I went on Disney's Halloween-themed cruise. Here are 5 things that surprised me about the fun but underwhelming experience.

• Disney's themed Halloween on the High Seas cruises take place on select sailings in the fall.
• I expected prominent Halloween decor and atmosphere but the theming was very light.

Disney Cruise Line's Halloween on the High Seas cruises are themed voyages that take place on select sailings in September and October.

The fleet-wide celebrations include themed decor, events, and activities. Recently, I went on one of these voyages with my husband and two 12-year-old kids.

Although we had a great time, there were also some surprises.

First off, we didn't know our cruise would be Halloween-themed when we booked it

We booked our cruise about a year out and it wasn't labeled as being Halloween on the High Seas at that time.

We received an email two months before sailing letting us know we'd be celebrating Halloween at sea. We were also encouraged to bring costumes.

That said, I don't think our cruise not originally being listed as a Halloween one is the norm. These cruises are typically easy to spot on Disney Cruise Line's website. Disney Cruise Line's website currently has several of next fall's cruises marked as Halloween on the High Seas.

There were near-constant changes in the cruise industry when we booked our trip in 2021, so that might be why our listing changed later on.

I expected prominent, in-your-face Halloween decor and atmosphere, but the theming was very light

If you've been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World during the Halloween season, you know that the parks really go all out. I expected the same level of immersion on the Halloween on the High Seas cruise but that wasn't the case.

Fortunately, if you're not into Halloween you don't need to worry about being overwhelmed by the decor and theme. The pumpkin tree in the atrium was the most prominent Halloween decoration on the ship and it was very well done.

Other decorations included jack-o'-lantern clings in the portholes and spiderwebs on the lobby bar. There was Halloween music playing softly in the hallways and elevators throughout the cruise.

The buffets had Halloween-inspired signs, whether the food was actually themed or not. Most of it wasn't.

The only Halloween-themed treats I noticed were in the Concierge Lounge.

I'm very neutral on Halloween and can take it or leave it. Although I was surprised by the subtle amount of decor and atmosphere, it didn't disappoint me.

We didn't get the Halloween schedule of events until we were on board, which made planning a bit challenging

All of the Halloween events were listed in Disney Cruise Line's Navigator app, which can't be fully accessed until you board the ship.

One night out of our five-night cruise was designated as Halloween, which is when most of the themed activities would take place. Since we didn't know that ahead of time — all we were told was Halloween would be celebrated and we should bring costumes — we'd already had something special booked.

Unfortunately, the night designated as Halloween conflicted with a reservation we'd made for specialty dining at Remy, one of Disney Cruise Line's signature restaurants.

The booking was important to us so we decided to skip the Halloween festivities and stick to our plans.

Other themed activities included costume contests, mini parties in the kids' clubs, Mickey's Mouse-querade party, and a Halloween-themed deck party.

At one point we also tried to get our 12-year-olds to go trick-or-treating with us, but they opted to stay in the tween club, Edge, and play games. We were all happy with our decisions but I'd have appreciated knowing that there was a big event on board to consider when making pre-sail reservations.

The 'Sanderson' sisters and 'Hocus Pocus' movies stole the show

There was a showing of "Hocus Pocus" in the ship's main theater on "Halloween." Later that evening, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Clarabelle Cow dressed as the Sanderson Sisters made their first appearance.

The line to meet them was wrapped around the atrium. I spoke to someone in the line and she shared she'd been waiting for over an hour — I estimated most people waited about 90 minutes.

I saw three other time slots to meet and get pictures with these characters dressed as the Sanderson Sisters. "Hocus Pocus 2," which was released to Disney+ while we were on board, was shown several times during our sailing.

You really could participate as much or as little as you like

Costumes were not required for any of the festivities. I estimate that about half the passengers were in costume on the ship's Halloween.

We saw lots of Halloween-themed stateroom door decorations and a lot of Disney Halloween shirts.

There was a small selection of Halloween on the High Seas merchandise for sale in the gift shop for anyone inspired to add a little Disney Halloween flair to their look.

I didn't have a costume or any Halloween-themed clothes or accessories but didn't feel out of place. Parents of younger kids will also be happy to know that nothing on board was overtly scary.

Overall, the attempted Halloween theme didn't do much for me

Disney is still my favorite cruise line but the Halloween experience didn't do a lot for me. Fortunately, I hadn't booked this for the theme.

It was honestly easy for me to ignore the fact that this was a Halloween-themed cruise — it seemed like a regular one with a few Halloween decorations and activities thrown in.

I can easily see where someone super excited about a Halloween cruise might have seen this experience as a letdown. Aside from a cool pumpkin tree and some creative costumes, my experience was the same as it's been on any other Disney cruise — which is a big thumbs up for me.

I'd take another Halloween on the High Seas cruise if the itinerary was one I wanted to experience but I wouldn't select this cruise solely for its theme.