This Is the Last Weekend of SeaWorld's Spooktacular — and You Need to Buy the Candy Bag

Overview

SeaWorld's Halloween Spooktacular ends on Sunday, November 1. This is its final weekend.

It's the daytime, family version of Halloween at SeaWorld — not to be confused with Howl-O-Scream, which is their adult scare event and ends a day earlier, on the 31st.

Their framing: "Daytime Halloween fun designed for guests of all ages."

And the headline fact: it's included with park admission. No event ticket, no upcharge to get in.

But there are two things that will catch you out, and they're the reason to read this before you go rather than after.

1. The Candy Trail requires a bag you have to buy

SeaWorld's own words: "A reusable candy bag is required to participate in the Candy Trail."

The bag is $4.99, sold at any retail location in the park. Pass members get a discount.

So the event is free with admission, and the main trick-or-treating activity isn't. That's not outrageous — it's five dollars and it's reusable — but it is the kind of thing you want to know before a child is standing in front of the first candy station.

Buy the bag on your way in, not when you get there.

2. If you're thirteen or over, no masks and no hoods

Their rule, verbatim: "Guests who are ages 13 and older may not wear costume masks or hoods."

That's a security policy and it's absolute. A fourteen-year-old who has built a costume around a mask is going to be disappointed at the gate, so plan the costume accordingly.

The rest of the costume rules:

• "All guests are welcome to dress up in costumes"
• All costumes are subject to the park's normal dress code
• "face painting is not permitted on any guests unless it is done by park artists"

Candy Trail Hours

These are the only times SeaWorld publishes for the event:

• Fridays — 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturdays and Sundays — 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

So the weekend window is six hours and the Friday window is three. If trick-or-treating is the reason you're going, Saturday or Sunday is the better bet.

The Add-Ons

• Trick-or-Treat with Baby Shark, reserved seating — $9.99 per guest, groups of three or more. Park admission is required and not included
• Reusable candy bag — $4.99. Required for the Candy Trail
• Spooktacular Pumpkin Hunt Map — sold at The SeaWorld Store. Price not published

How to Go

• When: through Sunday, November 1, 2026 — Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
• Where: SeaWorld San Diego
• Cost: included with park admission. The candy bag is $4.99 extra
• Candy Trail: 4–7 p.m. Friday, 1–7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Costumes welcome — but no masks or hoods for anyone 13 or over
• Check the park calendar before you go (see the note below)

Good to Know

• Three days left. Friday the 30th, Saturday the 31st, Sunday the 1st.
• Buy the $4.99 candy bag first. It's required for the Candy Trail.
• Over 13: no mask, no hood. Plan the costume around it.
• Weekends are twice the window — six hours against three on Friday.
• Howl-O-Scream is the other one, it's for adults, and it ends the 31st.
• Día de los Muertos overlaps at the park on October 31 and November 1.
• Verify the operating days on SeaWorld's own park calendar before you drive — their site is ambiguous about whether all three days run.
• A season pass or Fun Card makes this essentially free if you already have one.

Why It's Worth It

Trick-or-treating in a theme park on a Sunday afternoon in November, with no scare element and nothing jumping out at anybody, is a genuinely good answer to the Halloween problem for families with small children.

Street trick-or-treating is an evening activity in the dark. This runs from one in the afternoon. And because it's bundled with admission, if you already hold a pass the whole thing costs you five dollars for a bag.

It's the last weekend. Go Saturday or Sunday for the longer window.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Halloween Spooktacular end? Sunday, November 1, 2026. It has run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays since September 11.

Does it cost extra? No — SeaWorld states it's included with park admission. But the reusable candy bag required for the Candy Trail is $4.99.

What time is the Candy Trail? 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays, and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Do I have to buy a candy bag? For the Candy Trail, yes — SeaWorld states a reusable candy bag is required to participate. It's $4.99 at any park retail location, with a discount for pass members.

Can adults wear costumes? Yes, but guests aged 13 and over may not wear costume masks or hoods, and all costumes are subject to the park's normal dress code.

Is face painting allowed? Only if it's done by park artists.

Is this the scary one? No. Halloween Spooktacular is the daytime family event. Howl-O-Scream is SeaWorld's separate adult scare event, and it ends October 31.

Is there anything that costs extra? Trick-or-Treat with Baby Shark reserved seating is $9.99 per guest for groups of three or more, and park admission is required separately.

Is it suitable for toddlers? SeaWorld describes it as family-friendly and designed for guests of all ages, and publishes no minimum age.