Spooky Disney Movies To Watch That Aren’t Hocus Pocus

Before Sex and the City had us proclaiming if we're a Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, or Charlotte (I'm a Samantha-Charlotte hybrid), Hocus Pocus had us choosing which Sanderson sister we are. I'm definitely a Mary. Silly, chubby, and fun. It's also amusing that Sarah Jessica Parker plays in both. There's a talking cat, a musical number, a precocious kid--a cult classic for very good reason. While I never don't enjoy watching it, it's nice to have a little variety. Cue Disney+ which has DCOM Halloween classics from my formative years:

Halloweentown: A tween gets a visit from her good-witch grandmother and learns she is also a witch. She ventures to Halloweentown to discover her roots only to find she must help her grandma save the town from evil forces.

The plot is pretty simple and not the most riveting, but it's almost not the point. The real fun is seeing how things look and work in a town that's real Halloween 24/7. There are witches, ghosts, and creatures galore leading seemingly normal lives but with a spooky twist. In one scene a vampire is getting a fang pulled at the dentist.

The good-witch grandmother is none other than the late icon, Debbie Reynolds. She's charming magic onscreen. Judith Hoag is also in the film as the young witch's mother. I've loved her since the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie and the time the two spend onscreen together is endearing.

Mom's Got A Date With A Vampire:  The Hansen kids are in a jam. Adam and his best friend Duffy have gotten their hands on some tickets for the Headless Horseman concert, and his sister Chelsea has a date with her dreamy boyfriend Peter. The only problem is they're both grounded. Chelsea and Adam will do whatever it takes to get their mom Lynette out of the house, even if it includes a chance meeting with a very mysterious man. Everything seems to go according to plan until their little brother Taylor realizes that this stranger might be a vampire.