I’m writing this on the train from Osaka to Tokyo, which is also why last week’s issue never went out. So, get ready for an extra meaty edition.
Halloween is bigger than ever. The NRF puts spending at a record $13.5 billion this year, with 74% of Americans celebrating and 49% starting their shopping in September or earlier, up from 34% a decade ago. We’re into the general-audience part of the season now, when the biggest brands announce their plans: Dairy Queen’s first Halloween collection in its history, Hidden Valley’s first seasonal product ever, Buffalo Wild Wings with Sarah Michelle Gellar. And the popular brands that aren’t Halloween at all are capitalizing on the season anyway. Spirit’s 2026 trend list is led by Toy Story, KPop Demon Hunters, and Spider-Man. Harry Potter is flying 1,200 drones over five cities, Netflix House is opening a KPop Demon Hunters experience, and Tim Burton’s Labyrinth sold 100,000 tickets before opening in Tokyo. Three weeks ago we wrote that Halloween is the only holiday that encourages novelty. Pop culture is how brands cash in on that.
As we discussed before, family Halloween is also having a moment. Someone asked me this week whether a client dipping into the fall season should target families or adults, and the short answer for a family audience is: go spooky, not scary. Plan for dwell time and photo-and-memory moments. Plan entertainment. Pay special attention to food. Balance novelty with tradition. The data backs it: 41% of parents expect to be more involved in Halloween this year, against 27% of all adults. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary and Oogie Boogie Bash are both sold out. Enchanted Parks is running family events by day and haunts by night at four of its six parks in its first Halloween. And gore isn’t driving any of it. The top ways people celebrate are handing out candy, costumes, decorating, pumpkins, and scary movies. Scott Swenson (my Green Tagged co-host) added a practitioner’s note from his clients’ guest surveys: the family audience isn’t just strollers, it includes tweens who need a startle element, so some kind of haunted house experience is still necessary. But families want things they can do together, and spooky dance parties are trending well. Which brings me to Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake. I mentioned it before during opening weekend, but I wrote some extended thoughts on it this week.
Remember the K shape? That remains a thing, and live event data shows premium is still selling well. At Universal Studios Japan, where I spent the weekend, the upcharge-intensity experience Afterimage sold out every night through the end of its run. Blood Manor in Tribeca charges $350 to put you in makeup and send you in as a scare actor for a night. The 17th Door’s backstage tour through the cast area and the control room was down to single-digit spots on Halloween night. Premium is expanding to a more intimate curated experience, not just a shorter line.
On USJ: there are only two houses this year plus Afterimage, and the Resident Evil house needs a timed-entry ticket that’s gone early every morning. I won’t spoil it, but each room has a real door instead of a plastic partition. Groups of six go through them, and the scares come from the back and the middle, so every guest sees something. I couldn’t film inside, so my video is of the scare zones and the locals getting frightened.
One continuity note: a month ago we told you to make sure AI assistants can read your site. The NRF now says 47% of consumers are using AI tools for Halloween shopping.
Also this week: Six Flags permanently retired X2, JANA Partners is pushing Six Flags toward a sale again, TransWorld is launching a 100-person Escape Room Summit, and 127 Southern California homes are turning into Halloween attractions this year.
