As a self-proclaimed Disney Channel aficionado, I can confidently say… nothing.
Disney is famous for their Halloween Specials, in addition to Halloween-themed Disney Channel Original Movies (“Halloweentown” is often my entire personality).
And so, if you’re looking to light a candle, cozy up, and dig into 20-minute increments of nostalgia, you’ve come to the right place. Snuggle up for my top 10 Disney Channel Halloween Specials.
A few notes before I begin:
- Though I am the aforementioned aficionado, I am also a millennial, proudly born in 1994. This means that if an episode premiered after 2016 (barring a few exceptions), you likely won’t see it on the list because I simply haven’t seen it.
- I am HEAVILY biased when it comes to Disney Channel.
Now that we have those bases covered, let’s get on with the list.
10 — ‘Good Luck Charlie’ 2×25: Scary Had a Little Lamb
Airdate: Oct. 9, 2011 | Available on Disney+
Teddy discovers her dark side when a neighborhood kid plays one too many tricks on her, PJ embarks on a new look and lifestyle for a girl, and Gabe gets a taste of his own medicine.
This episode may have mostly ended up on the list due to my old crush on Jason Dolley. Even though he spends most of the episode dripped head to toe in black to impress his new goth girlfriend, the flutters remain. However, my teenage longing wasn’t the only reason I liked this episode.
I was reminded of why “Good Luck Charlie” was such a popular TV show, to begin with, as Modern Family for the younger generation. That, along with Teddy’s video diaries, came along at the exact moment that we teens began idolizing YouTube creators.
Plus, can we all just celebrate the journey that Bridget Mendler has been on?
9 — ‘The Suite Life on Deck’ 3×11: ‘The Ghost and Mr. Martin’
Airdate: Oct. 8, 2010 | Available on Disney+
Zack is visited by the ghost captain of an old shipwreck who is trying to clear his name, while London and Bailey work to help Mr. Moseby with his piano-playing stage fright.
This episode is not only reminiscent of a previous Zack and Cody Halloween special (still to come on this list) but also mentions the story arc from that special. So many Disney Channel specials take place on their own, as sort of a spin-off, living in a non-canon world, but I loved that this episode held the previous one as truth (even though Cody wrote it off as silly teenage boy hormones). I loved this moment so much that it is the singular reason that this episode made the top 10.
8 — ‘Kim Possible’ 1×14: ‘October 31st’
Airdate: Oct. 11, 2002 | Available on Disney+
Wanting to get out of their yearly trick-or-treating to go to a party, Kim lies to Ron about where she’ll be for the evening, leading the evil Dr. Drakken, Shego, and Duff Killigan to pay a visit to her family’s charity event, looking for the scientific equipment attached to her wrist.
“Kim Possible” is a classic and cannot be left out of my top 10 list. As an episode that I re-watch each Halloween, it has cemented its place inside the depths of my mind. To justify, I have just two questions to ask you.
- Who didn’t want to be Kim Possible?
- Who didn’t have a crush on a Shego? (Was she not everyone’s gay awakening?)
7 — ‘Raven’s Home’ 1×11: ‘The Baxtercism of Levi Grayson’
Airdate: Oct. 6, 2017 (the rare after 2016) | Available on Disney+
Things go awry when Booker and Levi attempt to scare a classmate into believing there are ghosts in the building, and Tess brings Halloween to Nia while she deals with chickenpox.
As an episode that premiered after 2016, I had never seen it before researching for this list, but I am so glad that I decided to give it a go. Reboots, like “Raven’s Home,” are made with me in my mind, and I have no problem with that. It was refreshing to fall back into Raven and Chelsea’s life and rest comfortably in my nostalgia. It felt just like watching “That’s So Raven,” even though I didn’t know any of the new character’s names. (I literally had to look them up to write this summary.)
6 — ‘Phil of the Future’ 1×16: ‘Halloween’
Airdate: Oct. 8, 2004 | Available on Disney+
Phil and Keely work together to save Pim and the student body when an evil cyborg version of Debbie forces them to bake cupcakes for charity.
This episode is as kooky as it sounds, and I loved every second of it. Though not canon in the “Phil of the Future” storyline, I found it a fun deviation. There is a bit where Pim, Phil, and Keely are talking through cupcake frosting, and I enjoyed it way too much. I knew at that moment it would be higher on the list, even considering it for the top five, though it eventually did not break that threshold. I will, however, be adding this episode to the list of Halloween specials I watch every year.
5 — ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ 3×02: ‘Halloween’
Airdate: Oct. 16, 2009 | Available on Disney+
When the Russos are in trouble for losing their yearly haunted house, Alex and Harper head to the wizarding world to hire ghosts to create a scarier atmosphere.
How did it take so long for “Wizards of Waverly Place” to get a Halloween episode? Even though I’ve placed this episode as five on my list, it is pretty basic as far as Halloween specials go. Perhaps since the show is generally fantastical in nature, the “Halloweenness” of this episode doesn’t hit as hard. So why is it number five? I love Wizards of Waverly Place, and I loved the reveal of how Mantooth (Justin’s childhood ghost) would scare Justin.
4 — ‘Hannah Montana’ 1×27: ‘Torn Between Two Hannahs’
Airdate: Oct. 14, 2006 | Available on Disney+
Miley’s “evil” cousin comes to visit and concocts a plan to ruin the Hannah Montana image at a celebrity Halloween party, while Robby Ray and Jackson get into a battle with the neighbor about whose house is scarier.
Classic Disney Channel Halloween. It is a turn of events that could technically live on as canon but that we never hear of ever again. I love that in this episode, Miley is playing three characters: herself, Hannah Montana, and her cousin LuAnn, and at the end, she has to prove she is the real Miley.
However, there is a gigantic plot hole in this episode that always bothered me. LuAnn plans to rip off the Hannah wig in front of a large crowd to expose Miley’s secret. But this is a Halloween costume party… where everyone is dressed like Hannah Montana… So, had she ripped off the wig, everyone would have just thought she had a great Hannah costume… Regardless, I love it.
3 — ‘That’s So Raven’ 2×02: ‘Don’t Have a Cow’
Airdate: Oct.17, 2003 | Available on Disney+
When Raven and Chelsea aren’t invited to Alana’s party, they use a magic spellbook to reverse the situation in their favor, including having the best costume, but even Raven doesn’t see what comes next.
The absurdity of Raven and Chelsea literally turning into cows because Chelsea’s “Don’t eat cows” pin falls into the magic potion is genius. I have no notes. Every second of this episode is a hit of nostalgia running through my veins. I don’t think current Disney would have the courage to make their leads turn into actual cows.
Had this been made today, it likely would have been something “cute,” like a vampire or a werewolf. But not in 2003. In 2003, we gave our characters prosthetic ears and tails.
2 — ‘Lizzie McGuire’ 1×24: ‘Night of the Day of the Dead’
Airdate: Oct. 5, 2001 | Available on Disney+
Weird things start happening to Gordo, Lizzie and Matt when Kate disrespects Miranda’s ancestors and her family culture.
I love that Disney brought in another country’s culture and tradition in this episode. Us Lizzie McGuire fans knew about Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) long before Coco. All of the strange happenings turn out to be a prank the crew is pulling on Kate, but there are some freaky moments in this episode, including, but not limited to, the giant husband and wife skeletons with glowing eyes. It’s actually a bit on the spooky side for me, but I watch it every year nonetheless.
1 — ‘The Suite Life of Zack and Cody’ 1×19: ‘The Ghost in Suite 613’
Airdate: Oct. 14, 2005 | Available on Disney+
Cody decides to spend the night in the haunted suite of the Tipton when Zack makes a bet that he’s too chicken to do it. With their friends, Maddie, London, and Esteban, joining them, they all quickly begin to experience paranormal activity.
This may be one of the best Disney Channel episodes of all time. Halloween or otherwise. This episode continues to live rent-free in my mind, as do so many others. It was just the right amount of spooky, with an ending that still gives me the heebie-jeebies.
As previously mentioned, it lived on as canon in the show (though it’s not typically mentioned). The scene with Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramírez “communicating” with the “ghostie” is pure gold and will forever be the peak of Disney Channel Halloween specials.
There you have it—my top 10 Disney Channel Halloween specials. Though I believe this list is superior, I am always open to hearing other (wrong) opinions. Let me know if there are other Disney Channel Halloween specials that you feel should have made the Top 10.
I’m Abbie from the Daily Planet, and you’re reading about Disney Channel (bum bum bum bum).
