Where to Meet Your Favorite Halloween Characters at Disneyland This Fall

Aug 21

Queen of Hearts at During Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort — The Queen of Hearts beckons you at Disney California Adventure

Halloween Time officially landed at Disneyland Resort on August 21, running through October 31, and both parks are leaning hard into costumed character appearances this season. If you're planning a fall trip and want to actually catch these Halloween characters at Disneyland rather than stumble onto them by accident, here's where the classics and the villains are popping up this year.

Costumed Favorites Fill Buena Vista Street and Main Street

Over in Disney California Adventure, Buena Vista Street gets its own seasonal wardrobe change. Mickey Mouse shows up in a magician costume, Minnie switches to a flapper dress, Donald goes full devil, Daisy pulls off a witch look, and Goofy rounds things out as a scarecrow.

Back in Disneyland Park, Main Street USA becomes a rotating lineup of familiar faces, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Clarabelle Cow, and Chip 'n' Dale all cycle through. Hollywood Land at DCA also gets in on it with a "Mickey's Trick and Treat" show pulling in Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy together.

Cars Land Halloween Disney California Adventure — Have a Honkin’ Halloween in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

Cars Land Throws Its Own Halloween Bash

Radiator Springs, nicknamed Radiator Screams for the season, is one of the most fun corners of Disney California Adventure to catch during Halloween Time, and it isn't just about the characters. The land gets its own colorful lighting and seasonal decor, plus two ride overlays exclusive to the fall, Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween and Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree.

Lightning McQueen and Mater dressed in Halloween Costumes vis Disney Parks Blog

Guests can grab a Vietnamese Coffee with Ube Sweet Cream Foam, a Birria Potato, or a Taro Bread Pudding from the seasonal food lineup (shameless plug: use our Halloween Snack Tracker to find all the ghoulish goodies) before tracking down Lightning McQueen, Mater, Cruz Ramirez, and Red the Fire Truck, all four dressed up in their own creative car costumes for the occasion. For families with a Cars fan on the trip, this corner of the park is worth carving out real time for, not just a quick walk-through.

Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland Park — Haunted Mansion Holiday is a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay of this classic attraction

Jack, Sally, and the Villains Take Over

For guests chasing a spookier vibe, New Orleans Square is the move. Jack Skellington and Sally hold court in the Royal Courtyard, giving Nightmare Before Christmas fans a reliable spot to check off that meet. Elsewhere in Disneyland Park, the villain side of the roster gets a real workout this year, Gaston, Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, the Evil Queen, and the Queen of Hearts are all listed among the season's appearances, though exact locations tend to shift day to day.

Even the Partners Statue area joins the theme, with pumpkin displays featuring Buzz Lightyear, Roger Rabbit, and Chewbacca giving photo hunters something fun to spot between character lines.

Goofy Dressed in Halloween Costume at Goofy's Kitchen — Goofy Dressed in his Halloween Costume at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel via Disney Parks Blog

Three Character Dining Spots Worth Booking

If waiting in meet and greet lines isn't your thing, Disneyland Resort's Halloween character dining lineup is worth building a reservation around. Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel runs its Halloween version August 21 through October 31 with Goofy, Pluto, Minnie, and Chip 'n' Dale making the rounds.

Over at the Grand Californian, Mickey's Autumn Adventures runs the longest of the three, August 21 through November 15, with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Chip 'n' Dale. The Grand Californian also hosts Clarabelle's Enchanted Halloween Dinner through October 31, featuring Clarabelle Cow alongside Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto.

Pixar Pier Rounds Out the Trip for Toy Story and Inside Out Fans

Halloween characters aren't the only pull for families who lean more toward Pixar than pumpkins. Neither Toy Story nor Inside Out shows up in the costumed character lineup above, but both are covered elsewhere at Disney California Adventure. Toy Story Midway Mania reopened at Pixar Pier in late April after a refurbishment, and Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind came back online in mid June, so kids chasing Woody and Buzz or Joy and Sadness have full access to both rides again this fall. Pair a Pixar Pier stop with the Cars Land detour above and a family with Cars, Toy Story, and Inside Out fans on board can hit all three favorites in one DCA day.

Pumpkin Mickey at Disneyland Park — Pumpkin Mickey in Town Square at Disneyland Park

Planning Tips for Catching These Characters

Character appearances at Disneyland are always subject to change, so treat any specific spot as a strong likelihood rather than a guarantee. Early morning tends to mean shorter lines for the villains in particular, since that lineup draws serious attention once word gets around online. If a specific character dining experience is the priority, book it as far ahead as your Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian stay allows, these seasonal versions tend to fill up faster than the year-round options. Plaza de la Familia, Disneyland's Dia de los Muertos celebration, also opens today and runs through November 2, so guests visiting toward the back half of October and into early November can catch some overlap between the two seasonal offerings in the same visit.

One last note, it can still be brutally hot in Southern California in September and early October. Check the weather before you plan your outfits but dont be surprised to see tempratures in the mid-90s. And while it doesnt cool down in the evening the concrete retains a lot of heat. Bring a light sweater but you might not need it.

Alright, that’s all for now. See ya next time.

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Halloween TimeCharacter Meet n' Greets

Wesley Davenport

A Disneyland native, Wesley is a Producer, Director, and Photographer born and raised in Southern California. Like many others of his generation some of his first memories include exploring Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom as a child with his parents, sibling, and grandparents. As a young adult, Wesley attended the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World where he gained experience and appreciation for the Florida Project and Theme Park operations. Wesley graduated college with a degree in Mass Communication and freelances in live sports and events for local professional sports teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2013. He joined the Media Events team at Disneyland for the opening of Rise of the Resistance. Somewhere along the way he found a love for Disney Cruise Line, has been a guest on several DCL focused podcasts, and looks forward to sailing on the Maiden Voyage of the Disney Believe with his wife and three children. Until then, Wesley is working on building a custom Disney Parks Version Tracker with the aspiration to help guests more effectively plan their visits to Disney Parks world wide.