Oogie Boogie Bash is my favorite!! There – I said it. I am a Walt Disney World girlie (especially since I live in Orlando) but I was so impressed with Oogie Boogie Bash and loved every minute of it. I will always love Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (especially the Boo to You Parade), but if you are looking for something totally different and more chill, this is the event for you!

Oogie Boogie Bash runs select nights in August, September, and October at Disney’s California Adventure Park. This 2024 year, the event runs August 25th – October 31st on select nights. The event is from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM and is a special ticketed event meaning you can only attend the event if you have purchased the special event ticket. The ticket to this event also includes admission to Disney California Adventure Park as early as 3:00 PM on the valid date of your ticket so that way you can get in early, eat dinner, enjoy some rides and the park all before the party even starts. Guests with a ticket to this event do not need to make a theme park reservation to enter Disney California Adventure Park at 3:00 PM or later.

This event notoriously sells out very quickly. When I saw there was a September date still available, I took that as a sign to buy tickets and head to Disneyland for some fall fun and I am SO glad that I did! Oogie Boogie Bash ticket includes trick-or-treating through the park in Halloween costumes (if you want to dress up), characters, entertainment, and more. It is totally different than Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party but in such a great way!

Trick-Or-Treat In the Park

Immersive Treat Trails

Collect Halloween candy along magical trails featuring appearances by some of your favorite Disney villains. Here’s the list of villains and their locations for 2024:

 Dr. Doofenschmirtz: Disney Junior Theatre

 Hades: On the stage in Hollywood Land by Monsters Inc

Judge Doom: Grizzly Peak Airpark next to Soarin’

Yokai: San Fransokyo Square

Oogie Boogie:  Animation Building.

Ernesto de la Cruz:  Hyperion Theatre Courtyard

Madam Mim: Next to Carthay Circle in Bountiful Valley Hideaway

Agatha: Inside Avengers Campus in the Ancient Sanctum

Sid: At Pixar Pier next to Bing Bong’s

No characters: There are 3 treat trails with only candy in Carsland, on Buena Vista Street, and in Paradise Gardens Park

Entertainment

Frightfully Fun Parade

The Frightfully Fun Parade comes down the streets of Disney California Adventure Park during Oogie Boogie Bash. You’ll see characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed in their Halloween costumes, Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie himself, hitchhiking ghosts, Disney villains, and more! This parade runs from Paradise Pier all through the park and ends at Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Frightfully Fun parade runs twice a night at 7:50 PM and 10:05 PM. It only lasts 12 minutes..  Both parades start over near Silly Symphony Swings and head towards Little Mermaid, pass in front then along the path towards Carthay Circle.  At Carthay Circle it turns right and heads down Hollywood Blvd, turns right at Hyperion Theatre and ends at Guardians of the Galaxy.  Both parades run the same direction. If you are staying the entire night, I suggest watching the second parade because it is usually less crowded. We did not watch the first parade (we were in line for the Sanderson Sisters) and got a spot about 45 minutes in advance for the second parade. This was plenty of time, but noticed a lot of space filling up around us (near Little Mermaid) about 20-30 minutes before the parade started.

Be sure to get a spot early because the Headless Horseman will ride down the parade route 10 minutes before the parade starts.

Villians Grove

Walk through the  Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. The trail is themed with mystical lights, sights, and sounds of your favorite Disney villains. This is so cool because each area is themed like a different Disney villain. Note: You aren’t meeting villains through the trail but instead walking along a path themed like villains. Be sure to wait until it’s totally dark to walk through and enjoy this area of the park. Here are some of the areas you’ll see:

Frollo’s Sanctuary: Head down the candlelit trail infused with the smell of incense.

Maleficent’s Will: Look for the waterfall of magical cascading colors. Ravens cast shadows overhead.

Queen of Hearts Garden: Walk through a garden of twisted roses and flowers. You’ll even be able to smell roses and can potentially see the Queen of Hearts herself before she disappears.

Scar’s Elephant Graveyard:  Hear the hyenas’ echoing laughter and smell blasts of sulfur.

Dr. Facilier’s Friends on the Other Side: Watch for shadowed hands and colorful spells summoned by the shadow man.

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!

Character Experiences

You will have the chance to meet some of Disney’s most popular characters dressed in their Halloween costumes. This year, you’ll find Bruno, the Sanderson Sisters, Lotso, Pain and Panic, Ember, Wade, Hans, and more!

Photo Opportunites 

Receive an event guide and enjoy unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass digital photos captured from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, during the party. (Event guides are limited to one per ticketed Guest.)

Scan the QR code on your event wristband via the Disneyland app to access Disney PhotoPass photos captured from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, during the party.

Exclusive Food For Oogie Boogie Guests

Find exclusive food options all throughout the park! Check the My Disney Experience app to see all of the seasonal Halloween offerings that are available during the party you can mobile order. You’ll even find fun-themed souvenirs like this super cute Winnifred sipper I HAD to have to bring home!

Special Oogie Boogie Bash Dining Opportunities

There are dining options that come with preferred seating. I don’t think it’s necessary to do one of these events and use up your Oogie Boogie Bash time with this event, but if you are looking to make your night a little more special, this is an option for an additional cost.

Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party

The Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party offers Halloween treats to enjoy before and during the Frightfully Fun Parade. You will get special treats and reserved viewing for the Firghtly Fun Parade in front of the Little Mermaid. This party is available twice per night on party nights. Reservations are recommended in advance and can be booked online up to 60 days before your visit/ You must have an Oogie Boogie Bash ticket to book this experience.

Parade Dining at Wine Country Trattoria

Enjoy a three-course meal (starter, entrée, and dessert) before the parade and then head over to a reserved viewing area to see the Frightfully Fun Parade during Oogie Boogie Bash party nights. This experience is available for lunch and dinner on party dates from 11:00 AM to 4:50 PM. Walkups are available from 5:00 – 6:00 PM.

Ride Overlays

Head over to  “Radiator Screams” where you’ll see tons of great Halloween decor and lighting. You can also ride rides that have overlays. These include Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween. You can also ride these during the day. It is not exclusive to Oogie Boogie Bash.

Attractions to Ride During Oogie Boogie Bash

These are the rides and attractions that were open during Oogie Boogie Bash this year:

Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark (opens at 3 p.m. daily) Note: Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission Breakout! closes daily at 2 p.m., then reopens by 3 p.m. for Monsters After Dark.

Monster’s Inc.

Radiator Springs Racers

Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween

Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree

Mickey’s PhilharMagic (closes from 5:00 to 6:00 PM and reopens from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.)

Incredicoaster

Jessie’s Critter Carousel

Pixar Pal-A-Round

Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind

Toy Story Midway Mania!

Silly Symphony Swings

Jumpin’ Jellyfish

Goofy’s Sky School

Golden Zephyr

The Little Mermaid

Grizzly River Run (open until 8:00 PM)

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (closes at 4:30 PM and reopens at dusk as the Villains Grove)

Soarin’ Around the World

WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure

My Tips for Oogie Boogie Bash

Take advantage of the early entry into Disney California Adventure starting at 3:00 PM. This allows you more time to go on the rides before the party even officially starts. We lined up outside of the entrance by 2:30 PM so that way we didn’t have to wait long to enter the park. Once you enter the park, a cast member will put on a wristband so that way they know who has paid for Oogie Boogie Bash. Starting at 6:00 PM, everyone without a wristband is asked to leave.

You’ll also receive a map with all the treat trails, character locations, and more as well as a small bag for candy when you enter the park.

I recommend only doing exclusive party things once the party starts.  Get on attractions from 3:00-6:00 PM before the party starts. I would also eat before the event starts so you don’t have to worry about trying to fit that in during the party time. It goes so fast and you don’t want to miss out on anything! I recommend an early dinner reservation at a table-service restaurant if you want to sit down and relax inside the park before the party starts.

I don’t recommend doing a day at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure and the Oogie Boogie Bash on the same day.  Spend the morning relaxing, sleeping in or hanging out by the pool.  It would be such a long and tiring day if you did the park early in the day and then the party that evening. Since you can get in the park starting at 3:00 PM, it’s the perfect time to rest in the morning so it’s not such a long day.

Tickets sell out quickly so you will need to buy them as soon as they become available! If you have a Disney vacation package booked with me, I will help you get your tickets!

Wear a costume! So many people dress up and you can participate too. You won’t look silly wearing one! Make sure your costume is comfortable in the heat or rain. California had a heat wave when we came through so it was HOT!

My Oogie Boogie Bash Itinerary 

Here is a rough itinerary of how we spent our time during Oogie Boogie Bash. This worked for us because we prioritized what we wanted to do. There is SO much to see and do so you have to decide what is most important to you. We stuck to all event-exclusive things because we rode most of the rides a day earlier at California Adventure so we could focus on the party.

2:30 PM- Arrive at the front entrance of Disney California Adventure

3:00 PM- Enter California Adventure. Get pictures around Hollywood Land

4:00 PM- Get in line for Mickey’s Trick and Treat Show (this is the show that runs during the day at DCA). If you don’t have a full day planned during your visit to Disneyland, get in line to watch the last show so you can see it. It’s so cute!

4:30 PM – Mickey’s Trick and Treat Show

5:05 PM – Early dinner reservation at Lamplight Lounge

6:00 PM – Oogie Boogie Bash officially starts. We started with trick or treating and followed the route with all the characters near one another (Ernesto De La Cruz, Oogie Boogie, Dr. Doof, Hades, Madam Mim, and Agatha). We also got a drink and a few photos around the park

7:00 PM Sanderson Sister Meet and Greet (If you really want to do this, get in line early. This line gets SO long. We were lucky and only waited about 45 minutes)

7:50 PM – First Parade Starts (we got in line for the Sanderson Sisters photo op so we did not see this parade)

8:00 PM –  Walked through Villians Grove // Visit a few more trick-or-treat paths

9:05 PM – Get a spot for Frightfully Fun Parade // Mobile ordered Minnie Mouse Winnifred Sipper + snacks // Dan stayed in our spot while I got our food

10:05 –  Frightfully Fun Parade

10:20 PM – Sid Trick or Treat Trail

10:30 PM – Visit Cars Land and ride the Halloween overlay rides

11:00 Goodnight California Adventure!

My Personal Review

I LOVE Oogie Boogie Bash and would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about going. If you have never done it before, give it a shot and see how much fun it is! The Halloween season may be quickly closing this year, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start planning for next year! Oogie Boogie Bash will run regularly from mid-August to October 31st!

Ready to plan your trip? I would love to help you and provide more tips and details for your next Disneyland vacation!

Love and Travel Dust,

Molly