Reason #1 - The Halloween Décor!

You’ve probably heard about the hundreds of Jack O’Lanterns on Main Street, but that’s just the beginning. From the enormous Mickey Mouse pumpkin at the top of Main Street to the six oversized Jack O’ Lanterns on top of the ticket booths (featuring Mickey and his best pals), to Jack Skellington taking over the Haunted Mansion, Disney does Halloween in a big way. New to the Halloween makeover this year is Cars Land. Mater the Vampire greeted guests and even the construction cones got a makeover!

Whether you’ve been to Disneyland and DCA a hundred times or only once, you’ll love the extra layer of Not-So-Scary Halloween magic this time of year!

Reason #2 - The Treats!

Stop for a minute and think of just how fun it is to put a Halloween spin on Disney’s already incredible sweets. The treats were one of the best parts of our family trip to Disneyland in October 2017. Our absolute favorite was the Mummy Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwich pictured below.

It was so big! The macaroon was so soft, really delicious, and did I say, huge? Adding a scoop of rainbow sherbet in between seemed a little odd to me at first, but I quickly changed my mind when I tasted it. The soft sherbet mixed in so nicely with the gooey cookie. A little slice of heaven in a too cute Halloween costume!

From there we moved on to Candy Corn Cotton Candy. I'm not sure the taste was any different but it was a glorious spooky sight to behold with its yellow, orange, and white color scheme.  

And don’t forget the Oogie Boogie donut. Who knew Ooogie could be so cute? If we'd had a month to stay at Disneyland it would have been great to try out the Bat Wing Ice Cream Sundae, Dreamsicle Beignets, and all the other delicious treats Disney had to offer this time of year. Take a look at a comprehensive list on the Disney Parks blog to help you decide which Halloween treats you just can't miss out on next year!

Reason # 3 - The Costumes!

Disney has a policy of letting children 14 and under wear costumes at the park year round, but I think they look the other way the month of October when it comes to those 15 and above wearing costumes. At least, when the visitors are wearing more "costumey clothing" than actual costumes.

We saw a lot of costume-inspired tees, hoodies, and t-shirt minidresses. Marvel characters were popular with the adults and I spotted lots of Green Lantern and Spidey tees, along with some Star Wars characters. I also saw a few Disney-princess inspired t-shirt dresses pop up in Fantasyland on parkhoppers who were definitely past their 14th birthday.

There was a lot of Disney Bounding (where you dress up in regular clothes inspired by a Disney character – a purple silk top and green satin skirt for Princess Ariel, for example) going on too. Many of the young women we saw Disney Bounding were going all out. They tied some incredible hairstyles and glamorous, totally on-point make up looks into their outfits to make strong character statements. Seeing these costumey pieces, along with all the wonderful kids' costumes everywhere you look just ups the Halloween factor and the magical fun vibe that fills the air. Honestly, it makes me wish Halloween came twice a year.

Reason #4 - Coco!

On our trip to Disneyland in October 2017 Coco was out in theaters (way to plan the best release date possible!). We were able to enjoy all the extra fun associated with this wonderful film during our trip to Disneyland.

We got to see a mariachi band play onstage in DCA while we had lunch one day. Talk about a vacation. There was a table where you could write down the names of loved ones you had lost and add it to a wall of names, Day of the Dead style. 

There were also fun Coco stations where you could get your face painted or make a (fake) flower crown. The flower crowns cost around $15 but the facepainting was free. All of the Day of the Dead color, sounds, and artwork just amplified the Halloween feeling many times over in Disney California Adventure.

Reason #5 – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

If you’re really into the Disney Halloween spirit, consider buying tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party. Check out my article on the 5 Best Things About Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!

Just be sure get your tickets quickly! In 2017 tickets to the party went on sale in September and sold out before the end of the month. So make up your mind now to go to the Disneyest Halloween party in town and don’t miss out. Halloween only comes once a year (or for six weeks, September 15 to Octoer 31st, at Disneyland!