Top 8 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make at Disneyland’s Halloween Party Oogie Boogie Bash

Halloween at Disneyland has become one of the most popular times to visit out of the year. The celebration is filled with several exciting offerings, from popular ride overlays to a variety of themed treats and spooky decor. One of the most popular offerings is Oogie Boogie Bash, the after-hours Halloween event held at Disney California Adventure with multiple party nights from late August through October.

There is a lot to do and see during these parties, from sighting rare characters on the Villain Treat Trails to watching the Frightfully Fun Parade and exploring event-exclusive attractions like Villains Grove. To make sure that you get to experience as much as possible during the limited time of the event, there are certain mistakes you should avoid making at Oogie Boogie Bash.

Keep reading for the top 8 biggest mistakes you can make at Disneyland's Halloween party Oogie Boogie Bash and how to prevent them!

1. Buying a Ticket for Before the Party

While it may be tempting to buy a ticket to get admission during the daytime before the party, we recommend skipping this if you have an Oogie Boogie Bash ticket. Your event ticket includes admission to the park for three hours before your event time, so you'll still be able to enjoy 3 mix-in hours starting at 3 pm before the park closes for the event. Plus, the event itself is a good length, running from 6 pm to 11 pm.

Even though Oogie Boogie Bash parties don't run as late as the Disneyland After Dark events do, it's still worth it to enjoy a more relaxed day before going to the event so that you don't exhaust yourself. Especially if you have smaller kids in your group, you don't want them to be worn out from a long day at the parks and then not be able to fully enjoy the event, which runs through the late evening. You can use the first part of the day to take it easy spending some time at your hotel pool, exploring nearby Anaheim-area attractions, or enjoying a Character Dining experience at one of the resorts.

2. Eating a Full Meal During the Party

Just like how we don't recommend sitting down to eat breakfast during the valuable morning hours at Disneyland, we also suggest avoiding eating during the party when attending Oogie Boogie Bash. You want to make the most out of your event ticket, and you'll find that there is so much to do and see that you won't want to be carving out a portion of your night to sit down and eat a meal.

Instead of eating during the party, we recommend getting a bigger meal during the mix-in hours beforehand and then enjoying any smaller snacks or treats you'd like to try during the rest of the evening. There are several great restaurants at Disney California Adventure that we recommend, and some easy options are the San Fransokyo Square dining locations or Pym Test Kitchen in Avengers Campus.

During last year's Oogie Boogie Bash, my family and I gauged the crowds to see what the best time was to eat during the mix-in hours, then sat down and had a full meal so we had something substantial onboard. We then grabbed some quick Halloween snacks from Cozy Cone Motel later on in the evening after we had checked our main “must-do” items off the list. You'll be glad you didn't eat during the event, as it's difficult to find time with so much to experience!

3. Skipping a Costume/Not Following the Guidelines

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One of the perks of Oogie Boogie Bash is that you get to wear a costume to the parks, so don't make the mistake of skipping out on this rare opportunity! Many guests will be wearing costumes representing a wide variety of characters. Some choose to go all-out with elaborate, complicated costumes, and others will opt for a more casual approach but still lean into the fun. It's especially fun when characters or Cast Members comment on your costume or you find other guests who are wearing the same thing! No matter how you choose to go about your costume, don't make the mistake of skipping it if you want to wear one.

If you do decide to wear a costume, there are still guidelines you need to follow for the event. Don't make the mistake of showing up in a costume with elements that are not permitted! Look at the guidelines ahead of time so that you can plan your costume accordingly. You can see all of the rules for costumes in our full guide to Oogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland.

4. Not Planning for Popular Characters

One of the best parts of Oogie Boogie Bash is getting to meet rare characters who don't normally appear in the parks! Certain meet-and-greet experiences are very popular and tend to have an extremely long wait, so you don't want to make the mistake of showing up without a plan for these. If you have your heart set on one of the most popular meet-and-greets like the Sanderson Sisters (Minnie, Clarabelle, and Daisy), we recommend lining up by 4:30 pm during the mix-in hours or coming back to check on how long the line is during the first parade of the night.

Also, make sure to look at an Oogie Boogie Bash map before the event starts so that you can get your bearings and see the locations of Treat Trail stops, entertainment like the Frightfully Fun Parade route, and more. You can see the Oogie Boogie Bash event map from last year in our guide to the Disneyland Resort maps.

5. Watching the First Parade of the Night

The Frightfully Fun Parade is one of the main entertainment offerings of Oogie Boogie Bash, featuring spooky sights like the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, a Haunted Mansion sequence, and iconic Disney villains. This is a super fun offering that you shouldn't miss!

There are two showings of the Frightfully Fun Parade on Oogie Boogie Bash event nights, one at 7:50 pm and one at 10:05 pm, but we recommend seeing the second parade of the night if you can. As several guests flock to the first parade viewing of the night, this is a great opportunity to pounce on popular attractions like Villains Grove or meet-and-greets like the Sanderson Sisters with a much shorter wait.

If you are willing to watch the second parade of the night, you can be strategic about how to use the time during the first Frightfully Fun Parade showing when crowds are more thinned out across the park. Utilizing your time wisely for popular experiences during the first parade is one of the most important tips we mention in our Oogie Boogie Bash strategy.

6. Forgetting to Bring a Bag for Candy

One of the best parts of Oogie Boogie Bash is collecting the huge amount of candy that you'll get from the Villain Treat Trails! When you go to each stop before you reach the area where the characters are, Cast Members will be giving handfuls of candy out from cauldrons. At each Treat Trail, there are traditional Halloween candies offered as well as the option for some healthier snacks.

You aren't required to bring a bag to the event, as you will get a small one from Disney, but it's not nearly enough to hold all of the candy that you can potentially get, and it will fill up quickly. We recommend that you bring your own tote bag so you can collect even more candy!

7. Arriving at the Gate Right When Mix-In Hours Start

If you want to make the most of your mix-in hours for Oogie Boogie Bash, don't make the mistake of arriving right when they begin at 3 pm on the dot. To make the most of the time you're allowed to be in the parks, plan to get there early so that you can be at the front of the long line that will accumulate at the entry gate. To get the most value out of your ticket, you don't want to waste your mix-in hours, so make sure to account for the time it will take you to get through the line and into the gate so you're not stuck waiting.

8. Spending the Whole Time On Rides

Disney California Adventure is home to many of what we consider to be the best rides at the Disneyland Resort. However, while it may be tempting to spend a lot of time on rides with shorter wait times than usual during the event, don't make the mistake of getting caught up on rides to the extent that you miss out on the special offerings available.

For all Disneyland after-hours events, you want to make sure you're enjoying the offerings exclusive to the party that you aren't able to experience during a regular park day, from the rare characters to the special entertainment. This isn't to say that you shouldn't go on any rides at all, but make sure to find a balance so that you're getting the most value out of this special event.

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