If you are heading to Oogie Boogie Bash this year, we have a party plan that will help you maximize time and do it all. Five hours sounds like plenty of time, but this party flies by so quickly! (That's the wrong kind of flies IMO, but it's what hoppens when you're having too much fun!) Whether you are bringing the tadpoles or having an adults-only night out, here’s an Oogie Boogie Bash park plan that will help you make Halloween 2024 the best yet.
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Oogie Boogie Bash 2024 Park Plan Overview
Oogie Boogie Bash is the most popular after-hours event at Disneyland Resort — and with good reason. With trick-or-treating, a Frightfully Fun Parade, rare character/villain meet and greets, super short ride wait times and a special magical Villains Grove trail, there is so much to do and see.
The party takes place after normal park hours from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on select nights, Aug. 25 through Oct. 31. Guests may arrive as early as 3 p.m. to mix in with daytime guests.
We created an Oogie Boogie Bash 2024 party park plan (download a printable version here!) to help maximize your time and experience the lowest wait times. This plan helps you determine the approximate order to follow, as well as general strategies so you don't miss out on any of the highlights. Those five hours of party time just fly by!
Be sure to hop over to our full Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween party guide for all the details on costumes, entertainment, characters and more. Here’s the best plan to fit it all in.
Pre-Party and Arrival Tips for Oogie Boogie Bash
You can arrive as early as 3 p.m. to enjoy the park before the party gets going. Lines to get in can be long, so arriving early can be a smart move so you do not waste any party time waiting outside the park. If you can arrive before 3 p.m., you can maximize your pre-party time. You can read up on the party in advance so you know what to expect and what will be open or closed during the party.
So, what should you do during the pre-party time?
1. Collect Your Map
First of all, take a look at your event guide and map that you receive after entering. It will tell you where to find the treat trails, food and merchandise. It does not, however, tell you which characters are appearing outside of treat trails. But that's okay. We do, in our Oogie Boogie Bash characters post. Set up a game plan for the night and identify your must-see characters or any must-try party foods.
2. Take Photos
This is a great time to capture your toadally cool costumes while it’s light out and before your makeup and hair get affected by rides, food, heat, etc. You may even see some photo-ops out near the park entrance.
3. Eat Early
Unless there are some party foods you are dying to try, use this time to fuel up so you do not waste too much party time in food lines and eating. There are many Halloween Time treats and foods! (You may be able to set up mobile orders in advance for some items before and during the party.) You could also take part in the Oogie Boogie Parade dining package during the pre-party — ask your waiter to upgrade to the dining package and get a voucher for a separate parade viewing area. If you do not get a reservation, join the Walk-Up List and upgrade. You can also just eat and not upgrade to save money. That's usually what we do. We have a filling meal before the fun begins. We don't want to spend precious party time in search of food.
4. Meet Characters
Around Carthay Circle and Buena Vista Street you'll see Disney characters in their daytime Halloween costumes. It's a great time to meet them and take photos.
5. Take Tadpoles to Mickey's Trick and Treat before the party gets started.
The show is now just a daytime show. The last show times are usually 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. during normal park hours. And you still get candy at the end!
6. Go on Rides
Pre-party time for partygoers mixes in with day guests, so ride wait times can be long, but if you find a short ride line, go for it. Ride lines are usually much shorter an hour into party time though and the shortest in the last hour of the night. (If you hoppen to also have a daytime park ticket with Genie+, you can make some Lightning Lane selections for Disney California Adventure between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to skip the lines. Genie+ does not operate during party hours.)
7. Experience Attractions that Close Early
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail closes by 4:30 p.m. Grizzly River Run closes at 8 p.m., but if you have special costumes, hair and makeup to preserve, you might not want to get wet.
8. Get a Head Start on Party Stuff
Hop in line for your favorite party character before the party starts. Or if your priority is must-have party merchandise, find the right spot before the party starts. A good choice is the Kingdom Hearts character location with Mickey, Goofy or Donald in the World of Color viewing area. It always has the longest line of the night.
9. Locate Merchandise Locations
You can find party-exclusive items at Seaside Souvenirs, Elias & Co., Gone Hollywood and the cart across from Cars Land. These items may come out before the party starts. If you see something you want, buy it then. Do not wait because it can sell out. Also, all the shops close right at 11 p.m., so purchase before the party ends.
Oogie Boogie Bash 2024 Party Time
The party officially kicks off at 6 p.m. There’s more than one way to conquer this party, based on your interests. Character meet and greets always have the longest lines at Oogie Boogie Bash. If you can already be in line to meet your must-see character before the party starts, hopfully you can fit in multiple characters. If it’s not, the Villain-themed treat trails have really fun characters in them. You can usually parade by their stage as you get your candy but you don’t get individual time with them. They are often performing or talking to the crowd. If that satisfies you, you can save a lot of party time seeing characters in that way without waiting for an individual photo, hug or autograph. And you are multi-tasking because you are collecting candy as you enjoy the character.
Do not wait in a long character trail line. Skip a long line for a short one and come back. Lines get shorter as the night goes on. That being said, the treat trail characters lines do move along pretty quickly.
If you want to see Hades, wait to see him after it gets dark, and stick around for him his hair to change color.
There are two Frightfully Fun Parades. One is at 7:50 p.m. and the other is at 10:05 p.m. You do not need to see it twice, so choose the one that works best for you. Take advantage of short lines for treat trails and rides during the parade you do not watch. It may be a little less crowded if you can wait for the later parade. However, if you have littles with you, you may want to see the first parade before they get too tired.
You'll need to budget time for this parade into your Oogie Boogie Bash park plan. Both parades start near Pixar Pier, so if you watch the parade near its beginning, you can end the parade sooner than people who watch in Hollywood Land. It takes about 20 minutes for the parade to make it to Hollywood Land.
- Start your party already in line for a character or party merchandise if that’s important to you. (Cast members may cap a line if it gets too long. The Kingdom Hearts characters have the longest lines.)
- Go through Villain Treat Trails (see locations below and hit the ones with the shortest lines).
- Get in place 30 to 40 minutes early if you're watching the first Frightfully Fun Parade (watch near the start of the parade in Paradise Gardens Park).
- Hop by more Villain Treat Trails or character meet and greets (lines are shorter during and just after the parade).
- Do any Halloween ride overlays or must-do rides (if you visit often, save the rides for another visit).
- Stop by Animation Academy (closed for refurbishment in 2024).
- Get in place for the second Frightfully Fun Parade (see it in Paradise Gardens Park and then head to the Villains Grove Trail).
- Wrap up with the Villains Grove Trail (or visit when it first opens or during a parade).
- Enjoy the projections on Carthay Circle and the Headless Horseman statue.
Attractions That Close Early
Keep in mind that a few attractions close early. You might want to visit these during pre-party or early party time:
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail closes at 4:30 p.m.
- Grizzly River Run closes at 8 p.m.
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic open at 6 to 10 p.m.
Trick-or-Treat Trail Locations With Characters
There are at least two new villains in treat trails this year:
- Dr. Doofenschmirtz in Disney Jr. Theater
- Hades on the stage in the Hollywood Backlot (See him at night for the best effect.)
Keep in mind that character appearances and locations are subject to change. Here is where to find the returning villains in their treat trails.
Here are the 2024 characters:
- Judge Doom — Grizzly Peak Airfield
- Yokai — In San Fransokyo Square
- Madame Mim — Bountiful Valley Hideaway
- Ernesto de la Cruz — Hyperion Theater Courtyard
- Agatha Harkness — Avengers Campus Sanctum
- Sid — Pixar Pier Bandstand
- Oogie Boogie — Inside Disney Animation
2024 Character Meet and Greet Locations
Some characters have meet-and-greet areas without treat trails (they are not named on the park map, so use this guide or the Disneyland app to find them):
- Minnie, Daisy and Clarabelle Cow as the Sanderson Sisters — Hollywood Land (This is a popular location. Use the pre-party time to wait to see them.)
- Bruno — Grizzly Peak near The Little Mermaid — Ariel's Undersea Adventure (this is also a popular location)
- Disney Animated Characters — Buena Vista Street and Carthay Circle area. (It's pretty easy to see these characters and find short lines here. We spotted the Hans, Sheriff of Nottingham, Captain Hook, Pain and Panic.)
- Kingdom Hearts Disney characters — Paradise Gardens Park in World of Color viewing area
- Characters from "Elemental" and "Inside Out" — Near Poultry Palace at Pixar Pier
- Lotso — in front of Toy Story Midway Mania!
- Incredibles — Incredicoaster water feature
- Residents of Cars Land — Cozy Cone Motel, near Luigi's and just outside Avengers Campus
- Avengers — Avengers Campus
The longer lines tend to be Kingdom Hearts and the newest treat trails. if those are a priority, hop in line for your favorite at least 30 minutes before the party starts.
If you plan to hop in line closer to the end of the night, ask a cast member and confirm when the line closes so you don't miss out (just in case it's set to close early!). The lines can close before park close.
Do you have any questions about the Oogie Boogie Bash 2024 park plan? Drop them in the comments section below. If you are looking for daytime park tickets and hotel rooms for the days around your Oogie Boogie Bash party, you can save some green when you purchase or reserve through Undercover Tourist.
Related: Disneyland Resort's Oogie Boogie Bash Dates, Details and Some Tips!
Related: Tips for Meeting Oogie Boogie Bash Characters
Hoppy planning!
