Summary
- Disney+ offers a variety of autumn movies that capture the cozy vibes and Halloween spirit, providing a perfect way to embrace the season.
- Movies like Bambi, The Fox and the Hound, and Pocahontas showcase the beauty of autumn with stunning visuals and heartwarming stories.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus are beloved Halloween favorites that combine spooky elements with autumn vibes for a fun and entertaining experience.
October is a wonderful time to be a Disney fan, especially with so many autumn Disney movies that set the perfect cozy mood. This time of year inspires a lot of wonderful vibes, including the crisp weather to the beautiful colors to the spooky fun of Halloween season. There are dozens of movies in and out of the magical streaming service that serve as the best autumn Disney movies to feed those seasonal appetites like a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly day.
Disney+ is the one-stop place to watch all of these wonderful movies and specials in October. They are enough to capture any autumn vibes viewers may be feeling on any given October day. While there are plenty of horror movies out there to satisfy the Halloween feel, Disney offers more relaxed yet appropriately spooky options. Likewise, there are beautiful animated adventures that depict the beauty of the autumn season. These Disney autumn movies can be enjoyed all year round but now is the time they hold a special feel.
13 Bambi (1942)
When most viewers think of this Disney classic, they often associate it with the "drip, drip, drop" of "Little April Showers," a large portion of the film takes place in the autumnal months with painted trees and burning colors. Bambi might spend a memorable portion of the film as a young fawn in winter and spring with Thumper and Flower, but his more dynamic action takes place as an adult in the finale.
The climactic scene of the burning forest takes place right in the middle of hunting season as man returns to the forest with guns and greater numbers. Younger viewers might remember the cute little animals, but the cinephiles in the audience remember the Great Prince of the Forest rushing from a forest fire to save Faline.
12 Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)
While Disney found a flop with its star-studded cast of Haunted Mansion this summer, there were many who thought they already made a perfectly good adaptation with an even more lovable cast. The Muppet icons got to lead their very own autumn Halloween adventure with Muppets Haunted Mansion which takes place on Halloween night as Gonzo is challenged to spend one night in a spooky mansion.
As with every Muppet project, there are plenty of cameos to be found, including Will Arnett, Taraji P. Henson, and Danny Trejo to name a few. The special is the perfect all-ages bit of fun to curl up with on a cozy October day and spend some quality time with the Muppets.
11 The Fox And The Hound (1981)
Similar to Bambi, The Fox and the Hound is an autumn movie that utilizes both autumn and winter to establish its mood (although this film is more liable to make viewers cry than Bambi). Disney certainly have a way of creating beautiful forest scenes, but the countryside scenes in The Fox and the Hound have an undeniable warmth that just pulls the viewer into a tremendous degree.
Not all Disney fans will want to join Chief and Copper on a hunting trip, but Widow Tweed's cottage and farm look like something out of a Norman Rockwell Painting. The rustic setting and design choices are what give this movie its familiar and comforting flavor.
10 Pocahontas (1995)
One thing that will almost always be associated with autumn is the presence of falling leaves. Since Pocahontas knows how to paint with all the colors of the wind and then some, she's frequently accompanied by a gust of wind and a shower of colorful foliage in its path.
Pocahontas might not be the most accurate adaptation of the legend, but that's not to say it doesn't have at least some good points. It's still wonderfully animated, has performances and a soundtrack an audience could expect from a Disney movie, and it comes with a nice helping of '90s nostalgia.
9 Coco (2017)
Pixar's melodious and macabre movie about the land of the dead comes with all the festive flavors of a Dia De Los Muertos celebration. The colors, sights, and sounds of Mexico paint a vibrant picture of both life and the afterlife in the world of Coco, and the spooky flavor of the skeletons and spirits is sure to ease viewers into a Halloween mood.
The use of the traditional Mexican holiday not only provides a broader cultural representation to the Disney/Pixar banner but gives audiences a different perspective associated with the October holidays. Its catchy tunes and lovable characters are enough to drive many fans "Un Poco Loco" this time of year. It makes for one of the best Pixar movies to date.
8 The Tigger Movie (2000)
If there's one Disney character who knows how to rock the warm, cozy, cottagecore movies better than anyone under the studio name, it's Winnie the Pooh. Tigger might get top billing in this charming and delightful excursion to the Hundred Acre Wood, but it's still in the silly old bear's territory.
Right from the moment the pages of Pooh's storybook open, viewers are treated to a gorgeous golden autumn in the woods as Tigger bounces into all his friends while they are prepping for winter. The plot concerning the quest to find Tigger's family tree is given a splash of zaniness from the titular tiger's antics, but it's the welcoming nature of both him and his friends that truly sells the show.
7 The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (1949)
No October would be complete without a trip through Sleepy Hollow, and Disney's version is one of the most famous and arguably the most accurate. That being said, a little time with J. Thaddeus Toad isn't without its perks either. Both characters had their own wild rides, and it's understandable to see why Disney put them together. The Wind in the Willows definitely has its own brand of fun, but the reason to watch is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. At its core, the story and cartoon were created to be the perfect Halloween tale told around the campfire, making it a top-tier Disney movie for the spooky season.
6 Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
While this underrated horror classic has yet to make its premiere on Disney+, it's a gem that absolutely drips with an autumn twilight straight from the mind of Ray Bradbury. Halloween comes early to a sleepy little town when a creepy carnival led by a sinister ringmaster comes to town one cold October evening. All magic comes at a price, as Once Upon a Time fans know, and Mr. Dark's wishes-made-real come with a heavy cost. It's a slow burn to be sure, but it's one that will usher in Halloween with the greatest of ease.
5 Werewolf By Night (2022)
The first ever Marvel Studios Special Presentation showed how effective the Disney+ platform could be a telling one-off holiday adventures inside of the MCU. Werewolf by Night takes the rather obscure Marvel character of Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) who is brought in to be part of a monster hunting competition, though he has his own mission in mind.
The beautiful black-and-white look of the special gives it a wonderful throwback vibe while also showing the MCU is willing to push the limits of its horror and violence. It expands the MCU with the introduction of characters like Elsa Bloodstone and Man-Thing, but is also refreshingly self-contained, offering a new option for a short October watch even for those not interested in the superhero world.
4 Boo To You Too! Winnie The Pooh (1996)
Pooh comes back again with another cozy adventure, this time with an added Halloween flavor. While it's certainly not a very scary Halloween special, Boo To You Too! Winnie The Pooh certainly introduces a slightly darker and creepier vibe to the Hundred Acre Wood. A tale about Piglet overcoming his fears and joining his friends for trick-or-treating might sound simple, but It's enough to stir up some nostalgic feelings for any Disney fan who dressed up and went out for candy every Halloween night. Halloween can be creepy, but it can also elicit a warm and fuzzy feeling inside as well.
3 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas has been the quintessential Disney Halloween favorite for nearly 30 years now, and it's one that lingers until the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. But of course, given the fact that it isn't a strictly Halloween movie gives it a lot of wiggle room. That being said, it casts a lot of autumn vibes before Jack tumbles into Christmas Town.
Though there is still some debate if The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween movie, it is home to the spooky, scary, and silly world of Halloween creatures, but it's also a place of autumn leaves, sun trickling in through the trees of the hinterlands, and steaming bowls of frog's breath soup. With that in mind, it's still a time-honored Halloween tradition for many Disney fans.
2 Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search For Christopher Robin (1997)
"Once upon the last day of a golden summer..." are the words that kick off this criminally underrated Winnie the Pooh adventure. While it might begin as standard fare for the silly old bear, Pooh, Piglet, and all the rest embark on a perilous expedition when they believe Christopher Robin has gone missing.
With the arrival of autumn comes a new season for Pooh and a different sort of adventure in store for him and his companions. Jagged mountains, thorny forests, and skull-shaped caves are the last environments many would probably expect him to explore, but this movie gives the Hundred Acre crew a chance to broaden their horizons and venture into the great unknown.
1 Hocus Pocus (1993)
What began as a critical and financial disappointment upon its initial release has grown into a favorite of the Halloween season. Hocus Pocus takes place on Halloween night as a group of young kids accidentally allow a trio of witches to return where they seek to finish their ancient plan which targets all the youngsters of their quiet town.
The movie captures the fun and excitement of Halloween night and the autumn feel while finding a nice balance between spooky vibes and family-friendly fun. The real treat is seeing the committed performances of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters with the witches providing endless fun in their fish-out-of-water mayhem. The cult status of the first movie allowed for a long-awaited sequel as well as a possible Hocus Pocus 3 on the way.