Disney Teases Emperor’s New Groove Villain Debuting at 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party

Disney has teased a new Villains Treat Trail for the 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash, which could be the final new addition at the Halloween Party at Disneyland Resort. This post covers what’s coming to OBB, the video that appears to tease Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove, plus quick thoughts.

Fair warning: not much changes about Oogie Boogie Bash from year to year. If you’re planning on attending the 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party and last did the event in 2021, it’s mostly the same. There are some major differences, but unfortunately, they’re almost all downgrades. I’d go as far as to argue that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has seen more meaningful updates since 2019 than OBB.

We had hoped that Disneyland would expand and improve Oogie Boogie Bash in subsequent years after it launched, especially given the local fanbase, but that hasn’t happened. We covered this all at length in Why You Should Skip the Oogie Boogie Bash Disney Halloween Party, which makes the case against attending last year’s event. At least on paper, the 2026 event has even less going for it due to the suspension of the Frightfully Fun Parade.

If you’re on the fence about attending, you can have a lot of fun for “free” during Halloween Time at Disneyland. Unlike Walt Disney World, the base experience during Halloween is fantastic in the California parks. Attraction overlays, great menu updates, and decorations galore! See our Ultimate Guide to Halloween 2026 at Disneyland for everything you need to know.

Nevertheless, there are changes for the 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party. That’s where this post comes into play! Let’s dig into what’s been announced and teased for this year’s OBB…

New Villain: Yzma from Emperor’s New Groove

The biggest change from year to year of Oogie Boogie Bash is typically two characters joining the Villains Treats Trails, replacing older or less popular ones, each year. We expect a repeat of that in 2026, but are hoping for a bit more.

This year’s first Villains Treat Trail reveal was just made by Disneyland on Instagram, along with this caption: “A mysterious potion is brewing… the villain behind it has big plans for Oogie Boogie Bash. Any guesses who’s concocting trouble this Halloween season?”

I’m not good at guessing this stuff, and even I knew immediately that the villain in question is Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove. Give the teaser a watch and see what you think:

NEW: Disneyland shared a teaser for a villain coming to Oogie Boogie Bash.

“A mysterious potion is brewing… And the villain behind it has big plans for Oogie Boogie Bash.” pic.twitter.com/sZgbFfFXTM

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) July 14, 2026

For those who are stumped, the main clues are that Yzma brews a potion for every occasion and her signature purple attire is accessorized with feathers. Between that and the villains who have already appeared at Oogie Boogie Bash (like Dr. Facilier), we can pretty safely say it’s Yzma.

The bigger question is how Yzma will be depicted. She’s had prior in-park appearances at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, but as a masked character. Since she’s presumably going to be part of the Villains Treat Trails, it’s all but certain she’ll be a face character in order to banter with guests.

As one of the wittier villains, Yzma should be a great addition to the 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash. She should be a slam-dunk hit, and one of the longest lines at the event.

We last saw Yzma during Kuzcotopia at Typhoon Lagoon last year, which was part of Destination D23. It’s always hard to judge things based on one-off events aimed at super fans, but Kuzcotopia was a massive hit among Walt Disney World diehards.

I was actually taken aback by just how many hardcore fans there are of The Emperor’s New Groove, but I guess we’re getting to that point when movies from the early aughts are being reevaluated and obtaining cult classic status. I’ve also been surprised by the resurgence of Brother Bear.

It’s not a huge surprise, as these are the movies of younger millennials’ youth, and many of them were too young for the real classics of the 1990s Disney Renaissance. (This is my way of saying that, as an elder millennial, I’m slightly too old to have the same nostalgia for The Emperor’s New Groove.)

The big unanswered question is whether Yzma is the only new villain, or if there’s more to come. Typically, both additions are teased (and then subsequently confirmed) at the same time. It’s possible Disney is stretching it out this year, or that Yzma is the only one.

Also possible is that she’ll be joined by Kronk (who I personally just hope is Patrick Warburton appearing on stage nightly), but I’m skeptical of that. Having two villains in one location is completely unprecedented, and would result in one really long line as opposed to two more manageable ones. Cool as it might be, it’d also be a logistical nightmare.

The final unanswered question is who Yzma will replace. My guesses would be either Yokai from Big Hero 6 or Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Both of those have faded in popularity since debuting a few years back. Judge Doom is my personal favorite, but he seems most likely to be on the chopping block given the elaborate staging and the fact that he doesn’t match his location. We shall see!

Last year, the newcomers were Syndrome from The Incredibles, making his first-ever park appearance; Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty also returned after a few years’ absence. In other words, there was only one new character last year, so the precedent exists for the same in 2026. They were replacements for Sid from Toy Story and Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone.

The previous year, the newcomers were Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas & Ferb and Hades from Hercules. Dr. Doofenshmirtz was an indirect replacement for Mother Gothel from Tangled. Hades replaced Cruella from the live action movie of the same name. Although that movie is now several years old so this change was due, it’s still somewhat disappointing since the Cruella they cast was a dead ringer for Emma Stone.

Our hope is that there’s still another villains announcement to come for the 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash, even if it is just a returning fan-favorite. Yzma is a great addition, but not nearly enough given how stale OBB has become.

What Else Will Be New for 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash?

Frightfully Fun Parade won’t be presented at the 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash due to backstage construction on the new Coco attraction, which has taken the DCA parade route out of commission. Consequently, a full-scale parade is not possible at Disney California Adventure until at least 2028.

Frightfully Fun Parade is being replaced by “Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake – A Haunted Mansion Street Party.” This will feature multiple show-stops for Madame Leota to host her spirited séance and swinging wake filled with happy haunts, ghostly dancing, and ghoulish delight, inviting you to partake in a ghastly good time that beckons all 999 ghosts.

Disneyland has also revealed that Ichabod Crane hurries through Disney California Adventure evading the sinister specter of the Headless Horseman astride his dark steed at select times throughout the evening.

Don’t get too excited about “Madame Leota’s Swinging Wake – A Haunted Mansion Street Party.”

This will be a downgrade from Frightfully Fun Parade. Without a proper parade route, there’s only so much that can be staged from other backstage areas, meaning that this will necessarily be smaller scale than Frightfully Fun Parade. There was already a Haunted Mansion unit in the full parade; expect more or less that, minus the rest of Frightfully Fun.

Disney is calling it a street party as opposed to a cavalcade, presumably because this will be more interactive in nature, inviting guests to participate. Perhaps the execution will be fantastic, and this will go over incredibly well with guests. It’s nevertheless a downgrade versus Frightfully Fun Parade, at least in terms of scale and scope. I’m honestly shocked Disney has the audacity to sell a dessert party for this. It’s a bold move, let’s see if it pays off for them in guest satisfaction.

2026 Oogie Boogie Bash Sold Out Dates

Ticket sales and pre-sales started in mid-June, and after a virtual queue and a couple of dates sold out, it has been smooth sailing since. This is quite the change from just last year for Oogie Boogie Bash ticket sales.

Last year, several dates sold out almost instantly. And that wasn’t even as bad as the two previous years. The worst year for attempting to purchase Oogie Boogie Bash tickets was 2023. There was a multi-hour virtual queue during Magic Key presales, and once regular ticket sales did start, there was a multi-hour virtual queue.

Every single night of Oogie Boogie Bash sold out on the first day of ticket sales back in 2023. Some people waited in the virtual queue for 8+ hours and still walked away empty handed. Since then, demand has died down pretty significantly.

As of July 15, 2026–over one full month after Oogie Boogie Bash ticket presales started–here’s a list of sold out dates:

• August 23, 2026
• September 6, 2026
• October 4, 2026
• October 11, 2026
• October 18, 2026
• October 31, 2026

The slower sales is a promising sign. It suggests softening demand for Oogie Boogie Bash, and that guests are not viewing the Haunted Mansion street party (erroneously) as an “exciting new addition,” but rather (correctly) as a downgrade from the full Frightfully Fun Parade.

It is still highly likely that most, if not all, dates of the 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash will sell out by the time they roll around. Nevertheless, the trend is our friend. This should finally incentivize Disney to improve the stale event, because another year of stagnation and Oogie Boogie Bash may actually struggle to sell out.

There has never been a single Oogie Boogie Bash date that did not sell out, but it appears we’re closer to ~2019 normal in terms of ticket sales. Back then, it took until mid-September for the event to sell out (the event also started in mid-September as opposed to mid-August).

It’s our hope that the slower sales trend continues, and incentivizes Disneyland to address the Oogie Boogie Bash staleness issue in 2027 (or possibly last-minute before 2026, if there’s still time). It’s still a great event if you’re a first timer, but for Disneyland’s large local fanbase, there isn’t much incentive to return in 2026 if you’ve already been post-COVID.

If you’re thinking about attending this year’s event but are wondering whether it’s worth the money, what each piece of entertainment is like, or anything else, check out our Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party Guide.

Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!

YOUR THOUGHTS

Looking forward to the addition of Yzma? Does the OBB still need more to justify buying a ticket in 2026? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment of the Halloween Party? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!