Forget everything you thought you knew about a “quick Costco run” — the warehouse just flipped on its fall switch, and it is a LOT. We’re talking a Mickey Mouse jack-o’-lantern with actual infinity mirrors for eyes, a 10-foot animated Jack Skellington, and — because Costco never forgets the snack aisle — a brand-new duo of pumpkin and apple butters built for cozy-season baking. If you’ve already hit up our Aldi fall bakery guide and Trader Joe’s September fall preview, buckle up, because Costco is not here to be outdone. Here’s what’s actually worth the cart space this year.
The showstopper: Mickey Pumpkin with Infinity Mirrors ($219.99)
This is the one everyone’s going to be posting on the neighborhood group chat. Costco’s warehouse-exclusive 3.6-foot Mickey Pumpkin has a full jack-o’-lantern face rigged with 346 LED lights, including infinity-mirror eyes and mouth that make it look like it’s staring into another dimension. It’s 56 inches long, 44 inches tall, and works indoors or out. The catch: it’s only in warehouses (item #1851622), not on Costco.com, so this is one of those “call your local store first” situations.
The crowd-pleaser: 62-Inch Giant Ground Breaking Skeleton ($259.99–$359.99)
Back for another year and still one of Costco’s best-reviewed Halloween pieces (4.2 stars from shoppers), this guy comes with LCD moving eyes, motion- and sound-activated groans, and a six-hour timer so he’s not spooking the mail carrier at 3 a.m. Pro tip straight from the fine print: buying it in-warehouse instead of online saves you a full $100 on the exact same skeleton.
For the Disney adults: Nightmare Before Christmas decor
Costco went all in on a Nightmare Before Christmas collection this year, including a 22-inch animated Clock Tower with Jack, Sally, and Zero that plays “This Is Halloween” on a timer ($129.99–$139.99), plus 16-inch spinning glitter lanterns in Mickey, Stitch, and Jack Skellington designs at $69.99 each. If your porch needs a personality upgrade, this is the cheapest entry point into the giant-format lineup that also includes a 10-foot Jack Skellington and a 7.3-foot animated gargoyle for the truly committed.
The pantry MVP: Fischer & Wieser Maple Pumpkin Butter & Pecan Apple Butter ($11.49 for two jars)
This is the fall find flying under the radar, and it deserves way more hype. For $11.49 you get two 18.5-ounce jars (item #2084036) — one Maple Pumpkin Butter, one Pecan Apple Butter — and pumpkin or apples lead the ingredient list on both, so it doesn’t taste like a science experiment. Swirl the pumpkin butter into cheesecake or between cake layers, spoon the pecan apple butter over baked brie or into thumbprint cookies, or just slather either one on toast and call it breakfast. If you loved our Kirkland Pumpkin Spice Bar Cake pick, this pairs with it disgustingly well.
The at-a-glance cheat sheet
- Mickey Pumpkin w/ Infinity Mirrors — $219.99 (warehouse only)
- 62″ Giant Ground Breaking Skeleton — $259.99 warehouse / $359.99 online
- NBC 22″ Animated Clock Tower — $129.99 warehouse / $139.99 online
- Disney 16″ Spinning Glitter Lanterns — $69.99 each
- Fischer & Wieser Pumpkin & Apple Butter Duo — $11.49 for two jars
Bottom line: whether you’re decorating the whole front yard or just restocking the pantry for pumpkin-butter toast season, Costco’s fall lineup has range this year. Warehouse stock moves fast on the big-ticket decor, so if the Mickey Pumpkin or the skeleton deal is calling your name, don’t wait on this one — and grab an extra jar of that pumpkin butter while you’re at it, because it is not going to last through October.
Photo credits: Costco; Sheri Silver / Unsplash.
