Movie Nights at Downtown Disney are back for a second Halloween season, and the first title is set. The free outdoor series returns to the Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage presented by Honda every Wednesday from September 9 through October 28, 2026, and the opening night screening on September 9 is the 2021 live-action Cruella, starting at 7 p.m.
Disneyland Resort lists eight dates in all: September 9, 16, 23 and 30, then October 7, 14, 21 and 28. The screenings take place on the lawn in front of the LIVE! Stage on the west side of the district, the outdoor stage between Din Tai Fung and Parkside Market. No park ticket is required, since the Downtown Disney District is open to the public.
Cruella Opens The Season
Disney is announcing each week’s film a few days ahead rather than publishing the full lineup up front, and it is directing guests to check the Must-Sees page and the @downtowndisney account for showtimes. The September 9 pick is Cruella, rated PG-13, with the show starting at 7 p.m.
The film stars Emma Stone as a young Estella in 1970s London, with Emma Thompson as the Baroness, Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser as Jasper and Horace, and Craig Gillespie directing. It opened May 28, 2021, arriving in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access on the same day. The film runs a little over two hours, so a 7 p.m. start puts the ending after 9 p.m.
What The Rest Of The Lineup Might Look Like
Movie Nights debuted in 2025 as a Halloween-season addition to the district, and that first run leaned on seasonal staples. Last year’s schedule included Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown and The Nightmare Before Christmas. With seven Wednesdays still unannounced after Cruella, expect a similar mix of family-friendly Halloween favorites, with the October 28 finale landing three days before Halloween itself.
Honda returns as the presenting sponsor, the same role it holds for the LIVE! Stage year-round, and Movie Nights takes over the Wednesday evening slot on that stage for the fall.
How It Fits Into A Halloween Time Visit
The timing works for guests who are already at the resort. Wednesday screenings start at 7 p.m., which lines up with dinner in the district, a rest day between park visits, or an evening for anyone staying at a resort hotel who does not have a park ticket that day. Halloween Time at Disneyland is already underway and runs through October 31, so every Movie Night falls inside the season.
The LIVE! Stage lawn is an open space with no reserved seating, and the district’s restaurants and quick-service spots sit within a short walk, so grabbing food to go before the show is the easy play. Downtown Disney parking is separate from the theme park structures and validation rules apply, so check the current parking policy before driving in for a Wednesday night.
Disney has not posted the September 16 title yet. We will update this story as each week’s film is announced.
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