ANAHEIM, Calif. — On a bright and sultry day, some visitors walk around in tank tops, lightweight shirts, and shades.
The sun is out.
The weather sits in the 80s.
From all indications, it's a nice summer day strolling around at Disneyland.
But the décor is anything but.
The lamp posts at Disney California Adventure are decorated with purple and black banners, and faux bats fly out of Carthay Circle. A statue of the headless horseman is displayed in Buena Vista Street. Characters from the Pixar animated movie "Cars" are in costume.
At night, the monsters come out at the Guardians of the Galaxy ride.
In Disneyland, a giant Mickey Mouse pumpkin sits in Town Square. Orange banners with fall leaves hang on lampposts throughout Main Street, U.S.A.
And Jack Skellington and the "Nightmare Before Christmas" Halloween Town crew have taken over the Haunted Mansion.
Halloween has taken over Disneyland Resort — in August.
Move over back to school season.
What has typically been a fall activity, Halloween, has now arrived in summer.
Theme Park Insider Editor Robert Niles said that pushing Halloween this early is Disneyland's way of capitalizing on one of its most popular and busiest seasonal events during a historically slow time of the year.
Many of Disneyland's core targets — families with young children — are returning to school.
Disney has been running Halloween events this early at Walt Disney World in Florida for years, said Niles.
Now, it's Disneyland's turn. Last year, Disneyland Resort kicked off its Halloween celebration on Sept. 1.
"Disneyland is trying to extend its high season by a couple of weeks, starting Halloween Time before Labor Day," said Niles to Spectrum News. "Disney knows crowds will show up for the start of any seasonal event, so shifting that to a previously light time of year also helps the park better balance crowds."
A Disneyland official told Spectrum News "this year offers more time than ever for guests to experience and enjoy the very popular season."
Halloween has become a big business for many retailers and theme parks. According to the National Retail Federation, consumer Halloween spending was expected to reach a record $12.2 billion in 2023, up 15% from the previous year.
With the pandemic over, many consumers are willing to spend on costumes, decorations and trick-or-treat outings to “take part in this popular and fun tradition,” said NRF President Matthew Shay.
This year, Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios Hollywood have announced their Halloween offerings.
Like Disneyland, most theme parks have added more days and pushed their dates up to accommodate the popularity of their Halloween seasonal events.
Niles said it's a matter of time before the public sees more companies hosting Halloween events in the summer.
"If fans show up, and based on the opening day [at Disneyland Resort on Friday], they will; people should expect Disneyland to make an August start for Halloween a new SoCal tradition," said Niles.
"Halloween is a lifestyle franchise for some fans these days," added Niles. "Disney could run Halloween stuff year round and make some people happy with that."
What's new for Halloween at Disneyland Resort
Disney has reimagined the "Coco" show at the Paradise Gardens in Disney California Adventure.
Starting Aug. 30, visitors can check out "The Storytellers of Plaza de la Familia Celebrate The Musical World of Coco!" and listen to narrators Alma and Ramon tell the story of Coco and the Dia De Los Muertos tradition.
The 15-minute show will feature new bright and vibrant costumes, traditional dancers and music such as "Remember Me" and "La Llorona." For the first time, the show will also have an interactive element. At some points during the performance, the narrators will ask the children or guests watching the show to come up and dance.
The show ends Nov. 2.
Over at Hollywood Land, Disney unveiled a new stage show for children. "Mickey's Trick and Treat" features Mickey, Minnie and the gang in their Halloween attire. The 15-minute show has plenty of music, video projections, special effects, bubbles, lots of dancing, and a sweet treat at the end.
Food
Disney is spicing things up during Halloween at Disneyland.
Visitors looking for more kick in their food will get it with the "Ghost" of Anaheim burger at the Galactic Grill. The Angus beef burger and vegetable patty are topped with ghost pepper salsa verde sauce, pepper jack, green chile pico de gallo, cilantro-lime cabbage slaw, and crispy onions on a toasted brioche bun.
"I will warn you that it is a little bit spicier in comparison to other foods we serve at the resort," said Chef Brizy Sermeno. "We have a lot of guests that always request for something spicy. We have Tabasco packets. But some ask, 'Do you have anything spicier?' We think this one is going to be a fan favorite."