Top 2023 Oogie Boogie Bash Highlights

Disneyland Resort fans have enjoyed a stunningly great September. Disney California Adventure opened a new themed land, and Haunted Mansion Holiday recently debuted its 2023 look. Now, the annual Halloween event has arrived. Here are the highlights of Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party.

What Is Oogie Boogie Bash?

Walt Disney World fans often ask me this question, and my answer is simple. It’s an after-hours ticketed event that celebrates the Halloween season. Disney offers spooky ride overlays, unique character greetings, Trick or Treat goodies, unique Oogie Boogie Bash merchandise, food, and drinks.

Generally speaking, the Oogie Boogie Bash is the West Coast’s version of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Since Disneyland Resort works a bit differently from Magic Kingdom, you’ll pick up on a different vibe and style at Oogie Boogie Bash, though.

Disney California Adventure hosts this event on select nights in the fall; it lasts through Halloween Night. At 6 p.m. each evening (PST), the party begins, although the park admits guests three hours earlier. The event lasts for five hours, giving attendants plenty of time to bask in private time at Disney California Adventure.

The popularity of Oogie Boogie Bash ensures that it sells out frequently. In fact, no tickets remain for any of this year’s dates. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even mention that, but I want to warn you about something. 

You’ll find tickets available via eBay and some scalpers. DO NOT BUY THEM! Disney publicly stated that it can identify third-party tickets and will suspend/ban guests who try to enter the parks with them. Demand for Oogie Boogie Bash is that intense!

What Is Available at Oogie Boogie Bash?

Here’s one difference with Oogie Boogie Bash. Some of the Treat Trails double as character interactions. Understandably, the most popular one involves Oogie Boogie, who sets up shop in an indoor locale. 

You can watch the video to see that Oogie Boogie really just stands and points as you approach. The setup provides most of the ambiance, as digital walls show thematically appropriate elements of Oogie Boogie’s Nightmare Before Christmas story arc. He’s just fun.

If you keep watching the video, you’ll find some other terrific characters like Cruella de Vil. Less villainous Disney characters like Mickey & Minnie Mouse also appear at these events.

For 2023, the biggest new additions are Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Yokai from Big Hero Six. Oh, and the Sanderson Sisters may require the longest wait of any Treat Trail since they’ve become the spirit of Disney Halloween. 

Still, my favorite current Disney Villain casts her spell at Avengers Campus. Yes, Agatha Harkness hosts her own Treat Trail! You can watch her here:

Officially, Disney breaks the Treat Trails apart from character greetings, which are their own thing. So, here are the characters you can meet at this year’s event:

• Bruno from Encanto
• Clarabelle, Daisey, and Minnie Mouse (cosplaying the Sanderson Sisters)
• Donald Duck, Goofy, and King Mickey (Kingdom Hearts cosplay)
• Marvel Superheroes
• Pixar Pals
• Radiator Springs Residents

Disney also advertises “rare characters” appearing at Carthay Circle. At Avengers Campus, Zombie Steve Rogers sadly isn’t back this year, but at least we have Agatha all along.  

Here’s What Else You Should Know about Boo Bash 

When you visit Oogie Boogie Bash, the signature event you must watch is the Frightfully Fun Parade. You can think of it as a darker take on the Boo to You Parade, and you’ve got the gist. Personally, I prefer Boo to You, but it’s fun to watch The Pumpkin King in all his glory:

Oogie Boogie Bash also hosts a child-friendly show called Mickey’s Trick and Treat. For adults, there’s Disney’s spin on a California staple: the Halloween horror maze. 

At Disney California Adventure, you’ll explore a dark and twisted area that fittingly leads to Villains Grove. And Villains Grove is spectacular!

In terms of tone and atmosphere, this section is as close as Disney comes to Halloween Horror Nights. It also differentiates Oogie Boogie Bash from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. You should have this experience on your bucket list. 

Finally, I’m happy to report that the ride overlays have returned at Disney California Adventure. While they’re not exclusive to Oogie Boogie Bash, they’re as Halloween as it gets.

The best of them is Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark, which turns the ride story into a horror show. Rocket actually begs you to “scream real loud,” which sets the tone for the experience.

At Radiator Springs, you’ll also find ride overlays for Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween. Many fans prefer them to the standard versions of the rides!

Overall, this year’s Oogie Boogie Bash feels grander in scale than recent outings. I guess that’s to be expected since the event planners didn’t have pandemic-related constraints for the first time since 2019. The enhanced results are readily apparent. It’s a bigger, better event in 2023!

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