What makes a Halloween on the High Seas cruise different from a regular Disney cruise? We had the chance to find out during our recent 5-night sailing aboard the Disney Fantasy, which was our first Halloween-themed cruise with our kids.
In this post, we’ll share our experience sailing on a Halloween on the High Seas cruise with our 5-year-old and 3-year-old. We’ll cover the special decorations, entertainment, costumes, trick-or-treating, food, merchandise, and more that make these sailings different from a regular Disney cruise. We’ll also share our overall thoughts on the experience and whether we’d book another Halloween on the High Seas cruise with young kids.
Halloween Decorations on the Disney Fantasy
There’s always something special about walking into the atrium for the first time on a Disney cruise. No matter how many times we’ve sailed, hearing our family’s name announced, seeing the Cast Members clap for us, and stepping into the atrium always feels like the official start of our vacation. This time felt even more special because of the Halloween decorations.
Our sailing took place at the end of October and was the final Halloween on the High Seas sailing of the season aboard the Disney Fantasy. The Halloween decorations were already in place when we boarded and remained up throughout our 5-night cruise.
Halloween garland featuring Mickey-shaped pumpkins decorated the railings in the atrium, and Disney Villain-themed window decals covered some of the porthole windows on the surrounding decks. But the real showstopper was the Pumpkin Tree standing in the atrium. There was no question we were on a Halloween sailing as soon as we stepped aboard.
The Pumpkin Tree was definitely my favorite decoration. I thought it was so well done and added just the right amount of spooky Halloween atmosphere without being scary for young kids. I liked it so much that I even purchased a Pumpkin Tree figurine from the gift shop, which I’ll share more about later in the post!
Halloween Entertainment and Activities
A Halloween on the High Seas cruise features the entertainment and activities you might find on a regular Disney cruise, along with special Halloween-themed experiences unique to these sailings.
Our cruise still included Pirate Night, although some of the entertainment was moved indoors because of the weather. You can read more about our indoor Pirate Night show experience here.
Pumpkin Tree Lighting Ceremony
The first night of our cruise featured a Pumpkin Tree Lighting Ceremony narrated by a storyteller. Each Disney cruise ship has its own unique Pumpkin Tree and storyteller, so the experience will be slightly different depending on which ship you sail on.
The ceremony takes place in the atrium and is a popular event with guests. On our sailing, there were two showtimes for the Pumpkin Tree Lighting Ceremony, one earlier in the evening and another much later. The earlier ceremony conflicted with our rotational dining time, and by the time we finished dinner, the show was already underway. I tried to find a last-minute spot to watch, but the atrium was pretty crowded. The second show was past our kids’ bedtime, so we ended up skipping it.
One thing to keep in mind when sailing with young kids is that Disney offers different showtimes throughout the cruise to give families more opportunities to enjoy the entertainment. Depending on your dinner seating and how late your kids typically stay up, some showtimes may work better than others. If there’s something your family really wants to see, you might consider adjusting your dinner plans or making an exception to bedtime for a special night. Our kids didn’t even notice we missed the Pumpkin Tree Lighting Ceremony, so it really comes down to what works best for your family!
Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party
The second day of our cruise was the official Halloween celebration, with special entertainment and activities scheduled for that day and evening.
One of the main events was Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party on Deck 11. Mickey, Minnie, and their friends came out wearing their Halloween costumes and danced both on the stage and on the floor with guests.
We chose to watch the show from above on Deck 12. While we missed the chance to dance with the characters, I felt like it gave our kids a better overall view of everything happening below, and they didn’t seem to mind.
If your little one would love the opportunity to dance with the characters though, I’d recommend arriving early to find a spot on Deck 11.
Halloween Character Meet-and-Greets
You’ll also have opportunities to take photos with different Disney characters wearing their Halloween costumes. On our sailing, their first appearance in Halloween costumes was on Halloween night, but there were a few more chances throughout the cruise as well.
Outside of Halloween night, I didn’t see anything in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app indicating whether the characters would be wearing their Halloween costumes or regular cruise attire when doing a meet-and-greet. On Pirate Night, the characters wore their pirate outfits, but on other days, their costumes seemed to vary.
If getting photos with the characters in their Halloween costumes is important to your family, I’d recommend making time for character meet-and-greets on Halloween night rather than counting on another opportunity later in the cruise.
Halloween Crafts and Other Activities
Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of complimentary crafts throughout its sailings that don’t require reservations. The Navigator app will let you know the time and location of each activity, and your family can simply show up during the scheduled time.
One thing to look out for is that some crafts are specifically for adults and will be labeled 18+ in the description. You’ll also want to pay attention to the location. If a craft is inside the Oceaneer Club, it may be an activity that requires you to drop your child off to participate on their own, unless there’s an open house scheduled.
Our kids weren’t interested in staying in the Oceaneer Club on their own, so we skipped those activities. If you’re unsure whether a craft is open to families or only children attending the kids’ club, you can always ask the Cast Members outside the club.
During our Halloween cruise, there were special Halloween-themed crafts available. We made Disney Villain inspired magnets that we hung on our stateroom door. There was a little too much cutting involved for my 3-year-old to complete the craft on his own, but my 5-year-old really enjoyed making his magnet and hanging it on our door for the rest of the trip.
I also liked some of the smaller Halloween touches throughout the cruise, like popular Disney Halloween movies playing on Funnel Vision on Deck 11 and Halloween music playing around the ship and on the TV in our stateroom.
Costumes and Trick-or-Treating
One of the highlights of Halloween on the High Seas for our kids was getting dressed up in their Halloween costumes and going trick-or-treating on the ship!
Similar to Pirate Night, our sailing had one designated Halloween celebration night when guests could wear costumes, go trick-or-treating, and enjoy special Halloween entertainment.
Do You Have to Wear a Costume?
Don’t feel obligated to bring an elaborate Halloween costume. On our sailing, we saw a mix of guests wearing full costumes, Halloween-themed shirts, and regular clothing.
Both adults and children could participate in dressing up and trick-or-treating, so it’s entirely up to your family how much you want to get into the Halloween spirit.
What Is Trick-or-Treating Like on the Disney Fantasy?
On our sailing, trick-or-treating took place inside Cabanas on Deck 11, with two scheduled times: 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM.
Reusable treat bags with a Halloween on the High Seas design were provided at no additional cost. Each person received their own bag before entering one side of Cabanas and walking through several treat stations where Cast Members handed out handfuls of candy. Lines moved quickly and even with so many people participating, we didn’t have to wait at all which was great with young kids.
It took about 5 minutes to make it through the entire loop and by the time we were finished, our bags were about halfway full. Believe it or not, my kids aren’t huge candy eaters, so this was plenty for our family. However, guests could go through the trick-or-treating route as many times as they wanted during the scheduled event, which lasted about 30 minutes.
Planning Halloween Night With Young Kids
As I mentioned earlier, some of the Halloween entertainment times may not work as well for families with young kids. We had spent the first half of Halloween day at Castaway Cay, so I knew a later-than-usual bedtime probably wasn’t going to work for our kids.
Looking ahead in the Navigator app, I noticed there were two scheduled times for both trick-or-treating and Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party, which took place shortly after. Since we had the early dinner seating, we decided to adjust our plans so we could go to the earlier events.
Ultimately, we chose to skip rotational dining that night. There wasn’t a special Halloween menu that we could see. Instead, we got the kids dressed in their costumes early and grabbed dinner at Flo’s Cafe on Deck 11.
We timed dinner so that when we finished eating, we could head right over to trick-or-treating at Cabanas. It worked out really well! Afterward, the kids enjoyed Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party and were more than ready for bed by the time it ended.
Although we love rotational dining on Disney cruises, sometimes adjusting your plans can work out better for your family, and that was definitely our experience on Halloween night.
Special Halloween Food and Treats
Our Halloween on the High Seas cruise featured several special Halloween-themed food and drink options, some of which were only available on Halloween night during our sailing.
One example was the special Hades Chicken Sandwich available at Flo’s Cafe on Deck 11. A sign outside Tow Mater’s Grill, where you would normally find hamburgers and hot dogs, advertised the sandwich, which featured a spicy fried chicken breast, buttermilk-ranch slaw, and sweet pickles on a toasted brioche bun. This sandwich was only available on Halloween night.
The specialty sweet shop on Deck 11, called Sweet on You, had a few Halloween-themed treats available throughout the sailing, including a Hatbox Ghost cupcake, a candy corn shaped Rice Krispy Treat, and Monster Mash Gelato.
The Hatbox Ghost cupcake was really well decorated and came in a fun box, but at $9.95 for a single cupcake, we decided to skip it on this trip. I loved the decoration on the candy corn Rice Krispy Treat. That one cost $6.50, and while it was adorable, we already had an entire selection of Rice Krispy Treats waiting in our stateroom that we had ordered as a surprise for our kids before the trip. (More on that later!)
There are also several places onboard to purchase coffee and other specialty drinks. During our sailing, you could find Halloween-themed options like The Pumpkin King Latte and Creepy Crawly Shake. These drinks were available for an additional cost.
One last little touch I appreciated was the Halloween-themed food labels at Flo’s Cafe and Sweet on You. It’s something small, but I thought it was a fun way to carry the Halloween decorations into the dining areas.
Halloween Merchandise
The Halloween on the High Seas merchandise was something I was really looking forward to seeing! We made sure to visit Mickey’s Mainsail on the first night of our cruise, but I was a little disappointed by how limited the selection was. There were only two small displays with Halloween-themed merchandise, and much of what was available was general Disney Halloween merchandise rather than items specifically designed for Halloween on the High Seas.
I think this was largely because we were sailing at the end of October on the final Halloween on the High Seas sailing of the season aboard the Disney Fantasy, and the specialty merchandise wasn’t being restocked. If Halloween merchandise is something you’re particularly interested in, this is worth keeping in mind when choosing your sailing dates. It’s possible that sailings toward the end of the season may have a more limited selection than those earlier in the season.
As far as Halloween on the High Seas specific merchandise, we found a mug featuring the Pumpkin Tree, a button-down shirt with a fun Halloween cruise pattern, and a Pumpkin Tree figurine, which I ended up purchasing for $70!
Other Halloween merchandise included large Mickey pumpkin buckets, smaller Mickey pumpkin buckets filled with candy, a light-up Mickey pumpkin necklace, and a Halloween Stitch plushie. There were also a few items from the Pastel Cutie Ghost Collection, including a long-sleeve shirt, small backpack, and plushie.
I had been hoping for things like Halloween on the High Seas T-Shirts, Spirit Jerseys, Minnie ears or maybe even some additional home decor and plushies. It honestly hadn’t occurred to me that the selection might be so limited, so that was a little disappointing.
The concession stands outside the theaters also had a variety of Halloween popcorn buckets available for purchase. A few of these were difficult to find in the Disney parks, but were fully stocked on the ship! We ended up purchasing a light-up Headless Horseman popcorn bucket and made sure to ask for the popcorn in a separate container since the buckets can be challenging to clean. The strap is also removable, so it makes a fun tabletop Halloween decoration to display at home.
After seeing the limited merchandise selection in the store, I was especially glad we had decided to preorder the Halloween in-room decor package. It included several items that weren’t available in Mickey’s Mainsail and gave us some great souvenirs to bring home.
Halloween Stateroom Decorations and Treats
Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of onboard gifts and amenities that you can preorder before your sailing and have waiting in your stateroom when you arrive. For specialty-themed sailings like Halloween on the High Seas, there are also Halloween-themed decorations and treats available for purchase. We decided to surprise our kids with both!
Halloween In-Room Decor Package
Disney Cruise Line doesn’t announce an official release date for its Halloween in-room decor packages. Instead, they simply become available to purchase through the Disney Cruise Line website or Navigator app under Onboard Gifts.
Based on previous years, these packages have typically appeared approximately 4-6 weeks before the first Halloween on the High Seas sailing of the season. They’re also quite popular and can sell out quickly, so if you’re interested in purchasing one for your upcoming cruise, I’d recommend checking regularly to see when it becomes available.
The 2026 “Ghoul on the High Seas” package included:
Glow-in-the-dark Mickey pumpkin pillow: A Mickey jack-o’-lantern face on one side and “Happy Halloween Disney Cruise Line” on the other.
Vampire Mickey magnetic shoulder plushie: Designed to sit on your shoulder, but we discovered it also stuck to the magnetic walls in our stateroom, which our kids loved.
Halloween porthole tote bag: Featuring a Halloween-themed porthole design similar to the decorations around the ship.
Disney Cruise Line Halloween blanket: Decorated with characters in Halloween costumes, the Pumpkin Tree, and other Halloween details.
Glow-in-the-dark magnetic room decorations: Hanging decorations featuring “Happy Halloween,” the Pumpkin Tree, a spiderweb-covered porthole, bats, and spiders, all with a retro Halloween feel.
The package cost $139, plus $9.73 in tax, for a total of $148.73. There was also an option to include a personalized note, and a large drawstring bag was provided to help carry everything home after the cruise.
Everything was already set up when we first walked into our stateroom on embarkation day, and it looked fantastic! Our kids were so excited to see everything, especially the Mickey pumpkin pillow and Vampire Mickey plushie.
I was really impressed with the quality of the items. The pillow was quite large, the blanket was incredibly soft, and the tote bag was useful for carrying some of our extra souvenirs when we left the ship. You could also use it as a trick-or-treating bag if you wanted to.
I really liked how many of the decorations glowed in the dark and that the hanging decorations were magnetic, allowing them to stick to the stateroom ceiling. I even noticed other guests using theirs to decorate their stateroom doors!
Although the package was a little pricey, I felt it was worth what we paid for it and would absolutely order another in-room decor package again. The items were unique to the package and weren’t available in the onboard gift shops during our sailing. Having everything set up ahead of time also made for a really fun surprise when we arrived.
Halloween Stateroom Sweet Treats
Along with the decorations, we also purchased the “Spooky Sweets” treat package for $32, plus tax, bringing the total to $34.24.
The package included five Halloween-themed Rice Krispy Treats, one plain Mickey-shaped Rice Krispy Treat, and one brownie. Everything came in a cute Halloween box, with each treat individually wrapped in plastic.
While I loved the presentation and Halloween decorations on the treats, I was disappointed by how they tasted. The Rice Krispy Treats didn’t have that fresh, crispy texture I was expecting. Instead, they were a little softer and had a more artificial flavor. The brownie was pretty good, but unfortunately, none of us really enjoyed the Rice Krispy Treats.
I’m glad we tried the package, and it did look cute in our stateroom alongside the Halloween decorations. However, I wouldn’t purchase this particular treat package again.
If you’re looking for special Halloween sweets during your cruise, I’d recommend checking out the themed treats available at Sweet on You instead.
Our Final Thoughts on Halloween on the High Seas With Young Kids
Overall, our family had a great time on our Halloween on the High Seas sailing and would definitely book another one in the future. Some of our favorite experiences included dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating on the ship, seeing the Pumpkin Tree and other Halloween decorations in the atrium, and seeing the characters in their Halloween costumes around the ship and during Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party.
I do think there was room for even more Halloween activities throughout the cruise, but I appreciated Disney’s effort to offer certain shows and events at multiple times. We still ran into a few scheduling conflicts with our early dinner seating, but making some adjustments allowed us to enjoy the activities that were most important to us.
I would have loved to see more Halloween on the High Seas-specific merchandise available during our sailing, but that’s something I’ll keep in mind when choosing a sailing date in the future. I’m also glad we purchased the in-room decor package, which gave us some special Halloween souvenirs that we couldn’t find in the onboard shops.
At the end of the day, our kids loved all the Halloween fun, and they didn’t seem to mind the things we missed. For our family, Halloween on the High Seas was a fun way to experience a Disney cruise a little differently, and it’s definitely something we’d love to do again.