Oogie Boogie Bash 2023: Ticket Prices, Event Dates, Villains Grove, Characters, and More!
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In October 2022, we attended our very first Oogie Boogie Bash and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. We had a blast!
Recently, Disney released the dates and prices for 2023 and we’re so excited to go again! If you’re considering going this year, this guide is for you.
We’ll go over when Oogie Boogie Bash tickets go on sale, what they cost, which characters were out last year and which ones we’d like to see this year, and more. (Updated May 31st, 2023.)
Let’s get into it!
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What Is Oogie Boogie Bash?
Oogie Boogie Bash is an annual Halloween event that’s been held at Disney California Adventure (DCA) every year since 2019.
It’s a separate, hard-ticket event not included with regular admission. On Oogie Boogie days, DCA closes early to day guests.
Prior to Oogie Boogie, the annual Halloween event was Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and was held at Disneyland Park proper.
Like its predecessor, Oogie Boogie Bash features treat trails with Disney villains, rare character meet and greets, a parade, Villain’s Grove (more on that later) and more.
Oogie Boogie Bash Ticket Prices
As stated above, Oogie Boogie Bash is a hard ticket, after-hours event. Meaning, your regular one-day or multi-day pass won’t suffice.
After checking in, you’ll be given a wristband with that days specific color. You’ll be asked to produce this wristband periodically.
At 6pm when the park closes to day guests, cast members create borders to filter out non-Oogie Boogie guests. Simply show your wristband to pass through.
Oogie Boogie’s hours are 6pm and 11pm. However, party-goers are permitted entry into DCA beginning at 3:00pm on the day of the event.
If you’re already in the park by this time, simply stop by one of the check-in stations to receive your wristband and treat bag.
If you’re just arriving, you can enter through the main gate or through the private entrances for the Grand Californian or Paradise Pier Hotel Pixar Place Hotel guests.
Like years prior, the event doesn’t run every night and tends to have a gap of 1-3 days between each party. For example, we attended on October 18th and the next event didn’t occur until October 20th.
In 2022, prices ranged from $129 to $179 per person. In essence, the closer to Halloween you get, the higher the price (with a few exceptions).
In 2023, the lowest priced ticket is $134 and the highest is priced at $189 (though only for two of the twenty-five nights).
Below is a list of Oogie Boogie Bash nights and their corresponding prices for nights in September 2023:
September 5, 2023 - $134
September 7, 2023 - $144
September 10, 2023 - $159
September 12, 2023 - $134
September 14, 2023 - $144
September 17, 2023 - $159
September 19, 2023 - $134
September 21, 2023 - $144
September 24, 2023 - $159
September 26, 2023 - $144
September 28, 2023 - $144
October 2023 dates and prices are:
October 1, 2023 - $169
October 3, 2023 - $159
October 5, 2023 - $159
October 8, 2023 - $169
October 10, 2023 - $159
October 12, 2023 - $159
October 15, 2023 - $169
October 17, 2023 - $159
October 19, 2023 - $159
October 22, 2023 - $169
October 24, 2023 - $169
October 26, 2023 - $169
October 29th, 2023 - $189
October 31, 2023 - $189
When Do Oogie Boogie Bash Tickets Go On Sale?
Disney has finally announced when Oogie Boogie Bash 2023 tickets will go on-sale. They are:
June 27th, 2023: Pre-sale for Magic Key holders
June 29th, 2023: On sale to the general public
There is no special pre-sale for D23 members this year, as there won’t be another convention until next year (and I’d imagine 2024 will have one).
The sales on each day will begin no earlier than 9am through the Disneyland website. You will NOT be able to purchase Oogie Boogie Bash tickets through the app.
Be sure you have an account set up and ready to go. In 2022, the event sold out in two days and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that 2023 will break that record.
You’ll likely be waiting in a virtual queue that could take hours to get through. Ensure your internet connection is spot on and DO NOT hit refresh or the back button while in the queue. If you do, you’ll lose your spot.
Event Attractions
Throughout the event, all attractions in Disney California Adventure are operational (unless they’re under refurbishment).
However, with the exception of the few rides with special Halloween overlays (Mission Breakout and Mater’s), the real fun is in the attractions only offered during the bash itself.
Our advice…don’t waste your time with rides. If you’re keen to, you can spend the first three hours of your permitted entry doing so.
You’re allowed entry at 3pm and the party itself doesn’t begin until 6pm. Spend those first few hours getting rides out of the way.
Once the party begins, though, it’s time to explore everything Oogie Boogie Bash has to offer. We’ll list a few of those below:
Villains Treat Trails
These are the highlight of the event. When you check in and receive your wristband, you’ll be given a trick or treat bag to use at these stations.
*Pro Tip: The bags they give you are small and fill QUICKLY. Bring your own larger bag for trick or treating. No one will judge you.
In these treat trails, cast members stationed throughout the queue pass out handfuls of candy and other treats. The best part of the treat trails? Each one features one of Disney’s most beloved villains.
These characters interact with guests and will pose for pictures, but they are not traditional meet and greets where you pose with them.
Treat trail queues get long so to avoid a lengthy wait, cast members keep the line moving by waiving you through and enticing you with candy.
While you can’t spend too much time with each villain, you're allowed to go through the queue as many times as you wish.
Here are the names of the treat trail villains and their locations in 2022:
Ernesto de la Cruz (near the main entrance to Avengers Campus)
Dr. Facilier (across from Corn Dog Castle)
Mother Gothel (near Grizzly River Run)
Mad Madam Mim (near Hyperion Theatre)
Hagatha Harkness (in Avengers Campus)
Cruella (across from the Monsters Inc. ride)
Sid (in Pixar Pier)
Maleficent (adjacent to the Soarin’ building)
Oogie Boogie (in the Art of Animation building)
This was our favorite feature of the bash. Especially Ernesto de la Cruz. He was arguably the most popular character this year and his queue reflected that.
The singing and guitar playing is actually being performed by the actor himself. There’s no sound loop involved. It was an incredible performance.
Don’t let the queue discourage you, by the way. Ernesto, Oogie Boogie and Cruella had the longest queues but we never waited longer than fifteen minutes or so.
Each treat trail will have one or two candy stations prior to the character and another two to three after. This is done to keep the line flowing. Cast members will begin waiving you through if it gets too clustered.
Do keep in mind that there’s a chance the character won’t be there when you arrive. The actors take breaks from time to time. Especially Ernesto. We nearly missed him, but thankfully he came back out right as we neared the stage.
Lastly, these characters may or may not appear at future parties. Oogie Boogie is a given (it’s his event, after-all) and I would predict a return for Ernest de la Cruz given his massive popularity.
This is Sid’s second bash, so he’ll likely remain a regular in 2023 considering he’s Pixar’s original baddie. The remaining may be swapped out for different villains, though.
Special Character Meet n’ Greets
Also featured during Oogie Boogie Bash are special (traditional) character meet and greets, with a Photopass photographer present at most of them.
*PRO TIP: The cost of your Oogie Boogie Bash ticket includes all PhotoPass photos taken during the event. The scan code will be on your wristband.
The biggest draw of the bunch was Minnie, Daisy and Clarabelle dressed as the Sanderson Sisters (Hocus Pocus). They were stationed behind Hollywood Lounge near the Monsters Inc. attraction.
Their queue was an hour wait or more throughout the night and even closed a couple times. If they return next year and you really want a photo with them, we recommend heading to their queue first thing.
Another popular character meet and greet was Bruno, who made his Oogie Boogie Bash debut this year. He was located near the sawmill at Grizzly River Run.
Other characters spotted throughout the night included Ratatouille, The Incredibles, The Blue Fairy, Merlin, Smee, The Wicked Step Sisters and the “Kingdom Hearts” versions of Mickey, Goofy and Donald.
Again, these were standard meet and greets, NOT treat trails. So incidentally, these lines moved slower than the treat trails (and there’s no candy). Keep this in mind when prioritizing.
The Frightfully Fun Parade
This parade first made its debut during the party’s run at Disneyland Park proper and has since made its way to Oogie Boogie Bash.
It runs twice nightly during the event and is one of the shortest, most underwhelming Disney parades we’ve seen. It wasn’t bad, we just feel they’ve could’ve done more with it.
For viewing, you’ll have three options. The first and most obvious would be the traditional way; settle on a spot along the parade route and enjoy the show.
The other two options will set you back some extra coin, but may be worth it to you as you won’t have to camp out for a spot. They are:
Three course dinner at Wine Country Trattoria (comes with a Fastpass style return ticket to a viewing area in front of the Grizzly Peak Waterfall - standing room only).
Sonoma Terrace Dessert Party (comes with a table and seat along the parade route).
There are a few differences between the two (aside from price) you should be aware of before making a decision:
Wine Country Trattoria Dinner: For this, you eat dinner prior to the parade and be given a Fastpass to return to the viewing area later. This is standing-room only. The price was $60 per person and includes your choice of starter, entree, a dessert and non-alcoholic drinks. While checking in, you must state that you want the three-course dinner for the parade.
Sonoma Terrace Dessert Party: For the desert party, you’re assigned an actual table and chair to use during the parade. To top it off, you’re served an array of desserts just before and during the parade in an “all-you-can-eat” setting. The price for the dessert party is $89 per person.
Let’s face it, most people (including us) go with these options mostly for the guaranteed spot on the parade route. The food is almost always a distant second. So if you’re trying to decide, it really comes down to your priorities.
The dinner is the least expensive option and includes an actual meal with the price, but you’ll have to settle for a standing-room only viewing area to watch the parade from.
Alternatively, the dessert party includes a table and seat DURING the parade (which is the reason for the $30 difference), but includes just a variety of deserts. Not an actual meal.
So are you willing to pay more to have an actual place to sit? Or would you rather have the meal and pay less but have to stand/sit along the parade route?
We selected the three course dinner. The food was great (we’ve always enjoyed Wine Country Trattoria) and the view of the parade was great, but if we could do it over again, we would’ve gone with the dessert party. For the actual seat if nothing else.
No complaints about the viewing area, though. There was plenty of elbow room and no one was fighting for a spot (or trying to hijack one at the last minute).
Villains Grove
You’ve undoubtedly heard of Villains Grove. It’s arguably the most popular attraction at the party and because of that, it has consistently long queues throughout the evening.
The grove takes over the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and transforms it with special lighting, sound, smell and projection affects representing several Disney villains.
There are multiple scenes along the trail and Cast Members are stationed throughout to help guide you through (there’s a couple spots where the trail splits).
Some villains represented throughout the grove include; Scar (Lion King), The Queen of Hearts and Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) and the Evil Queen (Snow White).
It’s something you truly have to experience to fully appreciate. We took many pictures/video and none of them does it justice.
As stated above, however, it has consistently long lines. We do have a few tips for you, though.
Many people will rush to Villains Grove first thing and for the first two or three hours, its queue often stretches beyond the private entrance to the Grand Californian.
Don’t do this. Wait until later in the night, perhaps within a half hour to an hour of park closing, and chances are good that you’ll arrive to a queue with a minimal-to-no wait.
Another strategy you could implement is arriving during the second showing of the parade. We arrived just before it started and only waited ten minutes or so.
When we exited the grove the parade was in full swing and the queue was non-existent. So we took the opportunity and jumped in for second go.
In short, there’s no reason to wait in a long queue for Villains Grove (though it is worth it, in my opinion). Just make sure you experience it.
Changes We Would Like To See
As awesome as Oogie Boogie Bash was, there were a few things we noticed or thought of that we wish Disney would’ve done differently. They are:
Longer event time: The hours for Oogie Boogie Bash are 6pm - 11pm. While five hours may seem like enough, trust me, it isn't . An extra hour would’ve made all the difference.
More rare villains: We really enjoyed the villains at the treat trails so of course, we’d love to see more. Villains such as the Old Hag, Thanos, Stinky Pete and Lotso come to mind.
A better parade: It’s time for an update. We loved certain elements of the current parade (like the Hitchhiking Ghosts float), but let’s mix it up a bit.
An Oogie Boogie exclusive dining experience: A three-course dinner at Carthay Circle hosted by the Evil Queen, a villains only character buffet, the possibilities are endless and it would undoubtedly be a nightly sell-out.
These are just a few of our ideas but honestly, the bash is a great time and even if they never change a single thing about it, you’re sure to have a great time.
Your Thoughts On Oogie Boogie Bash
Have you attended Oogie Boogie Bash before? If not, does it sound like something you and your family would enjoy? Let us know in the comments below! We love hearing from our readers.
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