For those of you that may not enjoy the horror genre, or maybe you simply want something nostalgic to watch, here are my top five Disney Halloween classics! This list is a mix between Disney movies, episodes from Disney Channel shows, and Disney Channel Original Movies. You’re bound to find something on this list that will be the perfect watch for Halloween!
- Haunted Mansion (2003)
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Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube This movie gets a lot of hate (especially from fans of the Disney parks), but personally, this is my favorite Halloween movie. I absolutely loved this movie when I was younger and that feeling hasn’t gone away. The movie is inspired by the Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and there are small callbacks to the ride in the movie.
Real estate agents Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) and his wife Sara (Marsha Thomason) get an invitation to sell a mansion in New Orleans. Upon arriving for a quick stop at the mansion before a family vacation, Jim and Sara, along with their two children, get trapped in the mansion and uncover the mystery of a curse.
The movie recently got a reboot that released this year, and I would highly recommend watching that as well, especially if you are a fan of the ride.
- The Suite Life of Zach & Cody: “The Ghost of Suite 613” (2005)
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In my opinion, this is the most iconic Halloween episode from a Disney Channel show. Zack, Cody, Maddie, and London decide to spend the night in a suite that is claimed to be haunted. The ghost stories don’t seem to scare the group too much until the ghost of the tenant who had died there makes herself known.
I will never forget the “possession” of Esteban. Iconic.
- Halloweentown (1998)
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The Halloweentown franchise is near and dear to my heart, so much so that movies were the topic of the first article I wrote for Gettysburg’s Chapter of Her Campus: “‘Halloweentown’: 5 Reasons Why This Movie Will Never Die.” My favorite of the four Halloweentown movies has to be the first.
Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown) and her siblings follow their grandmother (Debbie Reynolds) home to Halloweentown, a mystical world where supernatural beings can safely reside. The siblings discover that they come from a family of witches, but trouble is brewing: Halloweentown is fighting against an evil power threatening to take over the world. The family must come together to ward off the evil beings and save Halloweentown.
The Halloweentown franchise are cheesy Disney movies at their core, and that’s what I love about them. You can’t go wrong with these movies (although I’ll never forgive Disney Channel for replacing Marnie’s actress in the fourth movie).
- girl vs. monster (2012)
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I was obsessed with this movie when it first came out. Skylar (Olivia Holt) discovers on Halloween that she is a 5th generation monster hunter. After accidentally releasing monsters that her parents had captured, Skylar must stop them before they hurt the people she loves.
Again, it’s another cheesy Disney Channel Original Movie, and of course, it includes those random moments where the characters burst out into song. I definitely find myself cringing at some moments when watching this movie now, but what Disney Channel movie isn’t like that?
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
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Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers / YouTube I never watched this movie when I was younger, but after watching it for the first time a few years ago, it is one of my Halloween staples. It’s a fan-favorite, and I’m surprised it took me so long to discover it.
After moving to Salem, Massachusetts, Max Dennison explores an abandoned house with his younger sister Dani and their new friend, Allison. Max lights the infamous black flame candle and accidentally frees a coven of evil witches known as the Sanderson sisters: Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy). With the help of a magical cat, the kids must stop the witches before they turn themselves immortal.
Hocus Pocus 2 was released in 2022, and the Sanderson sisters return to wreak havoc once more. Although the first movie is still my favorite, I would highly recommend watching the long-awaited sequel. It makes for a great double feature!
Here are some honorable mentions that didn’t make it into the top five: Gravity Falls Season One Episode 12 “Summerween,” Wizards of Waverly Place Season Three Episode Two “Halloween,” and That’s So Raven Season Two Episode Two “Don’t Have a Cow.”
Happy Halloween!