Greeting, Nicole, and welcome to planDisney!
How exciting for everyone involved to look forward to a family reunion at the Happiest Place on Earth! I can't think of a more magical place to hold a family gathering and you're even going to be visiting over my favorite time of year, the
Halloween Season!
Oogie Boogie Bash is arguably the most popular After Hours Party, so you'll want to make sure that you are able to secure tickets!
We here at planDisney are Guests just like yourself, so we don't have the power to book anything for you, but for such a large group, have you considered employing the services of an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? An expert travel agent would be able to keep everything organized for you and your group, which might be far less stressful for you.
Disney Meetings and Events also offers the opportunity for Disney to host a truly unforgettable family reunion for you and your family members.
If you'd like to organize as much as you can on your own, then keep in mind that reservations will open up 180 days in advance of your visit and that dining reservations will become available 60 days before you arrive. My friend and alumni panelist Kamini had some
wonderful tips to impart on linking everyone's Park passes together in the
Disneyland Mobile App so you can all navigate the Parks more efficiently. You'll need to make
multiple hotel bookings if you would like to stay on property. You may also speak to a Cast Member at the
Vacation Packages Phone Line to make larger party reservations over the phone.
The most unpredictable part of your itinerary will probably be Oogie Boogie Bash. As popular as this party is, obtaining tickets can sometimes be difficult. Last year,
ticket sales opened on June 29, 2023, so look for an announcement on the Disney Parks Blog perhaps in May. You are limited to 8 tickets per person, per date. Children under 3 will not require a ticket. So by my calculation, you will need 18 tickets in total. That means you'll need three people willing to hop into the online virtual queue when it opens and then coordinate the ticket purchases among them. This is the unpredictable part because last year, I never even made it to the end of the queue after hours waiting online. Make sure that everyone is available to enter the queue right when it opens and then be patient and hope for that pixie dust! Dates closest to Halloween tend to sell out first. Please know that if anyone is a Magic Key Holder, they often have the opportunity to purchase tickets a couple of days before the general public and this inventory usually sell out quickly.
Nicole, that was a lot of information but I hope you found it helpful. If you'd like to continue this discussion, please write back to
me or any of my pals at planDisney because we'd be beyond thrilled to help you and your family have the most magical time! Until next time!
Wishing You a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow!
-Al