The Disney canon, through both live-action and animated films, has some of the most intimidating villains ever committed to the screen. Disneyland’s annual Oogie Boogie Bash draws very heavily from that canon, with past showings even introducing MCU villains to the park. This year might be one of the most impressive though, as a deep cut villain was just teased, and now I need to face them down in person. Who Framed Roger Rabbit fans, you’re going to want to check this out as well.
Let the frightfully fun guessing begin! Which two villains are joining this year’s Immersive Treat Trails at #OogieBoogieBash - A Disney Halloween Party? 🎃 👻 pic.twitter.com/KqnuTaNbrAAugust 25, 2023
Part of what you just saw in front of you was a vat of turpentine, acetone and benzine - or as it’s more commonly known, “The Dip.” That is surely a sign that Judge Doom is about to be terrorizing folks who dare to visit him during the Oogie Boogie Bash this Halloween. If that’s absolutely true based on what we’re seeing here, I need to see this fiend in the fake flesh!
On top of being one of the most horrifying concepts for an antagonist in the world of Disney and subsidiaries, Christopher Lloyd’s iconic role is one of the best ‘80s movie villains on record. With that high squeaky voice, daggers for eyes and the ability to seemingly fly through the air, Doom is the stuff that spawns childhood nightmares.
What’s even more frightening is that Judge Doom isn’t just a scary presence; he’s actually pretty damned smart. To this day, 35 years after the movie’s release, Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s evil plot is actually pretty brilliant. Put both of those facets of this character together, and it’s a formula that spells out how much I desire to be at Disneyland’s annual Halloween soiree. Though to be fair, on any given day, I’d prefer to be wandering around a theme park in the first place, especially when a Disney destination is on the menu.
Perhaps the most exciting reason to seek out such evil in Disneyland is that it’s a sign that Disney on the whole might be treating Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 movie with a little more respect. It wasn’t too long ago that the director flat out said that the corporate decision makers “had no interest in Roger.” As attitudes have changed enough that Jessica Rabbit got a makeover on Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, maybe a new day is dawning at Disney, and there’s justice for toons after all.
The only way that Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash could be more exciting for me is if they somehow decided to announce a surprise reopening of the gone, but not forgotten ElecTRONica. It’s doubtful that this piece of Tron theme park history will ever be brought back, no matter how popular the Tron Lightcycle Run becomes in Orlando. But if someone like Judge Doom can be brought back from the depths of Disney’s deep cut canon, isn’t anything possible?
Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash will run between September 5th and October 31st. So you should probably snag tickets, and prepare to meet your Doom if you’re the least bit interested in this frightful revelry. And if you’re looking to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit again, just in case you forgot how frightening Judge Doom is, use your Disney+ subscription to take that special trip down memory lane.
