.
MousePlanet — The History of Disneyland Halloween
MiceChat — How Halloween Celebrations Spooked Their Way into Disney Parks Worldwide
NerdWallet — How Disney Turned Halloween Into a Money-Making Machine
SFGate — Three-Hour Traffic Jam at Disneyland’s 1994 Halloween Party
Undercover Tourist — Guide to Disneyland Halloween Time
The Coaster Kings — Halloween Throwback: Terrorific Night at Disneyland Paris
The Walt Disney Company – Disney Bridges The Cultural Divide: Tokyo and Paris Resorts Create Spectacular Halloween Events This Fall
WDW Magazine — How Halloween Took Over Disney Parks
WDW Magazine — Today in Disney History, 1979: Halloween Hysteria at Magic Kingdom
WDW Radio — The History of Halloween in the Disney Parks
YouTube — Disneyland - Mickey's Halloween Treat 10/30/1995 video