A Guide to Halloween at Walt Disney World in 2026
Halloween at Disney World brings festive decorations, seasonal treats, and plenty of fun! Whether you plan to attend one of the seasonal Halloween parties or simply want to enjoy the fall atmosphere across the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs, this guide covers every event happening during the Halloween Season at Disney World.
Halloween at Disney World typically starts in mid-August and runs through Halloween (October 31st). It is considered the longest-running holiday season at Walt Disney World. Of course, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is the big event that frames the entire season.
However, in 2026, things have changed, and we expect decorations to go up the first week of the party, which kicks off on August 7th. (Halloween decorations are usually installed at Magic Kingdom a few days before the first party.) We’ll touch on the party below, but you need to know upfront that it’s an extra-ticketed event. This means you’ll have to purchase a ticket to attend. It’s worth considering if you’re a Halloween fan.
Beyond the party, you’ll also find Halloween snacks, themed merchandise, and special activities at select locations. As we continue, we’ll break down what to expect for the Halloween season at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, and select resort hotels.
The resorts and Disney Springs tend to offer seasonal treats at select quick-service locations. You’ll also find a few Halloween activities as the holiday approaches. Regarding weather, the August through October season ranges from extremely hot to comfortable with a high chance of rain in the afternoons and evenings.
When Does Halloween Start at Disney World?
As we touched on above, the Halloween season starts in August. Unlike the Christmas season, Magic Kingdom is the only park that actually decorates for Halloween. So you can expect to see Halloween decorations at Magic Kingdom by the first week of August (give or take a few days) through Halloween. Typically, Halloween decorations are down by November 1st or 2nd.
If you’re visiting in 2026, you might also like to consult our monthly planning guides. Each month will look different, and I’ll warn you now that August and September are the two hottest months of the year. If you’re visiting in August, you can expect moderate crowds, extreme temperatures, and the first visual taste of Fall at Magic Kingdom. For more on the month, including important dates, see our guide to visiting Disney World in August.
For those who are coming in September, expect lingering hot temperatures along with some of the lowest crowds of the year. As someone who’s spent a lot of time at Walt Disney World, I would say that despite the lower crowds, September is my least favorite month to visit. We love Halloween, but it’s like a second August, and honestly, the first one was enough. If you’re hoping to brave the heat, see our guide to visiting Disney World in September.
Last but not least, October has its pros and cons. For starters, this month often brings relief and somewhat cooler evenings. October also means crowds. Many guests are visiting for Fall break, when children are out of school. These school holidays are often the only chance for guests to attend the Halloween Party. So it’s common to see most party nights (for the entire season) sell out. If you want to take on the Fall break crowds and learn more about the month, see our guide to visiting Disney World in October. It’s also worth noting that the week of Halloween into the first week of November is one of the most fun and unique times to visit. If you stay long enough, you’ll get a taste of both seasons, and the crowds are often very reasonable leading up to the Christmas kick-off.
Halloween Events at Disney World
Below, we’ve listed various events you’ll find at Disney World during the Fall and Halloween seasons.
Halloween Decorations at Magic Kingdom
Each year, portions of Magic Kingdom Park transform into an autumn holiday setting with orange, red, and golden bunting and bows adorning all the right places. Fall leaves create festive wreaths that are centered with plastic orange pumpkins in the shape of Mickey Mouse. They light up after dusk, adding that extra touch of magic that Disney is so well known for creating.
Halloween Decorations start to go up around the first to second week of August, with everything in place before the first Halloween party. The majority of Halloween decorations are on Main Street U.S.A., extending to the hub in front of Cinderella Castle. You’ll likely see a few seasonal decorations in other lands. Last year, we saw touches of Halloween added to Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Storybook Circus.
If you’re a fan of Halloween or just want to soak in the atmosphere of the Magic Kingdom, we recommend spending some dedicated time on Main Street U.S.A. during your visit. You might enjoy sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of Town Square Theater, dipping in the Confectionery for a seasonal treat, or just lingering up and down the street a little longer to soak things up.
Our photo report of last year’s Halloween decorations shares an idea of what to expect. We don’t anticipate many differences in 2026. However, remember that Cinderella Castle has been painted a grey color, so any pink castle photos will look very different this upcoming season.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party kicks off on August 7th in 2026. This is an exceptionally popular party that’s offered 2-3 nights a week through Halloween. If you’re considering attending a party during your travel dates, you’ll want to secure tickets as early as possible. It is common for most event dates to sell out as the party approaches.
The party features three major forms of exclusive entertainment: Mickey’s Boo To You Halloween Parade, the Not So Spooky Fireworks Spectacular, and the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, a stage show featuring villains and the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. All the entertainment options are not to be missed, but if we had to choose just one, we’d get a spot early on to see the parade. The Headless Horseman from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow rides ahead of the parade. It’s quite a sight to see.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is also an incredible place to meet rare characters, including Disney Villains. For example, in recent years, Cruella de Vil and Mother Gothel have greeted guests near the party’s entrance. At Princess Fairytale Hall, Maleficent and the Evil Queen take over for the princesses who are regularly on duty. But perhaps the most popular of them all is Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. You’ll want to note, however, that many of those characters will have exceptionally long lines. We’ll put together a list of characters who meet at the Halloween Party when we know more.
Guests of all ages can wear costumes to the Halloween party. You’ll just want to be aware of a few costume guidelines. You can read about those here on Disney’s site if you want to learn more.
Each Halloween Party begins at 7:00 p.m., and guests can enter the park as early as 4:00 p.m. If you plan to attend, we strongly recommend resting the day of so you can stay through the entirety of the party, which ends at midnight. We have been attending the party for well over a decade and put together a guide each year to help our readers plan. Make sure to see our guide to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for more planning details.
Special Halloween Food and Beverages
Speaking of food, the Halloween season is a big deal when it comes to specialty snacks and treats. You can expect anything from candy to cupcakes across all four parks, the resort hotels, and Disney Springs. As Disney announces treats for each location, we put together a food guide so our readers will know what’s available.
Minnie’s Halloween Dine at Hollywood and Vine
Minnie’s Seasonal Dine is a year-long event at Hollywood and Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Each season, the characters have a wardrobe change that represents the season. Think Minnie and friends, only with their Halloween costumes! It’s a wonderful way to meet a few classic characters with that spooky feel!
At present, the Halloween Dine is only offered at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The buffet-style meal includes items like salads, chilled starters, chicken, carved beef tenderloin, seared salmon, pork loin, and a plant-based mushroom-farro risotto. For more details, see our review of Minnie’s Halloween Dine.
Halloween Merchandise at Disney World
Whether you want a t-shirt that glows in the dark or the latest spooky collection, you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to Halloween merchandise. Please note that multiple Halloween collections are released in the months and weeks leading up to the Halloween season.
Halloween at the Disney Resort Hotels
You likely won’t find too many Fall decorations around the resort hotels. That said, anyone who’s staying at a resort hotel on Halloween is in for a treat (literally). On Halloween, you will find trick-or-treating and other Halloween-inspired activities at most of the resorts. Please note that these items can vary from resort to resort, and we have not been to every single resort on Halloween to compare the differences. It’s also the case that these resort offerings could change from year to year.
As an example, in recent years, we visited Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and found an incredible Halloween trail that started on the far end of Old Port Royale and continued to Caribbean Cay. You could also walk next door to Disney’s Riviera and participate in their Halloween festivities. We were beyond impressed at the Halloween offerings between the two resorts. Last year, we also visited the Epcot Resorts Area on Halloween and found another incredible trick-or-treat trail with lots of extra activities.
So if you’re staying at a resort on Halloween, you’ll want to check the special recreation schedule that’s only posted for the holiday. This type of schedule is different from the monthly calendars and is usually posted in the lobby a few days leading up to the holiday.
If you’re staying closer to Halloween, you might see a cast-member-created pumpkin display in your resort’s lobby. We’ve seen a couple of displays in the past at Disney’s BoardWalk, Saratoga Springs, the Polynesian, and the Contemporary. However, last year, the pumpkins were not displayed publicly for guests to enjoy. We do not know whether or not the pumpkins will return in 2026.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness hosts the Halloween Golf Cart Extravaganza each year. This is a golf cart parade that’s usually offered on the day before Halloween. Many of the campsites go all out with decorations. If you enjoy a long walk, you might take a stroll through the campground.
For more on what to expect, we’ve put together a guide that details our past experiences at select Disney Resort Hotels on Halloween. It provides tips on what to expect to make the most of your time.
Halloween at Disney Springs
You’ll find Halloween-inspired decorations, activities, and treats at Disney Springs. It’s also worth noting that Disney Springs is one of the best places to find Halloween merchandise. So if you’re looking for something specific, you’ll have a decent chance of finding it here.
Last year, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar debuted a new holiday Halloween Bar overlay with specialty menu items inspired by the season. Disney has since announced it will return in 2026.
Disney Springs is also well-known for its foodie options. You can expect to find Halloween-inspired treats at a variety of locations, including the Candy Cauldron and Goofy’s Candy Company. Other types of offerings are typically available on select dates. Last year, we saw some of the following: ZomBeatz Drummers, Squat Ghouls a cappella group, Skeleton Stiltwalkers, and Roving Pumpkin DJ.
We’ll have a complete guide to Halloween at Disney Springs in 2026, when details are announced. In the meantime, you can preview last year’s guide for an idea of what to expect. We always like to remind our readers that some offerings stick around for years and others come and go quickly. So until official announcements are made, we really can’t confirm anything.
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival
The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is not necessarily related to Halloween, but it’s a huge deal that runs at the same time of year. This year’s festival will run between August 27th and November 21st. The big draw of the festival is all the food booths offering small plates and beverages throughout Epcot. Those who enjoy the culinary arts will likely want to plan a few stops while touring Epcot. The festival features a nightly concert series (Eat to the Beat), scavenger hunts (Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit), merchandise, and additional activities. See our complete guide below for planning details.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to enjoy or celebrate the Halloween season at Disney World outside of the seasonal party. We hope this guide helped you find some of those special things, especially if you’re visiting on Halloween. Over the years, Halloween (the actual date) has become one of my favorite evenings to stay at a Disney Resort Hotel. There are just so many little things to enjoy, and I think that many of us resort fans enjoy that old-fashioned charm and sense of community. You don’t find that just anywhere. I hope that Disney always remembers that it’s one of the things that makes the resorts stand out.
In the Comments
Have you ever visited Disney World over Halloween? Let us know in the comments below.
