Halloween: Ghosts and Goblins come out at Disneyland Paris.

Halloween, being a uniquely British, Irish, Canadian, and American holiday, is the most difficult of all holidays to maintain abroad because, by its very nature, it requires the entire community to be involved.  Even though Carrefour now sells bad plastic costumes just like Wal-Mart, I can’t very well dress my kids up and have them knock on my neighbors’ doors on the 31^st to beg for candy.   

But we’re lucky here in Paris.  We have Mickey on our side.  So I can dress my kids up and take them to Disneyland, where Halloween is celebrated for an entire month, from October 6 through November 4.  And Disney’s Halloween is not at all just for kids.  The park has a lot to offer that people of all ages enjoy and on October 31, Disneyland has a special Halloween evening that’s particularly well suited for a somewhat older crowd.

The theme of Disneyland Paris’ Halloween is centered around the story of the Pumpkin Men (who might remind you of the pumpkin scarecrow in the intro to The Nightmare Before Christmas).  They grow on vines in Frontierland, starting off as innocent baby pumpkins and growing into mischievous adults whose passion is painting Disneyland orange for Halloween.  As you enter Disneyland Paris and walk down Main Street, U.S.A., you’ll see Pumpkin Men painting buildings and streets orange.  The paint is mined from Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland.   

Frontierland becomes Halloweenland during October.  There is a stage near the Cowboy Cookout restaurant with spooky entertainment, pink witches, Halloween piñatas, and roaming follies like witches on stilts and scary monsters.  If you have kids, be sure to get their faces painted and hair coiffed (there are two places where they can get this done in Frontierland; get a map at the park entrance to see where).  The paint and hairdos will have your kids smiling all day.   

The autumn air in the countryside is crisp and fresh and Frontierland, with its American cowboy theme, is the perfect setting.  The leaves on the trees are turning yellow, orange and red and the land is dotted with real pumpkins and scarecrows.  And, of course, there’s the haunted mansion, a must-do attraction during Halloween.

Several times a day at the center stage in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, there is a show with the Disney villains (Malifacent, Jafar, Gaston, and others).  Afterwards, the Pink Witches hand out candy!   

Just before the parade (new this year, in celebration of Disneyland Paris’ 15^th anniversary), at 3:40 pm, there is a small Halloween pre-parade with the Pink Witches and Pumpkin Men. 

My children have never been trick-or-treating, so while they don’t fully understand what Halloween is about back home, we think that they’re luckier than if we were in the U.S. because, thanks to Disneyland Paris, their idea of Halloween is that it lasts for an entire month instead of just one evening, thus giving them an edge on the candy count with their cousins back home.   

If you would like to eat more than just the candy, there’s a great meal waiting for you at Disneyland—just read today’s Grub Hub to find out where.

If you just want to celebrate Halloween on October 31, Disneyland hosts a special party that night.  This is more suited for the adult crowd and is a lot of fun.  A lot of people come in costume and Disney even has costumed Cast Members (Disney employees) roaming around Disney Village (you can eat dinner there before the party).  Not all rides are necessarily open for the evening party—but it’s the rides that adults enjoy most, like Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion.   

Now, as a quick aside, let’s talk about bonfire night. 

This is a British and Irish annual fall tradition that Disney does very well.  On the evenings of November 5, 7, and 9 this year, Disney will present an enormous bonfire and fireworks show over Lake Disney (which is in Disney Village, just opposite the park, on the left as you come out of the RER train station).  The bonfire, which is set to classical music, is something you don’t want to miss.  So go to Disney Village for an evening of country line dancing and then see the bonfire and fireworks.   

And finally, a couple of little-known secrets about Disneyland Paris:

First, it’s a good idea to pick up the free Fast Passes for certain rides (the three roller-coasters, Peter Pan, Buzz Lightyear and Star Tours).  Using these time-stamped passes will save you lots of time by letting you skip the long lines for the most popular rides.

Second, if you have fun at Disneyland Paris, don’t forget to look into the annual passes (called Annual Passports).  Back at Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida, these are very expensive, but here in Paris, annual passes pay for themselves in just two visits, so it’s well worth a trek to the passport office (to the right of the Castle) to check out the details.  If you have kids under 7, be sure to ask about the two-for-one special: one free child’s annual passport for each paying adult.   

Third, big fans of Disneyland Paris should consider going that final step and just buy the company—shareholders of Euro Disney can join the Shareholders’ Club and enjoy all sorts of wonderful little gifts, discounts and surprises.  For more information, click here or just drop me an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The best way to get to Disneyland Paris is to take the RER A train to Marne-la-Vallée (about 35 minutes from downtown Paris).  For information on Disneyland Paris tickets, including the party on the evening of October 31, visit www.disneylandparis.com. 

Click on the photo of the pink witch below to see a short video on what Halloween is like at Disneyland.

Halloween at Disneyland Resort Paris