A Complete Guide to This Year's Theme Park Halloween Celebrations

Every fall, theme parks nationwide unpack pumpkin decor to celebrate the spooky season with themed attractions and Halloween parties ranging from tame to terrifying. This year, as parks prepare to celebrate Halloween 2023, the scares are bigger and the treats are sweeter.

Here’s everything travel advisors need to know to help clients make it the best Halloween yet.

Halloween Horror Nights: Universal Studios, Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood

Featuring the most dates ever this year, Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) returns to Universal Studios Florida on select nights from Sept. 1 to Nov. 4. At Universal Studios Hollywood, HHN runs on select nights from Sept. 7 to Oct. 31.

The separately ticketed events feature movie-quality haunted houses, immersive scare zones and live entertainment. And although the size of HHN in Hollywood, Calif., is smaller than its Orlando, Fla., counterpart, the scares are just as big, including the exclusive Terror Tram through the studio’s backlot.

This year, both coasts dare clients to survive The Last of Us, an all-new haunted house based on the award-winning post-pandemic video game.

“The game offers a multitude of suspenseful and horrifying opportunities to provide a one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at HHN,” said John Murdy, creative director and executive producer of HHN for Universal Studios Hollywood. 

Both parks are also returning to the Upside Down with new houses themed to season four of hit Netflix show “Stranger Things,” including an encounter with Vecna, the franchise's latest supernatural villain.

“We’re excited for fans to live Vecna’s curse as we recreate iconic and terrifying moments from the show,” said Lora Sauls, assistant director of creative development and show direction for Universal Orlando Resort.

In addition, Universal’s iconic movie monsters will take over the infamous catacombs of Paris in Universal Monsters: Unmasked haunted houses; in Hollywood, the house will feature an exclusive musical score by Grammy-winning guitarist and musician Slash. And for the first time, Chucky the killer doll will star in his own haunted house, Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count.

Orlando event upgrades include Express Pass; the premium, guided R.I.P. Tour; the daytime Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour; and Frequent Fear and Rush of Fear passes that allow extra-brave clients to visit multiple nights. In Hollywood, clients can opt for Universal Express, Day/Night tickets, R.I.P. Tour and the new Early Access ticket, which provides entry to select houses before the event.

(Note: HHN is not recommended for kids under 13.)

Halloween Time: Disneyland Resort

The happiest place on Earth becomes the spookiest place on the planet when Halloween Time returns to the Disneyland Resort from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31. Families will adore the beloved “Nightmare Before Christmas-“themed overlay of The Haunted Mansion, as well as the giant Mickey pumpkin photo op on Main Street U.S.A.

The haunting illuminations of Halloween Screams will light up Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle, Rivers of America and “it’s a small world" nightly; on select nights, fireworks will also light up the Anaheim, Calif. skies.

The annual Dia de los Muertos and Plaza de la Familia celebrations take place Sept. 1 to Nov. 2 and feature family-friendly crafts. A street performance features Folklorico dancers, musicians, and characters and songs from award-winning film “Coco.”

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“We had a very intentional outlook for Plaza de la Familia to bring families and friends together,” said Susana Tubert, creative director for Disney Live Entertainment. “It really creates a multigenerational, multicultural experience.”

Additionally, Cars Land becomes Radiator Screams as the land’s attractions undergo their seasonal transformation into Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween. And when the sun goes down, the Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! thrills go up for Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark, a harrowing adventure to save baby Groot from creatures on the loose in the Collector’s Fortress.

Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party: California Adventure Park, Disneyland

On select dates from Sept. 5 to Oct. 31, the separately ticketed after-hours Oogie Boogie Bash takes over California Adventure Park, with Disney villains as Oogie’s guests of honor.

Party guests are invited to wear costumes and experience select attractions, themed food and beverages, the Villains Grove walk-through experience and Halloween entertainment — including the Mickey's Trick and Treat show and Frightfully Fun Parade.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World's separately ticketed Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs select nights from Aug. 11 to Nov. 1 in Magic Kingdom Park.

The after-hours event features the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade (with new villains who include Cruella de Vil; the Queen of Hearts; and Minnie, Daisy and Clarabelle as the Sanderson Sisters) and Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks display, which is hosted by the pumpkin king himself, Jack Skellington.

Ticket holders can enter the park as early as 4 p.m., giving clients time to enjoy their favorite attractions before the event begins.

Brick-or-Treat: Legoland Resorts

Legoland Resorts in Florida, California and New York celebrate Halloween with kid-friendly Brick-or-Treat events featuring exclusive Lego characters, shows, costume parades and trick-or-treating. Plus, the Dragon Coaster will be transformed into a disco party coaster with a groovy monster soundtrack and party lights. 

At Legoland Florida’s Brick-or-Treat, the event features never-before-seen exclusive Lego characters and 4D movie "The Great Monster Chase.” There’s also an all-new show lineup, including the V.I.M. (Very Important Monster) dance party hosted by Lord Vampyre, performances by the Jammin' Jacks Lego jack-o-lantern trio and The UnbeLEAFable Halloween Night, a musical mystery featuring the newest monster in town: Lego Plant Monster.

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In addition to Lord Vampyre’s party and “The Great Monster Chase,” clients visiting Legoland California can join Operation Monster Squad to learn how to dance like a monster and join curious trick-or-treaters for A Candy-Coated Curse as they sing and dance out of a sticky situation.

Brick-or-Treat at Legoland's newest park in New York includes trick-or-treating, the Disco Dragon Coaster, the V.I.M Dance Party and Operation Monster Squad.

In California, Brick-or-Treat runs Sept. 16, 23 and 30, and on Saturdays and Sundays in October. Events in Florida and New York run on select Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 16 to Oct. 29. (Brick-or-Treat is included with park admission at all three resorts.)

Knott’s Scary Farm: Knott’s Berry Farm

Celebrating 50 years of Knott’s Scary Farm — Southern California's longest-running Halloween theme-park event — Knott’s Berry Farm is marking the morbid milestone on select nights from Sept. 21 to Oct 31. The separately ticketed after-hours event will feature 10 mazes, five scare zones and four live shows, all featuring iconic characters from the haunt's history. 

During the day on Thursdays through Sundays from Sept. 28 to Oct. 29 (plus on Halloween), the family-friendly Knott’s Spooky Farm features trick-or-treating in the town of Calico to collect sweets from friendly townsfolk, along with kids' Halloween activities and themed decor.
(Note: Knott’s Scary Farm is not recommended for kids under 13.)

Halloween Spooktacular: SeaWorld

During the fall, SeaWorld Parks offers the not-too-scary Halloween Spooktacular by day (included with park admission) and the super-scary separately ticketed Howl-O-Scream at night.

Orlando, Florida’s SeaWorld Spooktacular runs select days from Sept. 16 to Oct. 31 and includes trick-or-treating, the Scarecrow Halloween Dance Party, Halloween Storytime with Big Bird, a Pumpkin Garden and the musical Sesame Street Halloween Parade featuring Elmo, The Count, Big Bird and friends, all dressed up for Halloween.

Howl-O-Scream after-hours events at SeaWorld Orlando take place on select nights from Sept. 8 to Oct. 31, with sirens who haunt the park and the all-new Blood Light District scare zone. Evil upgrades include Front Line Fear skip-the-queue passes and a two-park ticket for one visit each to Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld San Diego takes place on select dates from Sept. 15 to Oct. 31 in California, and Howl-O-Scream returns on select nights from Sept. 29 to Oct. 31, transforming the peaceful SoCal park into something sinister when night falls. In addition, a special celebration brings Dia de los Muertos traditions to life on Nov. 4 and 5.

At SeaWorld San Antonio in Texas, Spooktacular runs on select dates from Sept. 14 to Oct. 29, with trick-or-treating, kid-friendly Halloween shows and a maze featuring Spookley the Square Pumpkin. The park’s Dia de los Muertos celebration includes colorful alebrijes (Mexican folk art sculptures of mythical creatures). Howl-O-Scream in San Antonio, meanwhile, (included with park admission in Texas) runs on select dates from Sept. 15 to Oct. 29, and features six horror-filled haunts and seven “terror-tories” (two are all-new).

(Note: Howl-O-Scream is not recommended for kids under 13.)