Disneyland isn’t known for being cheap. With inflation and rising ticket prices it can be hard for a family to go to Disneyland, let alone one of their special events! Do you have little ones that are interested in these limited attendance events? There’s many reasons someone may buy a Disneyland special event ticket such as:
- Shorter ride lines
- Exclusive food releases
- Rare character appearances
- Event themed shopping
- Exclusive parades
- And more
Disneyland special events usually start in the afternoon and guests without a ticket will have to exit the park. These events cost anywhere from $129-$179 depending on the day you choose to attend. Unlike regular park tickets, there isn’t any way to save money on these tickets and buy elsewhere, you can only get them through Disney.
—>for reduced regular admission tickets go here
For some families just getting in the park can be upward of a thousand dollars! Yet year after year these events sell out, but is it worth it? I am going to break down the pros and cons of these events and you can decide if it’s worth it for your family, whatever season you may be in!
Disneyland special events through out the year are:
- Sweethearts Nite(select nights in Jan-Feb)
- Disneyland After Dark- Princess Nite (New in 2023, select nights Mar)
- Oogie Boogie Bash(formerly known as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Sept-Nov)
- Disney’s Merriest Nite (did not occur in 2022, possible for 2023)
My husband and I have been fortunate enough to visit a Disneyland special event both with a child and without. I’m here to give you all the information and what to expect at a themed event night so you can decide if it’s worth it for your family!
Shorter line rides-
For some this is the main draw of buying an event ticket alone! When rides like web slingers and rise of the resistance first open you couldn’t even get in the stand by line without having a mobile queue reservation! I remember waking up at 6am because the first virtual queue for that day had opened! You heard that right… I was trying to get a spot in line (virtually) before even getting inside the park! The queue allowed you to go stand in the 3 hour wait… crazy! For some, buying a park ticket for a special event is the only way to get on these rides.
While the virtual queues are over for now, the lines haven’t gotten any shorter. Families with little kids know how hard it can be to wait in a line longer than 10 minutes. Going to one of these events can pay off huge if you are looking to get on some rides! The night of sweethearts is marketed towards couples for a romantic night out, this could benefit greatly for parents! In a park full of adults, areas such as Fantasyland can be nearly empty allowing your young ones to roam freely!
The idea of a shorter line is nice, it isn’t guaranteed! Some rides can still have long waits while other rides may not even be running. Also special events are held in one park, so the ride you were hoping to get on may not be in the same park! Special event tickets do not allow park hopping as an option, that will require another full priced ticket!
—> get reduced priced Disneyland tickets here <—
Exclusive Food Releases:
If you aren’t on the Disney food train… What are you doing? There are people out there getting paid to eat and review Disney food! Shout out to my go to all things Disney food: Disney Food Blog!
They review the latest and greatest at Disney World and Disneyland. Food is a huge reason someone would go to a special event nite! Disneyland advertises food they’ll be serving only after the event has started. Regular park goers are led to believe they can not order this item.
In our experience most parks eventually allow serving the specialty foods during normal park hours if guests ask. You can usually snag 90% of the event foods regardless if you buy a ticket or not! So eat your heart out!
Rare Character Appearance:
I firmly believe this is true during a special event night, I have never seen the advertised characters outside of the party hours. If you are attending DCA for Oogie Boogies Bash, you will not see the characters during normal park hours. While they’re stages are still set up, the characters and their stories are not on display! My son is young and loves the characters so this was special for him to see characters he hasn’t seen before! We were able to see the real singer from Coco- Ernesto de la Cruz perform songs at Oogie Boogie. Something we wouldn’t have been able to do during a normal park day!
Event themed merchandise:
If Disney does anything right it is merchandise! People love limited release Disney merch. During Christmas time at Disneyland this year we saw people walking around with these musical popcorn tins. These tins were $27.99 a piece and some people had 10! Most people turn around and sell these items on EBay for an inflated price. For those that appreciate Disney themed merchandise going to a park during a special event is a great way to be sure you’ll get that item before it sells out.
However we have noticed Disneyland has started putting the event themed merchandise out during the day and even in stores outside the park. Most of the time you can even find these items at World of Disney in Downtown Disney. I’d say the exclusivity of these items is wearing off and you shouldn’t spend money on a special ticket just for the merchandise.
Exclusive Parades:
Very similar to the rare character appearances there are parades that only occur during the event time! Our son loves the parades and we always line up early to get a good spot. For the Oogie Boogie Bash we were able to see the headless horseman lead the way for the Villains in their parade. The crowds are usually smaller at these events so it is great to see the parades front row and not feel cramped! If you have a kid that is younger and all about the parades, it is definitely worth the ticket admission!
More:
Ambiance:
My husband and I love the attention to detail Disney provides. As he would say it’s all about the lighting. The special events do not disappoint, Villains grove at Oogie Boogie is spectacular!
Unique experiences:
Music will fill the air and special performing guests are usually on the ballot for special events. At Disney’s Sweethearts Nite you can dance with some of the most famous Disney couples by small world! A truly unique experience. During Oogie Boogie bash you can trick or treat with a provided bag. Some families bring they’re own, you seriously will come home with more candy than you can imagine! During Disney’s Merriest Nite you would get in line for cookies and could see Santa! Merriest Nite did not occur in 2022, but we’re hoping for it to return in 2023.
Fireworks:
Disney has fireworks every night, but during Disneyland special event nites you will see a unique themed firework display. We enjoy seeing the Sanderson sisters perform or seeing the castle light up with hearts for Valentine’s Day! It is a magical touch on the evening making the price of admission easier to swallow.
Unlimited Photo Pass-
I did not know you received unlimited photos passes until this year at Oogie Boogie Bash. I always wondered why people were waiting in such long lines for photo opportunities… free photos! You get unlimited downloads of your professional photos with your admission ticket! This is a huge perk and can save you nearly $100 in the photo pass package alone. We were able to print out our photos with Shutterfly at a great rate and still have the digital copy on our phones. We will be taking full advantage of this at our next event nite! 
Reduced time:
A Disneyland special event starts in the evening and usually run a few hours. This means you are paying a full price admission for a fraction of the time a normal day would get you! Your ticket price gets you less park time and could not be worth it for some families.
—> For normal park tickets at a reduced price go here <— up to 50% off!
We are a huge Disney family, but we also appreciate value for our money. We always give Disney a shot but sometimes we are disappointed while other times were ecstatic! Let me know if a special event is worth it for your family and if so, what is your favorite thing to do!