One of my favorite places to celebrate the Halloween season is Disneyland. While a ton happens around the resort’s property, the big event happens at Disney California Adventure with Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party. For Disney fans like myself, the party is a must-do every season.
Oogie Boogie Bash is a separately ticketed event that takes place on select nights from August through October. No matter which date you attend the party, your family is guaranteed to see favorite Disney characters in cute Halloween costumes, villains taking over sections of the park, attractions with spooky overlays, and plenty of Halloween-themed entertainment to keep you busy all night long.
If you’re planning to go to Oogie Boogie Bash this year, keep reading because we’re sharing everything you need to know about the event, top tips to get the most out of your time at the party, best bites to sink your fangs into, and more.
What are the dates of Oogie Boogie Bash in 2024?
Oogie Boogie Bash takes place on select nights starting August 25 through October 31. Prices start at $134 and go up to $189. Currently, tickets for this year are sold out.
What time does Oogie Boogie Bash start?
The party starts at 6:00 p.m. and ends at 11:00 pm. With your party ticket, you can enter Disney California Adventure starting as early as 3:00 p.m. You do not need to make a theme park reservation if you plan on entering at 3:00 p.m. or later.
From 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., the park will be very busy with a mix of party and day guests. This is a great time to get your party wristband, trick-or-treat bag, and party map then plan out your strategy for seeing everything. The “mix-in” time is also the best time to eat dinner so you’re not wasting valuable party time on long table service meals.
What’s included with entry to Oogie Boogie Bash?
There’s a lot going on during Oogie Boogie Bash. Many of the most popular attractions at Disney California Adventure are open throughout the evening. Some even have Halloween-themed overlays, like Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween in Cars Land, and Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark in Avengers Campus. These attractions are also open with the themed overlay on days that do not have an Oogie Boogie Bash scheduled.
Throughout the night entertainment offerings are abundant, including the Frightfully Fun Parade, which kicks off with Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. There are two parade times at 7:50 p.m. and 10:05 p.m. The best place to watch is in front of the Carthay Circle restaurant for the ultimate spooky vibe. No matter where you watch from, get your spot about 30 to 45 minutes in advance.
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Villains Grove is another unique entertainment offering in the Grizzly Peak area of the park. The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail has been transformed with lighting, sound effects, and more to show off the spirit of iconic Disney baddies.
Of course, no Halloween party is complete without trick-or-treating. Throughout the park, designated treat trails are open for you to collect candy and come face-to-face with Disney villains. This year, new characters like Dr. Doofenschmirtz from the TV show Phineas and Ferb greet guests along a trail.
If you’re really into Disney characters, there are plenty of other meet-and-greet opportunities around the park. New this year, Hades is greeting guests in Hollywood Land in a space called Hades Hideaway. Additionally, you can see Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Clarabelle Cow dressed as the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus, and Mickey Mouse dressed in his outfit from the Kingdom Hearts video game.
Costume guidelines for Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure
There are some specific guidelines from Disney regarding costumes at Oogie Boogie Bash. First, you can dress as your favorite character, and make it as detailed as you wish, but you cannot post for photos or sign autographs. Costumes should be family-friendly and cannot drag on the ground. Kids 13 years old or younger can wear a mask, but your eyes must be visible. For those 14 and older, no masks are allowed. You can also wear or bring accessories like transparent wings, plastic lightsabers, and toy swords.
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Since the California weather is more temperate and nights can be chilly, costumes can really range from superhero t-shirts to full cosplay. Just be sure that your costume is comfortable to walk around in for hours and you can sit down if needed.
How to get the most out of Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure
1. Arrive as early as possible
There are lines for everything at Disneyland including getting into Oogie Boogie Bash. If you’re staying at a Disney-owned hotel, try to leave your hotel room at least 60 minutes before the designated 3:00 entry. You’ll have to go through Downtown Disney security, walk the length of the entertainment district, and wait in line to get into Disney California Adventure.
If you’re staying at a good neighbor hotel or driving to Disneyland, leave your hotel or arrive at least 90 minutes before the 3:00 mix-in time. This will give you plenty of time to go through security, get on a potential tram, walk to the park, and check-in for the party without wasting valuable time.
2. Pick your parade viewing spot early
I love watching the parade near Carthay Circle, but it can be very crowded here and can be hard to get to your next party activity once the parade is over. If you want a viewing area with fewer crowds and more access to other party activities, watch near The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. After the parade is complete can head straight to Pixar Pier for trick-or-treating or walk through Villains Grove with shorter waits.
3. Treat trails are for more than candy
Throughout the park, there are villain-themed treat trails where you can collect hoards of candy. While this may be exciting for kids with a sweet tooth, those who love character interactions will also love the treat trails. Each trail is themed after a different villain with larger-than-life props, and you’ll even get to meet the namesake villain and interact with them.
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I love that the interactions are personal and funny, which is more than you sometimes get with a traditional character meet-and-greet with just a photo and a wave hello. Just like at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, the later you head to these treat trails the fewer people there will be.
4. Try to ride attraction during the afternoon before the party starts
Three attractions get Halloween overlays at Disney California Adventure: Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree, Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween, and Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark. Try to ride these three attractions during the afternoon mix-in period before the party officially starts. The two Cars Land attractions operate throughout the day with the Halloween overlay, while Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark is only available after 3:00 p.m. Know that the Guardians attraction may be too scary for younger children.
5. Don’t try to eat every snack available
Every year, Disney’s culinary team dreams up new snacks for the Halloween season at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. If you’re headed to Oogie Boogie Bash, you should know that most Halloween snacks are available every day without a party ticket. That means you can try them on another day at the park without wasting valuable party time.
If you do want a snack, a few of my favorites this year are the spicy beef and mozzarella corn dog at Corn Dog Castle, the Asian-inspired spicy pork tacos from Studio Catering Co., garlic cream cheese bread at outdoor vending carts around the park, and the peanut butter-chocolate churro from Cozy Cone Motel 1.
