The Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure is the annual Halloween Party at the Disneyland Resort. I’ve been lucky enough to attend multiple times over the past few years, both with friends and my family. Read about my experiences and what you can expect at the Oogie Boogie Bash.
What is The Oogie Boogie Bash?
The Oogie Boogie Bash is a separately ticketed event that takes place at Disney California Adventure on select night in September and October. It is essentially what replaced Mickey’s Halloween party that used to be held at Disneyland.
Oogie Boogie Bash Dates (2023)
Tuesday, Sept. 5; Thursday, Sept. 7; Sunday, Sept. 10; Tuesday, Sept. 12; Thursday, Sept. 14; Sunday, Sept. 17; Tuesday, Sept. 19; Thursday, Sept. 21; Sunday, Sept. 24; Tuesday, Sept. 26; Thursday, Sept. 28; Sunday, Oct. 1; Tuesday, Oct. 3; Thursday, Oct. 5; Sunday, Oct. 8; Tuesday, Oct. 10; Thursday, Oct. 12; Sunday, Oct. 15; Tuesday, Oct 17; Thursday, Oct. 19; Sunday, Oct. 22; Tuesday, Oct. 24; Thursday, Oct. 26; Sunday, Oct. 29; and Tuesday, Oct. 31, Halloween night.
The Oogie Boogie Bash offers special Halloween festivities like trick or treating with villains and a fabulous parade, in addition to regular Halloween Time fun at Disneyland.
Oogie Boogie Bash Tickets
First of all, since this event is not included in general theme park admission, you have to purchase separate tickets directly on the Disneyland website HERE. Tickets for the general public go on sale 6/29/23 and will likely start selling out quickly. Key holders did have access to an earlier presale.
Typically guests of the official Disneyland hotels could purchase tickets on the morning of each party at the front desk (while supplies last). Unfortunately there is no way to buy tickets anymore for this year. I recommend planning ahead next year and watch for ticket sales to start next June.
Your Oogie Boogie Bash (OBB) party ticket grants admission to Disney California Adventure Park at 3pm (three hours before the party begins) with the party running from 6pm – 11pm. With our OBB tickets you can spend 8 hours in Disney California Adventure.
If you want to enter Disney California Adventure before 3pm, you will need regular theme park tickets.
8 hours may sound like a lot of time but there is so much to do. You will definiltey run out of time before you can do it all! Besides treats from trick or treating, each ticket includes access to PhotoPass pictures from the event.
What’s the difference between the Oogie Boogie Bash and Halloween Time?
Halloween Time will begin at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park on September 1 and will run until October 31, 2023. It’s my favorite time to visit because I love all the Halloween themed decor, food, and overlays. Keep in mind the Halloween season fun is available to all guests of either Disneyland park during regular park hours.
The Oogie Boogie Bash is a special event and occurs select nights starting September 5 and concluding October 31, 2023. The Oogie Boogie Bash party starts at 6 pm and ends at 11 pm, and during that time Disney California Adventure Park will only be open to guests with Oogie Boogie Bash tickets.
Oogie Boogie Bash Attractions
What to expect at the special Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party? Besides the regular HalloweenTime fun at Disney California Adventure there is more not so spooky fun, rare character sitings, villainous encounters and of course candy!
Looking for more OBB fun? Check out my printable Oogie Boogie Bash scavenger hunt!
Villain’s Grove
The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is transformed into a spooky dreamworld à la a traditional haunted house with color, sound, light and shadows featuring the worlds of various Disney Villains like Maleficent and Scar.
Villains Grove had a long line most of the night last year, I’d wait until the line dies down. There is no candy or character encounters in Villain’s grove, making it lower on my priority list compared to other attractions.
Immersive Treat Trails
Interactive villains are on display at 8 of the 10 trick or treat trails. Love one particular character? There’s no reason you can’t go through any of the trails more than once. Many people take pictures and video of the villains as they go through the line.
These are the trails and villains found at OBB 2021.
- Cruella is at the trick or treat trail across from the Monsters Inc ride in Hollywood Land
- Oogie Boogie is at the trick or treat trail in the Animation Academy building in Hollywood Land.
- The Mad Hatter is at the trick or treat trail outside the Hyperion theater in Hollywood Land.
- Agatha Harkness (from WandaVision) is at the trick or trail near the Pym Test Kitchen on the Avengers Campus.
- Sid is at the trick or treat trail near Pixar Pal-Around (ferris wheel) on Pixar Pier.
- Dr. Facilier is at the trick or treat trail near Grizzly Peak and the the Avengers Campus entrance (it’s also along the parade route and thus is closed while the parade is running.)
- Maleficent is at the trick or treat trail near Soarin’
- The Evil Queen is at the trick or treat trail near Grizzly River Rapids.
- There is also a trick or treat trail near Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land and one on Buena Vista street without interactive characters.
New villains that have been featured or rumored to make a future appearance include the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus, Ernesto De La Cruz from Coco, Mother Gothel from Tangled, Madam Mim from the Sword in the Stone.
Frightfully Fun Parade
Characters in masquerade will parade through Oogie Boogie Bash, accompanied by a number of your favorite villains. The headless horseman of sleepy hollow kicks off the parade with a spooky ride.
Miss him leading off the parade? You can also visit the headless horseman statue near Carthay Circle during Halloween Time and there is usually a PhotoPass photographer there to take your picture.
Mickey’s Trick and Treat Show
This live show will share family-friendly Halloween stories, presented by Mickey Mouse and his friends. It’s a not-so scary adventure perfect for little ones. The earlier shows can be crowded so if you little one can stay up later, it’s best to wait before catching a show.
Favorite Disney Character Encounters
Take a picture with a villain, a marvel hero or a classic Disney character in their Halloween costume. Check the map (or app) for scheduled character encounters when you arrive at the party.
- Avengers campus had regular character encounters, we saw Captain Marvel and Thor.
- We saw Cinderella and her step-sisters at the hub on Buena Vista Street.
- Mickey and Minnie Mouse were down at Paradise Park across from Pixar Pal-A-Round (aka Mickey’s Wheel of Death).
- We saw the Sheriff of Nottingham, Hook and Smee near Grizzly River Run.
- Mater, Lightning McQueen and Cruz were all decked out for Haul-O-Ween in Radiator Screams.
Check the Oogie Boogie bash map or the app to find even more character encounter locations if this is important to you. I just shared my experience with characters I found as I walked by.
Photo Ops
Speaking of photos and characters, don’t forget that the PhotoPass is included with your Oogie Boogie Bash ticket. So hop in and take pictures with characters or with your friends/family all dressed up in their cool Halloween costumes.
The World of Color show and dance party from the 2019 bash will not be returning this year.
Why You Should Attend The Oogie Boogie Bash
The Oogie Boogie bash at Disney California Adventure is the only Disneyland Halloween Party at this time. Mickey’s Halloween Party is no longer offered.
Attending this special separate ticket event is a great way to see rare characters and your favorite characters in their favorite costume. It also celebrates the villainous side of Disney characters without it being a scary Halloween party, like the parties other theme parks host.
I enjoy the extra special Halloween festivities and shorter wait times on attractions during the party. You can walk on a lot of rides and even get on the elusive new Web Slingers ride during the party.
Plus party guests get a ridiculous amount of candy and snacks on the trick or treat trails, Mars Wrigley Confectionery Products if you care.
And costumes!! I love making and dressing up in costumes with friends and family. Adults can’t wear costumes into Disney Parks except for special events like the Oogie Boogie Bash.
Oogie Boogie Bash Tips
Arrive Early to the Oogie Boogie Bash
The lines to enter the park for the Bash are usually excessive and once you get in, there are long lines to get your party wristband and trick or treat bags and the fall sun can be brutal with no shade available. I wish the logistics on this were better.
Arrive by 2:45 so you can enter the park as close to 3pm as possible. If you have a regular park ticket for that day as well, enter at least an hour earlier to avoid the rush of Oogie Boogie Bash ticket holders.
The main queue to get your party wristband and trick or treat bag is right inside the entrance of Disney California Adventure. It creates a mad traffic jam even though they usually have lots of cast members working to check people in.
Luckily, there is another party check in location at the Blue Sky Cellar across from Cars Land. The line is much shorter. While we still waited longer than I liked, the queue is partially indoors (hello air conditioning) and the outdoor line is mostly in the shade.
There is possibly a 3rd check in option near the Grand Californian Hotel with no wait. I didn’t try it but my friend Patty was successful.
Dress comfortably and appropriately
It’s almost always too hot to wear a super elaborate costume throughout September and October at Disneyland. And I see people in crazy costumes with heavy long sleeve clothes or full costume suits and wigs walking around in the heat.
While they look amazing, I can’t imagine they are very comfortable. I want to enjoy my Oogie Boogie Bash experience which means choosing my costume carefully.
I wore jeans this year and it was a bit too warm for that I survived the first couple of hours by finding shade. I also wore tall boots for my Captain Carter costume which aren’t really my thing. I saved my feet by switching into flip flops after a few hours.
Invest in a locker for the party. You can bring shoes to switch out if necessary. Extra sweatshirts if it gets cold later in the night and drop off bags of candy or fun Oogie Boogie souvenirs you buy during the party. Lockers are located just inside the park entrance and cost $7 and $10. They are totally worth it.
Skip the extra Oogie Boogie Bash Options
Oogie Boogie Bash tickets are already a little pricey (but I think worth it). There are also special dining opportunities if you really want to splurge. I tried the Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party this year and it was fun but not really worth $84 per person.
The Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party includes amazing seating for the parade (which I loved), a plate of desserts and a couple of drinks. There are alcoholic drink options. Unless you are super into splurging, it’d skip it. The seating is in front of Sonoma Terrace. The $84 per person for a family adds up really quick and could be used to indulge in a lot of yummy Halloween treats instead!
There is also a Oogie Boogie Parade Dining package at Wine Country Trattoria starting at $55 for adults and $40 for kids. This package includes a 3 course meal but only a reserved viewing area, not social distanced front row seating like we had for the dessert party. I didn’t indulge in this but a couple of friends did, check out their thoughts on the dining package and if it might alleviate your desire for social distancing.
Oogie Boogie Bash – Important Reminders
Anytime you visit Disney Parks, it’s best to check park hours for special events and closures. Since Disney California Adventure Park will host Oogie Boogie Bash, it will be open only to Bash guests starting at 6 pm on party nights.
If you have a Park Hopper Ticket and you start your day in Disney California Adventure Park you’ll have no problem heading over to Disneyland during the Bash.
If you have a 1-Park per Day Ticket (meaning you can’t hop between parks), be sure to spend Bash days in Disneyland park so you can stay in that park until closing (and not get kicked out at 6pm). Also keep in mind that visiting either Disney Park requires a theme park reservation when first using your regular park tickets each day.
Also just in case you are totally new to visiting the Disneyland Resort, The Haunted Mansion is located at Disneyland and you will not be able to ride it with an Oogie Boogie Bash ticket.
Guests of All Ages Can Wear Halloween Costumes
You are allowed to wear Halloween costumes to the Oogie Boogie Bash, but you’re still not allowed to pose for pictures or sign autographs. This is your chance to dress in costume while at Disneyland since this is usually only allowed for guests 14 and younger.
You don’t have to dress up in a costume to attend the Halloween party but over half of the partygoers will be in some sort of costume, including adults. In fact, you’ll see a lot of families or groups dressed in a costume theme. We were Peter Pan characters during our first visit to Mickey’s Halloween Party.
Disney Halloween Party Costume Ideas
Have a little fun and dress up even just a little bit. If you don’t want to go full out in a costume, consider Disneybounding. Speaking of Disney, your costume doesn’t have to be a Disney character. There are lots of Disney costumes but also lots of many other costumes in attendance as well. Just be sure to follow the costume guidelines. Need a costume idea? I’ve got that covered.
- Star Wars Costume Ideas
- Inside Out Costume Ideas
- Ducktales Costume Ideas
- More Pixar Costumes
- Even More DIY Costumes
Save on Disney Tickets
You can enjoy a lot of fun attractions and events during Halloween Time without attending Oogie Boogie Bash. My partner Get Away Today always has the best ticket prices and vacation deals. Even without tickets to Oogie Boogie Bash, there is plenty of Halloween fun to be had include scrumptious Halloween Time food, see all the seasonal overlays and experience the thrills and chills of fall at the Disneyland Resort. You can see all vacation packages at www.getawaytoday.com, or call an agent directly at 855-GET-AWAY. Mention Desert Chica sent you, and use code dchica for an additional $10 in savings on your vacation package.
This post was originally published June 11, 2019.
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