Halloween on the High Seas 2026: Disney Wish Day 1 and the Pumpkin Tree Lighting

Boarding While Boo Was Still Going Up

Our three-night Halloween on the High Seas sailing left from Port Canaveral, and after the walk through the terminal we stepped into the Grand Hall to find the crew still assembling Boo, the Wish's enchanted pumpkin tree.

It made for a pretty unusual first look at the ship. The Grand Hall was already decorated for Halloween.

Lunch at Marceline Market, Always

Lunch at Marceline Market is genuinely the first thing we do on every Disney cruise, and this one was no exception. It is our way of saying the vacation has officially started.

Cinderella, Frozen and a Verandah View

We had two staterooms this time, one themed to Cinderella and one to Frozen. Once we got settled, we headed out to the verandah and looked over Port Canaveral while we waited to sail.

After Sail Away

Once we were underway, we shopped Treasures Untold on deck three and caught a show. Dinner was at 1923, on the Walt Disney side.

Between all that we stopped for a few Halloween photo ops around the ship and looked in on the Hyperspace Lounge before calling it a night.

The Pumpkin Tree Lighting

The best part of the day was coming back to the Grand Hall that evening for the pumpkin tree lighting. Having watched Boo go up piece by piece earlier, seeing it lit felt like we had been part of the whole story.

Is a Halloween Sailing Worth It?

If you are deciding between a Halloween cruise and a regular sailing, embarkation day is a good preview. The decorations and the pumpkin tree lighting give the first day its own personality. We would love to hear which pumpkin tree is your favorite across the fleet.