Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre screens Hocus Pocus Oct. 9 to 15 and The Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D Oct. 16 to Nov. 1, 2026, with fan events on Oct. 9 and Oct. 16.
Disney’s own movie palace in Hollywood is going full Halloween.
The El Capitan Theatre will screen Hocus Pocus from Oct. 9 to Oct. 15, then The Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D from Oct. 16 through Nov. 1. Each run opens with a fan event, and one of them brings the people who made the movie.
Both films came out in 1993. That makes this a 33rd-birthday double feature, whether Disney calls it that or not.
What’s happening at the Hocus Pocus fan event?
The Hocus Pocus fan event is Friday, Oct. 9.
Composer John Debney and David Kirschner, who came up with the story and co-wrote the screenplay, will introduce the movie, per Laughing Place. Guests who show up in costume get a themed photo op.
Fan event tickets cost $35. That includes a commemorative credential, a 64-ounce popcorn and a 24-ounce drink.
Regular screenings run Oct. 9 to 15 at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. for $16.
How much are Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D tickets?
The Nightmare fan event is Friday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $70.
That gets you a reserved seat, a Jack Skellington popcorn container, a drink and a credential. There’s also a props display and a live drawing demo with artist George McClements.
Regular 4D screenings cost $24. They run daily Oct. 16 to Nov. 1 at 9:30 a.m., noon, 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., plus a 10 p.m. show on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Every Nightmare showing opens with the 1929 Silly Symphony The Skeleton Dance. It’s a short, spooky cartoon from Disney’s early days, and a fitting warm-up for Jack.
Is there a deal on El Capitan Halloween tickets?
There’s one. The “Four is a Scream Pack” gets you four Nightmare tickets for $80.
That’s $20 a ticket instead of $24, which saves a family of four $16. Not huge, but it adds up if you were buying four anyway.
The fan event is the pricier way in. At $70, it costs almost three times a regular 4D seat. You’re paying for the reserved seat, the collectible bucket and the artist appearance, so it depends on how much you want that Jack Skellington popcorn container.
What is 4D at the El Capitan Theatre?
It means the theater adds physical effects to the movie. Think wind, mist and other in-seat surprises timed to what’s happening on screen.
The Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D has turned into a fall regular at the El Capitan. The theater paired it with Hocus Pocus in October 2023 and ran the 4D version again in 2025.
What else is playing at the El Capitan this fall?
The theater has a full slate lined up:
Avengers: Endgame Encore runs through Oct. 1
Coco plays Oct. 2 to Oct. 8, with live mariachi and ballet folklorico performances as guests arrive
Hocus Pocus plays Oct. 9 to 15
The Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D plays Oct. 16 to Nov. 1
Avengers: Doomsday arrives Dec. 17
The El Capitan sits on Hollywood Boulevard, right next to the studio where Jimmy Kimmel Live! tapes. If you’re in Los Angeles in October, it’s one of the only places you can see a Disney Halloween classic on a big screen with a pipe organ, a costume crowd and a 64-ounce popcorn.
Bring a costume. Somebody in a Sanderson Sisters getup will be there either way.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Laughing Place (Sept. 24, 2026), the fan event dates, prices, inclusions, guests and screening times
El Capitan Theatre (accessed Sept. 25, 2026), the fall schedule and the Coco and Avengers dates
BroadwayWorld (2023 and 2025), past Hocus Pocus and Nightmare runs at the El Capitan
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