It’s only October 11th, but the post-Halloween blues are somehow already setting in for me. Please, tell me I’m not alone on this. After rewatching some classic spooky favorites on Disney+, Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Muppets Haunted Mansion, Phantom of the MegaPlex… you know, the usuals… I started exploring some of the Halloween-themed shorts available from Disney’s at-home content library. While we all know and love The Skeleton Dance, Lonesome Ghosts, and Trick or Treat (…or if you’re not familiar, please start with those!), here are three newer not-so-scary animated shorts you must check out ASAP.
The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular (2017)
Chock FULL of fun Easter eggs, quippy lines, and clever creative direction, this short is such a delight. If you’re looking for a candy bucket full of of Halloween goodness, look no further than this half-hour-long special. Mickey shares a trio of scary stories to Donald, Goofy, Huey, Dewey & Louie, and Morty & Ferdie (their first appearance since Mickey’s Christmas Carol!). The “scary stories” are based on Frankenstein, Dracula, and Hansel & Gretel, each being told with the new Mickey Mouse shorts’ typical colorful aesthetic and humor. The special originally aired on Disney Channel, and is newer to Disney+, so you may have missed it like I did until recently! Nothing will prepare you for that Frankenstein reveal… or the last of the three stories.
Mickey & Friends: Trick or Treats (2023)
We’ve got another treat for the eyes here. Mickey and friends are trick-or-treating when Donald spies the “scariest mansion he’s ever seen” and convinces his pals to risk a visit. But the owner, Witch Hazel, casts a spell that transforms them into their costumes! Trick or Treats‘ story is cute and charming, and the stop-motion animation really makes this a stand out short. I can’t get over all of the tiny details!
Toy Story of Terror (2013)
Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the gang are back in this 21-minute twisted toy… story. Following the toys on a road trip, a flat tire leads Bonnie and her mom to spend the night in at the Sleep Well roadside motel. But after Mr. Potato Head goes missing, the others begin to search for him and find themselves caught up in a mysterious sequence of events… leading them to a big conspiracy. If you love Toy Story, you can’t miss this Pixar Halloween classic!
I hope this short and sweet list helps you out these next few weeks! I’ll be rewatching these a few more times, or setting them as background ambient visuals… or wishing they could make their way into the theme parks in some way… Trick or treat!
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming–
