Spooky Season on Disney+: The Best Family-Friendly Movies and Shows to Stream This Halloween

From Hocus Pocus to Goosebumps, Disney+ has plenty of Halloween offerings for all ages.

By Charlie Ridgely - October 6, 2024 09:29 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 thrills 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. And just to avoid any confusion, this list is only taking to account things that belong to Disney+ proper, not Hulu titles that show up on Disney+. You'd still need a Hulu account to watch any of that and this is strictly about the Disney+ offerings.

Check out the full list below!

Hocus Pocus

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 and LaKeith Stanfield, 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.

Haunted Mansion

The Muppet version may be more fun, but the 2023 take on Disney's Haunted Mansion is a good movie that really wears its love for the original ride on its sleeve.

If you've got kids who are starting to dabble with light horror, there are some solid scares in Haunted Mansion that will keep them engaged but won't feel like too much. This movie also boasts a great cast that will keep you laughing throughout.

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+.

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.

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?

Gravity Falls is kind of like Gilmore Girls for animation fans; every year when fall comes around, it's time to start another rewatch.

Goosebumps

Disney and Hulu's Goosebumps series might be the most faithful and well-executed adaptation of R.L. Stine's beloved book series that we've seen yet. The first season, which is only 10 episodes long, brings in all sorts of Goosebumps iconography and storylines, mixing them into one easily digestible plot that will thrill both teen and adult audiences.

At the center of it all is a wonderfully wacky performance from horror legend-in-the-making Justin Long. This is such a fun ride and there is already a second season on the way. The sophomore edition, however, will feature an all-new cast, adopting an anthology format to cover more of Stine's books.

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

TRIXIE, MR. POTATO HEAD, REX, MR. PRICKLEPANTS, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, COMBAT CARL — (Photo: Disney/Pixar)

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

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.