Yzma Makes Her Oogie Boogie Bash Debut This Halloween at Disney California Adventure
Halloween at Disney means two completely different things depending on which coast you’re on.
In Orlando, it means Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. Trick-or-treating, the Boo-To-You Parade, fireworks over Cinderella Castle, characters in costume, tone locked firmly on family-friendly. Nothing about it is trying to scare anybody.
At Disneyland Resort, the equivalent is Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure, and it runs on an entirely different premise. It is a villain’s party. The whole identity is pulling out the rarest, most sinister characters Disney has and handing them the night.
Plenty of fans will tell you Oogie Boogie Bash is flatly the better event. They have a case. But it comes down to what you actually want from a Halloween night. Kids trick-or-treating past Winnie the Pooh in a bumblebee costume? Magic Kingdom. Meeting villains you will basically never see anywhere else? California.
Which brings us to this year’s news.
Yzma is coming.
The Halloween Debut
The fan-favorite villain from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Emperor’s New Groove makes her grand debut at Oogie Boogie Bash, A Disney Halloween Party, on select nights from August 18 through October 31, 2026.
Her spot is the Treat Trail in Grizzly Peak.
Expect the brilliant and eccentric villain stirring up mischievous mayhem with her potion-making, cackling at her own genius, and frantically hunting down every lever she can find for her latest scheme.
If you know, you know.
Yzma is officially coming to the Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure! pic.twitter.com/7SAGLt14Fl
— Matt (@DisneyScoopGuy) August 12, 2026
Every Villain on the Treat Trail this Halloween Season
Yzma joins a seriously loaded roster of returning powerhouses and rare encounters hosting immersive Treat Trails across the park.
- Yzma, The Emperor’s New Groove, debuting in Grizzly Peak
- Oogie Boogie, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hollywood Land
- Ernesto de la Cruz, Pixar’s Coco, near the Hyperion Theater
- Agatha Harkness, Marvel Studios, Avengers Campus
- Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Phineas and Ferb, Hollywood Land
- Hades, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Hercules, Hollywood Land
- Judge Doom, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Hollywood Land
- Syndrome, Pixar’s The Incredibles
- Maleficent, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Sleeping Beauty
Scan that list, and the coastal difference explains itself. Judge Doom and Ernesto de la Cruz are not characters you bump into on a regular park day.
The Non-Villain Lineup
Villains get the headlines, but the rest of the roster is a big reason this event sells out.
- Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Clarabelle Cow as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus
- Megara, Pain, and Panic from Hercules
- Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy in Kingdom Hearts outfits
- Super Heroes and Super Families, including Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Edna Mode, Mr. Incredible, and select Toy Story pals
Kingdom Hearts outfits are the deep cut. The Sanderson Sisters treatment gives West Coast guests their own Hocus Pocus moment.
New: Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake
Yzma is not the only addition this year.
Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake, A Haunted Mansion Street Party, brings iconic spirits from the classic attraction onto the streets of Disney California Adventure.
Swirling ballroom dancers. Eerie gravediggers. The Hitchhiking Ghosts out socializing for a swinging wake.
Smart move. Haunted Mansion has massive built-in affection, and making it a street party instead of a stage show means more guests stumble into it naturally.
What Admission Includes
Two things worth noting when comparing coasts.
Event admission includes unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital downloads. That is real value, not standard across hard-ticket events.
Guests can also ride Halloween Time attraction overlays during the party alongside trick-or-treating.
Costumes welcome, whether you come as a princess, a galactic defender, or one of Yzma’s henchmen.
So Which Halloween Party Wins
The debate never ends, so here it is straight.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs August 7 through October 31 at Magic Kingdom and leans warm. Parade, fireworks, candy trails, and friendly character meets. Built for families with young kids first.
Oogie Boogie Bash runs August 18 through October 31 at Disney California Adventure and leans wicked. Villains, rare characters, and a tone treating Halloween as mischief rather than cuteness.
Neither is objectively better. They solve different problems for different people.
But if villains are your thing, this year’s lineup makes a loud argument.
Dates
Oogie Boogie Bash, A Disney Halloween Party, runs select nights from August 18 through October 31, 2026, at Disney California Adventure.
This event has a long history of selling out early. If Yzma alone is enough to get you on a plane, move now.
