Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure Park (DCA) is a frightfully fun Halloween party perfect for the whole family! Guests of all ages can dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes and enjoy a night filled with Disney Villains and spooky fun.
From immersive treat trails and character encounters to Halloween-themed parades and magic shots, Oogie Boogie Bash offers something for everyone.
Whether you are trick-or-treating through the Disney villains' treat trails or dancing along to the Frightfully Fun Parade, this special event promises an evening of magical and eerie experiences that are not to be missed!
Need help figuring out what to pack in your Disney bag? Check out my blog post, 21 Essentials to Pack in your Disney Park Bag!
Event Dates and Tickets
Oogie Boogie Bash occurs on select nights in August, September, and October, from Sunday, August 25, 2024, to Thursday, October 31, 2024, from 6 pm to 11 pm! Although the party is from 6 pm to 11 pm, you can enter the park at 3 pm on your party date and enjoy the park during regular park hours.
Furthermore, ticket prices range from $134 to $189. However, be aware that tickets for Oogie Boogie Bash typically sell out quickly, so you need to "rope drop" ticket sales.
For instance, in previous years, tickets sold out the same day they were released to the general public. However, this year, it took about a week after it was available to the general public for all the dates to sell out.
As such, if you are interested in attending a party this year, you would have already needed to purchase your ticket since they are all sold out now.
In preparing for next year, be vigilant about when the Halloween party dates are released and when tickets will open for sale so you can be one of the first to purchase your tickets and guarantee your spot in this special event. This year, information about the bash was released in May.
Trick-or-Treating / Treat Trails
Upon entering the park at 3 pm or later on the night of your party, you will be given your Oogie Boogie Bash wristband, map, and treat bag. With these in hand, you will be ready to start trick-or-treating as soon as the party begins at 6 pm.
There are 12 treat trails throughout the park where cast members will be waiting for you throughout the line to hand you candy or treats as you snake your way through to get a close-up experience with 9 Disney villains (3 treat trails do not have a villain).
The 9 Disney Villains who have their own treat trail include:
- Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb at Disney Theater in Hollywood Land - NEW
- Hades from Hercules at Hollywood Backlot Stage in Hollywood Land - NEW
- Oogie Boogie from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas at Animation Academy in Hollywood Land
- Ernesto de la Cruz from Coco at Hyperion Theater Courtyard in Hollywood Land
- Agatha Harkness from WandaVision and Agatha All Along at Ancient Sanctum in Avengers Campus
- Yokai from Big Hero 6 at San Fransokyo Maker's Market in San Fransokyo
- Sid from Toy Story near Bing Bong's Sweet Stuff in Pixar Pier
- Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone at Bountiful Valley Hideaway in the Performance Corridor
- Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit near Soarin' Around the World in Grizzly Peak
Guests will collect candy at the various stations along the trails, but the real treat is seeing these villains in action, interacting with guests in unique ways!
The 3 Treat Trails without Villains
- World of Color Treat Trail in Paradise Gardens Park
- Radiator Springs Racers Treat Trail in Cars Land
- Buena Vista Street Treat Trail
One of the most unique things about Oogie Boogie Bash compared to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on the East Coast is the variety of treats provided. At MNSSHP, they tend to give you lots of chocolates, Skittles, and Starbursts.
However, at Oogie Boogie Bash, they hand out chocolates and Skittles, but they also have regular Goldfish, pretzels Goldfish, Rice Crispy Treats, Fig Bars, Cranberries, and Carrots.
If you need allergy-friendly or no-sugar-added treats, ask the cast members at the treat trails, and they will assist you. Typically, they have an allergy-friendly or no-sugar-added bucket on the cart to give you your treat.
Your Favorite Disney Characters in Halloween Costumes and Rare Disney Characters
During the party, you can meet and get a picture with some of your favorite Disney characters, like Minnie, Daisy, and Clarabelle dressed as the Sanderson Sisters!
The characters are scattered around the park, and you can meet rare characters like Lotso from Toy Story 3, Bruno from Encanto, Hans from Frozen, and Pain and Panic from Hercules.
The photo lines for Oogie Boogie Bash can get long, but we did not wait longer than 30 minutes for any of the characters. Here is what we did:
- For Lotso, we got in line before the party started and only waited about 10 minutes in total
- For Bruno, we noticed he had a somewhat short line, so we hopped in and were able to get our picture within 15 minutes or so
- For Ember and Vampire Mater, there was a decently short line, so we got in and waited no more than 10 minutes
- For Hans, we ran into him at the end of the night, and he only had one person taking a picture with him at that time
- For Minnie, Daisy, and Clarabelle, we "ran" over to their line right as the first Frightfully Fun parade was ending.
Other Photo Opportunities
There are, at minimum, 19 photo spots throughout the park, from pictures with the Headless Horseman Statue to Lightning McQueen, Mater, Cruz, and Red from Cars in their Halloween costumes and more.
At these photo locations, you might have the chance to capture a Magic Shot! Ask the photographer if any are available at that location, and they will gladly assist you.
Wondering what a Magic Shot is? It is a photo enhanced with special effects added afterward for a magical touch.
Most importantly, when it comes to pictures at Oogie Boogie Bash, Disney PhotoPass is included in your ticket, so you do not have to worry about paying for it separately or asking them to take the pictures for you on your phone or camera.
Frightfully Fun Parade
The parade begins at Paradise Gardens Park and continues throughout DCA to Hollywood Land. The parade runs twice on party nights, one at 7:45 pm and the other at 10:00 pm. You do not want to miss this parade, as it is full of your favorite Disney characters in their Halloween attire and Disney Villains!
Fifteen minutes before the parade begins, the Headless Horseman makes a grand entrance as he trots down the parade route, setting the spooky tone for the rest of the parade. You do not want to miss it!
The first parade of the night is usually pretty crowded; however, we found a great spot in Hollywood Land and decided to stay and watch it!
Some of my favorite parts included watching The Headless Horseman, seeing Mother Gothel from Tangled, and the Three Hitchhiking Ghosts. Also, to manage expectations, this parade is only about 12 minutes long.
Villains Grove
Villains Grove is a fan-favorite, offering an eerie yet mesmerizing walk-through experience. This mystical trail, located in Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, is transformed with dazzling lights, sounds, and atmospheric effects, bringing Disney’s most infamous villains to life without them appearing.
As you step through the arched entrance, you are transported into a forest transformed by the lingering magic of characters like Maleficent, Scar, and the Wicked Queen.
Each section of the trail offers a unique, immersive experience, from the haunting sounds of chanting voices in Frollo’s Sanctuary to the vibrant, spellbound waterfall in Maleficent’s domain.
Guests can explore the eerie Elephant Graveyard, where Scar’s hyenas echo through the mist, or wander through the Queen of Hearts’ garden as roses magically paint themselves red.
With every twist and turn, Villains Grove creates a spellbinding atmosphere that captures the essence of Disney’s most notorious characters without ever needing to meet them face-to-face.
Special Event Dining Opportunities
For those looking to enhance their Oogie Boogie Bash experience, there are two exciting special event dining opportunities, offering delicious meals or desserts paired with exclusive parade viewing.
Oogie Boogie Bash Parade Dining Package
At Wine Country Trattoria, guests can indulge in a three-course prix-fixe meal before enjoying a reserved standing spot for the Frightfully Fun Parade.
The dining package includes a starter, entrée, dessert, and a non-alcoholic beverage, allowing you to savor a delightful meal before heading to your prime viewing area to witness the spooky spectacle of the parade.
Priced at $69 per guest (ages 10 and up), with an additional $10 for a Rib-Eye Steak upgrade, and $41 for children (a two-course prix-fixe meal for ages 3 to 9), this is a great way to blend a memorable meal with magical entertainment.
Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party
For those with a sweet tooth, the Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party is a fantastic option. Guests can enjoy a tempting selection of desserts while relaxing in reserved seating within one of the preferred viewing areas for the Frightfully Fun Parade.
Along with the dessert spread, adults (21 and over) can enjoy an alcoholic beverage, while unlimited soft drinks, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and mocktails are available for all guests.
The dessert party is priced at $89 per guest, with tax and gratuity included, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a sweet treat and a comfortable, up-close view of the parade.
Ghoulish Food and Novelty
During the Party, you can find three special food items and one special novelty item. These include:
- Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Strips at Flo' V8 Cafe
- Orange Chicken Strips at Flo' V8 Cafe
- Poison Apple Churro at Churros near Goofy's Sky School and Señor Buzz Churros
- Minnie Mouse: Hocus Pocus Halloween Dress-Up Sipper at a few locations throughout the park
Oogie Boogie Bash Merchandise
You can find special event merchandise for Oogie Boogie Bash at Elias & Co., Gone Hollywood, and Seaside Souvenirs. Some of the merchandise includes a spirited T-shirt, hoodie, headband, pins, and more.
Rides and Attractions
During the party, you will tend to see short queue lines compared to regular park hours since there is so much to do and fewer guests in the parks! As such, you can enjoy your favorite rides like Radiator Springs Racers, WEB Slingers, and Incredicoaster with short wait times.
Moreover, you can enjoy DCA's Guardian of the Galaxy ride with its special Halloween twist called Guardians of the Galaxy - Monsters After Dark. Join Rocket in an action-packed quest to save Groot in this exciting Halloween adventure, beginning daily at 3 pm from August 23 to October 30, 2024.
On Halloween day, October 31, the adventure will be available all day long. Guardians of the Galaxy - Monsters After Dark is available for everyone during non-party hours/days.
Top Tips for Your First Party Experience at Oogie Boogie Bash
- Acknowledge that it is not possible to do everything offered in one evening.
- Plan out your night before you arrive/come up with some key focus things you want to get done, but understand that you need to be flexible as plans may change depending on lines once you are in the park and the party starts.
- Arrive at the Mickey & Friends / Pixar Pals Parking Structure around 1:30 pm. It took us about 45 minutes to park once we got off the exit ramp for the parking garages. The Toy Story Lot is usually at capacity due to the day guests, so it may not be worth your time to check if there is space over there.
- Wear comfortable shoes and lightweight costumes the day of the party, as it will most likely be hot/warm earlier in the evening. As your Halloween party date gets closer to Halloween, it may be cooler, allowing you to wear the bigger or bulkier costumes.
- Attend the later parade, as the first one tends to be more crowded.
- During the parade time you are not attending, take advantage of some photo opportunities with rare characters or go around a treat trail a few times.
- Bring your own treat bag, as the ones provided are small and cheap.
- If you plan on getting a lot of candy, your best bet is to bring a backpack, tote bag, and/or rent a locker to store your candy.
- If you plan on renting a locker to store your costume or candy, rent one as soon as possible, as they tend to sell out.
- The party ends at 11 pm. We learned this the hard way because, for some reason, we thought it ended at midnight, and we did not get to accomplish everything on our list due to that.
As previously stated, it is a good idea to plan for the night before arriving at the park so you are not making any crazy or hasty decisions (and make sure you stick to it).
Our Experience
I suggest you get in line for the character you want to see the most before the party starts to be one of the first to meet them. For instance, we wanted to see Lotso the most, so we got in his line about seven minutes before the party started and were the second family to meet him.
Afterward, we went through various treat trails, got in any short photo opportunity lines we ran into, and found a good spot for the first parade and waited there.
Unfortunately, there were delays for that parade, but to our benefit, we were next to four treat trails and went around two of them a few times each as we waited for the party. We divided and conquered here by having one person hold our spot for the parade while the other was trick-or-treating.
Once the parade was over, we got in line for Minnie, Daisy, and Clarabelle to see them dressed as the Sanderson Sisters and get pictures with them. Afterward, we finished the nearby treat trails, went to Villains Grove, and continued on with our night.
By the end of the night, we went through all 12 treat trails, met 8 of the 9 Disney Villains at each of their trails, rode WEB Slingers, went through Villains Grove, got a turkey club from Flo's, ate a lot of candy, watched the Frightfully Fun parade, hugged Lotso, and meet various Disney characters.
It was our first time at Oogie Boogie Bash, and we had an amazing time! Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to buy the exclusive Oogie Boogie Bash pin I wanted, and we did not get to ride Radiator Springs Racers during the party, but that is our fault. We thought we had one more hour in the event, but it ended at 11 pm.
Happy Halloween!
I hope you have a frightfully fun time at Oogie Boogie Bash and that you get to accomplish your top wishes! There are so many great things to do, see, and enjoy at this Halloween Party, and I hope this blog post helps you better prepare for a fantastic special event night at Disney's California Adventure Park.
Also, remember that the experience is what you make of it. Prioritize the activities and characters you want to see the most, pace yourself, and enjoy the unique Disney Halloween magic. With some planning and flexibility, you will have a hauntingly good time!
Have you been to Oogie Boogie Bash? Let me know in the comments below!
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