I attended the second night of The Disneyland Resort's annual Oogie Boogie Bash event series, taking place almost every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday of the Halloween season (running this year from August 23-October 31) at Disney California Adventure park. This Halloween party event includes everything you could want for Halloween at Disney - amazing costumes, candy galore, and unique and rare characters & experiences. However, I've noticed a particular lack of information about this year's event online from both major Disney news outlets and Disney itself, so let's talk about all of this year's offerings!
Event Hours & Entry
Oogie Boogie Bash (OBB) takes place at Disney California Adventure (DCA) from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The whole park is closed at 6:00 PM to regular guests without OBB tickets. Guests with OBB tickets can enter the park at 3:00 PM for the "mix-in" with regular day guests. Once in the park, you will receive special wristbands for the event, as well as a candy bag and event map. There are a few ways to enter for OBB:
Regular Entrance by Downtown Disney: The most popular event entrance. There will be separate turnstiles on the end for OBB guests, so do not go through the regular turnstiles. If arriving right at 3:00 PM, there will likely be a VERY long line, so be prepared.
Entrance through The Grand Californian: The Grand Californian Hotel and Spa has an entrance right into DCA. However, while this entry location used to be recommended, this year it has been extremely busy. It is a smaller entrance (usually only a handful of Cast Members) and guests have to go through security here too, so the line does not move as swiftly as the main Downtown Disney entrance. But you can still get into OBB and get your wristbands here.
Enter the Park before 3:00 PM: If you have a regular day ticket (or Park Hopper) to DCA or a Magic Key annual pass, I HIGHLY recommend this option. Simply enter the park anytime before 3:00 PM, and starting at 3:00 PM you can get your wristbands and goodie bags at the Magic Key lounge area on the Performance Corridor next to Avengers Campus. I did this yesterday and encountered no wait.
Event Offerings
Oogie Boogie Bash consists of several entertainment experiences and attractions. Here's the general overview:
Treat Trails & Character Treat Trails
Rare Character Meet & Greets
Villains Grove
The Frightfully Fun Parade
Photo Opportunities including Magic Key Experience
Exclusive Food & Merch
Regular Park Attractions with Minimal Wait Times
Ride Overlays for Halloween
Let's talk about each of these.
Treat Trails & Character Treat Trails
This is the main special experience of Oogie Boogie Bash. Essentially an opportunity to trick or treat in the park, Treat Trails allow you to get tons of candy while also sometimes experiencing cool photo opportunities or character experiences! There are 12 Treat Trails to go through, 9 of which are Character Treat Trails where you get to interact with cool villains from your favorite Disney films. These are not traditional Meet & Greets - instead of going up to them and taking pictures with them or interacting with them one-on-one, the Characters will be up on a stage and guests will get to walk past them and talk to them. You may take photos and videos of them, but it's hard to take selfies or photographs with the characters. Here are all of the Treat Trails this year, starting with character ones:
Oogie Boogie Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas, taking place in the Disney Animation Building in Hollywood Land.
Dr. Doofenshmirtz Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas & Ferb, taking place in the Disney Theater in Hollywood Land (where the Disney Jr. shows take place). New this year! Replacing the Mickey's Trick & Treat show and Mother Gothel Treat Trail.
Hades Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Hades from Hercules, taking place at the Hollywood Backlot Stage in Hollywood Land. New this year! Replacing the Cruella de Vil Treat Trail.
Ernesto de la Cruz Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Ernesto de la Cruz from Coco, taking place at the Hyperion Theater Courtyard in Hollywood Land.
Agatha Harkness Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Agatha Harkness from WandaVision & Agatha All Along, taking place at the Ancient Sanctum in Avengers Campus.
Madame Mim Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Madame Mim from Sword in the Stone, taking place at the Bountiful Valley Hideaway along the Performance Corridor.
Yokai Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Yokai from Big Hero 6, taking place in the San Fransokyo Maker's Market in San Fransokyo Square.
Sid Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Sid from Toy Story, taking place near Bing Bong's Sweet Stuff on Pixar Pier.
Judge Doom Treat Trail: Character Trail interacting with Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, taking place near Soarin' at Grizzly Peak.
Buena Vista Street Treat Trail: Non-Character Trail taking place on Buena Vista Street.
Radiator Springs Racers Treat Trail: Non-Character Trail taking place near Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land.
World of Color Treat Trail: Non-Character Trail taking place in the World of Color viewing area in Paradise Gardens Park.
Rare Character Meet & Greets
These are your traditional Meet & Greets, where you can meet with characters one-on-one, talk with them, (sometimes) get autographs, and take photographs. Note that Disney's Photopass is INCLUDED with admission to Oogie Boogie Bash, so you will have access to all of your photos all evening by scanning the QR code on your event wristband. At Oogie Boogie Bash, however, you get access to characters that are not NORMALLY in the parks. Here's the Character Meet & Greets list for this year's OBB (Note: Many of these characters are rotating, meaning that they are not always out during all hours of the event, or they switch with other characters.):
King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy from Kingdom Hearts (Near World of Color Viewing Area in Paradise Gardens Park)
Scarlet Witch from Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness (Avengers Campus HQ in Avengers Campus)
Loki from The Avengers (Near Ancient Sanctum in Avengers Campus)
Spider-Man from Spider-Man: Homecoming (Near WEB Building in Avengers Campus)
Joy, Ember, & Wade from Inside Out and Elemental (Toy Story Boardwalk in Pixar Pier)
Minnie Mouse, Clarabelle Cow, and Daisy Duck as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus (Near Stage 12 in Hollywood Land)
Lotso from Toy Story 3 (Near Toy Story Midway Mania in Pixar Pier)
Bruno from Encanto (Near Little Mermaid attraction, between Grizzly Peak and Paradise Gardens)
Lightning McQueen & Mater from Cars (Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land)
Hans from Frozen (Carthay Circle on Buena Vista Street)
Rotating Rare Characters including Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, The Sheriff of Nottingham, The Evil Queen, The Witch / Hag, Prince John (Carthay Circle on Buena Vista Street)
Roaming Pixar Characters including Edna Mode & Frozone (Incredibles Park in Pixar Pier)
Villains Grove
Villains Grove is a unique walkthrough experience through the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in the Grizzly Peak area. Described as a "hauntingly beautiful scenescape inspired by some favorite Disney Villains," this walkthrough experience involves lighting, fog, and sound effects. There are NO characters or treats in this experience. Areas in this experience include:
Frollo’s Sanctuary – Head into an otherworldly cathedral of trees infused with incense smells and chanting voices.
Maleficent’s Will – Roam through a region replete with eerie ravens, thorn-spiked vines and a seemingly spellbound waterfall of cascading color!
Queen of Hearts Garden – Wander ‘round a charming garden of roses that paint themselves red right before your eyes!
Scar’s Elephant Graveyard – Descend into a vast expanse that echoes with hyena laughter!
Dr. Facilier’s Friends on the Other Side – Summoned by the great beyond, shadowy hands and colorful spells lure Guests deeper into the grove’s darkest corners.
The Wicked Queen’s Lightning Forest – See the forest come alive as an electrifying storm flashes from branch to branch.
Home of the Wisps – Watch these winged caretakers guide Guests to safety amid a magical bastion of endless light.
Dawn – Escape in the nick of time as flickering lanterns lead the way toward a brilliant sunrise and the conclusion of this mythical trip!
The Frightfully Fun Parade
Oogie Boogie Bash's exclusive parade, Headless Horseman Rides Again & The Frightfully Fun Parade, begins in Paradise Gardens Park and continues throughout DCA, ending in Hollywood Land by Guardians of the Galaxy. There are two showtimes every night at 7:45 PM and 10:00 PM for the Headless Horseman Rides Again, and 7:50 PM and 10:05 PM for The Frightfully Fun Parade. This parade features a TON of amazing Disney characters, including Mickey & Minnie in their Halloween outfits, Jack Skellington & Sally, Haunted Mansion characters, Dr. Facilier, the Evil Queen, and other Disney Villains including Frollo, Ursula, Captain Hook, and more!
Photo Opportunities including Magic Key Experience
Throughout the park, there are also several photo opportunities with fun backdrops or PhotoPass effects. Keep your eyes peeled for these cool experiences! Note that Disney's Photopass is INCLUDED with admission to Oogie Boogie Bash, so you will have access to all of your photos all evening by scanning the QR code on your event wristband.
If you are a Magic Key Holder at The Disneyland Resort, you can also get an exclusive Hades patch and photo opportunity at the Silly Symphony Swings near Paradise Gardens Park.
Exclusive Food & Merch
There is, of course, exclusive food and merch exclusive to the event. However, note that the Oogie Boogie Bash merch is out ALL day on OBB days, so it does occasionally sell out. Exclusive OBB merch includes a new Loungefly Mini Backpack, new Mickey/Minnie ears, pins, Spirit Jerseys, and more.
For exclusive food, the offerings are much slimmer than other After-Dark events. There are two chicken dishes exclusive to OBB at Flo's V8 Cafe in Cars Land, and a specialty churro available near Goofy's Sky School in Paradise Gardens Park.
There are also two special dining experiences available at Oogie Boogie Bash - the Wine Country Trattoria Oogie Boogie Bash Parade Dining and the Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party. The Wine Country Trattoria package includes a 3-course dinner at Wine Country Trattoria and reserved seating for the Frightfully Fun Parade. The Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party includes an assortment of sweet desserts and drinks with reserved seating for the Frightfully Fun Parade.
Regular Park Attractions with Minimal Wait Times
Most park attractions remain open during OBB, with minimal wait times while most guests explore the other OBB offerings!
Ride Overlays for Halloween
Some attractions have special Ride Overlays for the Halloween season, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark, Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween, and Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree. Guardians of the Galaxy's overlay takes place anytime after 3:00 PM each day, while the other two remain open all day every day during the Halloween season.
Other Considerations
A few other notes about Oogie Boogie Bash:
Oogie Boogie Bash is the ONLY time of year where adults can wear costumes at Disney! So it is ENCOURAGED to wear your favorite Disney costume and feel like a kid again.
You can go on Treat Trails as many times as you'd like, so you can get candy to your heart's delight. Towards the end of the night, they often give it out by the handfuls!
PhotoPass is included, so get all those PhotoPass pictures!
Some Treat Trails and experiences are best to do after dark, so prioritize indoor experiences first.
Remember there are TWO parades every night! The second is usually less busy, so keep that in mind.
Meet & Greet lines will always take MUCH longer than Treat Trails. Treat Trails are continuously moving so they go pretty fast, even if they are long. Meet & Greet lines can be over an hour wait for not very long lines.
Mickey's Trick & Treat, a show that was previously during Oogie Boogie Bash and featured Mickey & Friends telling spooky stories and having a dance party, is now taking place during the daytime at the Disney Theater in Hollywood Land (where Dr. Doofenshmirtz is now during OBB). There is a showtime at 4:30 PM that OBB guests can experience during the mix-in portion of the evening.
This year sees the removal / replacements of two Treat Trails - Live Action Cruella de Vil from Cruella and Mother Gothel from Tangled. The two new Treat Trails are Hades from Hercules and Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas & Ferb.
My Experience at Oogie Boogie Bash
All things considered, Oogie Boogie Bash is SHORT. It is 5 hours, but, it is filled to the brim with exclusive experiences. You will NOT be able to do everything offered, and you have to prioritize. That said, every experience is fun, and very unique to Disney. This was my second time attending OBB, and I had a TON of fun.
During the event hours, I did ALL 9 of the Character Treat Trails, as well as 1 of the regular Treat Trails. I walked through Villains Grove, and I sat for the 10:00 PM parade. I did 3 Meet & Greets with King Mickey, Captain Hook, and Hans. I also got my Magic Key patch and photo opportunity. All in all, I was super successful! I did not go on rides during the event hours, as I am a Magic Key holder and can go on them whenever I want, so I focused heavily on OBB's unique opportunities. I was super pleased with all I accomplished in 5 hrs.
However, I also want to note some of the grievances I had with the event, specifically this year's event:
Character Breaks: Maybe I just had bad timing, or maybe they're making Cast Members take more breaks, but I did 3 Character Treat Trails this year where the Character went on a break right as I got up front. While I totally support Cast Members taking breaks, it was frustrating as a guest to get up front and then have to go through the line again (which were sometimes incredibly long) for the chance to see the Character. Cast Members also had no information on when the Characters would return, which again, was frustrating. I asked a Cast Member when Oogie Boogie would return from break, and they said "It depends," so I walked away, only to have Oogie Boogie reappear as I was exiting the building. I feel like they should have set breaks throughout the night - like they always take a break between 7:00 PM - 7:15 PM.
Exit Traffic Chaos: For some reason, this year, both Disneyland Park and Oogie Boogie Bash at DCA let out at 11:00 PM. This led to mass chaos upon exiting. The trams were a nightmare. Cast Members yelled at guests to keep moving forward and fill all space while waiting for trams, however, there was nowhere to move. Plus, trams were not continuously running, so there was a wait between every tram, creating larger crowds for them.
Cast Member Miscommunications: Similar to my experience with D23, the communications from Cast Members were not clear or constantly conflicted with one another. At 5:00 PM, I asked a Cast Member where to go for the Kingdom Hearts Meet & Greet, and she said she had no idea. At 5:30 PM, I found a group waiting for Kingdom Hearts and asked them if it was the line, to which they said yes and that they had confirmed with a Cast Member that they should wait there. However, at 5:45 PM, Cast Members had us officially line up, and me and the group I was waiting with were put in the back of the line even though we arrived first. Upon expressing their frustration (in a kind manner) to a Cast Member with getting put in the back of the line even though they arrived first, the group in front of me was met with snark and sass, as the Cast Member said "There wasn't a line before" with a rude tone. I had a couple interactions similar to this throughout the day, and it was incredibly frustrating.
Is Oogie Boogie Bash Worth It?
I believe Oogie Boogie Bash is DEFINITELY worth it, especially at least once in your life. It's incredibly unique and fun, and features so many awesome experiences. However, again, it is short, and there are definitely some organization issues. I think if you love character experiences, it is 100% worth it due to all the unique character experiences. If you are a ride person, it probably is not as worth it, as there are only a couple Halloween ride overlays and they are available outside of Oogie Boogie Bash.
I do hope they continue adding more experiences every year, so the experiences don't become stale. But I do think I will return at least once a year!
What do you think about this year's Oogie Boogie Bash? Will you be attending?
-Jill
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