This time last year our family was preparing for an adventure that was beyond our expectations! We embarked on Disney Cruise Line’s Halloween on the High Seas sailing. It was a great experience and one that we did a lot of research on. These 5 can’t miss events on Disney’s Halloween on the High Seas Cruise are something that EVERYONE needs to read.
Halloween On the High Seas Overview
Disney Cruise Line has a few special sailings each year with the Halloween on the High Seas being one of those. They offer several destinations and lengths, but the one we chose was a 5 night cruise to Cabo San Lucas on the west coast. We felt like it was just the right amount of time and had so much to do, that we definitely would want to do this cruise again.
From the decor to a massive Halloween Party, there is so much to see and do on this cruise that you definitely want to prepare! We were able to participate in a ton of the events and loved that even if we were not prepared, Disney made sure we were able to participate. I prepped ahead of time for everything by looking at the itinerary that is posted on the DCL website and researching what other people had done. Bottom line is that you need a costume because people BRING IT on this cruise!
Halloween Decorations on the Disney Wonder
I have a dream to one day attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and experience Disneyland (or World) during the holidays. However, we were able to get a taste of the amazing Disney Halloween decor on the cruise and it was stunning. Everything was perfect and brought the Halloween spirit in full force!
In the main atrium each of the balconies and overlooks were decorated with the signature pumpkin Mickey and beautiful fall drapery. When you board the ship, this is the first space you are introduced to and it was incredible to see it decked out and ready for guests to enjoy.
The large porthole windows on the main levels are adorned with these super cute jack-o-lantern faces and although you would think they obstruct the view, there are so many windows and open areas on the ship that you will not miss anything.
The pumpkin trees are the biggest and best part of the Halloween decorations. Each ship in the Disney fleet has its own unique tree with its own name. On the Disney Wonder it was Bog. There is a special story from the caretaker of the pumpkin tree and then the tree grows these fantastic pumpkins that you see in the photo below through the cruise. The pumpkin tree stays full of Jack-O-Lanterns for the entirety of the cruise after it “blooms”.
Halloween on the High Seas – Mickey’s Mouse-Querade Party!
There are SO many events to attend on the Halloween on the High Seas Cruise, but the absolute CANNOT MISS is Mickey’s Mouse-Querade Party. This is obviously a jam packed celebration for everyone and people bring out all the stops to win the costume contest and really show their Halloween spirit. We went as Mouseketeers as I needed something easy to pack that would not take up a ton of space on top of ALL the other luggage I packed for the trip.
You can have your groups photos taken by the professional Disney photographers on board (ours turned out horrible, since the littlest decided to have a MASSIVE meltdown so we did not purchase them) and then watch the festivities take place. Mickey and friends take the stage for some singing and fun and then it is off to the races!
The kids can participate in a dance party and play some really fun games as they trick-or-treat through the main level of the ship. This is a great time for you to snag some candid photos of your children with their favorite characters too. My kids both were able to get very close to their favorite characters and Minnie even took our little girls hands and danced with her personally (of course this is when my camera died). 
However, the kids are in it for the candy for sure. The Disney Wonder had 10 trick-or-treat stations and they cast members manning these were VERY generous with the candy. Our housekeeper always had our family prepped for the evenings big activities and on the night of Mickey’s Mouse-Querade Party, these awesome recyclable bags were waiting to be filled with the goodies from the party. Filled they were; HANDFULS of the good chocolate and for those that had dietary restrictions, Disney made sure there was treats for them to enjoy too. It was a sugar filled evening of fun!
Top 5 CAN’T MISS Events on Disney’s Halloween on the High Seas Cruise
There is so much happening on the Halloween on the High Seas Cruise with Disney that you will inevitably miss something, however, there are a few must see events that you should definitely plan on making.
- Mickey’s Mouse-Querade Party- It is THE place to be. Get a costume and have a screaming good time
- The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing and Scream-This movie experience encourages guests to sing along and then have a special meet and greet with Jack and Sally!
- Pirates of the Carribean Night-Pirates, Battles and fireworks at sea. It is an absolute must…but it is a LATE night for sure!
- ANY of the Evening Shows in the Walt Disney Theater-Our cruise had Frozen, Magicians and more and we seriously had the best time at these shows, there are two showings each night depending on when your dinner rotation is. Make time for them, they are incredible.
- Haunted Stories of the Sea-Looking for a little spooky storytelling? This is something that everyone will enjoy and don’t worry, it is kid friendly for sure.
I cannot believe that it has already been a year since we set sail, but we have so many memories of our Halloween on the High Seas and are already anticipating our next adventure aboard the Disney Cruise Line. We definitely want to do the Halloween on the High Seas cruise again because there was so much we missed and want to experience (hello adult activities that we didn’t realize were SO MUCH FUN). It was as magical as we anticipated and something we recommend to anyone that asks.
