Here's How Top Theme Parks Are Celebrating Halloween in 2019

Once a relatively quiet period between summer vacation and the holidays, fall is now one of the most popular seasons to visit a theme park, thanks to spooky decor and special Halloween-themed food, entertainment, attraction overlays and after-hours parties. We’ve rounded up the festivities at popular theme parks to help you plan your perfectly haunted adventure.

Disney 
The Happiest Place on Earth becomes the spookiest place on Earth when happy haunts materialize for Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. 

From Sept. 6 to Oct. 31, Mickey and pals dress in their Halloween best, and favorite attractions get holiday makeovers. At Disney California Adventure Park, clients can visit Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween, Mater’s Junkyard JamBOOree and Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters after Dark. And over at Disneyland Park, guests won’t want to miss the fan-favorite Haunted Mansion Holiday. (All are included with park admission.) 

Plus, parkgoers can enjoy Halloween Screams, the supernatural projection and effects show previously only shown during after-hours parties. For even more tricks and treats, guests can join the 2.5-hour Disney’s Happiest Haunts Tour.

For the first time, California Adventure is hosting the nighttime fun with Oogie Boogie Bash — A Disney Halloween Party, a separately ticketed, family-friendly event held on 20 select nights from Sept. 17 to Oct. 31. Oogie Boogie from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” invites clients to join him for trick-or-treating, a viewing of “Villainous!” — a new World of Color show — and the spirited Frightfully Fun Parade. Additionally, the wickedly transformed Redwood Creek Challenge Trail features themed lighting, projections, special effects and even a few Disney villains. Meanwhile, the new DescenDance party, which is based on Disney’s “Descendants” movies, will have clients on their feet.

"It's amazing how many debuts are happening this fall at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort," said Joann Delgin, director of travel agency sales for The Walt Disney Company. “Your clients can enjoy thrills and treats that are perfect for the entire family.”  

Over at Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom Park is the place to be for Halloween fun during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. On 36 select nights from Aug. 16 to Nov. 1, the iconic mouse invites clients to a separately ticketed event. This year includes a new nighttime spectacular featuring state-of-the-art projection effects, lasers, lighting and fireworks. Clients who add a dessert party will enjoy frightfully delightful treats with preferred viewing.

“The dazzling new fireworks show takes your clients on a trick-or-treating adventure with Mickey Mouse and his pals into a mysterious haunted house,” Delgin said.

Mickey’s party also includes trick-or-treating; the return of live show “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular,” featuring the Sanderson Sisters; and Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, led by the Headless Horseman.

disneyland.disney.go.com
disneyworld.disney.go.com

Legoland
Brick or Treat events at Legoland’s California and Florida parks are a non-spooky way to celebrate the most frightful time of year. 

Families visiting Legoland Florida Resort in Orlando on weekends in October can follow the themed Brick-or-Treat Trail to collect candy. Or, they can set out on the Brick-or-Treat Scavenger Hunt to find Lego candy corn; meet Halloween-exclusive Lego characters such as Lord Vampyre and Rockin’ Frankenstein; and watch The Tale of Pirates’ Cove Fireworks Spectacular, complete with special viewing glasses.

No extra ticket is required to experience this ultimate Halloween party built for kids, notes Chloe Boehm, public relations manager for Legoland Florida. Plus, parents can treat kids to a Halloween slumber party at Legoland Beach Retreat, including a special dinner and treats for kids on each night of their stay.

At Southern California’s Legoland California Resort, Brick-or-Treat Party Nights will be held Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26. The family-friendly fun includes group, heroes and villains, and Lego-themed costume contests; the Heartlake City Fall Festival with Pumpkin Patch Build; and the AstroBash Dance Party. The fishy friends at Sea Life Aquarium are also celebrating the holiday with candy and decorations.

www.legoland.com/florida
www.legoland.com/california

SeaWorld
Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld Orlando is an ocean of fun for everyone in the family. The daytime event on weekends from Sept. 21 to Oct. 27 gives clients the chance to trick-or-treat at sea-themed stations; watch “Pet's Ahoy Halloween,” a Halloween version of the popular live show starring dogs, cats, ducks, doves, potbellied pigs and a few surprise animal guest stars; and join a dance party while surrounded by millions of bubbles.

At SeaWorld San Diego, meanwhile, on weekends from Sept. 21 to Oct. 27, families can trick-or-treat and take part in Otto’s Pumpkin Hunt, a new interactive, parkwide scavenger hunt. Clients can also ride Manta Madness, a Halloween version of the undersea-themed coaster, and celebrate Dia de los Muertos with colorful papel picado (perforated paper) flags, vibrant ofrendas (a collection of objects placed on a ritual display) and large La Catrinas (costumed women skeletons). 

During Clyde and Seamore's Big Halloween Bash, SeaWorld's sea lion duo spoof Halloween classics. The all-new Sesame Street Halloween Parade is a street party on Saturday and Sunday evenings starring everyone’s favorite “Sesame Street” friends. Plus, on select dates, SeaWorld’s Animal Ambassador Team will be on hand to teach families about tarantulas, owls and other animals.

To protect our oceans, SeaWorld  is encouraging families to bring reusable bags or Halloween buckets from home for trick-or-treating. 

seaworld.com/orlando
seaworld.com/san-diego

Universal 
There’s literally nowhere to hide during Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights at its U.S. parks on both coasts (as well as in Singapore and Japan).

"We're proud to bring Halloween Horror Nights to your clients year after year," said Robyn Ryan, senior director of travel industry sales for Universal Orlando Resort. "With 10 totally terrifying mazes based on iconic horror television shows, films and original stories, they can look forward to becoming victims in their own horror film."

Some of the biggest frights of the ’80s will be brought back from the dead on select nights from Sept. 6 to Nov. 2 in Florida, and from Sept. 13 to Nov. 3 in Los Angeles. For the first time, Universal Studios Hollywood is offering a preview of LA’s scariest Halloween event one day before it officially opens. And clients visiting Universal Orlando won't want to be caught dead without event extras such as an Express Pass that lets them skip regular queues at haunted houses and attractions, or an R.I.P. Tour for "blood-red carpet" treatment and priority access. 

The Orlando and Hollywood events share some of the same frights, including a continuation of last year’s successful maze based on Netflix show “Stranger Things.” Inspired by seasons two and three of the series, new mazes delve even further into the Upside Down parallel universe. 

Florida’s new version of Universal Monsters puts clients face-to-fang with characters such as Dracula and the Wolfman, while Hollywood’s Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man is a “sequel maze” to last year’s version of Universal Monsters, with an original score by Grammy-winning guitarist Slash of Guns N' Roses.

The Halloween Horror Nights creative team is also introducing several haunted houses with original content. In Orlando, Nightingales: Blood Pit transports guests to an ancient Roman gladiator arena where they must escape bloodthirsty nightingales. Depths of Fear takes place in a deep-sea mining company infested by “Mouthbrooders” who spew acidic flesh-eating eggs on unsuspecting humans. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the original maze Holidayz in Hell — inspired by the popular scare zone of the same name — features demented versions of seasonal celebrations accompanied by “hellish” renditions of classic holiday tunes.

"We use the unique content mazes to fill in the gaps of the branded mazes," said Michael Aiello, senior director of entertainment creative development for Universal Orlando. "If the brands are the 'treats' of the event, these are the 'tricks.'"

Note: Halloween Horror Nights is not recommended for kids under 13. 

www.halloweenhorrornights.com