Disney just added Yzma to its villain party, and it says everything about how differently the two coasts do Halloween.
Setting this up properly.
Look, Halloween at Disney means two totally different things depending on where you are standing.
Orlando gets Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. Trick-or-treating, the Boo-To-You Parade, fireworks over Cinderella Castle, characters in Halloween costumes, and a tone locked down as family-friendly. Nothing there is trying to scare anyone.
Disneyland Resort gets Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure, which runs on a completely different premise. It is a villain's party. The entire identity of the thing is to drag out the rarest, nastiest characters Disney owns and turn them loose for the night.
Plenty of fans will argue that Oogie Boogie Bash is just flatly better. They are not wrong to. But it depends entirely on what you want out of a Halloween night. Kids collecting candy from Winnie the Pooh dressed as a bumblebee? Orlando. Meeting villains you will basically never encounter anywhere else on earth? California.
Which brings us to the news.
Yzma Is In
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.
She sets up along 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 for every lever she can get her hands on.
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
The Full Villain Roster
Yzma slots into an absolutely loaded lineup 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
Read that list, and the whole coastal argument makes itself. Judge Doom and Ernesto de la Cruz are not characters you casually run into on a Tuesday.
And the Non-Villains
The villains grab the headlines, but this is a big part of why the 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 for the people who know. And the Sanderson Sisters treatment finally gives West Coast guests their own Hocus Pocus moment.
Also New: Madame Leota's Swinging Wake
Yzma is not the only thing being added.
Madame Leota's Swinging Wake, A Haunted Mansion Street Party, pulls iconic spirits from the classic attraction out onto the streets of Disney California Adventure.
Swirling ballroom dancers. Eerie gravediggers. The Hitchhiking Ghosts, out socializing at a swinging wake.
Smart call. Haunted Mansion has enormous built-in goodwill, and turning it into a street party rather than a stage show means guests run into it naturally instead of having to seek it out.
What Comes With the Ticket
A couple of things worth flagging in the coast comparison.
Admission includes unlimited Disney PhotoPass digital downloads. That is genuine value, not something every hard-ticket event throws in.
You can also ride Halloween Time attraction overlays during the party, in addition of trick-or-treating.
Costumes are welcome. Princess, galactic defender, or Yzma henchman, all fair game.
Which One Actually Wins
The debate is eternal, so here it is plainly.
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs August 7 through October 31 at Magic Kingdom, and it leans warm. Parade, fireworks, candy trails, and friendly meets. Built for families with small kids first.
Oogie Boogie Bash runs August 18 through October 31 at Disney California Adventure, and it leans wicked. Villains, rare characters, and Halloween are treated as mischief instead of cuteness.
Neither is objectively better. They are built for different people.
But if villains are what you are after, this year's lineup makes a very loud argument.
The Dates
Oogie Boogie Bash, A Disney Halloween Party, runs select nights from August 18 through October 31, 2026, at Disney California Adventure.
It has a long track record of selling out early. If Yzma alone is enough to put you on a plane, do not sit on it.
