Halloween at the North Pole ✦ Newport Beach, CA ✦ October 17 to 31

Once Upon a Nightmare Before Christmas: A Family Halloween Adventure on Balboa Island

For the first time ever, Jack Skellington and Sally have broken in and taken over Christmas.

Once Upon a Nightmare Before Christmas is a live, theatrical Halloween experience at Once Upon a Christmas, 114 Agate Avenue on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. Kids and grown-ups journey together through Santa’s North Pole, meet Jack, Sally and Zero, and help set Christmas right. It’s playful and a little spooky, never scary, and it runs on five dates only, October 17 to 31.

All ages welcome. Every guest over age 1 needs a ticket.

Get Tickets from $39.99 ▶ Watch the Film
Five dates onlyOctober 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31Every guest over 1 needs a ticketPrices go up closer to Halloween

New to Once Upon an Island?

A Halloween outing for families in Newport Beach

Once Upon an Island creates immersive children’s experiences on Balboa Island. Every holiday season, our Christmas location, Once Upon a Christmas, becomes Santa’s North Pole. This October, Halloween gets there first.

Choose Your Date

What happens on the adventure

Something strange is happening at the North Pole.

Santa’s workshop is under new management. Sally is determined to crack the code of how the elves make their toys so quickly, and Jack is never far behind. Come along on a journey north and help set Christmas right.

Grown-ups don’t watch from the side. The whole family travels through the story together, one scene at a time.

  1. 01
    Jack Skellington peeking through a frosty doorway with the words Guess who broke in. A spooky, never scary adventure through Santa’s North Pole.A glowing jack-o’-lantern beside alphabet blocks and a teddy bear in Santa’s workshopSally kneels beside a smiling girl in a pumpkin costume in the decorated workshopA small glowing jack-o’-lantern on a dark workshop shelfA glowing jack-o’-lantern on a workshop table beside alphabet blocksToy shelves, a wooden slide and cobwebs in Santa’s workshop, lit in green

    The journey north

    Step through the doors of Once Upon a Christmas and set off for the North Pole, only to find that Halloween got there first.

  2. 02
    Step inside Sally’s laboratory, stop two on the journey: watch her sing live and build toys with potions.Sally at her glowing green potion table as a child watchesSally holds up a glowing orange light in her laboratoryA glowing jack-o’-lantern and potion jars in a pink mist in Sally’s laboratoryPlush toys lined up on a workbench in Sally’s laboratorySally holds up a small handmade toy among the workshop shelvesSally talks with a child in a pumpkin costumeA child in a pumpkin costume looks up at shelves of glowing toysJack Skellington hugs a boy in a skeleton costume while Sally looks onA girl in a pumpkin costume stands in the colorful workshop beside alphabet blocks

    Sally’s laboratory

    Sally is on a mission to learn how the elves work so fast. Watch her sing live as she builds toys with her potions and experiments.

  3. 03
    Jack Skellington with a little skeleton: the North Pole is under new management, and Jack is never far behind.Jack Skellington in a Santa hat beside a fireplace and Christmas treeGuests in skeleton costumes meet Jack Skellington in the dim, green-lit workshopA cozy Halloween parlor with a leather sofa, fireplace, Christmas trees and a moonlit windowJack Skellington hugs a boy in a skeleton costume as Sally waits nearby

    Behind the hidden door

    Just when the experiments are bubbling over, Jack appears from behind a hidden door.

  4. 04
    Zero, the glowing ghost dog, in Santa’s reindeer barnZero glowing in front of his RIP headstone in the reindeer barnZero glows at the far end of the dark reindeer barn

    Zero’s reindeer barn

    Along the way, you’ll meet Zero, who has taken over Santa’s reindeer barn.

  5. 05
    Jack Skellington and Sally on a sofa with children in Halloween costumes, a Christmas tree and full moon window behind them

    The real secret

    In the end, it’s the children who teach Jack and Sally the truth: Christmas magic isn’t about potions at all. It comes from within. Together with the children’s joy and belief, real Christmas magic takes hold, and everyone creates toys and gifts for all.

Five dates only, October 17 to 31.

Get Tickets from $39.99
Sally in Santa’s workshop with the words Spooky fun. Never scary. Made for every little believer.

Is it too scary for my child?

Spooky fun. Never scary.

This is a wholesome, all ages Halloween adventure for kids and adults to share. The mood is playful and just a little spooky, and the heart of the story is the magic of Christmas, with your children as the heroes who save it.

  • Made for families: kids and grown-ups go through it together
  • Playful, a little spooky and never scary
  • A story with a happy ending, where the children set Christmas right
  • Babies under 1 held by a parent come along free

Because grown-ups journey through the North Pole right alongside the kids, every guest over age 1, children and adults alike, needs their own ticket.

See the adventure

Watch the film: a peek inside

Five dates only

Tickets from $39.99

All ages: every guest over 1, kids and adults, needs a ticket.

  • Sat Oct 17 Evening
  • Fri Oct 23 Evening
  • Sat Oct 24 Evening
  • Fri Oct 30 Evening
  • Halloween Oct 31 11am to 4pm

Once Upon a Christmas, 114 Agate Avenue, Balboa Island, Newport Beach. Prices go up closer to Halloween.

Book Now
Your ticket to the North Pole: Halloween at the North Pole, admit one believer. October 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 at 114 Agate Avenue, Balboa Island, from $39.99.

Five dates only

Tickets from $39.99

October

  • Sat17Evening
  • Fri23Evening
  • Sat24Evening
  • Fri30Evening
  • Halloween3111am to 4pm
  • WhoAll ages, kids and adults. Every guest over age 1 needs a ticket
  • BabiesUnder 1 and held by a parent: free, no ticket needed
  • TimesEvenings only, except Halloween: 11am to 4pm
  • WhereOnce Upon a Christmas, 114 Agate Avenue, Balboa Island
  • Heads upPrices go up closer to Halloween
Choose Your Date

The best price is the one you see today.

Questions parents ask

Good to know

What is Once Upon a Nightmare Before Christmas?

A live, theatrical Halloween adventure for families. Jack Skellington and Sally have taken over Santa’s North Pole. Along the way you visit Sally in her laboratory, where she sings live, find Jack behind a hidden door and meet Zero in the reindeer barn. In the end, the children help set Christmas right.

Where is it?

This is not at Once Upon an Island. It’s at our Christmas location, Once Upon a Christmas, at 114 Agate Avenue on Balboa Island, Newport Beach, CA 92662, just a few doors down.

What are the dates and times?

Five dates only: Saturday October 17, Friday October 23, Saturday October 24 and Friday October 30 are evenings only. On Halloween, Saturday October 31, we’re open 11am to 4pm. Choose your date early, because prices go up closer to Halloween.

What ages is it for?

All ages. It’s made to be shared by kids and grown-ups together, and the adults go on the whole adventure with the children.

Is it scary?

Never. It’s playful and just a little spooky: wholesome Halloween fun for all ages, with a story that ends in Christmas magic and the children as the heroes.

Who needs a ticket?

Every guest over age 1 needs a ticket, children and adults alike. Grown-ups go on the whole adventure with the kids, so each person who walks through the door needs their own ticket to enter. The only exception is babies under 1 who are held by a parent the whole time; they come along free.

How much are tickets?

Tickets start at $39.99 per guest, and prices rise as Halloween gets closer, so the earliest dates are the best value.

How do I book?

Tickets are sold online. Choose your date and buy one ticket for every guest over age 1 in your group.

Questions?

Call us at 949.791.2162 or email info@onceuponanisland.net.

Jack and Sally have the potions.
Your children have the magic.

Get Tickets

All ages, kids and adults. Every guest over age 1 needs a ticket; babies under 1 held by a parent are free.

Once Upon a Nightmare Before Christmas is an independent production by Once Upon an Island. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Disney.