Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is back at the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain has become the Ghost Galaxy coaster, and a giant Mickey Mouse jack-o’-lantern is glowing on Main Street, U.S.A.
It’s officially Halloween time at the Disneyland Resort.
For the first time, from now through Halloween, Disney California Adventure is getting the Halloween makeover, too, and it’s much “darker and edgier” than its Disneyland counterpart, said Charlie Kowalski, art director at Disneyland Resort.
An 80-foot-long, 35-foot-tall, six-ton Oogie Boogie looms over the Disney California Adventure entrance. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” villain beckons visitors with one-liners and his booming laugh travels across the park, said Dave Caranci, manager of creative development at Disney Imagineering Anaheim.
“While Disneyland has a family friendly and pumpkin theme, we wanted DCA to feel different in sound and look,” he said. “Bats are the main theme for DCA.”
DCA has never fully received the Halloween treatment. In the late 2000s, for a few years, the park had an overlay called Candy Corn Acres.
“But that was nothing compared to what we are doing now,” Caranci said.
On Buena Vista Street, black and purple banners and bat displays on windows dominate. The sound of bats can be heard fluttering and at dusk – or what they call the “witching hour” – the bells toll for the first time at the Carthay Circle. The music is much darker, a mix of “Tim Burton and Danny Elfman,” Caranci said.
At the hub, there’s a custom-made 13-foot-tall Headless Horseman sculpture. The horse’s eyes glow red, its nose snorts smoke and the horseman’s pumpkin head flares with flame.
Nearby restaurants are offering special Halloween-themed treats such as a Sleepy Hollow red velvet cupcake, cake pops that look like Snow White’s poisoned apple, and ghostly pepper nachos.
Once the sun sets, the new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction also transforms. The elevator free-fall ride will feature a new song and video called “Monsters After Dark.” Workers wear first-responder gear as guests are given the task of rescuing Groot.
Cars Land, a major part of Disney’s $1 billion park expansion in 2012, received a fun and impressive overlay called Haul-O-Ween.
On opening night Friday, Sept. 15, thousands flocked to the entrance of Route 66 and Radiator Springs — now Radiator Screams — to see what was new.
The town’s courthouse comes to life. The windows have eyes and stare at passersby. Popular “Cars” characters dress up for Halloween, with Mater as a toothy villain and Lightning McQueen in superhero gear, among other surprises.
Two rides have been changed. Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters turns into Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween with new dance steps.
Caranci said the new Halloween decorations at DCA are just a snippet of what’s to come.
“This is a whole new overlay and part of a multi-year plan to develop more,” he said.
The decorations stay up until Oct. 31.