This year (2019) is the inaugural year that Oogie Boogie takes over Disney California Adventure Park (DCA) for a Halloween party (instead of Disneyland). The tickets went on sale this spring and sold out a few weeks ago. If you have a ticket, this post is for you! If you don’t have a ticket, this is still for you to know what to expect as this party will likely be back for years to come! Like entrance into Disneyland, a ticket is required for each person age 3 and up.
With your party ticket, you get a wristband that allows you access to the event and a trick or treat bag (one per ticketed individual) and Photo Pass is included!
Characters
For party nights, Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy can be found in special Halloween outfits.
In Carthay Circle, Pinocchio and the Blue Fairy or Snow White and Dopey were out for greetings and photos. I can’t remember the last time we saw the Blue Fairy out!
By Soarin’, classics like Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers and Baloo and Don Karnage were available for meet and greet and photos. These are rare character finds and such fun for those of us who remember watching these beloved shows as kids.
Near the Grizzly Peak ride, The Sherriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood, Shan Yu from Mulan, Prince John from Robin Hood, Governor Radcliffe from Pocohontas and Claude Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame were available on a rotating basis with themed backdrops.
Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were in the Pacific Wharf for photos, rotating with Phineas and Ferb.
Carlsland was aglow with Halloween lights and decorations! Lightning McQueen and Mater were dressed in their costumes and picture ready.
For the princess fans, Anna and Elsa are available in the air-conditioned halls of Disney Animation just after the Oogie Boogie Treat Trail. We waited a whole three minutes to see them and they spent at least five minutes talking to our kiddos who were in awe of it all.
We didn’t make it to Pixar Bandshell on Pixar Pier, but there are rotating Pixar characters there, but unsure which ones. The Incredibles, Frozone and Edna Mode were rumored to be around the Incredicoaster.
Photos
Photo Pass is included in your party ticket – so take advantage of this! Get quality family photos with characters! There were photographers at every character station (including Anna and Elsa where there isn’t always a photographer on non-party hours) and they were great at capturing those moments you will want to remember for your trip.
Treat Trails
This is the biggest difference from previous Halloween parties at Disneyland. Most of the trails were interactive with characters in them. For instance by the Hyperion theater, the Mad Hatter was there sitting and joking along with gas. In Studio 17, Dr. Facilier was there ready to read your fortune. By Soarin’, Maleficent was there to greet guests while getting their treats.
This added an interactive element to the trails that was fun and enjoyable. We looked forward to seeing who was in the next trail that we found. For more detailed information on trails, check out Gothic Rosie’s daily information.
If you’re looking for one treat trail check out, the one by the Jumping Jellyfish had the most back to back to treat carts.
Most treat carts offer an alternative to candy like grapes, carrots, apples and freeze dried Apples. Our favorite was Pirate Booty. There was plenty of candy too, and it is nice to have a healthier snack along the way.
Mickey’s Trick & Treat
The Disney Jr stage is taken over by a not-so-spooky show of song and dance featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald. The children and kid within you will dance and sing! If you have a kid 10 and under, this will be a must do on your list. We hit up the first show of Mickey’s Trick & Treat and are so glad we did.
Times: 6:25pm, 7:10pm, 7:55pm, 9:25pm, 10:15pm
DescenDANCE
In the Hollywood Backlot, the Descendants have taken over the stage with a song and dance party – cleverly named the DescenDANCE. If your kiddo reads or watches Descendants, make sure to check out this show.
Times: 6:15pm, 7:30 pm, 8:45pm, 9:45pm and 10:30pm
Villains Grove
Redwood Creek Trail has a villains makeover with lights, candelabras, and projections along the trail. We were told it wasn’t scary and it looked well done, but for a kiddo that spooks easily we opted out. There is still so much to do throughout the park and given that there is a separate entrance to the trail, it can be walked past without much notice by older children. Read more about Villains Grove here.
Frightfully Fun Parade
Because there are large walkways at DCA, the parade has ample seating. You could walk up within 15 minutes of a parade start and still have an excellent seat. This can be unprecedented at other parades and added to the enjoyable experience. There is only one parade, so if you want to see it, plan accordingly.
World of Color
This is Villainous! Show is shown twice on Halloween nights. We were able to stroll up to the last show of the evening with two minutes before start and get a good view for those of us standing and in the stroller (who were actually awake!).
Rides
Don’t forget the rides! While some are themed for Halloween, the lines for rides on the whole are empty or very low. For instance, Radiator Racers which usually has an hour plus wait was less than 10 minutes to ride at night! If there is ride in DCA that you have wanted to ride and you don’t have Max Pass or couldn’t get a Fast Pass, now is your chance!
Things to consider:
- Party times are 2-11 on Sundays and 3-11 on every other party day. With this, consider your child’s age and bedtime. If your child wants to go but is in bed by 6 every night, this party probably isn’t worth your money.
- There are dark effects like fog and spooky music, is this makes you uncomfortable, skip this party.
- Wear comfortable shoes. This is still a park day, there is walking involved.
- Rides around Pixar Pier close 15 minutes before and during World of Color (except the Incredicoaster and Toy Story Mania), so don’t rush to a ride there if you are within that window.
Is it Worth It?
Yes.
Low crowds: It may seem like a lot of money. $110 – $140 for 8-9 hours of party. Most party days allow “mix-in” at 3 pm with non-tickets guests or 2pm on Sundays. This is the peak time of crowd, but the beauty is that it will continue to thin out meaning brief waits for rides, characters and treats!
Unique Character Interactions: Thinned crowds mean you and your children can interact with characters, and characters who are not always in the park! Our whole family was giddy seeing Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers. Honestly, every time we see Chip and Dale in the park we sing the Rescue Rangers Theme (including the older kiddo!) so seeing them in full costume was a great throwback!
Photo Pass!: The added bonus of included photos which are normally an additional cost is a welcome treat! (Ha! See what I did there?)
Treats: The trails provide safe trick or treating. No need to check through the candy or treats, rest assured these treats were checked before their arrival in park. If you have older children, this allows for them to trick or treat in a safe environment. You can share the Disney love by handing out the Disney candy on Halloween knowing that you already Trick or Treated!
