Oogie Boogie Bash vs. Mickey's Not So Scary: Which one wins?!

Halloween at Disney parks is a truly enchanting experience, transforming the familiar into a realm of spooks and delights. Among the most anticipated events are the Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure and Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. Each offers a unique way to celebrate the season, but which one was our favorite?

Author's Warning! I was at the Oogie Boogie Bash with my family, and nothing is wrong with that, but it's quite a different experience overall than I had when I went to Mickey's Not So Scary with my two mom friends. I will try to not let it cloud my judgement too much!

Let’s dive into the details!

Event + Vibe

Oogie Boogie Bash (OBB) takes place at Disney California Adventure Park, where the atmosphere is heavily inspired by "The Nightmare Before Christmas." From the vibrant decorations to the themed entertainment, this event immerses guests in the whimsical yet eerie world of Oogie Boogie. 

We were luckily enough to have OBB be close enough to the Halloween half marathon dates (more coming on that soon!) that we were able to make it work. Obviously, if you're closer to the East coast, this is going to be more a travel challenge!

The timing of the event is from 3pm-11pm, which left us feeling like we were leaving a little bit too early! Of course, I never want the fun to end, so maybe I'm not the best person to ask about this.

 

On the other hand, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSS) is hosted at the iconic Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Here, the classic Disney ambiance shines through, with Cinderella Castle providing a stunning backdrop for Halloween festivities.

You can get in for the party starting at 4pm, but it goes until midnight. I realize it's the same amount of time, but for whatever reason, it felt like longer?!

**Apparently** OBB used to happen at Disneyland, and the OGers are still salty about it. What we don't know as first timers doesn't hurt us, but I can't imagine if MNSS moved to Hollywood Studios, just no. 

The MNSS party is far more affordable for us to get to, which is a huge bonus point for it!

Dates and Duration

Oogie Boogie Bash typically runs on select nights from early September through October, making it a perfect option for those looking to celebrate the Halloween season a little early. 

We expected to be so comfortable in our long sleeve costumes, but we had the unfortunate timing of a once-every-five-years heat wave, so that was *not* the best. 

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party starts as early as August and continues through Halloween night, offering numerous dates to choose from. With more nights available, it’s essential to book in advance, as these events often sell out! (As it is right now!)

Now, I can't hate too hard on the California weather when, in fact, in early October in a costume made of just a t-shirt and shorts, we were still dripping in sweat at 4pm! I feel like if you come to Florida, you have to be prepared to be sweaty, basically always. 

In the end, the weather was a straight up tie! Both a little too hot to get too much of a costume going on. Those people with giant costumes, and full on face paint... PROPS TO YOU.

Attractions and Entertainment
At the Oogie Boogie Bash, guests can enjoy unique offerings like the Frightfully Fun Parade and the stunning Villains Grove—a beautifully themed walkthrough that showcases various Disney villains. Character meet-and-greets are also a highlight, with rare appearances from beloved baddies that you won’t want to miss.

We were less than impressed with the parade and mostly wished we would have skipped it to keep doing rides and meeting characters. I was personally terrified that every Disney Halloween's parade song had changed to "It's Halloween". It's not great.

I think we would have loved Villains Grove, but it was SO crowded. Only Gemma and I went in, because Pippa was *not* about the spooky side of things. We rushed a little to get back out to them, but it was honestly even hard to rush because of the crowds of people. I think it ended up taking us around 30 minutes, which by the end, we wished we had spent elsewhere.

Now, the characters at OOB...!!!!! This was the clear bright spot at OBB. The lines for trick-or-treating were also weaved through character "pass-throughs". Think quarantine visiting of characters where they just keep doing their thing and you walk by and take photos and interact with them. The only bad thing is if you happen to walk by when they are NOT out, you will miss them entirely or have to get back in line to possibly see them again. This happened to us with Oogie Boogie, but we didn't go back to see him. We were all super sad!

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party features the beloved Boo-to-You Parade and the spectacular Hallowishes fireworks show. This event also boasts character meet-and-greets, where you might encounter classic characters dressed in their Halloween finest.

The Boo-to-You Parade seemed even better this year than last, but maybe because we had a better spot. (Last year we were on Main Street, but it was a hot mess!) The characters were so interactive, and it seemed really long! This was great for entertainment purposes, but not great if you were wanting to get things done!

The fireworks are hosted by none other than Jack Skellington himself, and are as I impressive as any other fireworks you'd see in Disney World, but with a Halloween twist. They seemed shorter than a regular show, but it was definitely enough!

The characters at MNSS... we didn't get in line for A SINGLE ONE. This could have been because it was 3 adults, but we looked at the list multiple times and there wasn't anyone we HAD to wait in line for, which was sad. We did do a "walk by" with the new Hitchhiking Ghosts. We planned to stop by to see Bruno and Mirabel, but we decided to ride Tiana's instead! We were very tempted by Winnie the Pooh and his extra cute gang, but we just ran out of time! If I was local, I would definitely spend one whole party night just waiting in line, but we had other plans—we wanted to ride! We also spent a decent amount of time at the Laugh Floor because 1. It's amazing at Halloween 2. Our costumes, duh! Because of this, we also came home with a LOT less candy. Again, I'm positive we could have found a lot more, but it wasn't our top priority. 

Food and Treats
Both events are known for their delicious, Halloween-themed snacks. At Oogie Boogie Bash, you can find unique treats like special candies and desserts that enhance the spooky experience.

We totally failed at finding any party specific snacks. Our focus was absolutely on trick or treating and seeing all of the unique characters. We did score a vampire Mickey sourdough bread, which our whole family was obsessed with.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party also offers a range of festive food options, including the famous pumpkin spice treats and themed meals that make this celebration even sweeter.

We had dinner at the delicious Tony's, which took a little longer than we'd hoped, but it got us powered up for the night! We snacked on candy for a lot of the night, but we did grab a party special treat while we waited on the parade. It was SO good, but SO sweet. I highly recommend sharing!

So, WHICH ONE WINS?!
Both Oogie Boogie Bash and Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party offer unique experiences tailored to different preferences. Whether you're drawn to the immersive, villain-focused atmosphere of Oogie Boogie or the classic, family-friendly charm of Mickey's celebration, both events promise a magical Halloween experience.

In the end, the character scene is winning at Oogie Boogie, I would personally avoid the parade and keep seeing characters or riding rides! (A moment for Wade crying with Forky because she lost an eyeball)

MNSS definitely wins the Parade and Firework game! 

Both parties are 100% gold for themes. I think Oogie Boogie might have been better with older kids, ready to get spooky and ride rides, and Mickey's Not so Scary is a lot more little kid friendly.  Maybe I did them backwards? Maybe I should do a re-do next year?! Who's in?!

Which party will you choose for your Halloween celebration? Share your experiences if you’ve attended either event or let us know your plans for this spook-tacular season!