Halloween parties are almost upon us. The spells are already cast. Oogie Boogie has invited all his spooky friends to terrorize guests of the Oogie Boogie Bash. An actual witch has materialized. Last night, cast members were treated to a preview of the most spirited party at Disney California Adventure. Largely, they were provided a very familiar event from 2019, but there were some ghoulishly wonderful surprises in store.

This is just a quick look from the Cast Member preview night. We’ll be back with comprehensive coverage using our professional camera equipment and photographers on opening night. Let’s have a look:

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New Immersive Treat Trails

Oogie has some new tricks (and treats) in the form of even more immersive treat trails. These are the only new things to arrive for the bash, but they’re quite welcome inclusions. The Mad Hatter, Oogie Boogie, Dr. Facilier, Maleficent, and the Evil Queen still inhabit their own respective trails. Let’s have a look at some new villains. 

Agatha Harkness (Marvel’s WandaVision)

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What’s Halloween without a witch? Agatha Harkness, the surprise antagonist in Marvel’s WandaVision takes over the Avengers Campus Sanctum in her usual spectacular way. Agatha is the perfect Marvel villain for Oogie Boogie Bash. Just spooky enough, but also lighthearted as to not be too scary. 

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Who’s been messing up the sanctum? It’s been Agatha all along!

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Unfortunately, the sanctum is the only area of the campus that’s set up for Halloween. The rest of the land is the only area of the park still lit like normal, playing the regular music loop; Heroic music is terribly inappropriate for a Halloween party. Perhaps an assortment of villain themes are in order? Even this week’s episode of Marvel’s “What If…?” was about zombies.

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Sid (Toy Story)

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Sid just taped his drawings on the poster… as any kid would

Sid, Andy’s deranged neighbor and toy butcher from the original Toy Story, has taken over a sideshow circus, dubbing it “The Sid Show Circus.” He’s brought along his collection of demented, mutant toys to share with everyone. The box he climbs on is a nice touch, looking down on everyone with that psychotic grin.

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This is a creepy dude. They’ve absolutely nailed Sid’s sociopathic nature. It really does feel like you’re talking to an unhinged elementary school kid!

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Here’s some interaction with Sid…

Cruella DeVille

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The fabulous Cruella is putting on a fashion show in the Hollywood Backlot. The whole experience is quite surreal, almost as if lifted straight from the new film. Cruella is a perfect fit for an event where guests wear costumes, it gives her an opportunity to judge outfits as London’s best fashion designer. 

Yes, this is the Emma Stone Cruella, but Glenn Close-style Cruella can still be seen in the Frightfully Fun parade, but where’s the iconic Marc Davis animated original?

A Parade Returns to the Disneyland Resort

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Run along, schoolteacher

It seems odd to say, but the Frightfully Fun parade is the first parade to debut at the Disneyland Resort since it re-opened. What a delightful parade to begin with. It’s just as wonderful as you remember, albeit with a few fun little surprises. 

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The Haunted Mansion segment has a mild rework, moving the three hitchhiking ghosts off the float and giving them the chance to interact with people on the curb. 

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Instead, the Widow Bride takes up residence in front of the mansion. Her costume has a number of elements that pay homage to versions of that character as well. The bride’s heart pulsates with an otherworldly red glow. Look closely and you’ll find a hatchet hidden in her bouquet.

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Most of the parade is as you remember it. That includes some of the mildly scary bits that we’ve come to love. 

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Finally, the Cheshire Cat has been returned to the tail end of the parade. He had previously been replaced by Vampirina (who was a bit out of place, she’s not a villain).

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There is one other entertainment offering for the party, Mickey’s Trick and Treat. It’s described as a costume party with a story, which doesn’t really give us much to go off of. It’s geared towards the younger guests of the party, so it won’t have any scary elements to it. We didn’t get to see it on our preview, but that might be something to look for if you’ve got kids attending the Bash.

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Villains Grove Returns

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Villains Grove, the immersive walkthrough, has returned with the same 2019 configuration intact. This is a sensory experience consisting of projections, lighting effects, and music without any actual live characters. It’s absolutely GORGEOUS, but there’s not much new to say about it. 

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But the experience does feel like it’s missing something. It’s full of wonderful lighting tricks and digital effects that create an ambiance that can’t be beaten. But it’s almost like walking into a haunted house just moments before the scare actors show up for the evening. The glorious stage has been set, but the dynamic interactive element is missing. 

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Let us know in the comments what you think of Villains Grove and what would make it just right.

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Final Thoughts

This is largely the same Oogie Boogie Bash from 2019. With a few new immersive treat trails. But it’s also missing a few big elements including World of Color Villainous and the DecenDANCE stage show/dance party. But, even on this preview night, the event was a smash success and is sure to be a huge hit with guests… at least the ones who have already secured a ticket (The event is now completely sold out).

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I’m curious how the lack of World of Color will affect crowd flow and lines since there will be just one major entertainment offering (the parade)? 

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There’s only one indoor experience (Oogie Boogie’s treat trail), so masks aren’t necessary for vaccinated individuals for the majority of the event. Previously, Dr. Facilier was meeting in Stage 17, but he’s been moved just outside of Avengers Campus into the “Bountiful Valley Hideaway,” as Disney is calling it (it’s that strange empty space built between Carthay Circle and the entry to Avenger’s Campus). 

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Having friends at Walt Disney World in Orlando, I can tell you that Oogie Boogie Bash is a superior experience to the Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom that’s running in place of the usual Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. It’s nice that California Adventure decided to go with the fuller experience. This was also just the cast member preview, so stay tuned; we’ll be back to cover the first official day of the Oogie Boogie Bash tomorrow. Follow our Instagram and Twitter for live coverage from the parks, and check back on MiceChat first thing Friday morning for our comprehensive coverage.  

To round everything out, we’ll leave you with some words from the sack of bugs himself:


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