The past few years, I’ve gone to Oogie Boogie Bash two to three times a year. I love the event but have found some things are just not worth the hassle or the time. And because the parties always sell out they get crowded, so knowing what is worth skipping is always helpful. These are the five things I skip whenever I can:

The Mix in. If you have a pass, skip that. Seriously. It is misery in DCA once the mix in starts. Because you have all the guests that were already there, plus the thousands of people coming to the party. Most of the rides have a really long wait time and it’s so crowded. I’d rather just go out and get something to eat at a local restaurant and sit down and relax before going to Oogie Boogie Bash.

Trick-or-treating in all the trails. Skip trails that don’t have any characters. Honestly, you can’t do everything in one night and if that means skipping the treat trails that don’t have characters, I’m all for it. That leaves me more time to do what really matters.

Wearing an elaborate costume. I used to go all out. The weather has been all over the place in So Cal this year. We had a hurricane in the summer and it’s been hotter than heck. The weather is finally cooling down, but with my Fibro I am dying if it’s over 60 degrees out. Besides that, being comfortable regardless of the weather should take priority. If you want to go all out, that's awesome. I get it. I'm just trying to make you feel OK if you don't want to spend a lot of money or wear an uncomfortable costume. You could have just as much fun and a cute T-shirt or a theme dress and sneakers.

I’m skipping the parade. I’m sorry, it’s the same parade every single year. It needs to be updated. The parade is cute and if I can walk up to it and watch it without having to waste any precious party time, that’s fine. But come on Disney, can we please just add like a few new characters are floats something? I mean, I’ve tried different ways of making this experience at the parade worth my time, and it’s just not. I end up spending more time than it’s worth. If you use the dining packages to get a parade spot, you show up about 45 minutes before the parade. That means you're still sitting around waiting and wasting your time. My suggestion is try to walk up to the second parade over by Pixar Pier. Grab a slice of pizza from Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta, sit down and eat your dinner. Don’t waste time or money on dining or dessert packages, it’s not worth it. I’ve done them all. It’s just a waste of time and money.

Staying until the end of the party. Most of us foolish mortals cannot get everything done in one night. And sometimes the worst thing you can do is leave at the end of the night. It is a literal nightmare, trying to get a spot on the tram. And forget about trying to get out the parking structure. It’s not worth it. I’ll leave half an hour, if not about an hour earlier. And I am fine with it. Because while everyone is trying to get out of the parking structure and stuck in traffic, I am already home.

I hope this was helpful to you. What do you think is not worth your time at Oogie Boogie Bash? Leave a comment and let me know.