Florida Theme Park Halloween Events 2023
By James | Last updated May 29, 2024
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After Christmas, Halloween is one of the largest holiday seasons in Florida. It is reckoned some 300,000 people go to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights every year.
All the major theme parks in Florida put on special shows and events for Halloween and some stay open late but check the dates carefully as the events are on selected days/nights only.
The big news for 2022 is that all the Florida theme parks are hosting Halloween events and again like last year there is one more event than the year before.
Last year, SeaWorld Orlando followed in the footsteps of its sister park Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and introduced its own adult SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream event as well as continuing its family-friendly SeaWorld Spooktacular. This year Busch Gardens is reciprocating by introducing the family friendly Busch Gardens Spooktacular.
In 2021 Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was replaced by the Disney After Hours BOO BASH but in 2022 Disney has reverted to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
Universal Studios Florida, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Orlando present intense scary events with thousands of extra cast members whose sole aim is to scare you out of your wits!! These kinds of events are not recommended for people who do not like horror films, are of a scary disposition or children under the age of about 13.
The adult-themed Halloween events are all by separate admission ticket, the standard daytime admission tickets are not valid.
Families with young children are better off considering the offerings from Disney’s Magic Kingdom or LEGOLAND Florida as well as SeaWorld and Busch Gardens but bear in mind that SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Legoland include their family-friendly Halloween celebrations in the standard day tickets, whereas Disney charges a separate admission fee.
Some Halloween events are not suitable for young children, some allow costumes, others don’t and some parks charge a separate admission (see details below)
In previous years, Silver Springs in Ocala also put on a halloween event but on September 30, 2013 it became a State Park and they stopped seasonal events like Halloween.
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, both Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Halloween Horror Nights were cancelled but Universal did then open up two houses during the daytime.
Florida Theme Park Halloween 2022 Events At a Glance
Click on the park names to read about the individual Halloween theme park events.
| Florida Halloween Events | Magic Kingdom Disney’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party | Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights | SeaWorld Spooktacular | SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream | Busch Gardens Spooktacular | Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream | LEGOLAND Florida Brick-or-Treat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suitable for children | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Included in standard admission | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Costumes allowed | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Opening times | 7:00 pm to midnight | 6:30 pm to 2:00 am | normal park hours from 11:00 am | 7:00 pm to 12:00 am / 2:00 am | normal park hours from 12:00 pm to 4 pm | 7:00 pm to 12:00 am / 1:00 am | 10:00 am to 7:00 pm / 8:00 pm |
| Dates (select days only) | August 11 to November 1 | September 1 to October 31 | September 16 to October 31 | September 9 to October 31 | September 8 to October 31 | September 8 to October 31 | September 16 to October 29 |
| Number of events | 38 | 44 | 16 | 29 | 16 | 30 | 11 |
All of Florida’s main theme park brands run a Halloween event but in the case of Disney and Universal, they take place in just one of their parks.
Disney’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Disney’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a separately ticketed after hours family friendly Halloween event. It is the first event of the Halloween season and seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights now in its 32nd year. It is also a separately ticketed after hours event but is strictly for adults (13 and over).
It is consistently voted “Best Halloween Event” by Amusement Today in their Golden Ticket award.
Spooktacular at SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Spooktacular is a family friendly event that takes place during normal operating hours and does not require a separate ticket. It runs at weekends plus extra days around Halloween itself.
Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld Orlando
Last year was the first year that SeaWorld hosted a Howl-O-Scream event. It follows a similar pattern to the long running adult themed Howl-O-Scream event at sister park Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
Spooktacular at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
To complement Howl-O-Scream, Busch Gardens has adopted Spooktacular for the first time and brings a family friendly Halloween even to Tampa Bay.
Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Howl-O-Scream returns to Busch Gardens with their separately ticketed after hours event that is strictly for adults (13 and over).
Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND Florida
The LEGOLAND Florida Brick-or-Treat event only runs for 6 weekends but is a family friendly Halloween event that is included with the regular park admission.
Other Central Florida Halloween Events
As well as all the major theme park Halloween events, there are a couple of other events including two “drive-thru” Halloween attractions in Central Florida that sprung up in 2020 when all the theme park Halloween events were cancelled. They are both running again this year.
Gatorland Halloween
Gatorland are celebrating Halloween for the fourth year with their daytime “Gators, Ghosts and Goblins” which is included with normal admission.
It runs for three weekends on Saturdays and Sundays from October 15 to 30 with the Swamp Ghost’s Monster Museum, the Crocs and Cryptids Zone, themed haunt zones, interactive characters (including the park’s Skunk Ape), animal encounters, candy giveaways and children’s costume parades.
Live music will be provided by Polkageist, Gatorland’s “undead polka band,” alongside German beer and food for purchase Frank & Steins Ooky Kooky Octoberfest.
Costumes are permitted but “nothing scary or gory, please,” a Gatorland news release asks as Bubba and Skunk Ape are easily scared!
Goblins & Giggles Weekends at Gaylord Palms
The Gaylord Palms Resort Hotel is hosting its Goblins & Giggles Weekends starting September 9 and running until October 30, 2022.
There are live shows, a dance party with a costume contest, pop-up bar, animal encounters and character interactions, cookie decorating, an escape room with a witch and a hide and seek scavenger hunt.
Some of the attractions are included in a special package for hotel guests, others are by separate paid admission (in advance) and you also have to pay for parking.
Scream n’ Stream Drive Through Experience
In 2020 a new “Scream n’ Stream” drive-through Halloween attraction opened at Boggy Creek Adventures, Kissimmee and took place at an abandoned Lakeside Drive-In Theater set with scare-actors along the route.
It returned in 2021 to a secret research facility called “Station 5” at the Oviedo Mall (northeast of Orlando), featuring clowns and zombies.
For 2022 it has moved again, this time to the Florida Mall and features The Haunted Lobby where you can meet some of the monsters and take photos. For an extra fee you can visit the fortune teller, Madame Aziena, dance the night away at The Fog Pit, face a Blackout Sensory Experience and buy themed snacks, drinks and merchandise.
From there you drive on the Haunted Drive through seven terrifying zones including Play Date, Mall Bats, Birthday Clown, Unholy Night and Revenge of the Fog Queen.
It runs on select nights from October 1 through to October 31 and the experience lasts around 25 minutes as you drive through the set armed with laser guns as you attempt to take a kill switch to the drop point. Check in time is between 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.
If purchased in advance online, ticket prices are from $71 per car up with up to 8 passengers for a specified date and arrival time slot. Each car gets up to 3 laser guns, unlimited ammo and an interactive kill switch device.
If you just turn up at the gate, then prices are from $84 per car and you may have to wait.
You can also purchase a VIP Admission online from $130 per car which gives you up to 7 laser guns, unlimited ammo, an interactive kill switch device, front of line access and anytime arrival plus souvenirs.
All prices are plus tax and tickets can be purchased from the official Scream n’ Stream website. Note motorcycles are not allowed and all passenger must have there own seatbelt, no riding in a pickup truck bed.
The Haunted Road
Like the Scream n’ Stream Drive Through Experience, “The Haunted Road” is another drive-thru attraction where you drive your own vehicle through a Halloween themed set.
It runs on select nights between September 21 and November 6. It is open Wednesday to Sunday for the first six weeks, Halloween night and then Thursday to Sunday for the rest of the time.
The Haunted Road is located on Lake Pickett Road, Orlando in the same location as Corn Maze Orlando and Painted Oaks Academy.
In 2020 it featured a storyline based on familiar fairytale characters like Rapunzel and for 2021 the story centred around hunting for ghosts. For 2022 the theme is “Welcome to the Slaughter, Little Piggies”.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and are from $21.99 to $31.99 plus tax per person, for a specified date and entry time.
Prices basically rise as you get nearer and nearer to Halloween night and you can get September tickets at an early bird price of $19.99.
The journey through the attraction is one-way and takes up to 40 minutes. You must stay inside your vehicle apart from specified locations where you are allowed to exit the vehicle when looking for ghosts.
Once you have completed the drive, you can then visit the walkthrough Human Slaughterhouse if you dare and the Afterlife Party where you can grab a drink, enjoy food from the Brothers-N-Arms BBQ food truck and buy dark art and creepy souvenirs at the Haunt Market.
A VIP Ghost Tour add-on starts at $25.99 per person and includes a 30 minute walking tour with a Spirit Tour Guide and express entry to the Human Slaughterhouse and the bar.
All prices are plus tax and tickets can be purchased from the official Haunted Road website. Note motorcycles, bikes and oversized vehicles are not allowed and all passenger must have there own seatbelt, no riding in a pickup truck bed.
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