Hocus Pocus has grown into one of the most famous and popular Halloween films of all time, being shown constantly on television throughout the holiday season, with its characters and quotes becoming more and more iconic with each passing year. It even currently has a sequel in development currently set to premiere on Disney Plus for the Halloween season in 2022.
It was only a matter of time before Hocus Pocus became a part of the spookiest time of year.
In a move that is exceedingly uncommon in the Disney Parks, Hocus Pocus became a part of the Disney Parks for the first time in a meaningful way starting with the 2015 Halloween season, over twenty years after it was initially released and flopped theatrically. The popularity that the film had grown over two decades made it a natural choice to come to Walt Disney World.
The Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular premiered alongside the 2015 version of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, replacing the aging Villains Mix and Mingle. While it did not include meet and greets, it did include appearances by the three iconic Sanderson Sisters as well as a collection of famous Disney villains.
The show would be performed multiple times nightly on the stage in front of Cinderella Castle, including once after the party had ended.
The story of the show was in a sense a sequel to the original film. It featured the Sanderson Sisters being brought back to life once again, in the present year on Halloween, for a single night. This time however they are planning on hosting a party instead of hunting children. The show also features narration by Thackery Binx, including yet another character from the film.
To ensure its success they are creating a special potion that requires the help of several other villains, including significantly Dr. Facilier, Maleficent, and Oogie Boogie.
The three Sanderson Sisters end perform several iconic moments from the film live on stage, including a recreation of the iconic I Put a Spell On You scene for the finale.
This show quickly became one of the most popular parts of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, being prominently featured in merchandise for the party.
The show would continue to run through the 2019 Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party with no sign of it stopping anytime soon.
Then in March of 2020, all of Walt Disney World would close due to the COVID19 pandemic. By the Halloween season the parks had reopened, but operations were still being significantly altered by the pandemic's ongoing effects. One of the main things was that theatrical shows were still suspended indefinitely.
While there was an altered shorter parade for the 2020 season despite Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party being canceled, the Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular alongside the fireworks would not return.
In 2021 Walt Disney World would replace the traditional Halloween Party with the all-new Mickey's Boo Bash. This would feature little exclusive entertainment, leaving it uncertain if the show will ever return, despite the continued popularity of both the show and the film it is based on.
This is one of many popular experiences at the Disney Parks unfortunately cut short by the COVID19 pandemic. Cuts that were once necessary due to safety concerns are continuing on as budget cuts, robbing the parks of some of their most magical experiences, potentially for years to come.
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