Haunted Mansion Documentary "Foolish Mortals" Available Now

The limited edition DVD of Foolish Mortals, a documentary by Creepy Kingdom focusing on the fan culture surrounding the Haunted Mansion, is available now for pre-order! Plus you can save $5 by using my discount code thespookyvegan when you order HERE!

Check out the teaser below:

The Enchantment Box - Hocus Pocus Edition

The Hocus Pocus edition of The Enchantment Box

The Enchantment Box is a new monthly subscription service that sends you a magical themed box full of goodies like cruelty-free makeup, vegan snacks, delightful decor, gorgeous jewelry, fun paper crafts, beautiful bath and beauty products, and other charming treats! Plus, all boxes are completely cruelty-free and vegan, yay! They contacted me recently to see if I would be interested in reviewing their October 2017 box, whose theme was Hocus Pocus. I really had to contain myself (because OF COURSE I WAS INTERESTED), as I was so excited about this box since Hocus Pocus is one of the best movies ever and one of my personal favorite Halloween movies!

I checked out some of their past boxes, whose themes included Marie Antoinette, Mystical Mermaid, and Secret Garden, which made me even more thrilled when I saw the fantastical fripperies that were tucked away in those boxes. I knew then that I was head-over-heels in LOVE and couldn't wait to check out their October 2017 box. See my step-by-step unboxing below!

31 Days of Halloween: Halloween 2014 Events in Orange County

There are lots of eerie events and activities going on this month in Orange County that are sure to get you in the Halloween spirit! There seems to be something for everyone, from scary mazes for adults and teens, to kid-friendly pumpkin patches, to jaw-dropping Halloween displays everyone can enjoy!

I've compiled a handy list of some of the haunting happenings in Orange County and also listed a few events that will occur beyond OC since they were just too good to leave out! You can check out my list below, though please note this isn't an all-inclusive list of all Halloween events. If you have a favorite event I've left out, please let me know in the comments!

Anaheim's Halloween Parade

Join in the fun with Anaheim's Halloween parade on October 25th, 2014, which has been celebrating the season since 1924! Fantastic floats, a Miss Fall Festival competition, and lots of Halloween activities at the end of the parade route round out this fun tradition! This is a free event to attend, but any activities, games, etc. are extra.

Halloweentime 2012 at Disneyland

Hiya boils and ghouls! Apologies for the absence after Halloween, but my family was in town so I was busy hanging out with them and taking some well-deserved vacation time to boot! And what do you do when your family visits SoCal during Halloween? Take them to the Happiest Place on Earth, of course!

It has become an annual tradition to visit Disneyland around Halloween with my family and it is my favorite time of year to visit the park (obviously!)! All their Halloween decorations are so cute, they really showcase their villains and both Disneyland and California Adventure are made to look spooky for the holiday. This year we went on Halloween Eve (October 30th), so it felt even more special to go on the day before Halloween. The park was surprisingly empty, the weather was gorgeous and we took our time enjoying both Disneyland and California Adventure.

Below you'll find photos from my day at Disneyland featuring lots of their Halloween decorations!

Yay! Halloweentime!

The Great Mickey Pumpkin welcomes everyone on 

Main Street

 Festive display on Main Street

Scream Team sweatshirt

So many amazing-looking treats! (of course none

of them were vegan, though...boo!)

Walt, Mickey, the Castle and Pumpkins!

 The Halloween Tree in Frontierland

The Halloween Tree plaque honoring Ray Bradbury

More Halloween Tree!

Halloween carriage in Frontierland

More spooky cute (but non-vegan) noms!

 Frontierland was set up with all kinds of cute Halloween

decor and activities, like this pumpkinhead

Just look at those adorable Halloween banners!

 Vinylmation Halloween 2012 Mickey

 Maleficent (my fave Disney villain) in 

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Ghost Micky lanterns, gummi candy corn, pumpkin ears!

California Adventure had a great Frankenweenie 

exhibit up...hopefully I'll do a separate post on it soon!

 Trick or Treat Minnie

 A pumpkin carver in Frontierland

Festive signs leading the way to Halloween goodies

 Favorite place! Haunted Mansion, all decked out

for The Nightmare Before Christmas

 More Mansion madness

 Rawr

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

Such adorable hats, all featuring a Disney villain!

 Halloweentime at night

 Love the Haunted Mansion at night! We were the

last ones they let on for the final ride at closing time!

It was so cool to ride without a crowd!

 The Halloween Tree at night

 Jack Skellington pumpkin

 Love, love, love the Disney balloons! They had a 

spiderweb design on them, too!

This store had ravens in the chandeliers and tons

of Halloween decorations along their top shelves

Witchy Minnie

Another display in Frontierland

 Sleeping Beauty's Castle all lit up at night

Until next time, pumpkin Mickey!

It was a great day and even though I didn't take pics of their vegan offerings, their veggie gumbo in New Orleans Square is vegan and there are tons of other noms you can find throughout the park that are vegan too! Mainly, though, I wanted to feature all the cool Halloween decorations the parks had out. 

Hope you enjoyed and I certainly can't wait to go back next October!

31 Days of Halloween: 2012 Halloween Events and Haunts in Orange County, CA

We are lucky here in Orange County and totally spoiled by all the spook-tacular haunts and other events that are put on the month of Halloween! There is pretty much something for everyone, from zombie plays to hair-raising haunts to some cute-rather-than-creepy trick 'r' treating events!

This year is packed with so many goodies that there just aren't enough days in October to do or see everything! I've compiled a few that caught my eye below, as well as listing some old favorites! This isn't an all-inclusive list of all events in Orange County, so please let me know if you have a particular favorite I've missed in the comments below!

The Empty Grave

Located at the GardenWalk in Anaheim, this is "A terrifying look beyond the rusty gates of an old cemetery where the undead are waiting to meet those living and breathing who dare to seek out the empty grave." I've always wanted to check this one out...has anyone gone?

Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary

This October, the Queen Mary steams full speed ahead into a harbor of the damned at the annual Dark Harbor Haunted Halloween Event. There are 15 nights of mazes, live music, food, drinks and plenty of horrifying surprises that are sure to leave you screaming for more. So enter the haunted harbor after sunset if you dare, because this year the scare-fest takes on a horrifying new dimension.

Knott's Scary Farm Halloween Haunt

Celebrating their 40th anniversary, this popular attraction has grown to be the largest, most creative and most attended Halloween attraction in the world. Each year all 160-acres of Knott's Berry Farm are transformed into your worst nightmare with 13 themed mazes, seven live shows, and three scare zones featuring hundreds of free-roaming monsters.

Halloween Time at Disneyland

One of my favorite places to go anytime, but especially Halloween! Pumpkins everywhere, villains roaming the streets and the already awesome Haunted Mansion gets a Nightmare Before Christmas makeover ... plus this year they have a 4D preview and art exhibit of Frankenweenie!

Haunted Fullerton Walking Tours

Did you know Fullerton is one of the most haunted cities around? Ghosts are lurking at every corner. Take this tour and find out what businesses have pots and pans flying around after hours, what famous deceased Fullertonian makes an “appearance” now and then, enjoy some of Fullerton's history. These tours are a celebration of local legend while sharing stories of another facet of Fullerton’s history, particularly that of the downtown.

Ghosts of Old Orange County Tour

Meet the Spirits from Orange County and California history as they tell stories of how the state and county were formed. Journey through Heritage Museum’s seven-acre site in this after-dark living history program for adults and children in 3rd grade or higher. The tour will run approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

Haunted Halloween in Silverado Canyon

Meet a ghost who haunts the historic mining town of Silverado. Follow him into a creepy woodland where shadowy shapes and strange sounds arise. Gather under an old oak tree and hear tales of long ago. Meet an assortment of ghosts who are doomed to relive tragic events of their lives. Bring a homemade/homegrown local organic potluck item (fruit, baked goods) to share or trade with participants. Summon the great spirit of the grizzly bear who roamed the mountains until 1908. Sing songs of the macabre.

Haunted Garden at the Fullerton Arboretum

Every year the Fullerton Arboretum transforms their garden into a haven for all that goes bump in the night. But don’t worry, their guides will take you safely through the treacherous paths that wind through the dark forest the evil spirits call home.

San Juan Capistrano Haunted Walking Tours

Get in the spirit of Halloween by joining the Historical Society Walking Tour Guides on a spooky walking tour of Los Rios Street, the oldest residential neighborhood in California. Be prepared for creepy tales of big black dogs, strange monks who have lost their heads, ghostly tales about a lady in white and other goings on.

Halloween (1978) on the Big Screen

John Carpenter's Halloween classic will be returning to the big screen in select cities starting October 25th! The film will be playing at Anaheim's UltraLuxe GardenWalk Cinemas and I definitely plan on being there! Tickets aren't quite available yet, but check this listing to see if this classic will be playing near you!

Night of the Living Dead On-Stage

The zombie classic that started it all - on STAGE! This play returns for it's 7th year and I hope I can make it up to Fullerton to see it this year!

Everybody Dies Horror Film Festival

The EDHFF returns for its second year in Brea, CA to host a weekend full of frights! This is Orange County's only horror film festival and it hosts some excellent indie short and feature-length films. This festival is put together by horror filmmakers for horror filmmakers and fans! Don't miss out!

Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch

My absolute favorite pumpkin patch (yes, a real one) in Orange County! Fields of pick-your-own-pumpkins, hay rides, corn maze and much, much more! Going here every October is tradition for me!

What will you be attending this year? What are your favorite Halloween activities in Orange County?