Wordless Wednesday - Haunted Mansion Holiday

Jack Skellington is Coming Back to the Haunted Mansion!

For today's Disney Flashback we decided to highlight something that is constantly "flashing back" to us, since it appears each and every year around this time!  Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort is quite possibly our favorite time of the year.  There's a new feeling in the air, a new atmosphere if you will; the villains are front and center, there are new attractions and shows to see that really put you in a festive, albeit naughty mood, and it's just plain fun to be around Disneyland when all of this is going on.

Hands down, though, one of our favorite attractions this time of year is when The Haunted Mansion is all transformed and "Tim Burton-ed" into the Haunted Mansion Holiday, featuring Jack Skellington and all of our friends from the Disney classic, "The Nightmare Before Christmas".

We know that a lot of people feel very strongly about this attraction one way or the other, and that the feelings on it run from "We hate it, bring back the classic!" to "We love it, never bring back the classic!", and we're definitely somewhere in the middle.  We would fight tooth and nail to see the classic return to us every winter, but we're also not too ashamed to say that we look forward to Jack roaming the halls again each and every Halloween.

And it's almost that time again!  Halloween has snuck up on us really quickly this year, and it's almost time for the transformation to be complete.  We didn't even realize it until we were at Disneyland earlier this week and noticed that The Haunted Mansion was down for refurbishments.  As soon as saw it, though, we could feel the excitement coursing through our veins!   When this article publishes on our blog, it will be 7 days (September 16) and counting until Halloween at Disneyland!  We can't wait to get out there and enjoy all that this time of year has to offer and share it with everyone on the blog.

We know this is last year's picture, but it is a Flashback after all

So, are you as excited for Halloween at Disneyland as we are?  We'll be writing about everything going on at Disneyland all month long and hope everyone will be along for the ride, because it's going to be a great one!  For more information on Halloween Time at Disneyland, be sure and check out the official site at http://www.disneyland.com/halloween. 

And look for more information, pictures and thoughts on Haunted Mansion Holiday throughout the season.  We can't wait!

Adventures in Vinyl: Muppets Series #2 And More!

We realized quite recently that it's been a while since we wrote about our "Vinylmation Madness"which, if it hasn't already been deemed an actual disorder, surely will be in the very near future. We have, however, been collecting all along, though not quite as avidly as we might like due to petty roadblocks in our way, such as money.

One of the cool things about going to The Park with someone who's a close friend and digs many of the same things as you is that when you start collecting things, like Vinylmation, you often do it in tandem. And it's worked out really well for us in the past because when we suffer the horror of buying dupes (see our past article on our "Quasimodo Nightmare") we can often trade it immediately to each other for something we don't have yet. It's worked out well for us.

There are two primary sets we've been working on collecting for some time now that we can share with you today. We've both been collecting the TRON: Legacy series as well as the Muppet Series #2 which came out about a month or so ago.

Mark is substantially ahead of Chad in terms of his TRON collection. Two things are really great about this set though: you don't have to collect 12 of the little guys (as there are only eight in the set), and you can buy the ones you know you need because they aren't sold in blind-boxes, but rather in transparent packaging so you always know what you're going to get and can set your sights on just what you need each time you go out to The Park. The only negative is that now they've been out for a while so they are slowly but surely becoming a little less readily available. If you're going to collect a full set of these, now might be a good time to start!

Chad's been pretty undecided on whether he wants a full set or not, but he did buy two of this favorites very early on as they were two of his favorite characters from the movie: "Rinzler" and "Quorra".

Mark also has these two, but an additional four more and is well on his way to a full set. He needs to get a move on and fill it out! He also has: "TRON", "Kevin Flynn", "CLU", and "x"

We're also each about halfway through our Muppets Series #2 sets as we each have six of them, and almost identical sets save a couple of exceptions. It's been a little slow going as of late due to some issues with some dupes (we keep getting the "Penguin" and there have been some "Janice" issues), but thanks to collecting at the same time (as we mentioned before) we've been able to help each other along a bit.

As it stands now, Chad is in possession of: "Dr. Teeth", "Sgt. Floyd Pepper", "Janice", "Link Hogthrob", "Penguin", and "Lew Zealand".

Mark has four of the same, but rather than Link and Floyd he has: "Piggy In Space" and "Scooter". So between us, we're only four away from a complete set! Not that that means much.

Chad has also dabbled a bit with the new Park Series #6, primarily because he liked the combo topper for the set which was based on a cartoon with Mickey Mouse called "Runaway Brain Mickey", and the only way to get it was to buy the topper. If you're not familiar with the combo-toppers, they're basically little two-packs of Vinylmation; one is sold in a blind-box, and one is a more limited edition Vinylmation sold on top of the blind-box (hence the name "topper") that can only be bought as part of the combo. He figured since he had already started collecting them (sort of) by buying the topper, he might as well make a collection out of it. It's pretty slow going though with the other two sets having come out, so unfortuatenly this one is looking more and more as though it might fall by the wayside; it happens sometimes. As it stands now though, he currently has: "Lifeboat, Disney Cruise Lines", "Wet Paint Donald", "Disney's Hollywood Studios", and "Runaway Brain Mickey". We'll have to see how this one goes in the future.

And there you have it, you're now officially up to speed on where we are. There was a lot to cover in this one (since we haven't written about our collections in a while), but if you're like us and you love Vinylmation, the more the merrier, right?

Be sure and check back later today for another Vinylmation article/segment we'll be debuting. We can't wait to have you check it out, so be sure and pop back in for a bit. We know you won't be disappointed.

Until next time, Vinyl lovers...

DITP Perspective: Haunted Mansion Holiday

This DITP Perspective does not deal with The Haunted Mansion proper, but rather the annual seasonal overlay which opens in roughly late-September of every year, and closes in early January. 

"What's inside is what happens when two holidays collide..."

Average Wait Time:  20 - 30 minutes
Approximate Ride Length:  8 minutes

The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park originally opened in 1969.  For those uninitiated, The Haunted Mansion is a "tour", if you will, through none other than a Haunted Mansion (see what they did there!).  Victims board Doom Buggies in order to take a ride through the manor and meets its many spooky denizens.

In 2001 Disney, seeking an alternative overlay for The Haunted Mansion, decided to bring in Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas", and the Mansion has been transformed for the holidays every season since.

Much like the standard Haunted Mansion, guests begin their journey wending their way through an outside graveyard of sorts before finally entering the Mansion itself.  Ushered into the infamous stretching room, visitors are welcomed in with a brief overview of exactly what has happened to our beloved Mansion and the culprit responsible for doing so, Jack Skellington.

The culprit responsible for all of the holiday shenanigans

Once done with the stretching room, guests continue into the Hall of Portraits to peruse an art selection unlike any other (mostly Nightmare characters engaged in various Nightmare activities), while waiting for their respective Doom Buggies to arrive and carry them to their final destination (not so subtle attempt at horror humor, there).

Haunted Mansion Holiday doesn't deviate much from the path (Metaphorical path, not literal.  It's on a track, after all. Where else is it gonna go?) already taken during the regular Haunted Mansion.  Your Doom Buggie follows its charted course through the Mansion's hallways, seance room, Grand Ballroom, attic, graveyard, and finally crypt.

The difference, of course, is that the Mansion is now almost completely decked out in Nightmare regalia.  It's hyper-colorful (a bit like riding Alice In Wonderland or The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh, in point of fact), and is replete with holiday decorations (after a sort).

Just a few of DITP's favorite Haunted Mansion Holiday moments include:

• Jack's dog, Zero, is now a resident prowling in the Endless Hall
• Madame Leota, floating, now chants about "The 13 Days of Christmas"
• The ballroom of waltzing ghosts is now decked out completely for the Holidays, complete with a HUGE gingerbread house and dead Christmas tree; the scent of gingerbread as you go through the room now is guaranteed to make your mouth water
• The attic now contains many zany presents and toys from the Nightmare movie
• You've got to love the mountain and random angelic Jack o'Lanterns

• Our friend the gravedigger and his mangy cur (Seriously, it's a wonder that dog is alive.  Or is he?) have been replaced by our friends Jack and Zero...

• Upon entering the crypt Oogie Boogie now invites you to join him in a game of chance whilst Lock, Shock and Barrel (replacing the Ghostly Hitchhikers) offer you a ghastly present on your way out.

Yes, I blurred him on purpose.

And last but certainly not least, what Nightmare Before Christmas attraction would be complete without a bevy of snippets from Danny Elfman's many amazingly wonderful (yet haunting) songs composed for the movie?

Words won't do all of the changes inside the attraction justice.  Although, if you're a Haunted Mansion purist, there is indeed a chance you might not like the changes within your hallowed haunt (we've heard it before).  

However, if you're like us and a change of pace isn't necessarily a bad thing, coupled with an intense love for The Nightmare Before Christmas, then Haunted Mansion Holiday may be just the thing for you.  For us, it takes all the best elements of the Haunted Mansion, and raises them to the Jack Skellington degree.  And really, it won't be long at all before Jack bids us adieu for another year.  

Haunted Mansion Holiday comes highly recommended.



Tips for Haunted Mansion Holiday

• Although Haunted Mansion Holiday is a general audiences attraction that anyone can ride, know your kids and what makes them tick.  It is a dark ride.  There are also moments during the ride with loud sudden noises, and some fairly tame shocks/scares.  However, if my own children at a young age were any indication (the big chickens!), some children may become frightened.  Proceed with caution, or suffer a yowling child to go along with the yowling ghosts.  
• The FastPass machines for The Haunted Mansion are active while Haunted Mansion Holiday is installed.  We suggest you use them!  Often times we'll pop in, grab our pass, and then go grab a quick bite (or a quick ride; Pirates, perhaps?) and come back.  Beats waiting in line, especially if you have children in tow.
• Lastly, enjoy it!  Don't get caught up in whether or not the changes within should have been made, or whether they stink or not.  They were.  They will continue to be.  You might as well grab a friend, hop on the ride, and just appreciate it for what it is.  A jolly good show!

Oh, and on your way out, pay a special visit to Little Oogie, who is busy churning out the popcorn during the Holiday Season.

 

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Behold The Ears of Mouse: Jack Skellington

We got the idea for these little segments after noticing just how many different varieties of mouse ears there are floating around the Park.  It's a money-making machine, no doubt!

We thought it might be fun to post them as we come across them; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Let us know what you think; and if you see any that you like, or consider heinous and worthy of destruction via a good stomping, drop us a line and we'll check them out. 

Jack Skellington Ears - complete with flashing lights on the head and ears, and a nice velvet lined box to keep them in (World of Disney, Downtown Disney)

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What's This? What's This? Dessert!

Counting down the days until I get to go to Disneyland for the first time of the Halloween season (the Magic Number is now at 2).  I was looking through some photos of last year's trip and came across this one I thought I would share.

My photo skills are pretty much non-existent, but I love taking them, and I was kind of stoked about the way this one turned out.  

It didn't hurt that it tasted really good, either.  Hopefully I can double down this year.  

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