Need vacation planning advice quickly? Join our Facebook group and get your questions answered!
Skip to Content

When Does Disney World Decorate for Halloween?

When Does Disney World Decorate for Halloween?

You may not be thinking of fall or Halloween, but Disney Imagineers are already getting ready to make the shift decorate Disney for Halloween!

It’s July so while you’re busy sipping lemonade poolside, Disney World is singing, “This is Halloween”...

Boys and girls of every age

Wouldn't you like to see something strange?

Come with us and you will see

This, our town of Halloween!

Get ready! Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is coming back for 2023! The party takes place on select nights from August through Halloween night in October. (Remember that this is a separately ticketed event that is not included with your Disney World park ticket.)

Check out party dates and ticket prices here.

Important to note: Even though it's only July, tickets for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on Halloween night is already SOLD OUT!

When Do the Halloween Decorations Come Out in Disney?

Disney starts to decorate for Halloween in the middle of August, and within days the Magic Kindom will be fully decorated for Halloween fall fun! You will see bright colored flowers replaced with hues of red, orange, and yellow, not to mention pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins! Typically we start seeing decorations in the first week of August, with the first party happening on the 11th.

In this town we call home

Everyone hail to the pumpkin song

In this town, don't we love it now?

Everybody's waiting for the next surprise

More about Disney pumpkins…

  • Did you know that there are more than 150 hand-carved pumpkins around the Magic Kingdom?
  • Each wreath down Main Street, U.S.A. has roughly 20 mini pumpkins! 
  • There are 125 Mickey pumpkins around the Magic Kingdom
  • Each decoration is handmade by Disney Cast Members
  • There are over 4,000 pumpkins in total through the Magic Kingdom

This is Halloween, everybody scream

Won't you please make way for a very special guy

Our man Jack is king of the Pumpkin Patch

Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now

More Disney Halloween decoration fun facts…

  • The fall transformation takes Cast Members 750 hours
  • There are 1,729.5 feet of leafy garland throughout the Magic Kingdom
  • …Y’all… that’s 8,000 lbs. of LEAVES
  • There’s over 1 mile of ribbon through the park in banners and bows

Halloween in the Parks in the Daytime vs. at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

At Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Halloween is in full force! Costume rules are practically thrown out the window*, and kids get to trick or treat in the most magical place on Earth and enjoy unlimited Mickey Premium Bars and drinks. That’s all in addition to awesome rides and attractions through the Magic Kingdom!

*Costumes in Walt Disney World*

When Does Disney World Decorate for Halloween? 4

For a normal park day in Disney World children ages, 12 and younger are welcome to wear costumes in the park. No weapons, masks, or capes are allowed at any time. Unfortunately, adults may not participate in dressing up in Disney World with the exception of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Yes! That’s right! If you have tickets to MNSSHP adults are not only allowed to dress up, it is encouraged! And they get to trick or treat, too! 

Bummed that you can’t dress up for a day at the parks? Try Disney Bounding! Read more about Disney Bounding and outfit ideas here

During the day at the Magic Kingdom, there is no trick or treating, but all of the decorations are there to stay until November 1st! Get your fall family photos in front of the huge pumpkin on Main Street! 

When Do the Halloween Decorations All Come Down?

When Does Disney World Decorate for Halloween? 5

When Halloween is over Jack Skellington walks through the door of Christmastown and it feels like that’s what happens in Disney World. On October 31st while the last trick or treaters are leaving the Magic Kingdom, Cast Members are waiting in the wings ready for the go-ahead for the ultimate switch. 

When guests walk into the Magic Kingdom on November 1st, they are greeted with a 70ft Christmas tree, Christmas lights, garland, and holiday cheer everywhere! Check out the Christmas special called, “Decorating Disney” on Disney+ to see behind the scenes of what it takes to create this holiday transition. 

What Disney Parks Undergo a Halloween Transformation?

Not every Disney Park is lucky enough to get Halloween touches. Obviously, the most decorated area is Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom gets the most treatment, but you will see touches and snacks throughout all of the parks, including Disney Springs. 

Small But Mighty Halloween Touches Around WDW

EPCOT Halloween Decorations

Get your pumpkin spice on with different fall spice concoctions through EPCOT! You won't find the pumpkin madness that you see in the Magic Kingdom, but they come to the table (see what we did there?) with food!

EPCOT is well-known for their fine dining-style festival plates and international cuisine. When pumpkin spice season rolls in, you will find odes and spices of the season throughout EPCOT.

Hollywood Studios Halloween Decorations

Check out the Fab Five’s Halloween costumes at the seasonal character dining at the Hollywood and Vine restaurant! Come see Minnie Mouse dressed as the cutest witch, Mickey Mouse dressed as a vampire, Goofy as a cowboy, and Donald Duck as an astronaut. Daisy's costume is perhaps the cutest. At first glance it appears to be a fashionable outfit in Halloween-esque fabrics, but upon closer inspection you will see that it is actually a Daisy Duck version of the Cast Member costumer from Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

Animal Kingdom Halloween Decorations

Last, but certainly not least, while you won’t see any seasonal garlands or wreaths hanging around Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you will see pumpkins… In the animal habitats! Elephants, tigers, and gorillas love pumpkins! They play with them and enjoy them as a nice autumn harvest treat! The big question is do they like pumpkin spice? 

Disney Springs Halloween Decorations

The shopping district gets the full fall treatment with decorated pumpkins, garland, leaves, the works! Disney Springs refreshes their art pieces and murals around the area with the seasons. Come fall you will see splashes of orange, yellow, and gold! Walk around to find different areas for selfies and photo ops. Forget family photos in sunflower fields, let’s make Disney harvest family photos a thing!

Halloween at Disney Resorts

Halloween may not be decorated quite like Christmas, but let it be known that Disney will not waste a chance to decorate and make guests excited. 

Some resorts that will decorate for fall are:

Grand Floridian Resort and Spa - The chocolatiers really impress year after year with their chocolate sculptures. While on your monorail crawl, be sure to check out this year’s creation!

Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground - It has become a tradition to get guests involved in this spooky tradition: Halloween campsite decorating contest!

Fall and Halloween may be the favorite holiday for about 23% of the population in America, but Disney saves its energy for Christmas. You might see some light harvest touches but when it comes to Christmas Disney doesn’t do subtle. 

Check out past Christmas decor at the Disney World Resorts

Can You Celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, AND Christmas in One Trip?

It sounds crazy, but you absolutely can! Plan a holiday extravaganza and celebrate the trifecta in Walt Disney World. Plan to be in Magic Kingdom on October 30th, 31st, and November 1st. Attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on the 30th and head back to the Magic Kingdom on the 31st for Thanksgiving. Now, we know, that’s technically Halloween. Book yourself a dining reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern for a full Thanksgiving-style meal and celebrate giving thanks and togetherness in the most magical place on Earth. And then… on November 1st when you walk into the Magic Kingdom, you will be taken back by the complete transformation to everything Christmas! 

So are you going to be among the grim grinning ghosts who come out to socialize?