Halloween on Disney+: 10 Best Movies and Shows to Stream for Spooky Season

By Charlie Ridgely - October 4, 2022 07:17 pm EDT

October is here and that means the celebration of Halloween is in full swing. Pumpkins are being carved, candles are being lit, and a lot of people are trying to decide what horror movies they will watch over the next few weeks. However, not everyone who loves Halloween is into slashers, possession, gore, or ghost stories. Some people like their horror on the milder side. Others have families with small kids that maybe aren't ready for all that stuff. That's okay, because there are plenty of family-friendly spooks to enjoy this Halloween season, many of which are streaming on Disney+.

Disney+ has established itself as the go-to streamer for families, and that can apply to Halloween season as well. There are plenty of titles on the service that deal with witches, spirits, ghosts, monsters, and the undead. Whether you're looking for something to watch on movie night or a TV show to binge throughout the month, there's something spooky to be found on Disney+.

While there is a lot to sort through on the service, we put together a list of the 10 best Halloween movies and shows currently available on Disney+, which should be plenty to get you started.

Check out the full list below!

Hocus Pocus (1&2)

Let's just get the most obvious one out of the way right off the bat. Hocus Pocus has become a bonafide Halloween classic since it was released in 1993. The film is a must-watch every Spooky Season, and the popularity gained over time was enough to warrant a brand new sequel from Disney, which was just released as a Disney+ exclusive.

Hocus Pocus 2 doesn't have the same iconic status as its predecessor at this point, but it's still a fun sequel that pairs well with the original as a double feature. There's no such thing as too much Sanderson Sisters.

Muppets Haunted Mansion

Apologies to Eddie Murphy, but the Muppets delivered the best screen adaptation of Disney's beloved Haunted Mansion attraction to-date. Muppets Haunted Mansion is truly the best of both worlds represented in its title. It has all of the brilliant laughs of a great Muppets title, while bringing to life everything we love about the Haunted Mansion.

If you just can't get enough of Disney's spookiest attraction, you can also watch the 2003 Haunted Mansion adaptation on Disney+. It's not very good, but it's the only other option until the new Haunted Mansion hits theaters in 2023.

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror

There may not be a show on television that does Halloween as well as The Simpsons. Starting with its second season, The Simpsons began airing a Halloween-themed episode in October, with each episode featuring three small, spooky stories. 30+ years later, Treehouse of Horror remains one of the most popular Halloween specials each and every year.

Every episode of The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror that has already aired is available to stream on Disney+. The service has made them all easy to find by putting them in its Halloween hub.

Halloweentown

For a lot of people now in their 30s and 40s, Disney Channel Original Movies were a staple of adolescence. The made-for-TV movies have a soft spot in our hearts all these years later, and few gained the lasting popularity of Halloweentown.

The movie follows a girl named Marnie as she travels with her grandmother — a good witch — to a world called Halloweentown, where ghouls and goblins live normal lives. There are four Halloweentown movies total, all of which are streaming on Disney+.

Gravity Falls

If you haven't seen Gravity Falls before, now would be a great time to start. The two-season series is a masterful work of TV animation, telling beautiful stories while consistently mixing in elements of the supernatural and otherworldly. It's an animated series about a family heavily inspired by Twin Peaks and The X-Files, what's not to love?

Frankenweenie

This movie is easily the biggest gut-punch on this entire list. The Tim Burton stop-motion classic starts with the death of a boy's beloved dog, only for that boy to go full mad scientist and bring the dog back to life. It's a wild adventure that scratches the Frankenstein itch, but it's also an incredibly poignant film for young viewers.

Frankenweenie deals head-on with the topics of loss, grief, and the fragility of our own mortality in ways that young people can understand. It can be a hard watch at times, but also a very important one.

Cruella

Okay, Cruella is not a traditional Halloween movie in any sense of the word. It's not scary, it does deal with anything supernatural, and it doesn't even take place during a specific time of year.

But when it comes to the spirit of Halloween in the real world, Cruella has a lot to offer. The film revels in trickery and dressing up in lavish, over-the-top costumes, invoking the feelings of Halloween night. If you don't like any kind of ghouls, ghosts, hauntings, or witches, Cruella is the Halloween pick for you.

The Owl House

The Owl House is like a mix of Gravity Falls and all the good things in Halloweentown. It's an animated series about a girl who gets transported to a world that is much spookier than her own, where she befriends a witch and a tiny warrior king.

The first two seasons of The Owl House are already on Disney+, with the third and final season set to premiere on The Disney Channel and Disney XD on October 15th.

Toy Story of Terror

Everybody loves Toy Story, right? The beloved Pixar franchise has been one of the most beloved animated properties of all time, but some fans may not realize that Toy Story actually released a Halloween special back in 2013 with all of the main franchise stars.

Toy Story of Terror isn't very scary by any stretch of the imagination, but it's soaked in the Spooky Season spirit. All of the beloved toys begin the special at a roadside motel, but they suddenly start disappearing one-by-one. It's a great Halloween special for fans of any age, but this is an especially great option if you're looking for something to watch with really young kids.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

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Before anyone starts arguing, this is both a Christmas AND Halloween movie. The Nightmare Before Christmas has become an iconic watch during both holiday seasons, a musical spectacle that could only come from the minds of Tim Burton, Henry Selick, and Danny Elfman. It's impossible not to get "This Is Halloween" stuck in your head at least once during the month of October.

Disney+ just released a sing-along version of The Nightmare Before Christmas at the end of last month, giving longtime fans a new experience this year. If you've already watched the Selick classic and want more stop-motion goodness, James and the Giant Peach is also on Disney+ and should help scratch that itch.