Fun Facts About Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Overlay
Are you full of the Halloween spirit right now? Since we’re only a few days away from the holiday, you should be. But are you thinking about Christmas as well? On November 1st, Disney parks will scrub all signs of Halloween, moving directly to yuletide decorations. One particular Disneyland attraction won’t need any changes, though. It already combines elements from the two disparate holidays. Here are a few fun facts about the holiday overlay at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
The Overlay Serves Two Seasons
Disney executives love the idea of holiday overlays. These enhancements create a kind of temporary plussing, improving attractions for a short period of time. While you may think that a time limit is a negative, the opposite is true for park officials. By adding overlays, they foster a feeling of urgency. After all, guests who don’t visit within the requisite timeframe miss out on the chance to see the temporary changes.
Still, holiday overlays aren’t perfect. Detailed ones require a great deal of time to create. Sometimes, the attractions must shut down to perform the changes as well. Park officials don’t love the idea of significant resources spent that also force attractions to close for a time. With Haunted Mansion’s overlay, Disneyland could solve the problem in a unique way.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is Tim Burton’s version of a holiday film. It’s a movie mash-up of Halloween and Christmas themes. The creepy-liking Jack Skellington happens to be a lovely man…type…thing. The Pumpkin King has grown a bit bored with Halloween Town and seeks a change. He finds it when a portal leads him to Christmas Town.
The marriage of the two ideas provided Disney with more utility than the ordinary holiday film. They could construct an overlay that fits the themes of Halloween and Christmas alike, thereby doubling down on the duration of the modified attraction.
Yes, Disney must close one of their most popular attractions, Haunted Mansion, for about three weeks starting in late August. Once the overlay is in place, however, it’s good through the rest of 2008. It’s time-sensitive enough to heighten demand. Since the overlay is in place for almost four months, however, it’s not seasonal per se. It’s two-seasonal.
Photo Credit: DIsneyGeek.com
18 Years, 18 Gingerbread Houses
Imagineers built the first overlay at Haunted Mansion in 2001. One of the centerpieces of that first year was the gingerbread house. It was a truly odd combination of skulls and ghost-faces along with giant candy canes. Resorts Foods was tasked with building this structure, which resides at the Grand Hall in the middle of the celebration scene.
Since then, they’ve dutifully created a new and different gingerbread house each year. You can see the first 15 of them in this video. This year’s is here. I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel bad that I can’t even bake a decent cake.
Zero Is Well-Meaning But Creepy
Even in the afterlife, man’s best friend is fiercely loyal and kind. To Jack Skellington, ghost-dog Zero is his most faithful companion. When Zero heard that Jack wanted to turn Haunted Mansion into something more Pumpkin King-appropriate, the lil dude gleefully helped out. He collected more than 200 bones to use in the overlay.
When you look carefully on the ride, you’ll notice garlands, presents, and other knickknacks that are in the shape of bones. Yes, the idea here is that all the bones you see are ones that Zero (hopefully) dug up and brought to Haunted Mansion. It’s probably best that none of us think too carefully about the weirdness of dogs loving to dig up bones. The practice is kind of…terrifying.
An Extra Day of Christmas
Everyone knows that the 12 Days of Christmas are the most famous part of December. At Haunted Mansion, however, ghoul math applies. The Happy Haunts employ the unlucky 13th Day of Christmas as a spooky bonus.
When you see Madam Leota on the ride, she has special tarot cards floating around her head. They’re gigantic and impossible to miss; Disney has gone so far as to publish a book that displays all the images from these cards. Our friends over at Doombuggies are kind enough to transcribe Leota’s special Halloween incantation for the overlay. When you compare this dialogue to the book, you may see a few minor differences in wording. Leota seems to take a bit of creative license from the tarot card versions of the spell. Her dialogue is:
On the thirteenth day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me…
13 rings of power, embracing strength that never ends…
12 signs of the Zodiac that rule the future and transcend…
11 candles floating, their scent of mystery in the air…
10 telling tea leaves that swirled with secrets yet to share.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me…
9 magic crystals that sparkled with a force that is pure…
8 balls of knowledge that answer with a truth that is sure…
7 pearls of wisdom to keep my love bewitched to me…
6 mystic mirrors reflecting futures yet to be.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me…
5 lucky charms to understand the right from wrong…
4 wheels of fortune to spin their rich and golden song…
3 lifelines extending help to those in need…
2 passion potions that love and romance may succeed…
On the first day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me…
A star! A brilliant star for my fortune card tree!
These lyrics aren’t quite as catchy as a partridge in a pear tree, are they? Also, Leota’s a pretty creepy lady. Knowing nothing else about the Leota family, I’ll go out on a limb and say that she was the black sheep. Anyway, if you want to come across as a true Disney fan, memorize the lines of the 13 Days of Christmas.
A Happier Tone…Or Is It?
Part of the change from Haunted Mansion to The Nightmare Before Christmas overlay is subtle. It’s a shift in tone. The menacing nature of the original attraction is still on display at times, but there’s some joy in the overlay, too. Guests understand the difference in tone right at the start of the attraction.
When you enter the Stretch Room on Haunted Mansion, the Ghost Host reveals his secret. He suggests that you take his way, as he laughs malevolently. His “way” left him hanging from the rafters. The Pumpkin King is a friendlier fellow. When you stare at the ceiling of the Stretch Room on the overlay, you won’t feel intimidated or doomed. Instead, Mr. Skellington yells, “Happy holidays, everyone!”
Oh wait, the entire Stretch Room scene is pretty scary. Disney once again walks that tightrope between silly and scary. Before Jack appears, the Ghost Host intones the following,
“‘Twas the nightmare before Christmas, and all through the house,
Not a creature was peaceful—not even a mouse.
The stockings, all hung by the chimney with care,
When opened that morning would cause such a scare.
The children, nestled all snug in their beds,
Would have nightmares of monsters and skeleton heads.”
That is not cheery stuff. Imagineers cleverly use the paradox of the Pumpkin King to maximum effect. The digital display on the ceiling has a 3-d aspect, causing Jack’s skull head to jut toward guests, giving them a horrible fright. Poor Jack just can’t help the fact that his appearance is utterly terrifying, no matter how friendly he is. Even when he’s rocking the Sandy Claws suit and beard, he’s positively frightful.
You can (and should) read the entire overlay ride script here. What you’ll appreciate is the clever, almost Seuss-ian style of the lyrics. The dialogue cleverly balances Jack’s optimism with the vicious nature of the rest of the attraction. This point is best made by…
Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/68105287@N03/23907707432
Every Story Needs a Villain
My favorite part of the Haunted Mansion holiday overlay is its balance. What I mean by this is the beginning and end of the attraction. It starts with the Pumpkin King, the kindest of souls who happens to look like a hideous monster. The end of the ride features the movie’s villain, Oogie Boogie. He (?) is best described as an anthropomorphic burlap sack, something that only a person like Tim Burton could invent.
Whereas Skellington is cheery out of joy, Oogie Boogie takes his happiness from the suffering of others. Disney subverts expectations with the audio-animatronic of Oogie Boogie, though. He’s not a sadist here, at least not overtly. Instead, he’s regaled in yuletide attire and offering parting gifts. He’ll spin the wheel of Oogie’s Holiday Tricks and Treats to determine what you deserve.
Surprisingly, the gifts shown on the wheel are mostly kind. The dialogue hints at his generosity. The villain says, “Oogie just loves sharing, and you’re about to see how generous old Oogie can be. Ooh, this is gonna be fun!” Perhaps Jack showed him the true meaning of Hallo-Christmas and warmed his heart!
Whatever the explanation, Oogie’s scene is the perfect complement to the gloomy start of the attraction. You’ll exit your Doombuggy aglow with yuletide spirit, something that certainly isn’t true on the regular version of Haunted Mansion.
The entirety of the Haunted Mansion overlay is masterful. It somehow fits the tone of Halloween and Christmas. As you plan your holiday costume, take a moment to watch video of this attraction. It will definitely get you in the holiday spirit…of two different holidays!
