The Disneyland Resort’s Mickey’s Halloween Party is changing this year! New for 2019 is Oogie Boogie Bash, taking the place of Mickey’s Halloween Party. This nighttime Disney Halloween party is a separate-ticket event, taking place after-hours at Disney California Adventure theme park. Find out what to expect at this new party including where to get tickets and entertainment details. You’ll also get the scoop on what to know before taking the kids.
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Oogie Boogie Bash Details
The Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween parties begin September 17th and last 20 nights. Parties take place on select Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the months of September and October. Disneyland has hosted their very popular Mickey’s Halloween Party for years and while some things will remain the same for the Oogie Boogie Bash, there are quite a few new additions.
One very big change is the move from Disneyland over to Disney California Adventure park. This means that California Adventure park will close early to regular guests and only those with special event tickets may stay for the party.
Oogie Boogie Bash parties begin officially at 6 p.m. and end at 11 p.m. However with special event party tickets in hand, guests can enter the park three hours earlier at 3 p.m. On Sundays, as well as October 29th and 31st, entrance to the park is allowed even earlier, at 2 p.m. Unlike years’ past (when guests could access both parks early), entry is now limited to only California Adventure beginning in 2019.
Tickets for Oogie Boogie Bash
The special event tickets for Oogie Boogie Bash range in price from $110 to $145 per guest aged 3+ (children aged 2 and under are free). Tickets can only be purchased online via the Disneyland website or app. The only discount available for this special event is for Annual Passholders. Tickets cannot be purchased through third-party retailers.
Best to buy Oogie Boogie Bash tickets as soon as possible, as the Disney Halloween parties generally sell out early. Waited too long? There may be a limited number of Oogie Boogie Bash tickets available at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels. If you’re a hotel guest, check in at the desk on the day of the party to see if tickets are for sale.
TravelingMom Tip: With the Halloween parties ending at 11 p.m., you’ll want to book a hotel in the Anaheim area for the night and get the kids to bed before the clock strikes midnight! Find out the reasons to stay at Disneyland Resort hotels.
Is Oogie Boogie Bash Good for Kids?
Given that this new party is based on an edgier character and movie (Oogie Boogie from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas), guests might wonder if this new Halloween party will be kid-friendly. Rest assured this is Disneyland, where entertainment is intended to be multi-generational. While there are certain parts of the party geared for particular ages there’s nothing here that would be inappropriate for younger kids. However certain elements might be spooky for some kids.
Keep in mind that many little ones will burn out early in the night, missing out on much of the party that takes place after nightfall. You’ll need to weigh your options on whether it’s a good idea to take kids who will likely fall asleep in their strollers. Activities that are most popular with toddlers and preschoolers (like the trick-or-treating and Mickey’s Trick and Treat Stage show) are busy in the early hours of the party. Hold off doing these as long as you can until the evening when lines shorten. Read more about tips for doing Oogie Boogie Bash with kids, particularly toddlers and preschoolers.
Oogie Boogie Bash “Immersive Treat Trails”
Trick-or-treating has always been a popular part of the Disney Halloween parties and the new Oogie Boogie Bash continues the tradition in a new way. In addition to the usual treat trails with cauldrons of treats, there are additional “immersive treat trails” throughout the park.
There are 10 total trails, 5 of which are “immersive”. This means they have the addition of an interactive villain character. Spotted were the Mad Hatter, Oogie Boogie, Evil Queen, Maleficent, and Dr. Facilier. Candy collecting at Oogie Boogie Bash is something every guest can participate in and these new trails are not to be missed!
TravelingMom Tip: Small treat bags are given to each guest at the gate, though you might want to pack your own if you plan on collecting lots of candy. Disney Halloween parties are notorious for candy-overload!
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail Transforms into Villains Grove
The tall trees and winding walkways of the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail have become Villains Grove, an all new walk-through experience. This is intended for all ages but will kids like it? It’s not really scary but anxious kiddos may still be nervous of the villain-inspired scenes.
Sound, lighting and shadows play a part in Villains Grove, which is ideal for taking those Instagram-worthy shots (if you have a camera that takes a decent night time shot). The addition of Photopass photographer here would be great, but on our visit, there weren’t any. There’s also no candy or characters to be found, so most younger kids won’t have much interest. But it is a cool area for teens and adults looking for unique photo spots. Wait to go until just before closing when the line is shorter.
“Mickey’s Trick & Treat” Stage Show
This brand-new interactive stage show takes place inside the Disney Theater in Hollywood Land (where Disney Junior Dance Party is held). Kids are guaranteed to see Mickey Mouse and friends dressed up for Halloween with music, dancing and storytelling. It’s the perfect show for young guests including toddlers and preschoolers.
Earlier shows are guaranteed to be busy. I attended the first showing and it was jam-packed. Consider holding out until longer into the evening, if your young kids can stay up. The music is lively and the show is very short (just around 10 minutes). Afterwards kids can collect candy!
TravelingMom Tip: Just like during the Disney Junior Dance Party, the Mickey’s Trick & Treat Show offers floor-seating only. This allows little kids freedom of movement to dance during the show but may be uncomfortable for adults.
Cast a Spell at the DescenDANCE Party
Not to leave out the tweens and teens, there’s also a new interactive dance party, inspired by the Disney Channel show “Descendants”. The DecenDANCE takes place in the backlot area of Hollywood Land.
Hit songs and music are played from the three popular movies with appearances from the “Villain Kids”. After the show, the Backlot DJ invites everyone to keep the dance party going into the night.
TravelingMom Tip: I recommend showing up at least 10-15 minutes before the official start of the show. This will ensure a spot close to the stage where kids have more room to dance and to watch the action.
“World of Color” Villainous Nighttime Spectacular
With the Halloween party moving from Disneyland to Disney’s California Adventure park, the nighttime entertainment includes an all-new World of Color show for the first time. Villainous is a unique show that’s exclusive to the Oogie Boogie Bash. The creative story line introduces a new character named Shelley Marie. She meets with famous Disney villains Ursula, Hades, Maleficent, Jafar, The Queen, and Dr. Facilier.
The show is fantastic and is a departure from other “World of Color” shows. The plot line is humorous and lighthearted so it’s more silly and fun than frightening. The ending (featuring the disco classic “Boogie Fever”) will have everyone dancing!
Those familiar with “World of Color” know that this show relies strongly on magical special effects. This includes shooting fountains, sprays of water, lighting projections and lasers. This special World of Color show is not to be missed and is only offered during Oogie Boogie Bash party nights.
https://youtu.be/bP-CvX9NhY4
Halloween Party Offers Returning Favorites
Despite the move from Disneyland to California Adventure, the new Oogie Boogie Bash still features some of the classic Mickey’s Halloween Party favorites:
Character Meet n’ Greets – Greeting characters are popular at Oogie Boogie Bash, similar to Walt Disney World Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (when a TravelingMom spent almost the entire party time standing in line to meet characters!). During this event I spotted characters rarely seen in the park, including Snow White and Dopey together in Carthay Circle area as well as Donald and Goofy dressed in their Kingdom Hearts outfits.
Wait times for characters were consistently long, even up to event close. If character greetings are important to you, plan to visit during the show times.
Frightfully Fun Parade – A good mix of Disney characters and villains (including the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow) appear in this fantastic family-friendly parade. A new change for 2019 is the inclusion of the Cheshire Cat from Alice In Wonderland! The long parade route means you don’t have to scout out a seat too early (10-15 minutes should be plenty of time).
If you don’t want to wait in the long lines for character greetings, the Frightfully Fun Parade is an awesome way to see and wave to fan favorites, Jack Skellington and Sally!
Must-Know Details for Oogie Boogie Bash
Guests of all ages may dress in costume for this event. On a regular park day, only those 14 and under may wear costumes. But during this special Halloween party, children and adults may wear costumes. They must fall within the Disneyland Resort guidelines, namely not offensive or violent (think kid-friendly). This also means no weapons (except light sabers and plastic swords). Costumes may not drag on the ground or contain anything sharp or dangerous. There are additional guidelines on the Disneyland website so be sure to check the site before putting together your costume.
READ MORE: Get creative and make Halloween costumes on a budget!
As if there’s not enough to do during the Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween party, there’s also the rides! All Disney California Adventure rides are operational during the party and line waits are generally much lower than on a regular park day.
Halloween Offerings with a Regular Park Ticket
Even if you decide not to attend the hard-ticket event Oogie Boogie Bash, fall is still in the air at both Disneyland park and Disney’s California Adventure park. There’s Halloween decorations galore, ride overlays and of course, delicious treats! Guests with a regular park ticket can experience these Halloweentime offerings inside the parks. Halloween at the Disneyland resort begins September 6th and lasts through October 31st, 2019.
We recommend purchasing your regular park tickets through Get Away Today. Not only do they have the lowest prices but they are running a few specials from September 6th – October 31st, 2019.
At Disneyland
The Main Street Pumpkin Festival transforms Disneyland with hundreds of glowing jack-o-lanterns and a huge Mickey pumpkin. The Haunted Mansion Holiday ride overlay lasts through the Halloween season all the way through the New Year.
Guests can meet Jack Skellington and Sally from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The less-frightening “Fab 5” also sport their Halloween costumes. For entertainment after dark, Halloween Screams, the nighttime fireworks show, takes place on select nights.
At California Adventure
Over at Disney California Adventure, decor is decidedly more dark with an Oogie Boogie entryway. Bats swarm around Carthay Circle’s clock tower and all of Radiator Springs is made over as “Radiator Screams”. Ride overlays include Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark, Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween and Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree. Radiator Springs vehicles including Lightning McQueen and Mater dress up in their Haul-O-Ween costumes. A Musical Celebration of Coco also returns for Dia de los Muertos.
READ MORE: Are you a Walt Disney World fan visiting Disneyland for the first time? Check out these additional Disneyland tips!
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