Table of Contents 1) What's This? 2) When Is It Running? 3) Is It Permanent? 4) What's Been Changed on The Ride? 5) What's Been Changed Since Last Year? 6) Who Did the Soundtrack? 7) Is This Coming to Walt Disney World? 8) Haunted Mansion Holiday Links

1) What's This?

Good Question. Haunted Mansion Holiday is the second in a series of overlays that Disneyland has been implementing in their most popular attractions. The first was in It's A Small World, which became It's A Small World Holiday. Due to the outstanding success of that attraction overlay, Haunted Mansion Holiday was born. The premise is centered around Henry Selick's 1993 animated film "The Nightmare Before Christmas", based on a story and characters by Tim Burton. The entire film is done through stop motion animation, a process most familiar to fans of the old Rankin-Bass versions of stories such as "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "The Year Without A Santa Claus". Initially developed by Walt Disney Animation, the film was deemed too dark and usual and was released through Disney branch Touchstone Pictures. Regardless, it became for many something of a contemporary "alternate" holiday classic and Burton's characters represent some of the most unique in the Disney catalogue.

The story concerns multiple "Holiday Worlds of Old", and particularly the dark (but sweet) Halloween Town and its' skeletal King, Jack Skellington. Tired of his yearly routine of frightening humans, Jack wanders off into the woods and discovers a grove of trees, each of which has a door leading to another "Holiday World". Stumbling into Christmas Town, Jack becomes immediately enchanted and returns to Halloween Town with a pitch to create Christmas for this year. The citizens of Halloween go to work misguidedly creating morbid presents and decor, while Jack sets to taking "Sandy Claws"'s place on the eve of December 24th...

Haunted Mansion Holiday takes the concept that "Sandy Claws" has stopped over at the Mansion, leaving behind him decor and presents that look a bit like Martha  Stewart meets The Addams Family.

Which fits in just fine.


2) When Is it Running?

Haunted Mansion Holiday begins to "move in" to the Mansion in September and is usually open for the first week of October. It closes shortly after New Years' Day, at which point the overlay "moves out" and the original attraction opens again.


3) Is It Permanent?

No. Contrary to popular rumors circulating around the internet, Haunted Mansion Holiday is not now, nor was it ever intended to be, a permanent attraction to play year 'round. After all, It probably wouldn't make much sense to have 999 Grim Grinning Ghosts singing "We Wish You a Scary Christmas and A Haunted New Year" in the middle of July.

So put down your online petitions and holds your horses.


4) What's Been Changed In the Ride?

More things than I can list here, and more than I'm willing the spoil the surprise for. Regardless, to give just a taste: The entire soundtrack has been replaced with a version that cleverly mixes Grim Grinning Ghosts, classical holiday carols and Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. The Stretching Galleries have undergone a complete change in concept, and the climax features a graveyard coated with glowing pumpkins and ghostly white snow.

The rest is up to you to discover...


5) What's Been Changed Since Last Year?

The 2002 version differs slightly from the 2001 version, most notably in a new soundtrack by Danny Elfman (much to the outrage of many who fell in love with the original soundtrack). The Loading area has some new background flats, and both Leota's seance parlor and the Ballroom have a few new props. The Attic used to feature a number of small toy Monkeys with cymbals, but the toys kept breaking and were removed in early December.


6) Who Did the Soundtrack?

Another good question. Although it appears to have been composed and arranged somewhat in the style of John Debney (who did the brilliant Phantom Manor soundtrack), the only name I have been able to attach to the project is Gordon Goodwin. His credits include Con Air and Armageddon, both released through Touchstone, which places him well within the confines of a Disney composer.

Goodwin's soundtrack was replaced in 2002 by a new one by Danny Elfman, who in addition to scoring the original Nightmare Before Christmas film, also has a wide range of credits that include: Beetlejuice, Men In Black, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Red Dragon, Spider-Man, and Batman. Elfman's soundtrack got mixed reactions and could signal a change back to Goodwin's for the 2003 season.


7) Is This Coming to Walt Disney World?

Unknown. Although as of this writing (January 2003) I have been informed that measurements have been taken at Disney World for the attraction, this is the second year in a row WDW has missed out, mostly due to a down economy and a general lackluster enthusiasm among the higher-ups at WDW. Here's hoping for 2003...


8) Haunted Mansion Holiday Links
                Haunted Halls of eTix Land - general haunt information, with a large section on HM Holiday.
                Geeks R' Us Haunted Mansion Holiday - many, many flash photos.
                Once Upon A Time In Anaheim - offers a large, clever walk through and many other things...
                Better Haunts & Gardens - Kali has set up a small section with some audio files.
                Al's Photo Archives - has a few nice non flash HMH images.

Write-up by Foxx Nolte, 2003 {GrimGhosts.Com). chrisfoxx85@yahoo.com. layout & design by Foxx Nolte, 1998 - 2004. content is copyright the Walt Disney Company. GrimGhosts.Com is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company in any way.