10 Spooky Cartoons For Halloween On Disney+

Halloween entertainment doesn’t have to be all guts and gore. Sometimes all one really needs for a good Halloween is a few smiling pumpkins, a bucket of treats, a few tricks, and a good healthy dose of magic. Since Disney has been supplying viewers with that in spades, there’s no better place for some festive and frightful animation than Disney+.

From full-length animated features to creepy cartoons and spooky short films, Disney has all the trimmings and trappings for one’s Halloween binging. Ranging from mild thrills to nightmare-fuel, there’s a little something for everyone on the streaming service. Even Mickey Mouse himself gets in on the act.

10 The Black Cauldron (1985)

While it might not be exclusively a Halloween film, there are few Disney animated films absolutely designed for the holiday better than The Black Cauldron. The dark fantasy epic is loaded with scary monsters, undead warriors, and one of the most terrifying villains in the Disney canon.

It’s not perfect, but those wanting to see just how dark the studio can go will not be disappointed. There are some seriously scary moments here that many won’t believe could come from Disney.

9 Mickey Mouse: Ghoul Fiend (2013)

Thanks to Paul Rudish, Mickey got a brand new look and design in 2013 but returned to his traditional formula of short films. One such episode, “Ghoul Fiend,” is a surprisingly dark comic outing for Disney’s beloved mouse as he encounters a grotesquely zombified Goofy when his car breaks down in a dark wood.

The art style takes a lot from Mickey’s early days and throws in an art-deco look that’s absolutely incredible, but it also allows for a more graphic presentation for things like Goofy’s rotting corpse. Granted, it’s still a comical Mickey cartoon, but it comes packed with imagery right from Tales From The Crypt.

8 Toy Story Of Terror (2013)

Shortly after Toy Story 3, Pixar started releasing different specials and shorts featuring Woody and the gang. Toy Story of Terror was a Halloween special that offered Thrills and chills while poking fun at movies like Psycho and The Thing.

When the toys get stranded at a roadside motel, some strange creature starts picking them off one by one. Forced to face her fear of dark and tight spaces, it’s up to Jesse to rescue her friends from whatever fiendish fate might have befallen them. Of course, it ends on a happy and high note, but it still comes with that special brand of Pixar storytelling.

7 Treehouses of Horror (1990-)

Halloween in Springfield is a bit of a special event that every year, considering the dozens of Treehouse of Horror episodes that are currently available. The Simpsons have parody down to a science, and that talent truly shows every year with their “Treehouse of Horror” anthology episodes.

Whether it’s the Simpson family poking fun at classic monster movies like Dracula, The Blob, or Rosemary’s Baby or Homer being thrown into the show’s own rendition of The Raven, there’s nothing wrong with a splash of yellow with some Halloween orange and black.

6 Gravity Falls (2012-2016)

There’s no better time to binge-watch this popular animated series than Halloween. With Gravity Falls’s collection of cryptids, monsters, zombies, and one-eyed demons from other dimensions, it’s practically built for the holiday.

The saga follows the Pines family in Gravity Falls and their frequent encounters with various entities, mythical beings, and otherworldly creatures. It is one of the most highly recommended series in recent years. In a time of spooks and scares, it’s a solid animated choice.

5 What If… Zombies (2021)

Despite its short run time, the Zombies episode of Marvel’s What If… It’s perhaps one of the most creative zombie outings this year. Watching the likes of Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Vision stand up against hordes of the undead will always be a satisfying battle royale.

If that wasn’t enough, seeing horrifically zombified versions of the beloved Avengers is certainly a scary sight, especially for younger dedicated fans. For those looking for something a little more on the monstrous side, they can’t go wrong with this episode of Marvel’s latest triumph.

4 Donald Duck: Trick Or Treat (1952)

Trick Or Treat is a Donald Duck cartoon that’s about as traditional as they come in terms of Halloween. Ghosts, witches, tricks, and treats are all par for the course when Donald ends up on the wrong end of Witch Hazel’s magic spell.

After Donald pranks his nephews out of their Halloween candy, Huey, Dewey, and Louie get the upper hand when they make friends with a wily old witch. What precedes is pure Disney delight with a sprinkling of spooky fun.

3 Frankenweenie (2012)

No Halloween is complete without at least one Tim Burton feature, and Frankenweenie is a great entry point. Inspired by his Disney short film of the same name (also available on Disney+), the film is essentially what happens when the prolific director is given more control.

The stop-motion animated feature is practically a love letter to the era of classic movie monsters. From Frankenstein to Godzilla, all the greatest hits of the genre are represented in this tale of a boy and his undead dog. Definitely a dark venue for Disney, but everything one would want from the mind of Burton.

2 The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (1949)

Considering the second half of the movie features arguably the most famous ghost story in American literature, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad definitely feels like a Halloween tale. Featuring two short-yet-brilliant versions of The Wind in The Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the package film is a great chaser to a night of tricks and treats.

Although Mr. Toad’s wild ride with the motor car is all well and good, the real star of the show is Disney’s rendition of the tale of Ichabod Crane. Considered by some to be one of the most accurate versions, the image of the skinny schoolmaster running away from the Headless Horseman is one that is as Halloween as jack-o-lanterns or candy corn.

1 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

“Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to see something strange?” Tim Burton’s twisted tale of Halloween has been one of Disney’s biggest cult films since the ’90s, but it’s also practically one of the most beloved Halloween classics available.

For many, Jack Skellington’s creepy Christmas plot is watched yearly on both holidays each year, and the man himself is practically Disney’s poster boy for all things creepy and crawly. The film is an absolute delight with just the right balance of horror and humor. After all, life’s no fun without a good scare.

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