The Happier Happy Mansion

The Haunted Mansion Holiday through the trees.

So one would think that after my traumatic childhood interactions with the Haunted Mansion that I would have a developed a hatred for it, quite the contrary, it had become one of my favorite attractions. My more "mature" self learned to enjoy the change in atmosphere it brought to your day at Disney. So when I went back one year in October I was a bit disturbed to see that they had changed it to a "Nightmare Before Christmas" ride for the season.

 

Now I do have to say that I enjoy the movie. It's fun to think of Tim Burton working at Disney, like a dark, brooding creature surrounded by pastels and singing rodents, hunched over a drawing board to write this story out. The songs are very catchy and what else can you even listen to around Halloween time besides this soundtrack and 'Thriller'? I also found the only person I feel like I can believably dress up as for Halloween, Jack. This is probably the only time my extreme skinniness would come in handy, when dressing up as a skeleton in a suit. If I wasn't so utterly terrified of costumed characters I would try and get a closer look at Jack when he is walking around the park.

 

Jack and I as roommates..

 

At first I figured they would have just draped some black fabric around the mansion and shoved some random characters waving at you as you went past, but I was pleasantly surprised when almost every aspect of the ride was altered in some way. The outside of the attraction is decked out in Halloween/Christmas decor with pumpkins (all hand-carved) all over the property, Jack's garbage can sleigh perched on the roof, the countdown clock spinning wildly over the door and the scarecrow keeping guard on the front lawn.

 

 

I especially love the stretching room. In place of the usual portraits there are stained glass art that shatter as the room begins to stretch. They have done a new arrangement of 'Grim Grinning Ghosts' and boisterously play part of the tune as Jack's giant head appears above you. (I sing this short part almost constantly in anticipation whenever I know I get to go on this ride.)

 

A Glimpse Behind the Magic

The original portraits in the stretching room are actually still there, under the stained glass replacements. The creators where told they are so difficult to get set correctly that they needed to leave them where they were.

 

The whole attraction takes on a brighter, more neon/glow in the dark type of style, with characters from the film lurking all over. Every year they even have a haunted gingerbread house that is displayed on the ballroom table which is completely real! I love the smell of gingerbread in that room for the holidays.

 

The graveyard scene has been changed into a snowy Christma-ween party with the jovial music and singing pumpkins. Jack and Zero stand in place of the graveyard caretaker and his dog and welcome you to the fun. This figure is very impressive, I'm not sure how tall he is, but he is very imposing. I can see why people would be terrified to walk into their living rooms and find this guy putting presents under your tree.

 

Then they finally bring my favorite character into the ride;

 

 

Oogie Claws!! I like that even though he and Jack have had their differences, that he allows Oogie to finish off the ride, passing out gifts/tricks. Ive always been drawn to this character, I love his over-the-top personality and his neat design. In a movie full of creatures who are mischievous but generally good natured, Oogie Boogie is a real bad guy. He was going to kill Santa Clause for goodness sake. I think Disney needs to make more Oogie merchandise! There is Jack and Sally all over, but no Oogie? What gives? I really want an Oogie pin to wear around.

 

 

I love my cool Jack pins, but give Oogie some love Disney!

 

 

 

Lesson Learned;

Doing something different isn't a bad thing as long as you commit and make it the best that you can.

 

 

 

 



The "Happy" Mansion



Just a quick doodle of me in The "Happy Mansion"

 

My earliest memories of Disneyland are tied to my trips there with my mother. Mom was raised in southern California, and according to her; "There is no other Disney." and to this day she still has refused to set foot in the 'other park'. I was very lucky to have Grandparents who loved spoiling their grandchildren and no summer was complete until the trip to Disneyland.

Our day at Disney started (what seemed to a child) obscenely early. My older sister and I were dragged out of bed and shoved into my Grandparents station wagon before the sun was up. Let it be known that I am not, nor ever will be, a morning person. Even now it takes some effort to smile before ten in the morning. Mom's grand plan was to get to the park as early as possible so that we had to stand and wait for them to drop the velvet rope and the crowd would run into the park.

While I'll get into my Mother's OCD Disney routine later, very early in the morning we would end up in front of what my Mom would cheerfully call "The Happy Mansion". Being as oblivious as we were, my older sister and I would stand in the creepy, very un-happy line never questioning. By the time we were in the cobwebbed foyer it was too late to back out and I would spend the rest of the time with eyes screwed tightly shut. I can remember cowering in the doom buggy, clutching whichever adult happened to be close, occasionally mustering up enough courage to peek and see if the ride was almost over. The only part I actually liked was when the ghost sat in the ride with us, not because I thought it was fun, but because it meant I was almost done with this torture.

 

Repeat the same situation EVERY YEAR.

When my sister turned about seven (I would have been five at this point) we were on our trip to Disneyland and we arrived at the metal gates and my mother trilled that it was time for the "Happy Mansion". My sister scowled at the sign on the front of the attraction. She had learned to read pretty well by this point and she practically screamed; "THAT DOESN'T SAY HAPPY!" Panic ensued. I was a very willful child, and when combined with my sister we could dig in our heels pretty well.

Finally Mom put her foot down;

 "You have been on this every year with no problem, you are getting on."

The only thing that can trump combined sibling meltdown; Mom.

I decided right then that reading is very important. Thank you Disney.

Life Lesson:

Don't accept spoon fed answers or knowledge you haven't acquired on your own. Get educated and form your own informed opinions.