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- Halloween is here again, and Disney+ has upped its Halloween lineup this year. Anchoring the month is the release of the highly anticipated sequel to Hocus Pocus. But Hocus Pocus 2 isn't the only movie on the streaming service worthy of spending Halloween watching. There is a plethora of movies, new and old, ranging from completely Halloween-centric to Halloween-inspired, that everybody should watch during October.
With Halloween right around the corner, it's never too early to start planning what to watch to get into the Halloween spirit. While most people associate Halloween with horror movies, gore, and scary costumes, not all Halloween films are made the same. In fact, there are several Halloween movies out there that the whole family can enjoy together, and a great deal of them just so happen to be on Disney's streaming service Disney+.
From Disney Channel Original Films set around Halloween and Tim Burton classics to a Pixar film that educates its viewers on another important October Holiday, there is something for everyone to watch.
Updated on October 9th, 2022 by Danielle Bruncati:
Halloween is here again, and Disney+ has upped its Halloween lineup this year. Anchoring the month is the release of the highly anticipated sequel to Hocus Pocus. But Hocus Pocus 2 isn't the only movie on the streaming service worthy of spending Halloween watching. There is a plethora of movies, new and old, ranging from completely Halloween-centric to Halloween-inspired, that everybody should watch during October.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Nearly two decades after the original was released, the Sanderson Sisters are back with the release of Hocus Pocus 2. The Disney+ original movie takes place in the modern day when two teen girls accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters after being gifted the black flame candle. As they set out to stop the Sanderson Sisters once and for all, one of the girls begins to realize she has magical abilities of her own.
Hocus Pocus 2 has been reported as being Disney+'s biggest film premiere in the United States since the streaming service launched in 2019. The sequel is also being hailed for its representation and higher production value than the original.
Zombies (2018)
Zombies is a Disney Channel Original Movie that aired in 2018. The musical dance movie follows a group of students from Zombietown who are transferred to the suburban human high school in Seabrook. Of course, romance blossoms between the zombies and the humans, which threatens the delicate balance created fifty years ago.
Zombies was so successful that Disney Channel turned it into a franchise, and the third and final installment aired in August 2022. While not centered around Halloween, the Zombie element certainly brings a Halloween feel to the movie.
Monsters Inc. (2001)
Monsters Inc. is perhaps one of the best Pixar movies of all time. The classic follows Mike and Sully, two monsters who find themselves in possession of a human child that has managed to get into their world. Originally afraid of her, Mike and Sully learn that humans aren't to be feared and set out to keep Boo safe when they learn a fellow co-worker is after her.
Though Monsters Inc. doesn't take place during Halloween, the characters are monsters making it Halloween adjacent. It's also a movie that families can all enjoy together while snacking on post-Trick-or-Treating candy that's not too scary.
Halloweentown High (2004)
Halloweentown High is the third installment in the Halloweentown series. It is considered by many as the best in the series and is also the most spooky of the franchise since Marnie is older.
The movie centers on Marnie, who convinces the Halloweentown Council to let a group of students come into the mortal world with her to attend her mortal high school. However, the agreement comes with a catch when Marnie learns that if anything goes wrong, her family will lose all their magic.
Girl Vs. Monster (2012)
Girl vs. Monster is another Disney Channel Original movie that was released in October 2012 to celebrate the Halloween season. The movie centers on Skylar, a 15-year-old who learns she is from a family of monster hunters. In order to the family career, she must first capture the recently escaped monster on the eve of Halloween.
This is the perfect movie to watch with the entire family on Halloween because it is extremely Halloween-centric. It has action and a great moral story which makes it appealing to all audiences.
Halloweentown (1998)
This Disney Channel classic can put anyone in the Halloween spirit. Halloweentown follows Marnie Piper and her two siblings as they discover that their grandmother and mother are witches. After learning their family secret, Marnie and her siblings follow their grandmother home to Halloweentown, where they plan on having her train them to be witches.
Halloweentown was so successful for Disney Channel that three sequels were created -- though the third one recast the role of Marnie Piper, much to the dismay of fans.
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Inspired by the Walt Disney Parks' theme park attraction of the same name, The Haunted Mansion was released in 2003, where it went on to earn $182.3 million at the global box office.
The film starred Eddie Murphy as Jim Evers, a father and successful realtor who is approached to sell a mansion. When Jim and his family arrive at the mansion, they quickly learn that the place is haunted. Jim then embarks on the difficult task of helping the mansion's servants break their curse.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Hocus Pocus is arguably one of the Walt Disney Company's best and most beloved Halloween films. The film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, three witches who are accidentally resurrected on Halloween night and begin to wreak havoc on the town of Salem, Massachusetts.
Though the film is a fan favorite today, it was considered a commercial failure at its time of release. Over the years, though, it has built a steady fanbase, so much so that Disney+ created a sequel that aired in 2022.
Don't Look Under The Bed (1999)
Don't Look Under the Bed was a 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie that was released just in time for the Halloween season. The film follows a young teenager who doesn't believe in the supernatural, despite discovering a boogeyman who lives under her bed. Soon after this discovery, her town becomes the victim of a string of pranks that she gets blamed for.
Don't Look Under the Bed was Disney Channel's eleventh DCOM and their final horror-themed film or show for several decades, supposedly because the movie was too scary for Disney Channel's young audience.
Twitches (2005)
While Tia and Tamera Mowry were already household names thanks to their successful sitcom, Sister, Sister, they became Disney Channel stars when they appeared in the 2005 Disney Channel original film, Twitches.
Inspired by a teen book series, the film follows two twin magical sisters who are reunited on their 21st birthday in order to save their kingdom. It was such a hit that a sequel was produced in 2007 with the original cast.
