Two things to act on this week: Oogie Boogie Bash tickets go on sale to the general public Thursday morning (October dates will sell out fast), and Toy Story 5 hits theaters Friday — which means Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story Midway Mania get slammed this weekend. Here's what changes.
🚨 Trip-Planning Impact
Oogie Boogie Bash tickets go on sale Thursday, June 18 at 9 AM PT. If you're planning a fall Halloween trip with kids, this is the single biggest decision of your year. Tickets start at $139 (limited to August dates this year) and go up to $199 for Halloween night itself. The party runs August 18 through October 31, with 33 nights total. October dates near Halloween sell out within hours.
Real talk for families with kids 2-8: this is one of the few Disney after-hours events where the experience is genuinely better with kids than without. The trick-or-treat trails, character meet-and-greets in costume, and lower crowds (the party caps attendance) make this a top-3 Disneyland experience for the under-8 set. New this year: Madame Leota's Swinging Wake — a Haunted Mansion street party that replaces the old parade. Note your kid's reaction to anything spooky before booking — the Haunted Mansion themes might be too much for sensitive 3-5 year olds.
The move: be on Disneyland.com at 8:45 AM PT Thursday with your account logged in, payment info pre-entered, and use two devices if possible. The waiting room assigns random queue positions — being early doesn't help, but being in the queue when it opens does.
Toy Story 5 opens Friday, June 19. Pixar's biggest release of the year hits theaters. Expect Buzz Lightyear (just reopened June 12 after a 2-month closure), Toy Story Midway Mania at DCA, and Pixar Pier in general to see a noticeable bump in waits starting this weekend through the July 4 holiday. If a Toy Story-themed day is in your plans, hit it before Friday — or book Lightning Lane the moment you tap in.
Pride Nite is Tuesday and Thursday, June 16 & 18. These are the last Disneyland After Dark events of 2026. Disneyland Park closes early to the general public at 9 PM on event nights. If your trip falls on either night and you're not attending the party, either start your day in DCA or use the new park hopping freedom (rule change just went into effect June 9) to bounce strategically based on closure times. Check the Disneyland app the morning of for exact hours.
🎢 Ride Status This Week
| Ride | Status | What Parents Should Know |
|---|---|---|
| Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters | ✅ Reopened June 12 | Will be slammed this weekend with Toy Story 5 release |
| Park Hopping | ✅ New rules live since June 9 | Hop any time with Park Hopper ticket — major strategy shift |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | Still closed, no firm date | Plan as if it's closed |
| King Arthur Carrousel | Closes July 6, reopens July 17 | Heads up if Carrousel is a must for your toddler |
| Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind | Closed for refurb | No reopen date |
| Silly Symphony Swings | Closed for refurb | No reopen date |
🎃 Halloween Time Preview — Worth Knowing Now
Even if you're not doing Oogie Boogie Bash, Halloween Time kicks off August 21 this year (one day earlier than last year and roughly two weeks earlier than the historical norm). That means Halloween overlays on Haunted Mansion (Nightmare Before Christmas), Space Mountain (Ghost Galaxy), and seasonal treats and merchandise start hitting in late August.
For families planning a trip in late August or September, this is a value-add — you get Halloween Time without the October-week crowds. The first two weeks after Halloween Time launches are some of the best crowd-to-experience ratios of the entire year.
🍿 Food Worth Knowing
The Plaza Inn fried chicken meal remains the best sit-down value at Disneyland for families with kids who'll actually eat it. The chicken's solid, the sides are kid-friendly, and it doesn't require a reservation. With Buzz Lightyear back online and Tomorrowland about to get busy with Toy Story 5 crowds, Plaza Inn is also a strategically smart location — it's a 3-minute walk from Tomorrowland and the line moves faster than the mobile-order chaos at Galactic Grill.
💰 Deals & Tickets
Kids' Summer Tickets are still running — kids 3-9 visit for $50/day between now and September 7. This is the single best ticket deal of the year and the deal stacks if you book through Get Away Today, which is also running their own savings layered on top plus interest-free payment plans.
👀 What We're Watching
DisneylandForward got approved. Anaheim City Council green-lit Disney's long-term expansion plan, which includes new rides, lands, additional hotel rooms, and possibly a third theme park. None of this affects your 2026 or 2027 trip planning — but if you're thinking about a "first Disneyland trip" for a kid currently in preschool, the park is going to look very different by the time they're 8.
Magic Key park map giveaway starts June 26. Magic Key holders can pick up a free Disneyland Park map at Disneyana on Main Street. Not trip-changing, but a nice touch for families with passholder parents and kid collectors.
Disney On the Yard — Yardfest, June 19. A free community event returning to Downtown Disney celebrating historically Black colleges and universities. Worth knowing if your trip overlaps — it's a fun addition to a Downtown Disney evening, no extra ticket required.
Planning a Disneyland trip in the next few months? Start with our 2-day toddler itinerary and Lightning Lane strategy guide — both updated for the new park hopping rules, current ride closures, and the Toy Story 5 release weekend crowd patterns.