Our 2023 Oogie Boogie Bash Experience

If you follow Disney Over 50 on Facebook or Instagram, you probably know that my daughter and I just returned from a quick trip to Disneyland. One of the main reasons we went was for Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure. We went on Sunday, September 24. Here is our experience.

Our first time ever attending Oogie Boogie Bash was in 2022. At the time, I said that it was one of the best special ticketed events that I’ve been to on either coast. I stand by that. I will admit that 2022 was slightly better for me than 2023. Maybe it was because the first year was less crowded, or it could be because it was brand new to us. That said, we still had a fantastic time. I highly recommend Oogie Boogie Bash, if you can get tickets.

My favorite part of Oogie Boogie Bash is the Treat Trails. At Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party you’ll receive plenty of treats, but nothing like what we got at Oogie Boogie Bash. You’ll wind down a trail with several stops along the way. Cast Members will give you handfuls of candy! There are also some non-candy treats, such as SunChips, Goldfish crackers, baby carrots, and apple slices. There were so many treats that we early on started to say “no thank you” to the candy, we knew we wouldn’t have room in our luggage. The apple slices were a different story, those were consumed almost immediately.

The best part about the treat trails is that some of them have characters along the way. This year, if a Treat Trail had a character, the name was on the sign at the beginning of the trail so you knew who you would see. These villains would interact with the guests as they went through the line. My favorite both last year and this was Sid from Toy Story. It was perfect casting, the actor playing him was on point! He even had the facial expressions down. That’s not easy when you’re mimicking an animated character.

There were other characters on hand for Oogie Boogie Bash, but we didn’t wait in the picture lines. I will rarely wait for character photos at a special ticketed event, just because the time is short. PhotoPass pictures for Oogie Boogie Bash are included with your ticket.

Mickey’s Trick and Treat is a live show that is in the theater that Disney Junior Dance Party runs in during the day. It’s a cute show with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald. We went last year, and we enjoyed it just as much this time. The kids in the audience had a blast, while the parents enjoyed sitting down for a few minutes.

One unique attraction during Oogie Boogie Bash is Villains Grove. Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is turned into a hideaway for villains. There aren’t any characters along the way, but you do feel like you’re walking through their world. The lighting and sounds are perfect, making it spooky but not really scary.

The parade for Oogie Boogie Bash is called Frightfully Fun Parade. It’s not quite as good as Mickey’s Boo-To-You-Halloween Parade, but it’s close. Frightfully Fun Parade takes place twice during the evening. We watched the second parade, which was much less crowded. We easily found a great spot near the beginning of the route. It was near where we watched last year, which was recommended to us by a Cast Member. The name is correct, it is a fun parade.

Some rides were open for Oogie Boogie Bash, but we weren’t there for the rides. I didn’t think to check Wait Times, but I do know that Radiator Springs Racers had a line when we walked by. There are no fireworks, and honestly, I don’t think they’re needed.

Part of the fun of Oogie Boogie Bash is the general ambiance. It’s the lighting, the sounds, the music, all rolled together. Disney California Adventure decorates beautifully for Halloween anyway, and having Oogie Boogie Bash there is the perfect choice. We left talking about returning again in 2024. Tickets this year sold out quickly, so we’ll start making our plans the moment the dates for next year are released.