Review: The Happiest Haunts Tour in Disneyland

It was a dark and stormy night…. Ok fine, that's a lie, it was a hot and sunny day when we did the tour.  My friend and I decided when we were planning our trip that we were going to do the Happiest Haunts Tour while we were in Disneyland - I love Halloween and we both thought a tour sounded like a fun way to spend a couple hours in the afternoon one of the days we were there.  For reference, we went on September 1, 2024, and during a California heat wave (it was around 38 celsius / 100 fahrenheit), so things may be different, but this was our experience. 

We checked in to our tour a little before 4:00 (our tour started at 4:15pm) as we were both really hot and just wanted to sit down in a shady spot before the tour began.  Check in is at the front of the park at the Tour Garden, near City Hall.  Once we checked in, we received our tour name tags and were given our earpieces as the tour guide speaks over her headset so you can still hear her in a crowd (note that if you have a hearing aid, as one of the other people on our tour did, it didn’t like the electronics being together, so buzzed in their ear and made it difficult to hear).  We were supposed to get a pin that you can only get on this tour, but unfortunately they didn't have any at the time, so it had to be shipped to our house (still have not received it at this point).

Photo: Circled in the bottom left is the Tour Garden where the tour meets.

We had a bit of a larger group (21 of us), and it felt like it took some time to get going.  A little after 4:15, we started the tour by going “backstage” at the Tour Garden to meet 2 of the hitchhiking ghosts from Haunted Mansion.  We got to take a couple pictures with them (note that this is using your own phone, not a photopass photographer), and then we met back outside while we waited for everyone else to take their pictures. 

Photo: My friend and I with the hitchhiking ghosts.

Once the tour actually got started (I would say it was closer to 4:45 at this point), we meandered around the park learning “cryptozoology” facts.  The facts were interesting, but my friend had watched a few of the behind the scenes shows on Disney+ and she said that almost all of the facts and history that were given were also in the shows.   

About halfway through the tour, right between Red Rose Taverne and Big Thunder Mountain (near one of the entrances to Galaxy’s Edge), we were given a ten or fifteen minute break to sit down, get a drink or snack from the cart, and use the washroom before meeting back up. 

Photo: the path we took for our tour.

At the end of the tour we were given our “halloween themed treat”, which for us was a Happiest Haunts themed reusable bag, and a pack of trading cards.  We were also given a Lightning Lane pass that could be used at a select few attractions (a few of the ones I can remember being offered were Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Matterhorn Bobsleds).  We were also reminded to make sure to go back to the reserved area for the Halloween Screams fireworks.

Photo: The bag, nametag, and trading cards we received.

When we had researched when this tour first became available for purchase this year, the reserved fireworks viewing was in front of the castle, just slightly off center.  We were disappointed to find out that the viewing area this year was in a reserved area in front of It’s a Small World.  We were staying at the Disneyland Hotel in a DVC room, and our view from our room the first night allowed us to see the fireworks without the projections, so we were really excited to have reserved viewing in order to see the projections on the castle.  Once we had found out where the reserved spot was, we debated not going to the reserved viewing and instead staking out a spot in front of the castle, but decided we had paid for this, so we should utilize what we paid for.  Unfortunately, since we were there so early in the halloween season, they don’t do the fireworks with projections every night, so there wasn’t another night we could see the fireworks with projections in front of the castle.  I do regret not seeing them from in front of the castle.  

Photo: Top right I have coloured in black the spot where we were seated for fireworks.

So, overall, would I recommend this tour?  Truth be told, I don’t think it’s worth the price tag. We thought there would be more information and perhaps some “behind the scenes” knowledge that we had never heard before, and the biggest selling point for us was the fireworks viewing area.  If it was around half the price, I would recommend it,, but I personally wouldn’t do it again unless some things changed.

However, everyone is different and you may value some of these things differently than I do!  If you are still debating doing the tour, a couple notes:

1. This entire tour takes place in Disneyland Park, there are no behind the scenes areas that you are walking through, with the exception of the one room you go into to meet the hittchhiking ghosts. 

2. If you are going in the heat of the day, and especially when we went, it could be a very warm tour.  Make sure you pack water and a snack if you need it.

3. If you want to see the fireworks and projections from in front of It’s a Small World, make sure you check the fireworks schedule on the Disney website on the Hours & Events Calendar.  If there are no fireworks, it will be listed as “Halloween Screams with Projections”, and if there are fireworks to go with the projections, it will be listed as “Halloween Screams with Fireworks”.  Note that there are projections that go all down main street, and fireworks that go off at the castle, so with the reserved seating you are missing some things.

Happy Adventuring!