Disney Halloween Festival returns from October 1 to November 6, 2022 at Disneyland Paris, with villains taking over the 30th anniversary, entertainment, decorations, special parties and more. This guide offers tips for visiting France in the fall and making the most of ghost season at Walt Disney Studios Park, hotels, Disney Village and DLP.
Before getting to the rest of the details about Halloween 2022 at Disneyland Paris, we recommend checking out our full Disneyland Paris Vacation Planning Guide, which is useful no matter what time of year you’re visiting. As for Halloween, the season is similar to the Magic Kingdom or Disneyland in California, but with its own ghoulish twists at Disneyland Paris.
This year, the big difference is that Halloween is celebrated simultaneously with the Celebration of the 30th anniversary of Disneyland Paris. And after lurking in the shadows for several months, it’s finally time for Disney’s villains to steal the spotlight. His fiendishly playful takeover of Disneyland Park will feature meet and greets from devilish characters, a mischievous atmosphere, outrageously funny shows and spooky rides. Here, we’ll cover all the details, including what’s new for Halloween ’22.
The crowd levels you’ll find at Disneyland Paris during Halloween vary. Weekends and French school holidays are the busiest times to visit in the month of October 2022. Closer to Halloween it also tends to be busier than in the middle of the month. The first weekend is also popular with DLP fans.
On the plus side, fall is not a peak season for traveling to France or Paris. Generally speaking, the holiday season lasts from May to September, with a peak from June to August. October is directly out of season, falling far enough after summer and before Christmas. So if your trip includes time outside of the parks, it’s a great time to visit them. As for the climate, it is also temperate.
As for the decorations at Disneyland Paris for Halloween 2022, guests will find familiar Halloween decor adorning the park from the moment they arrive. This includes smiling pumpkins, string lights, lanterns, friendly ghosts and jolly skeletons that are up to 3 meters tall!
Disneyland Paris hotels will also get into the Halloween spirit as they will be decked out in fall decorations for the first time. It will be fun to see how the DLP team pulls this off, as the Christmas decorations at the resorts are impressive.
Returning to the parks, Disneyland Paris will be home to many mischievous villains, including Maleficent, Captain Hook, the Queen of Hearts, Cruella de Vil, and more. These villains are already gearing up to celebrate the season that will put them in the spotlight as they show up to meet and greet characters throughout Disneyland Paris.
Plus, it just so happens that for Halloween 2022, the Royal Castle Stage (a bit of a misnomer for spooky season, but it’s usually home to the princesses) will become the regular hangout for Disney villains. They will use this location to put themselves in the spotlight. After making appearances on stage, the villains will meet their adoring audience.
This year, Mickey’s Halloween Celebration makes its triumphant return after a two-year hiatus. During this stomping cavalcade, the characters dress in their cutest Halloween costumes. Mickey’s Halloween Celebration ushers in the arrival of fall with a festive fall atmosphere.
During the parade, Mickey Mouse has fun surprising guests from his impressive “Mickey’s Illusion Manor” float, which features some playful ghosts! Mickey’s Halloween Celebration takes place several times a day at Disneyland Paris. (As noted, this is a cavalcade and not a full parade, which means it has fewer floats and performers.)
As night falls during Halloween 2022 at Disneyland Paris, villains will have a spooky surprise in store: Nightfall with Disney Villains. This is essentially a pre-show preview, taking place before Disney D-Light, which is the pre-show for the 30th anniversary celebration consisting of a drone display. After the villainous pre-show and drone pre-show comes Disney Illuminations, the full nightly show at the castle.
During Nightfall with Disney Villains, these cunning characters step out of the shadows and temporarily take over Sleeping Beauty Castle to execute their nefarious plan, during a dancing fountain display combined with projections.
These Halloween 2022 entertainment elements are in addition to the many shows and experiences that Disneyland Paris has to offer. This includes the daily park parade (full version, not a parade) Disney Stars on Parade.
There’s also Gardens of Wonder, an exhibit featuring 30 pieces of art depicting characters like Maleficent, Ursula, and Jafar. This is one of the many things designed for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Disneyland Paris; you will find the Gardens of Wonders installed just outside the Sleeping Beauty Castle. (Presumably, this means no character pumpkins for Halloween 2022.)
Although Disneyland Paris advertises attractions as part of its Halloween marketing campaign, there are none that are special for Halloween. Phantom Manor does not receive a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay like the other Haunted Mansion attractions, and Disneyland Paris does not change any other attractions.
That said, there are certain attractions in each park that naturally lend themselves to the season of horror. Disneyland Paris hosts attractions for visitors of all ages. The little ones can test their courage in attractions such as Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains, Alice’s Curious Labyrinth or La Tanière du Dragon.
Then there’s the aforementioned Phantom Manor, which draws visitors to its overgrown estate. Inside this abandoned mansion, the phosphorescent spirits are too busy feasting and dancing in the dining room to pay attention to their guests. Attend the Ghost Ball to celebrate ghost season throughout the year.
Once you’re done, head over to Walt Disney Studios Park for a thrilling adventure alongside friends, family, and foes inside the infamous Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. With its spooky new story, breathtaking 13-story drop, dark rooms, and terrifying ghosts, this thrilling ride transports guests to another dimension.
Halloween will also be celebrated in the shops of Disneyland Paris, where a wide range of exclusive souvenirs dedicated to Mickey & Friends, Disney Villains and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas will be sold.
Disneyland Paris will also offer new giveaways for Halloween 2022, including the Wicked Whip, a surprise cone, an incredible Maleficent Sundae in Lucky Nugget, a “Mickey Mummy” lollipop and many other products. Fang-tastic drinks will also be added to select bar and restaurant menus, including the Little Devil Cocktail, the Poisoned “Apple,” and the Oogie Boogie Mocktail.
Disney Halloween Party is a paid event at Disneyland Paris that allows guests to celebrate the spooky season in style. Disney Halloween parties cast a spell on the park only on October 29 and 31, 2022 until 2am! During this event, you can enjoy ride access, an exclusive parade, wickedly festive entertainment, and much more.
Disney Halloween Party tickets are sold separately and access is NOT included with a park ticket or hotel ticket package. For 2022, two Halloween parties will be held to offer more opportunities to enjoy a selection of 2 am attractions, such as Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean, along with an exclusive cavalcade and entertainment elements prepared by Disney Villains.
During the Disney Halloween Parties, some areas of Disneyland Paris will be home to spooky creatures, including strange zombies around the caves and crypts of Adventureland and ghostly encounters in Frontierland. As midnight strikes, the most intrepid guests will experience moments of fear on Main Street, USA, as mysterious spirits take over this area.
Guests will also discover exclusive new shows created with Disney’s Halloween parties in mind. In addition, the Halloween parade will also take place during both parties. Finally, the Disney Villains will also spend time around the Park to interact with the bravest Guests.
While these events at Disneyland Paris differ from year to year, Disney’s Halloween parties are best for those who want to immerse themselves in an incredibly scary atmosphere. It’s a fun and scary change of pace from the normal, not-so-scary atmosphere of Disneyland Paris during Halloween, but the main entertainment isn’t materially different or improved. Attend by environment and atmospheric artists; don’t go if you’re satisfied with the normal Halloween experience at Disneyland Paris.
Ultimately, the normal Disneyland Paris Halloween experience is a good one. While we personally prefer Christmas (which starts less than a week after Halloween ends), they’re both great seasonal events.
On top of that, the crowds may be more manageable, the weather is much better compared to summer, and more. In short, fall is a great time to visit Disneyland Paris! Halloween is a big reason why, but it’s far from the only one. Autumn is a big season for all of France, so be sure to venture beyond the parks if you’re visiting DLP from abroad.
For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Find the best place to stay at Disneyland Paris Hotel Reviews. Check out 101 Disneyland Paris Tips for some (101, to be exact) of our top random tips for DLPing like a pro. Check out Disney Park Ticket Tips & Tricks for ways to save on tickets. To find out where to eat, check out our Disneyland restaurant reviews. For unique ideas of things that will enhance your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. Lastly, for advice beyond Disneytake a look at our Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris, France.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you visiting France for the fall of 2022? How is Halloween celebrated at Disneyland Paris? Any other way to get into the spirit of ghost season? Do you wish Walt Disney Studios Park did more to celebrate Halloween? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback, even when you disagree with us, is interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so share your thoughts in the comments below!