I had the pleasure of enjoying Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland on Sunday, September 18th. I have been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party many years ago at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. However, I have never ventured to Disneyland’s Halloween festivities.

The following is my experience at 2022’s Oogie Boogie Bash. The event is sold out for the remainder of its dates.

Getting the tickets:

I was on an Alaskan cruise on the day Oogie Boogie Tickets went on sale. I opted to get the WiFi package that day for the explicit purpose of purchasing tickets to the event. I entered the online queue for tickets at the time ticketing opened.

I waited for over an hour for tickets and many dates had already sold out. After securing the date of September 18th for two guests, I paid and exited the website. My tickets were automatically uploaded into my Disneyland app. I think everyone in my vicinity of the cruise could tell that I was elated to have my tickets for the Bash.

Before the Oogie Boogie Bash:

Oogie Boogie Bash is held at Disney’s California Adventure. When you walk up to the park, you are greeted by the voice and a silhouette of the man of the hour himself, Oogie Boogie.

Guests with the event tickets for Oogie Boogie Bash are permitted to enter the park starting at 3pm.

My mother and I got to the entrance of California Adventure about 2:35pm, and there was already a sizable amount of guests waiting to get in. About six entrance lines were assigned for guests of the Bash while there were two or three entrances open for day guests.

We were actually permitted into the park about ten minutes before 3pm. When we entered, we were given a small bag for the trick or treating and a bracelet to signify we were here for the After Hours Event.

Day guests and guests of Oogie Boogie Bash intermix in the park until 6pm when the party begins. Guests of the party are required to have a dated event band on their wrist which are handed out upon entry.

When in the park for the three hours before the party, we were allowed entry into any attraction.

At 6pm, day guests are ushered from the park with announcements and security while party guests are permitted to stay in the park. Cast members were very specific in looking for wrist bands around this time. We were told to raise our wrists to see the band multiple times.

The Bash:

Treat Trails:

Throughout the park there are many treat trails that feature an interactive villain appearance. Each villains’ interaction is up on a stage and themed to their character.

In each treat trail, there are multiple stations with two or more cast members handing out candy or treats to guests. Guests are given a small bag to collect candy and treats. There are all different kinds of treats given including carrots, apples, GoGo Squeeze, Pirates Booty, Goldfish, and of course, all kinds of candy. There were several stations that were out of candy.

Pro tip: Bring your own bag for the treat trails. My mother and I had previously bought a Disneyland reusable bag. After cast members put our haul into our complimentary treat bag, we consolidated into the bigger bag. You will fill that small bag rather quickly. I saw a lot of people with these reusable bags, backpacks, or other bigger bags for their treat hauls.

List of Characters in the Treat Trails:

• Ernesto de la Cruz (behind Carthay Circle)
• Mother Gothel (behind Grizzly River Run)
• Maleficent (Near Soarin’)
• Madam Mim (next to the Hyperion Theater)
• Agatha Harkness (in Avengers Campus)
• Dr. Facilier (near the Golden Zephyr)
• Sid from Toy Story (across from the Pixar Pal-A-Round)
• Cruella (from Live Action) (near Mike & Sulley to the Rescue)
• Oogie Boogie (inside the Animation building)

My personal favorite was Sid from Toy Story. He is set up on the stage in Pixar Pier with his demented toys. He hurls insults at passersby remarking on their costumes or other easy targets for him. He made fun of my wave and told me it was “weird.”

My mother had great experiences with both Madam Mim and Cruella. My mother’s favorite villain is Cruella, so she was thrilled to have a conversation about outfits with her. With Madam Mim, my mother played a game with her where Madam Mim basically cheated using her magic.

There are other characters floating around the bash for guests to meet.  Minnie, Clarabelle, and Daisy dressed as the Sanderson Sisters, Ping from Milan, the Blue Fairy, Loki, Bruno from Encanto among others roaming around the park during the bash.

The Frightfully Fun Parade:

The parade was fun and chock full of characters. We went to the later showing of the parade at 10pm.  It was announced that it was being delayed, but it later did go off.

The Headless Horse Man starts the parade, and then there was a sizable break in the parade until the first of the floats came.  The space in-between the floats was a bit disappointing.  However, the parade is much like the Boo to You parade at Mickey’s Not So Scary Parade.  My favorite part of both parades is the Grave Diggers with the Haunted Mansion float.  Their dance and the scraping of the shovels on the ground to create sparks just makes my former dancer heart sing.

The parade runs for a decent time throughout most of the park.

You can pay an extra $89 for a spot at Sonoma Terrace’s Dessert Party which includes a special viewing area for the parade, beverages (including alcohol), and a selection of Halloween desserts.

Most of the attractions and dining locations are open during the bash.  We ate at Pym’s Test Kitchen during the switch of regular operational hours and the start of the Bash.

Note: We did not get to Villains Grove during the bash thus I do not have a review of that.  We prioritized seeing all the characters and the parade.  The line for Villains Grove does get long, so plan ahead for that.  It was 45 minutes when we were near it.

Overall, Oogie Boogie Bash was a blast.  I enjoy that bash guests get there three extra hours in the park before the start of the event to enjoy attractions – including Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark. I would recommend getting tickets on the day they open next year because it can be competitive to get tickets to Oogie Boogie Bash.  The character interactions are unmatched during normal park operations. The character interactions are unmatched during normal park operations. The characters that guests can meet are unique to the event and are normally not out and about during normal park hours.

Have you been to Oogie Boogie Bash this year? Let us know in the comments!