Halloween Season Villains at Disneyland Paris

At Halloween, the Disney Villains take the spotlight. The rest of the year, you mostly see the heroes. During this season, it’s the villains who come out in force in the parks. For most of them, it’s even the only time you can meet them, although a few are around all year.

Below, you’ll get to know each of the season’s villains: their backstory, the movie they’re from, and why they suit Halloween so well. The whole season is laid out in the complete Halloween season guide.

In Sleeping Beauty (1959), the villain is Maleficent, the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil." She curses Princess Aurora to prick her finger on a spindle when she turns 16.

Her horns and towering frame give her one of the most instantly recognizable looks of any Disney villain. She also has a special bond with the park: the Disneyland castle comes straight from her story.

In 2014, the movie Maleficent gave the character a new take: she starts out as a fairy guarding the Moors, is betrayed by the man she loved, and seeks revenge by cursing Princess Aurora, his daughter. Her design borrows heavily from 1930s and 1940s horror movies, and her horns recall the classic image of a witch.

Oogie Boogie is the villain of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): a burlap sack stuffed with creepy-crawlies who rules from beneath Halloween Town. Coming straight from Halloween Town, he’s about as on theme as a character can be for the holiday.

Jack Skellington drove Oogie out of Halloween Town for his treachery, and ever since, he’s been living in a lair under the town, with three sidekicks: Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Henry Selick directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, with Tim Burton producing. The character is a nod to jazz legend Cab Calloway, whose style he channels, at once menacing and full of rhythm.

Cruella de Vil is the villain of 101 Dalmatians (1961). Obsessed with fashion and furs, she wants to kidnap Dalmatian puppies to make herself a coat. With her half-black, half-white hair and angular figure, she’s instantly recognizable, which makes her a perfect fit for Halloween.

In Peter Pan (1953), Captain Hook commands the pirates of Neverland. All he wants is to get even with Peter Pan, who chopped off his hand (it went to a crocodile), yet he’s still scared stiff of that very crocodile, which adds a comic side. Stylish and polished, he’s among the rare villains you can run into year-round, not only at Halloween.

Ursula is the sea witch from The Little Mermaid (1989). Half woman, half octopus, and banished from King Triton’s kingdom, she convinces Ariel to give up her voice in exchange for becoming human. Her imposing presence and booming laugh make her a standout among the Disney villains associated with Halloween.

In Beauty and the Beast (1991), the bad guy is Gaston, a conceited hunter from Belle’s village. He wants to force her into marriage and ends up storming the Beast’s castle. What makes him different: he has no supernatural powers whatsoever, which sets him apart in a lineup otherwise full of witches and curses.

In Aladdin (1992), Jafar is Agrabah’s grand vizier, a sorcerer hungry for power who’s after the lamp. As the movie goes on, he becomes a giant snake, then a genie. He’s a year-round villain at Disneyland Paris: I often spot him around Adventureland, in the Aladdin area. Halloween puts him in the spotlight too.

The Princess and the Frog (2009) has Dr. Facilier as its villain, a voodoo man from New Orleans who strikes a bargain with his "friends on the other side" to rule the city. He’s the one who turns Prince Naveen into a frog.

With his top hat, unsettling grin, and tarot cards, he has everything a Halloween character needs. During the season, you’ll usually find him over in Frontierland.

The Queen of Hearts is the villain of Alice in Wonderland (1951), a hot-tempered, tyrannical ruler famous for her "Off with their heads!" When she’s part of the lineup, you’ll usually find her in Fantasyland, at the meet and greet with the Alice characters. The villain lineup changes every year: seeing her one year doesn’t guarantee she’ll be back the next season.

Sometimes called Grimhilde, the Evil Queen is the villain of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the first full-length animated movie Disney ever made. Eaten up with envy toward Snow White, she consults her mirror, and when it tells her she’s no longer "the fairest one of all," she flies into a rage and disguises herself as an old hag to poison the princess with an apple. Her crown, high stand-up collar, and cold glare give her a royal, threatening air, which makes her a great choice for Halloween seasons.

In Cinderella (1950), the villains come as a trio: Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother, and her two daughters, Anastasia and Drizella. Icy and scheming, she turns Cinderella into a household servant, while her conceited, envious girls put her down whenever they can. I frequently see the three of them together, and those meet and greets are a lot of fun: each one tries to be pettier and snootier than the others. Look for this trio during the Halloween season.

In Tangled (2010), Mother Gothel snatches baby Rapunzel because the girl’s long golden hair has healing powers that keep Gothel young forever. She then raises her locked away at the top of a tower, posing as her mom. Controlling and possessive, she disguises her cruelty as kindness, which makes her one of the most twisted villains Disney ever created. Her first appearance was in 2024, and she doesn’t come back every Halloween season. You’ll find this year’s villain lineup in my Halloween program.

Halloween is when you can meet most of the Villains. Captain Hook and Jafar are exceptions, since they’re out all year, but for the others, this season is your window. Where they appear, and which villains are on the list, changes every year, so don’t count on a set location from one Halloween to the next.

For the practical side (where, when, how), check my Halloween program for the year and the characters hub. For background, the Halloween party and the season guide give you the big picture. The Halloween cavalcade, for its part, features Mickey and his friends, with no villains at all. And at Halloween, you’ll also see cult favorites like Jack Skellington and Sally, even though they aren’t villains.