Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland: Everything You Need to Know

Disney is the home of magic, and as the most magical seasons come to roost you’re bound to find holiday happenings at Disneyland in California. In this spookiest of seasons, spend your time in Disneyland with the most despicable villains the universe has to offer.

The Oogie Boogie Bash is bursting with treat trails, character experiences, a parade, and countless other attractions and special events.

Halloween is no stranger to Disney Parks, but the last few years have seen a transformation like no other. Gone are the days of Mickey’s Halloween Party. These are the days of the reign of Oogie Boogie.

Who Is Oogie Boogie?

Oogie Boogie is the antagonist in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Like many of Disney’s famous properties, he is not an original character but rather an adaptation of folk stories. The Bogeyman has long haunted the dreams of children as an ever-adaptable figure of terror and punishment.

Now, Disney’s interpretation of a monster burlap sack filled with bugs haunts Disneyland’s California Adventure Park, serving as the face of their Halloween festivities. Many Disney fans say this change from the lovable gentleness of Mickey Mouse to the more creepy Oogie Boogie signifies a shift in Disney’s marketing goals.

Now, childless adults are not only common in the parks, but have specific events like Oogie Boogie Bash.

What Is the Oogie Boogie Bash?

The Oogie Boogie Bash is Disneyland’s new Halloween celebration. Replacing Micky’s Halloween Party in 2019, this nascent event nevertheless has garnered rave reviews. 

The Oogie Boogie Bash features a new parade, the Frightfully Fun Parade, treat trails, unique character interactions, admission to rides in Disney California Adventure Park, and so much more spooky fun.

Does the Oogie Boogie Bash Happen Every Night in October?

The Oogie Boogie Bash is not a nightly event. It runs throughout September and October of 2022, for a total of 24 nights. 

Dates for the 2022 Oogie Boogie Bash

All dates for the 2022 Oogie Boogie Bash are currently sold out. However, there is a chance that tickets may become available on the day of the event.

The nights of the 2022 Oogie Bash are as follows:

• September 6, 2022
• September 10, 2022
• September 13, 2022
• September 15, 2022
• September 18, 2022
• September 20, 2022
• September 22, 2022
• September 25, 2022
• September 27, 2022
• September 29, 2022
• October 2, 2022
• October 4, 2022
• October 6, 2022
• October 9, 2022
• October 11, 2022
• October 13, 2022
• October 16, 2022 
• October 18, 2022
• October 20, 2022 
• October 23, 2022 
• October 25, 2022
• October 27, 2022
• October 29, 2022 
• October 31, 2022

September 10, 2022, is a night set aside exclusively for D23 members. 

Does My Park Ticket Cover Oogie Boogie Bash Admission?

Oogie Boogie Bash tickets and park tickets are completely separate purchases. Buying a parking ticket on one of the dates listed above will not get you entry to the party at 6:00 pm. However, there are plenty of Halloween goodies and treats available throughout the day for regular-hour park guests. 

Likewise, an Oogie Boogie Bash ticket does not get you access to the park for the rest of the day. However, guests for the Oogie Boogie Bash are allowed to enter the park three hours before the party starts. Late sleepers may prefer this approach, as starting your Disney day at 3 pm is perfect if you’re planning to stay late. 

Attending the park later in the day means a lot of the families with young children and larger parties will already be wrapping up for the day and headed back to their hotels. This reduces wait times and clears up usually busy rides. 

How Late Does Oogie Boogie Bash Go?

The party officially starts at 6:00 PM and runs until 11:00 pm. This means that an Oogie Boogie Bash ticket can purchase up to 8 hours of park time for guests who take advantage of the three hours available in the park before the party. 

Can Costumes Be Worn during the Oogie Boogie Bash?

On a standard day at Disney, adults and teenagers are not allowed to wear costumes. However, guests aged thirteen years old and younger are permitted costumes during normal visits to Disney. 

This is to help keep guests from impersonating employees. It is also supposed to maintain Disney’s trademark magic, as someone in a princess costume cursing, yelling, or even eating messily would compromise the carefully crafted visuals of Disneyland.  

Many Disney-loving adults have utilized a practice they’ve termed ‘Disneybounding’. Disneybounding is crafting subtle outfits that emulate certain distinct characteristics of a Disney character. This subtle style may include, for example, a yellow shirt paired with a blue skirt and an apple headband to symbolize Snow White. 

Oogie Boogie Bash is a huge exception to the usual rule, as guests of the party may wear costumes. However, this special permission to wear costumes comes with guidelines that, if violated, may cause you to be turned away at the gate or asked to change.

Oogie Boogie Bash Costume Rules

• All costumes must be age-appropriate and family-friendly. This means Disney bans any costumes that may be offensive, violent, or otherwise provocative. 
• No guest can sign autographs for other guests. As mentioned above, this can be misleading and upsetting for younger guests.
• No costumes can incorporate anything that looks like a weapon of any kind. Some guidelines say lightsabers are an exception. If you are looking to bring a lightsaber or other cartoonish prop it may be worthwhile to call the park ahead of time to clarify guidelines. 
• Costumes can’t present a tripping hazard. Gowns with trails, long capes, and other costumes that can become tangled and dangerous are not allowed. 
• Elaborate props that surround the body, such as armor, are discouraged. While this is not as hard and fast of a rule as some of the other guidelines, guests should remember that it is still California in early fall, and extra layers will not only make it more difficult for guests to navigate crowds and rides but also will likely risk overheating. 

You cannot wear costumes in Disneyland California Adventure Park before 3 pm. If you purchased both a pass to the park during the day and a ticker to the Oogie Boogie Bash at night, you will either need to return to your hotel to change into your costume before the party or go in your street clothes.

This is where Disneybounding may come in handy; a subtler approach to a costume may mean you can stay in the parks all day rather than leave partway through. 

Treat Trails

Ever wanted to go trick-or-treating inside Disneyland? Treat Trails are opportunities to do just that, sponsored by the Mars candy company. These Treat Trails can get busy, especially if there are a lot of kids around, but they’re awesome opportunities to get spooky experiences and plenty of tasty Halloween treats. 

Many Disney veterans advise bringing a bag from home for Treat Trails, as the provided bags are quite small. There is no limit on how many times you can walk a Treat Trail, so you can feel free to grab as many treats as you want.

There are eleven Treat Trails this year. Most include special villain experiences at one end of the trip or the other.

Character Experiences & Rides

What truly sets the Oogie Boogie Bash apart from other Disney experiences is the unique opportunities to meet obscure villains and characters while wandering Disney California Action Park. 

While the Oogie Boogie Bash is known for its heaps of villainy, the characters featured during the event also include classic favorites of the park dressed in their Halloween best. 

Hollywood Land 

Hollywood Land features incredible attractions themed around animation classics like Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo. In this animated land, you can check out these Easter egg villains, heroes, and more, including the heart-pounding dark ride, “Monsters Inc: Mike & Sully to the Rescue.” This exciting ride takes on a new dimension in the dark hours of Oogie Boogie Bash.

Oogie Boogie

The man of the hour can be found deep in Hollywood Land. Follow the Hollywood Land treat trails to find Oogie Boogie, of The Nightmare Before Christmas fame. If you miss him, scoop up some of the Oogie Boogie-themed treats available around the park. 

Daisy, Clarabelle & Minnie Mouse

These classic Disney ladies may look a bit different during the Oogie Boogie Bash than they do in the bright light of day. When you find them in Hollywood Land, this trio will be dressed as the Sanderson Sisters from the film Hocus Pocus.

Hocus Pocus is a darkly comedic film about a trio of witches terrorizing young people in pursuit of youthful lifeforce. A cult classic, these scary ladies are a favorite of Disney fans, especially adult guests.

Cruella (Live Action)

This interactive iteration of Cruella is stylized after the recent film of the same name. This Cruella is black and white head to toe, sporting her classic Dalmatian furs. The reboot made her a more sympathetic hero, explaining that her hatred of Dalmatians stems from a traumatic childhood incident where a pack of Dalmatians killed her mother. 

Whatever the motivations are for Cruella’s craving for Dalmatian pelts, she radiates cold-hearted evil at the Oogie Boogie bash. 

Grizzly Peak

Experience wild adventures at Grizzly Peak, a land packed full of outdoor adventures. Grizzly River Run will be available to ride during Oogie Boogie Bash. However, this splashy white water raft ride might be a bit too much for those in more delicate costumery. Thankfully, there’s a whole cast of characters to meet at Grizzly Peak!

Bruno Madrigal

Encanto shattered records as the most chart-topping score from an animated movie in years. The multi-platinum single that dominated the charts for weeks was none other than We Don’t Talk About Bruno. Bruno’s villainy is pretty overstated, however, as guests who meet him at Oogie Boogie Bash learn. 

Maleficient

Sleeping Beauty without Maleficient is like the night sky without a moon. This larger-than-life villainess has been exuding villainy for over six decades. The character stands resplendent on a stage with a massive carved throne. She wields her staff like the deadliest of weapons, a warning to all who dare to cross her. 

Mother Gothel

In Tangled, Rapunzel finds the courage to leave the suffocating life of imprisonment found at the hands of her captor, the beautiful Mother Gothel.

Mother Gothel greets guests at the Oogie Boogie bash with sass and grace, just as her film counterpart hid decades of age under the magic stolen from Rapunzel. Vain as ever, she will however deign to converse with guests and pose for pictures. 

Avengers Campus

This section of Disneyland Park holds the most superpowered squad to be found anywhere in Disneyland. Themed on the Marvel properties and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers Campus packs a superpowered punch. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: Breakout ride will be open during the Oogie Boogie Bash, but restyled to reflect the spooky theming of the park as a whole during the Halloween season.

Marvel Superheroes

While there are opportunities to meet several Marvel superheroes while visiting Avengers Campus during Oogie Boogie Bash, the most notable one in 2022 must be the undead walking among the living.

A zombie-fied Captain America shambles, shuffles, and shrugs around Avengers Campus, making for an exceptionally spooky surprise for Marvel devotees. 

Madam Mim

In the 1963 film The Sword in the Stone, the heroes of the story battle the wicked sorceress Madam Mim. At the Oogie Boogie bash, she cackles and gestures wildly to the crowd, crowing about her glory days and her forbidden magicks. 

Agatha Harkness

Disney Plus show WandaVision features the Scarlet Witch and the Vision living happily in the suburbs. Their extremely helpful neighbor, Agatha, is later revealed as a manipulative witch rather than a gentle presence in their lives. This mastermind sorceress graces the Avengers Campus with haughty laughs and mystical hand waggles. 

Ernesto de la Cruz

In the hit film Coco, Ernesto de la Cruz is a hero turned villain by the third act of the film. A murderer and thief, this skeletal singer still steals hearts as he strums his guitar at the Oogie Boogie Bash.

Cars Land

This corner of Disneyland is uniquely stylized after the film Cars. Radiator Springs Racers is the main attraction, featuring incredible animatronics of to-scale cars cheering you ahead in preparation for the big race at the end of the ride.

Radiator Springs Residents

During Oogie Boogie Bash there are unique opportunities to meet residents of Radiator Springs, including Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater.

Frightfully Fun Parade

Shorter than its predecessor, The Frightfully Fun Parade nevertheless packs the perfect spooky punch. The procession is led by the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow Flame, lighting the way with a Jack-o-Lantern. Then the beloved mice couple, Mickey and Minnie Mouse usher the rest of the parade along.

Following Mickey and Minnie is the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington. Jack has brought a whole bunch of his fellow Halloweentown residents along with him, as seen in The Nightmare Before Christmas. A Haunted Mansion homage, styled after the infamous ride, follows the Halloweentown procession.

The antagonist of Princess and the Frog, Dr. Facilier, follows up the Haunted Mansion show by using voodoo to summon minions from ‘the other side. An incredible grab-bag of some of the rarest Disney villains trails after him. 

The villains featured in the Frightfully Fun Parade include:

• Ursula, from The Little Mermaid
• Hade, from Hercules
• The Evil Queen, from Snow White
• Judge Frollo, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• Jafar, from Aladdin
• Captain Hook, from Peter Pan
• Lady Tremaine, from Cinderella
• Cruella, from Cruella

The Frightfully Fun Parade is certain to delight fans of all ages, featuring villains from across Disney’s history and spectacles bound to impress.

Mickey’s Trick or Treat

The Oogie Boogie Bash features a stage production that seems to be intended for younger audiences but is an entertaining show for all ages.

Mickey’s Trick or Treat is an interactive show. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, dressed in Halloween finery, lead the crowd in dances, songs, and other fun activities. Other familiar faces include Goofy the Dog dressed as a Mummy and Donald Duck in his werewolf costume. 

Visiting the Oogie Boogie Bash

The Oogie Boogie bash is a special event that only comes to a handful of times each year. Judging by the changes from the last Oogie Boogie Bash to this year, the experiences available in 2022 are likely to be unique and subject to change. 

The Oogie Boogie bash is an incredible opportunity to interact with rare characters in a new way. Attending the Halloween party can lend a whole new perspective to the beloved parks. Perfect for veteran Disney fanatics and newcomers alike, the Oogie Boogie Bash is sure to delight with spooky tricks and treats.