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Halloween is one of the biggest American holidays on the calendar. It's a day to dress up, run around in the dark, see the neighbors, and hand out candy to smiling children. It’s also an excuse to start streaming Halloween movies, and for those looking for stuff that appeals to all age groups, the safest option is to stick to Disney Halloween movies, which are spooky without being nightmare fuel. These Halloween movies on Disney+ are one way to keep the Halloween spirit going at home all month long.
Most people don't think of scary or spooky when they think of Disney. The House of Mouse provides plenty of fodder for costumes, from Star Wars to Marvel to Disney princesses. But the PG nature of the Disney brand causes many viewers to write it off when looking for festive movies to watch this time of year.
But one look at Disney+’s lineup will prove this false. Disney happens to have some of the best Halloween films ever made, including several Touchstone Pictures classics. The Disney Channel has also spent decades creating Halloween films for all ages. The result is that Disney+ has one of the most expansive movie lineups for families looking for at-home ways to celebrate this Halloween.
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01
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The one, the only, the original story of Jack Skellington, Tim Burton's famed Halloween cartoon, The Nightmare Before Christmas, is now a resident on Disney+, and is still as perfect for the season as you remember.
02
Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus is still a mainstay of Freeform's Halloween movie countdown. But this Bette Midler-led film from Kenny Ortega (the man behind High School Musical) can be watched anytime on Disney+. (And there's a sequel in the works, too.)
03
Coco
Coco is Pixar's brilliant story of a little boy transported to the Land of the Dead to seek out his deceased musician great-great-grandfather. It's perfect viewing as part of any Day of the Dead celebrations. While that’s not exactly Halloween, the Mexican festival is in the same spirit, and one that deserves to be highlighted this time of year.
04
Escape To Witch Mountain
This 1975 tale of two psychic orphans is usually classified as science fiction. But the haunting story in what has become the long-running Witch Mountain saga has plenty of spookiness for the Halloween season.
05
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
A live-action Tim Burton classic, based on the novel of the same name, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is a magical story of a home for children with unusual powers. It's a time-traveling tale full of the terror of growing up and the wonder of discovering yourself.
06
Frankenweenie
The other Tim Burton comedy animation on the list, the 2012 3D stop motion Frankenweenie is a full-length remake of Burton's 1984 short story. In it, Victor Frankenstein uses electricity to resurrect his dead Bull Terrier, Sparky.
07
Don't Look Under The Bed
The scariest movie the Disney Channel ever produced, Don't Look Under the Bed details Francis' quest to determine if the Boogeyman is real. The film is famous for the House of Mouse pulling it from its rotation after parents complained, and it was the last horror-themed film made by the Disney Channel for many years after.
08
Zombies
After the success of High School Musical, it's not surprising Disney Channel went whole hog one Halloween and made a zombie musical. Based on Zombies & Cheerleaders by David Light and Joseph Raso, Zombies stars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly as a zombie football player and human cheerleader, respectively, who fall in love. It was followed by a sequel, Zombies 2.
09
Toy Story Of Terror
Pixar gets into the Halloween spirit with an animated adventure. Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toy gang head out on a road trip, only to find the scariest place is when you’re far from home.
10
Maleficent
One of the newest additions for Halloween, Disney+ brings Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent to the party. This retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of the Evil Fairy who loves her was a significant box office hit when it debuted in 2011, and it’s perfect fairytale Halloween fare a decade later.
11
Twitches
Based on the series of novels by the same name, Twitches stars Tia and Tamera Mowry as twin witches separated at birth who rediscover each other on their 21st birthday. The film was so popular, it spawned a sequel, Twitches 2.
12
Mom's Got A Date With A Vampire
Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire features a preppy mom in Caroline Rhea, two meddling tweets who discover she's dating a vampire, and Robert Carradine turning up to spoof himself as Malachi Van Helsing.
13
Halloweentown
The first of four Halloweentown films, this 1998 Disney Channel classic creates an entire alternate universe where all the scaries of Halloween (witches, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, trolls, zombies, pumpkin heads, and so forth) have separated themselves from humanity and run their own village called Halloweentown.
14
The Haunted Mansion
Eddie Murphy stars in this 2003 supernatural comedy based on the famed Disney park ride. One of the few big-budget, big-screen films on the list, The Haunted Mansion was a critical disaster at the time but has since become a fun family-favorite and a so-bad-it's-good cult classic.
15
Can Of Worms
This 1999 Disney Channel science fiction comedy is based on a novel of the same name by Kathy Mackel. In it, Michael Shulman stars as Mike Pillsbury, who discovers he is an extraterrestrial when The Bom, an alien lawyer, arrives to have him sue for millions of galactic credits due to Earth's substandard living conditions.
16
The Ghosts Of Buxley Hall
This 1980 story of an army of ghosts trying to prevent the merger of 100-year-old Buxley Military Academy with a school for girls isn't just a classic; it's a timely tale of the futility of trying to hold back progress.
17
Blackbeard’s Ghost
It's both ghosts and pirates all in one story when the spirit of Blackbeard decides to materialize in a New England town. He’s stuck until he manages to do one good deed, but it turns out that’s easier said than done when the college track team he haunts in hopes of helping them win turns out not to have a ghost of a chance.
18
Mr. Boogedy
A tale of colonial ghosts haunting a New England mansion is classic Halloween stuff. The Davis family moves in to find all sorts of haunted house goodies, including "The Boogedy Man." This made-for-TV movie was so popular when it arrived in the 1980s, Disney made a sequel, Bride of Boogedy.
19
Phantom Of The Megaplex
Disney Channel's 2010 take on Phantom of the Opera, The Phantom of the Multiplex is as funny as it is gently spooky. A haunted megaplex has several suspects who could be the Phantom, and it's up to assistant manager Pete Riley and his younger siblings to figure out who it is while also remembering to value their childhood.
20
Muppets Haunted Mansion
It’s been a while since the Muppets did a holiday theme special, but Disney+ has just the thing for Halloween: Muppets Haunted Mansion. The beloved Muppets head over to the famous Disney haunted mansion for some of the zaniest fun Kermit and company have had in years.
21
Now You See It...
Now You See It... is a mockumentary film told from the point of view of Allyson (Aly Michalka). In it, her quest to make a reality show about hunting for "the world's best magician" accidentally turns up real magic.
22
Invisible Sister
Based on the book My Invisible Sister by Beatrice Colin and Sara Pinto, Rowan Blanchard stars as the nerdy Cleo, who accidentally turns her popular older sister Molly (Paris Berelc) invisible.
23
Halloween House Party
A set of comedy shorts and scary stories to tell in the dark, this 2020 special designed for the at-home Halloweeners is perfect for anyone in need of a laugh with their terror tales.
24
Girl Vs. Monster
A 2012 fantasy-comedy from the Disney Channel, Girl vs. Monster stars Olivia Holt as Skylar. One Halloween, she discovers she is descended from a long line of monster-hunters, and the hunting of monsters ensues.
25
The Scream Team
Mark Rendall and Kat Dennings star as Ian and Claire Carlyle, whose late grandfather Frank ran a horror shop in Steeple Falls. Frank's spirit is trying to tell them something, which leads them to uncover a group of ghosts known as "The Soul Patrol."
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