I received complimentary admission to Halloween at Disneyland. All opinions are my own.

Last week, Disneyland invited me to attend their opening night of Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure Park. I’ve never been to Halloween at Disneyland or Disney World before, so I had no idea what to expect. What I did learn was that I definitely want to visit Disneyland every single Halloween, it was that special.

Stay at Disney’s Grand Californian

When we first arrived, we checked into the Grand Californian Resort and Spa. This hotel is fantastic because you feel like you’re staying in a grand log cabin. It has an upscale cabin feel, which I find charming and very much like you’re staying at a lodge in some Californian mountain.

The rooms are spacious and they all have balconies overlooking various views of the park or downtown Disney. This time, we stayed on the 3rd floor and had a fun view of downtown Disney. It was cool to be able to view the Halloween decorations from there. I already felt in the Halloween spirit.

Wear Costumes

After checking in, we went to our room to get ready for the reception and the Oogie Boogie Bash. The Bash is a party that takes place in the California Adventure park. There are a lot of Halloween-centric activities, including live shows, parades, and a treat trail, where you can collect a whole bunch of candy.

We got ready and headed down to the reception. At the reception, not that many of the adults were in costume, so I actually changed back into my normal clothes before heading into the park. Since I was wearing a long fancy dress, I figured I’d be more comfortable in normal clothing. Although I definitely was more comfortable, I’m disappointed I changed so quickly. Once we entered the park, we saw tons of people in very elaborate costumes. Costumes are definitely encouraged and welcomed.

If you do want to wear a costume, I’d consider a costume that is ride-friendly. Mine really wasn’t because my hat would never stay on during the ride. The rest of my crew kept on their costumes and they all were just fine. They actually got a lot of comments that everyone loved their costumes, which was fun for the kids.

Try The Halloween-Themed Treats

Disney knows how to do desserts! When we got to our room, we were greeted with a basket full of Mickey-shaped cookies. When we got to the reception, we found even more Mickey and Halloween-themed desserts.

Ride the Rides

Probably my favorite part of the event was the fact that hardly anyone was actually riding on the rides. Most people were waiting in line to enter the treat trail. Although my kids did want to get more candy, we instead opted to ride more rides. Several of the rides that would normally be pretty long waits were super short! Since everyone wanted the candy, we were able to zoom through a lot of rides in a very short time.

Enjoy the Scenery

The other part I liked most about Halloween at Disneyland was all of the decorations! They are so intricate and every detail is amazing. I honestly wish I could just go there and walk around and enjoy the scenery. We did that a bit, in between rides, but not even as much as I’d like. I love Halloween and I love Halloween decorations. They are so creative with their decorations, so it’s so fun to find all the hidden (and obvious) ways they incorporate Halloween!

Overall, I loved experiencing Halloween at Disneyland. We are lucky enough that we get to go back another time this month to experience even more of the Halloween magic. If you get the chance to visit during Halloween, I’d highly suggest it. If you have any questions about my experience, definitely send me a message or connect with me on social media!

Looking for more Disneyland stories? Here’s my first story about tips for going to Disneyland with little kids.