Spooky season brings new life to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Typically, new shows, attraction layovers, holiday merchandise, and specially ticketed events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Oogie Boogie Bash are met with high praise. Sometimes, however, Disney misses the mark, and the new Judge Doom show at Disneyland California has fans torn on whether it’s the perfect fit for Halloween or if it’s too overboard for the family-friendly park. Although Halloween is supposed to be a time full of thrills and chills, some guests got more than they bargained for during a recent look at Judge Doom, the popular Christopher Lloyd character from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, at Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash, leaving many questioning why Disney would incorporate such a gruesome scene into one of their shows.
Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure
Credit: Disney
Disneyland’s big Halloween draw for guests is Oogie Boogie Bash. Held at Disney’s California Adventure, the specially ticketed event lets fans mingle with some of the most popular Disney baddies, including Dr. Facilier, Maleficent, and the Evil Queen. Full of popular fun like the Treats Trail, Villains Grove, parades, and trick or treating, Disneyland guests look forward to the annual Halloween celebration all year long. Live entertainment featuring Mickey Mouse and others donning their Halloween best lure guests into the not-so-scary festivities, which feature exclusive merchandise and food offerings. The park bursts with frightful fun once the sun sets, including dazzling special effects at Carthay Circle. Once guests have had their fill, they can jump over to Disneyland and catch up with Oogie Boogie and Jack Skellington at the Haunted Mansion’s holiday layover. Halloween is a special time of year at Disney, and Oogie Boogie Bash is a must-do for many looking for family-friendly spooks.
Halloween Shows at Oogie Boogie Bash
Credit: Disney
There are plenty of entertainment options available at Oogie Boogie Bash. Guests can enjoy not-so-scary spooky stories told by Mickey Mouse, catch many of their villainous favorites at the Frightfully Fun Parade, and even sing along with Ernesto De La Cruz as the event gets underway. However, one show in particular features a lesser-known Disney villain from the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Judge Doom, played by the popular Christopher Lloyd, gets his own appearance at Oogie Boogie Bash this year. In the film, Judge Doom resides over the city of cartoons, dishing out harsh judgment by dipping law-breaking characters into vats of chemicals as punishment when they break the law. It’s a severe price to pay for the toons, but Disney has brought the scene to life in their park for Oogie Boogie Bash, and fans aren’t really sure how to handle it.
Credit: Disney
Judge Doom Dishes Out Punishment and Guests are Upset
Judge Doom has arrived and is holding back no toon prisoners!#oogieboogiebash pic.twitter.com/mU0ddf67aL
— The Entertainment Connection (@TheEntConnect) September 4, 2023
Twitter user @theentconnection posted a short video displaying the brutal punishment dished out by Judge Doom during this year’s Oogie Boogie Bash. Although the scene stays true to the unredeemable character from the 1988 film, seeing personified cartoons “dipped to their death” at a Disney Halloween party isn’t really sitting well with some. Captioned “Judge Doom has arrived and is holding back no toon prisoners,” that may be a bit of an understatement, as the dark-clad villain seemingly kills a toon shoe right in front of everyone by dropping it into the chemical vat. Although some were upset by the performance, others noted that the character was spot on and precisely what they were looking for in the Halloween party. Noting the performance as “absolutely terrifying and unsettling,” Twitter users were very impressed by the actor playing Judge Doom, praising his ability to incite “fear, chills, and the feeling of impending doom.”
Seeing Judge Doom in person gave me the chills and a feeling impending, well? Doom! He was absolutely terrifying and unsettling pic.twitter.com/lVHulEfgAy
— 🎃💜🖤✨Ooky Spooky Earring Elder ✨🖤💜🎃 (@Adorian1989) September 4, 2023
Some were not so pleased with the act, as they feel it is too much for a Disney Park Halloween celebration. Others commenting on the original posts were shocked that individuals would pay extra to see the show that featured the “murder” of a cartoon. Some were not so friendly about the performance, noting difficulties getting behind the character as he wasn’t a perfect match to what they were familiar with in the original film. Despite the mixed feelings, the general consensus showed great support for the new villain highlight at Oogie Boogie Bash. It’s a great way for Disney to bring back obscure characters from a time that may have been forgotten. Many, maybe even the actor, have never seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit. If that’s what Disney was going for, it worked, as I’m going to watch it right now!
