If your Disney World vacation is coming up this October, get excited — it’s right around the corner! Your Dining Reservations are booked, your top picks for rides are laid out, and if you’re like me, your bags may or may not already be packed. October is just a few weeks away, and with it comes limited-time offerings that embrace the season as well as some once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.
Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Hunt
Every October, EPCOT is decorated with colorful pumpkins fashioned to resemble favorite Disney characters in Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Hunt. Fun for the whole family, this scavenger hunt includes a map and game pieces you can purchase around EPCOT for $9.99. As you locate the pumpkins, you fill in your map. You then redeem your completed map for a prize! (Tip – You can redeem your prize at the time you purchase your map, so you don’t have to make a separate trip back to the select merchandise locations to grab a prize).
More Halloween Decorations and Entertainment
Disney World starts celebrating Halloween early. As in, the first pumpkins start appearing in Magic Kingdom by August 1 early. By the time October finally rolls around, it will have been two months of festive decor, and nearly two months of after-hours parties and Halloween-themed treats. But there are even more Halloween-themed decorations and entertainment to be had come October.
Over in Disney Springs, the Squad Ghoul begins performing Friday through Sunday from September 29th to October 29th. You can catch them at the Waterside Stage. Over in Town Center, you can spot Zombie Drummers and Skeleton Stiltwalkers every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October.
If you want to find not-so-scary Halloween activities outside of the theme parks, The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is the place to be! Campers go all out with their Halloween decor the closer we get to Halloween, with lawn inflatables, pumpkins, lights, and more family-friendly seasonal ornaments found throughout the campsites. It’s a great low-cost way to celebrate the season. (Note – guests not staying overnight at the campgrounds must have a confirmed dining reservation to park a car at the resort. Look to take an alternate mode of transportation, such as the buses or boats).
The Official Disney 100 Celebration
At long last, the Disney 100 Celebration has reached Walt Disney World! The Walt Disney Company has been celebrating its 100th anniversary all year with festivities at Disneyland Resort and across the globe with the Disney100: The Exhibition. But starting September 22, EPCOT will be the hub of all things Disney100 in Central Florida. The celebration will include special photo ops, character meet and greets, exclusive menu items across the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, and a brand-new nighttime look for Spaceship Earth.
Special Halloween-themed treats
Halloween is one of the best times of the year to visit Disney World if you’re a big fan of limited-time treats. These unique food and beverage items can be found around the parks and resorts all season long, but even more treats will soon emerge in the month of October. When Disney World first unveiled its Early Fall Foodie Guide, it hinted that more goodies would be on the way in October. Keep your eyes peeled for new treats to appear!
Learn how to draw Disney villains
Throughout the year, guests can sit down at the Animation Experience at the Conservation Station in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and enjoy a complimentary drawing class. In October, the drawing classes take a spooky twist with a villain-inspired lineup. In your next class, you could learn how to draw Bruce from “Finding Nemo;” Kaa and Shere Khan from “The Jungle Book;” Tick-Tock from “Peter Pan;” or Scar from “The Lion King.” The villainous drawing classes take place daily from October 1 through 31.
