September is a great time to visit Disneyland. The weather is usually wonderful and it’s Halloween time at the Parks from late August through October 31st. Disneyland dresses up beautifully for Halloween. California Adventure Park is the epicenter of Halloween where the Oogie Boogie Bash special ticketed event takes place.
Oogie Boogie Bash – Special Ticketed Event
This is the most popular special ticketed event and it has sold out rather quickly the last several years. The event runs from August 22nd through October 31st on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at California Adventure Park. This is a must-do event for us every year.
If you’re at Disneyland when Oogie Boogie Bash is running, then it’s a bummer to not have a ticket. People who are in California Adventure Park that don’t have tickets must leave the Park at 6 PM. They can park hop over to Disneyland if they have a park hopper ticket.
We consider Oogie Boogie Bash to be a positive if you have a ticket. It’s a negative if you don’t. Disneyland Park gets more crowded on those days because California Adventure Park closes early.
The event runs from 6 PM to 11 PM but you can enter the Park at 3 PM. This is also a negative for regular guests attending California Adventure Park because it gets more crowded at 3 PM.
Tickets go on sale in June and they sold out fast in recent years. If you want to go then watch the Disney Parks Blog starting in early June for an announcement about tickets. You can follow a Disneyland vlogger (we like David Vaughn) who will post info on when tickets go on sale.
We buy tickets on the morning they go on sale because they can sell out in a day. It’s best to buy tickets when they go on sale. Tickets are about $175 per person (it varies by date). There are no discounted tickets for children.
A great strategy is to not use your regular Park tickets on your Oogie Boogie day. You can start your day at 3 PM for the event. You can use this on your arrival day, or on another day when you have morning plans. The point is to integrate this event on a day where you don’t pay for a regular Park ticket.
Highlights of the Oogie Boogie Bash event:
- Many encounters with unique villain characters, befitting a Halloween party
- Frightfully Fun Parade which is usually the only Parade that’s available during Halloween. Disneyland may also have Paint the Night Parade this year during Halloween.
- Treat trails where you can load up on candy and snacks
- Everyone can dress up in costumes. Disneyland does not allow adults to dress in costume. This is super fun and almost everyone is in costume.
- Villain’s Grove in the Redwood Creek Trail area is a spectacular forest trail of lights and special effects. It’s beautiful and you must see it if you attend this event.
- The Park is less crowded because attendance is capped, so wait times for rides is usually low. Most people attending are not focused on rides – and we noticed very short lines for rides when we’ve gone.
Halloween in the Parks
The entire resort is decked out with Halloween decorations, but there are concentrated areas that really pop. Cars Land at California Adventure Park is lit up and decked out. A huge pumpkin adorns the entry to Main Street USA in Disneyland, along with a massive number of carved pumpkins.
The Halloween Screams Fireworks show offers villainous visions and haunting tunes – it’s a fantastic show. It runs on select nights.
Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in California Adventure Park. The film Coco comes to life at Plaza de la Familia in Paradise Gardens.
There are special ride overlays. The Nightmare Before Christmas overtakes the Haunted Mansion.
There is a Pumpkin Pursuit game. You search the Parks and Downtown Disney to find pumpkins and earn a keepsake.
Weather in September
Weather can be surprisingly warm. Average temperature highs/lows are 87°/64° and average days with rain is 0 (meaning no rain is expected in September). Overall, a good month for expected weather, but be prepared for afternoon heat.
Crowds in September
September is a good month for lower crowds. The month begins with two weeks of average to lower than average crowds. Then average crowds are expected for the second half of the month. Overall, we have found the crowds to be manageable in September.
The best crowd calendar available is at Thrilldata.com because they collect the most data on wait times and that’s where we get our information.
RunDisney has an event September 4-7th and this can impact morning crowds. It’s a popular event that occurs before the Parks open. Races are on Friday 5th, Saturday 6th, and Sunday 7th at 5 AM. When people finish, many will visit the Parks.
An unofficial event is Gay Days Anaheim. This is not sponsored by Disney. The event is September 12-14th and we have not noticed any impact on crowds from this event. You’ll occasionally see folks in red t-shirts who attend the event.
Summary
September is a great time to visit if you’re excited about Halloween or want to attend Oogie Boogie Bash. It’s important to know when Oogie Boogie Bash tickets go on sale in June if you want to attend. Expect them to sell out quickly.
Watch out for higher morning crowds Sept 5-7th due to Run Disney events.
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