Guide To Oogie Boogie Bash – Disneyland Halloween Party

After a year of hiatus because of the pandemic, the Oogie Boogie Bash is back for 2021! The Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure is the new annual Halloween Party at the Disneyland Resort.

I was lucky enough to attend the Oogie Boogie Bash twice in 2019, once after a work event with a friend and then again with my family during our fall break trip. Both experiences were so much fun and I can’t wait to attend again this year.

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.

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 from Disney HERE. Ticket sales have already begun and some dates have sold out. Tickets are officially sold out.

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 tickets to go on sale in July.

Your Oogie Boogie Bash ticket grants admission to Disney California Adventure Park three hours before the party begins, so you can spend 8 hours in the park with just the party ticket.

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 3 and will run until October 31, 2021. It’s my favorite time to visit because I love all the Halloween themed decor, food, and overlays. Keep in mind Halloween Time 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 9 and concluding October 31, 2021. 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!

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.

• 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.

With the popularity and success of Disney’s Cruella film this year, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that she seemed to the most popular villain on the trick or treat trails.

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.

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, the lines to get your party wristband and trick or treat bag are just as brutal. 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 $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 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.

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 offers 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.