Disneyland may be known as “The happiest place on Earth,” but when it comes to Halloween, Disney’s TV programming quite easily makes it one of the spookiest — in the most family-friendly sense of the word.
Nobody does Halloween quite like Disney. Over the years, the network has run a variety of marathons to lure viewers into watching its lineup of theatrical and made-for-TV movies about things that go bump in the night, from Hauntober Fest to Wiztober, Monstober and, for the past few years, “Calling All Monsters,” a programming block of creepy crawly creations that runs throughout October.
While Halloween films are typically full of psychological thrills, slasher scenes and graphic gore, Disney reminds audiences that the supernatural can also be silly and fun, even if it does give you a bit of a jumpscare at first. From comedic horrors to musical fantasies and edgy animations, there’s no shortage of genres to choose from. And with talent that spans teen TV stars to Academy Award-winning actors, it’s a given that you’re in for a good cinematic time.
So, whether you’re looking for the next flick that’ll make you flinch or need a push getting into the spirit of this spooky season, this list is for you. Scroll below to see The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the most memorable Disney Halloween movies.
-
‘Coco’
This 2017 animated film inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead follows a young boy named Miguel who’s transported to the Land of the Dead where he seeks the help of his deceased great-great-grandfather so he can pursue his dream of becoming a musician.
-
‘Cruella’
Image Credit: Laurie Sparham Emma Stone portrays the glamorous British heiress Cruella de Vil in this 2021 live-action adaptation of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians based on Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel.
-
‘Descendants’
The lives of the teenage kids of four Disney villains are followed in this 2015 musical fantasy, which spawned three sequels.
-
‘Don’t Look Under the Bed’
When a skeptical teen comes in contact with a prankster boogeyman hiding under her bed, she’s forced to rethink her belief in the supernatural in this 1999 fantasy-horror movie.
-
‘Edward Scissorhands’
Image Credit: Everett Johnny Depp stars in the title role of this 1990 gothic romance created and directed by Tim Burton about a teen with scissor blades for hands who falls in love with the daughter (Winona Rider) of the suburban family who takes him in.
-
‘Ernest Scared Stupid’
Released in 1991, Ernest Scared Stupid is the fifth feature film centered around the fictional character Ernest P. Worrell. In the comedy-horror, Ernest unintentionally releases an evil 19th century troll in the small town of Briarville, Missouri, on Halloween night.
-
‘Escape to Witch Mountain’
In this 1975 fantasy science-fiction film, two orphaned siblings are on the run from a millionaire looking to exploit their supernatural powers.
-
‘Frankenweenie’
Image Credit: Walt Disney Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection A boy named Victor Frankenstein resurrects his dead Bull Terrier in this 2012 3D stop-motion animated film from Tim Burton which parodies aspects of the 1931 cinematic classic Frankenstein.
-
‘Girl vs. Monster’
On Halloween eve, a teen girl discovers she’s a monster hunter in this 2012 fantasy comedy.
-
‘Growing Fangs’
In 2021’s Growing Fangs, a half-human/half-vampire Mexican American teen discovers who she really is after trying to keep her identity a secret.
-
‘Halloweentown’
Image Credit: Everett In this 1998 family comedy starring Debbie Reynolds, 13-year-old Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown) finds out she’s a witch on Halloween and is transported to a magical land filled with ghosts, goblins and ghouls.
-
‘Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge’
The second of four films in the Halloweentown series, in Kalabar’s Revenge, released in 2001, Marnie and her grandmother Aggie (Reynolds) travel to Halloweentown to get to the bottom of some mysterious magical symptoms Aggie hopes to eliminate before it’s too late.
-
‘Halloweentown High’
Halloweentown students join Marnie as she starts high school in the third installment of the Halloweentown series, which premiered in 2004.
-
‘Return to Halloweentown’
In the fourth and final Halloweentown film released in 2006, Marnie attends college at Witch University in Halloweentown and contends with dark forces trying to take over her magical powers.
-
‘Haunted Mansion’ (2003)
Eddie Murphy plays the lead in this supernatural horror-comedy about a realtor and his family who get trapped in a haunted mansion.
-
‘Haunted Mansion’ (2023)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Disney Justin Simien takes the director reins in this reboot starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson and Danny DeVito.
-
‘Hocus Pocus’
First released in 1993, this fantasy-comedy cult classic stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, three witches who go on a hunt for children in Salem, Massachusetts, after being inadvertently resurrected from the dead three centuries after their hanging.
-
‘Hocus Pocus 2’
Image Credit: Disney+ This long-awaited sequel finds the Sanderson sisters once again resurrected in 2022. Midler, Parker and Najimy reprise their original roles as the witches attempt to cast a spell that will make them all powerful in order to seek revenge on Salem.
-
‘Into the Woods’
A childless couple attempts to put an end to a curse placed on them by a witch in this 2014 star-studded musical fantasy whose cast includes Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine.
-
‘Maleficent’
This 2014 fantasy starring Angelina Jolie in the titular role tells the story of the villain of the 1959 fairytale Sleeping Beauty.
-
‘Mom’s Got a Date With a Vampire’
The Hansen kids’ relief over their mom finally getting out of the house is short-lived when they suspect her date is a vampire in this 2000 horror-comedy.
-
‘Mr. Boogedy’
A family discovers the new city they’ve just moved to is haunted by a 17th-century ghost in this 1986 short film.
-
‘Bride of Boogedy’
The Davis family’s ghostly encounters in the fictional New England town of Lucifer Falls continue in this 1987 sequel.
-
‘The New Mutants’
A group of young mutants fight for their freedom while being held captive in a secret facility in this 2020 superhero horror based on the Marvel comic of the same name.
-
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’
Image Credit: Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animated dark fantasy film that tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town, and his ploy to take over the Christmas holiday.
-
‘Phantom of the Megaplex’
Loosely based on The Phantom of the Opera, a 17-year-old assistant manager contends with mysterious issues that threaten to sabotage opening night of a major movie premiere at his theater megaplex in this 2000 comedy mystery.
-
‘Return to Oz’
This unofficial sequel to The Wizard of Oz released in 1985 is based on author L. Frank Baum’s Oz novels and places Dorothy back in the Land of Oz, where she discovers it’s been conquered by the wicked Nome King.
-
‘The Scream Team’
In this 2002 TV film, two children discover the town where their grandfather just died is a purgatory for ghosts who can’t enter the afterlife until they undo their bad deeds on earth.
-
‘Toy Story of Terror!’
Image Credit: ABC A road trip gone wrong leads to a mysterious sequence of events for the main characters of Pixar’s popular Toy Story Franchise in this 2013 TV Halloween special.
-
‘Twitches’
Tia and Tamera Mowry star in this 2005 movie based on the Scholastic book series of the same name about twins who were separated at birth and reunite as teens who now have special powers.
-
‘Twitches Too’
Tia and Tamera reprise their roles as twin Witches Camyrn and Alex who seek answers after uncovering clues that their biological father is still alive in this 2007 sequel.
-
‘Under Wraps’
Two friends accidentally revive a mummy they find in a neighbor’s basement in this 2021 remake of Greg Beeman’s 1997 teen horror.
-
‘Upside Down Magic’
Based on the Scholastic book series of the same name, teen besties enter the Sage Academy for Magical Studies after uncovering their special powers in this 2020 fantasy.
-
‘Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie’
Based on the Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place, this 2009 film finds lead character Alex Russo, played by Selena Gomez, trying to do undo a wish she made that her parents never met while on a family vacation.
-
‘Z-O-M-B-I-E-S’
Image Credit: Disney Channel/Ed Herrera A zombie football player and human cheerleader fall in love in this 2018 teen musical, which spawned two sequels.
