There’s nothing like a cozy fall night in: the lights are dimmed, you’re bundled up in a blanket, and you’re sipping apple cider with a plethora of pumpkin-flavored treats well within reach. And, to top it all off, you’re about to turn on the TV — but what should you watch?
I’ve spent far too many nights pondering what to watch on TV. This problem is especially prevalent for me in the fall and winter when I want to feel a certain seasonal vibe. Most people’s automatic answer to my dilemma would be to turn on a horror movie; for some reason, though, horror movies never do it for me when I want to get into the fall or Halloween mood. (And TBH, I can only watch scary movies when I’m with another person!)
When I treat myself to a night in during autumn, my goal is to feel a sense of nostalgia and comfort. This requires a certain type of show, and what better genre to bring out that nostalgia than Disney Channel shows?
A few years ago, I was having a night in during October with my friend and we couldn’t decide what to watch. Earlier that day, we’d gotten pumpkin-flavored drinks from Starbucks and walked among the changing leaves. To keep those vibes going, we decided to watch Disney Channel Halloween episodes. This brought back so many memories and left us feeling like little kids again!
So, here are my top 10 Disney Channel Halloween episodes. Plan a cozy night in with your friends, throw one of these on the TV, and truly get your “spooky season” on!
10. Girl Meets World: “Of Terror” (Season 1, Episode 18)
In this episode of Girl Meets World, Auggie hilariously breaks the fourth wall by leading the telling of three different ghost stories: Farkle overcoming his fear of Maya’s pitching, Riley facing her fear of staying over at Maya’s house, and Auggie befriending a monster under his bed. The storytelling is occasionally interrupted by Topanga telling him to come to dinner. This episode always kept my attention when I watched it because I had to track three different stories at once. Three similar Girl Meets World Halloween episodes follow this one, one in each of the following seasons.
9. Shake It Up: “Haunt it Up” (Season 3, Episode 25)
Shake It Up had some insanely iconic episodes, always accompanied by a song and dance routine. This might be an unpopular opinion, but this particular Halloween episode was one of my favorites from the whole series! CeCe and Rocky skip trick-or-treating for “Mature-o’ween,” while Flynn bets Ty and Deuce he can handle a haunted house. Flynn winds up pranking the two older boys; meanwhile, a mysterious boy appears and scares everyone. The song they perform is called “Let’s Get Freaky”, and it lives up to its name!
8. Gravity Falls: “Summerween” (Season 1, Episode 12)
How could I not include an episode of Gravity Falls, the Disney show that epitomizes coziness? I mean, come on — an eerie animated show set in the middle of the woods that still manages to feel like home? Although it’s a show largely set during the summer, I can’t help but pair it with fall in my mind. In this Halloween episode, Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Grunkle Stan prepare for Summerween (a second Halloween celebrated in summer). After an encounter with the Summerween Trickster, Dipper, Mabel, and their friends are forced to collect 500 pieces of candy or be eaten alive.
7. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: “The Ghost in Suite 613” (Season 1, Episode 18)
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody was one of my all-time favorite TV shows growing up, so it’s no wonder this Halloween episode appears on my list! Zack enjoys scaring Cody, and when London tells the two about a ghost in Suite 613, Zack eagerly investigates despite Cody’s fears. They visit the suite, where a man named Muriel shares the tragic tale of Irene: a woman whose husband left her during WWII, resulting in her death. Zack bets Cody he can’t stay the night there, and in the evening, Arwin detects paranormal activity and Esteban’s seance seems to summon Irene! However, the whole thing turns out to be a prank on Zack.
6. Jessie: “Ghost Bummers” (Season 3, Episode 1)
Because the third season’s premiere date for Jessie fell on October 5, the first episode of the season was a Halloween episode. This was also the case for Jessie’s season two Halloween episode, but don’t worry; we’ll talk about that one, too! In this episode, Mrs. Chesterfield throws a party but doesn’t invite Jessie and the kids (not exactly a shocker, TBH). In spite of Chesterfield, they throw their own Halloween party. The party takes a turn, however, when Jessie begins to see spirits haunting the building. This episode includes references to Ghostbusters, while the second season’s Halloween episode references The Shining.
5. Liv and Maddie: “Helgaween-a-Rooney” (Season 2, Episode 3)
Liv and Maddie always perplexed me as a child, because I genuinely thought Dove Cameron only played Liv and had a twin sister who played Maddie. Keeping this confusion in mind, you can imagine how this particular Halloween episode totally blew my mind. In this one, a magical amulet turns the twins into triplets. The additional triplet turns out to be named — yep, you guessed it — Helga, an evil variation of Liv and Maddie. Meanwhile, Parker and Joey use that same amulet to clone themselves.
4. Austin and Ally: “Costumes and Courage” (Season 2, Episode 1)
I remember this episode very vividly, probably because the events were so hilarious and memorable. The episode begins with Dez carving a pumpkin with Austin’s face on it, then smashing it when Austin points out a mistake. Jimmy Starr invites Austin, Ally, Trish, and Dez to his Halloween party and asks them to write a song for Austin to perform. Dez believes the party’s location, Brownstone Mansion, is haunted. At the party, Ally accidentally sends a rude message to Jimmy but manages to delete it. Dez mistakenly knocks out Taylor Swift, and Trish reveals she faked a haunting. Ally pretends to be Taylor Swift to perform with Austin, impressing everyone with their song, “Don’t Look Down”. The actors from Austin and Ally were always hilarious and had such great chemistry, making this one a standout Halloween episode.
3. Jessie: “The Whining” (Season 2, Episode 1)
I know, another Jessie episode. Jessie’s Halloween episodes are some of the most memorable for me. The Ross kids become worried after the creepy doorman, Grimm, tells them a spooky legend about a nanny who harmed children in the building. Luke convinces the kids to trick-or-treat on the thirteenth floor, where strange things happen. Meanwhile, Jessie prepares to meet a magazine editor at a Halloween party. This was such a hilarious episode, and I loved every scene on the thirteenth floor.
2. Wizards of Waverly Place: “Halloween” (Season 3, Episode 2)
I couldn’t help myself; I had to put the Wizards of Waverly Place episode pretty high on this list — after all, the show always had elements of magic regardless of the season, and it’s a total classic. In this Halloween episode, the Waverly Place Merchants Association tells the Russo family that their haunted house isn’t scary enough. To solve the issue, the family calls in real spirits to prove they can have a scary house. At first, the spirits aren’t scary enough, so the family ends up summoning Mantooth (the scariest ghost in the wizard world) in hopes of bringing their A-game. Of course, this doesn’t exactly go to plan.Â
1. A.N.T. Farm: “mutANT Farm” (Season 1, Episode 14)
A.N.T. Farm’s Halloween episodes are a true staple of my personal Halloween experience. In each season of the show, there is a coinciding “mutANT Farm” episode where the kids are no longer themselves. Instead, they are monstrous versions of themselves. For instance, Chyna is Medusa, Olive is a mad scientist with a humongous brain, and Fletcher is a seriously blood-thirsty vampire. These personas carry on through in each of the show’s Halloween episodes. In the first “mutANT Farm” episode Chyna is a new student, much like she was in the first regular episode. Being a monster, she fits in among her peers; however, the roles of the social hierarchy are reversed, with the regular students being scared of the A.N.T.s instead of looking down on them. Chyna comes up with the idea to allow the humans to attend the “MutANTs Only” Halloween Dance to create a more inclusive school environment. And, of course, the episode is accompanied by a fan-favorite Disney Channel song: “Calling All the Monsters”.
So, there you have it: my top 10 Disney Channel Halloween episodes, perfect for a cozy fall night in. Whether you’re looking for nostalgia, a bit of spooky fun, or just an excuse to revisit some childhood favorites, these episodes capture the essence of this season perfectly. So, grab your favorite fall snacks, dim the lights, and let the comfort and joy of these iconic Disney Channel moments take you back to simpler times — especially if you’re like me, and would rather opt for a less fear-inducing TV choice.
Happy watching, and enjoy getting into the spooky spirit!