Does anyone wish HM was scarier during Halloweentime?

[disney-inspired]

I know DL doesn't want HM to be too scary but I think it would be great to make it more eerie and spooky for Halloween like they did for Space Mt. I love to be scared but would probably faint going to Halloween Horror Nights at US.

Anyone else feel similar?

 

[bumbershoot]

Alas, no, no I don't.

Having Jack Skellington there made it feel safe enough for my 5 year old that he actually went on HM. I don't want it to be SCARY so he won't go at all.

Universal and the other places are great for the scary scary stuff; let's leave them to that. Keep DLR a bit safer in all ways for the bitties. (Having the ghosts in Space peeved me b/c I'd been hoping that at 5 DS would go, but not with that freakish face on the ride and at the entrance)

 

[CrazyDuck]

The way they ruin the ride with the HMH overlay is scary enough!

 

[Sherry E]

How scary are we talking?

For the most part, I have to agree with Bumbershoot and say no, I don't wish HM were any scarier. I like it the way it is. Space Mountain can get away with being a little scarier because it is a thrill ride and it doesn't have the kind of attention to detail and the rich back story that HM has (whether it be the regular HM or the HMH version). One of the many reasons I love Disney and DLR so much is that special way they do things - providing lots of entertainment for everyone of all ages, never getting too extreme, with enough thrills in the parks for the thrill seekers who want them and enough personality and character and other things to stimulate the senses for the people who don't want them. HM and HMH are 'happy scary'! The truly 'scary' stuff is meant for the House of Shock in New Orleans and other similar places, or for the other non-Disney amusement parks. It was alarming back when there used to be an actual person jumping out at people riding in the Doom Buggies in the HM many years ago. I didn't like that at all. It made it too unnerving. I don't think it went over very well with the public in general because it took it to a level beyond 'happy scary.'

If I want tame villains, 'friendly' ghosts and ghouls and furry characters dressed in skeleton costumes, I go to Disneyland. If I want to be chased by a crazed maniac wielding a hatchet, I go to Universal Studios!

Now, if you ask me if I wish they would do 'more' in DLR for Halloweentime overall, I would say yes! I could think of lots of possibilities, i.e., a Spooky Castle (as opposed to the Winter Castle during the holidays) draped in eerie lights that glow in the night, dripping with creepy moss and what not. I would like to get more of that total immersive feeling of the Halloween season throughout the Resort like it is during Yuletime...but without the Texas Chainsaw Massacre guy trying to kill me!

 

[rangermom]

Nope, I like HM the way it is. My family likes the HMH overlay and it is a major perk for us when we are planning our trips to DL during that time.

I agree with PP's, leave the scary for US.

 

[GrandBob]

Yes! Count me among those that dislikes HMH. It looks like a cartoon to me - not scary at all. I much prefer the normal HM. And if they'd make it a little scarier than normal for Halloween, so much the better!

-Bob

 

[pixiewings71]

I love the HMH, as well as the standard HM. I don't want it scarier, I want it more Nightmare Before Christmasey.

 

[goofycathy]

I know DL doesn't want HM to be too scary but I think it would be great to make it more eerie and spooky for Halloween like they did for Space Mt. I love to be scared but would probably faint going to Halloween Horror Nights at US.

Anyone else feel similar?

Nope, its perfect the way it is...IMO

 

[shellncesar]

I would really like them to leave HM alone. I would actually like to see them put in a whole separate ride in for NMBC maybe in DCA. HM is one of my favorite rides and it stinks that it is out of commission a good chunk of the year just to put up the stupid overlay.

 

[Sherry E]

I love the HMH/NBC overlay! I will be disappointed when and if they ever stop doing it.

 

[disney-inspired]

Well if anything I would keep HMH to only the Christmas season. I know it's how Halloween and Christmas collide but the title of the movie IS Nightmare before CHRISTMAS not Halloween. I'd like it if they kept it the regular HM for Halloween at least.

 

[pixiewings71]

Personally I think it's perfect as a Halloween thru Christmas overlay, it's the perfect time of year for it. I wish it didn't take so long to put it up/take it down but otherwise I think it's great. I wish they had Jack & Sally out for M & G the whole time tho, we didn't get to see them on our little weekend in October and they were gone when we went back in November. We love NBC, it would be so neat to meet Jack & Sally.

 

[Sherry E]

Personally I think it's perfect as a Halloween thru Christmas overlay, it's the perfect time of year for it. I wish it didn't take so long to put it up/take it down but otherwise I think it's great. I wish they had Jack & Sally out for M & G the whole time tho, we didn't get to see them on our little weekend in October and they were gone when we went back in November. We love NBC, it would be so neat to meet Jack & Sally.

I agree. Other than the fact that I happen to love the HMH overlay (and I certainly grew up riding the original HM so that was the one I was used to prior to HMH), in my mind, even if I did not like HMH, it would make total sense to me that the overlay was up throughout the Halloweentime season all the way through Christmas, because, the story is about the two holidays colliding. It would not make sense to me to only have it up for Christmas, even if I couldn't stand HMH. I just wouldn't go on it if I didn't like it, just as I didn't go on Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, but I would understand the 3+ month transformation.

But you never know - in the future, due to budget reasons, other entertainment and events, or the opinions of the general public, perhaps DLR will try out a situation where they just keep the HMH overlay up for one holiday and not both. You never know. It could happen. They may decide one year to just put it up for Halloween or just for Christmas. As I understand it, HMH has already long outlasted the original plans to only have it for one or two years at DLR. They could pull the plug on it entirely at some point, or just start to scale it back.

I guess the folks who prefer the original HM and dislike the HMH overlay should be very, very happy that Nightmare Before Christmas is not a story of Christmas and 4th of July colliding, or that overlay could be up for a reallllly long time!

 

[bumbershoot]

...it stinks that it is out of commission a good chunk of the year just to put up the stupid overlay.

I do agree with that, even though the overlay has grown on me. Seeing the movie 18 million times (vs 0 times when I first rode it) has helped with that.

Well if anything I would keep HMH to only the Christmas season. I know it's how Halloween and Christmas collide but the title of the movie IS Nightmare before CHRISTMAS not Halloween. I'd like it if they kept it the regular HM for Halloween at least.

AGREED! The movie starts *after* Halloween is done. You don't see them preparing for H at all, it starts with it being done with, and Jack is bored and looking for something else. The movie is all the run-up to xmas. So really, it should stay normal HM until after Halloween, go down in early nov for the overlay to be put up (and maybe it would take less time since they wouldn't need to focus on SO many Halloween decorations, and just keep it Halloweentown-making-xmas stuff), then have it up through xmas.

 

[Heymy]

I think HM and HMH are great just as they are...but that's having a 4 yr old who is OBSESSED with any and all NBC and Jack (her boyfriend, as she refers to him).

Originally posted by Sherry E
It was alarming back when there used to be an actual person jumping out at people riding in the Doom Buggies in the HM many years ago. I didn't like that at all. It made it too unnerving.

Oh my gosh, I'm the only one of my friends who remembers this. There was a guy dressed up as a knight and he only jumped out at every few doom buggies...I was TERRIFIED!! It took years to get over that fear and hoping and pray the knight would never come back.

 

[Sherry E]

I think HM and HMH are great just as they are...but that's having a 4 yr old who is OBSESSED with any and all NBC and Jack (her boyfriend, as she refers to him).


Oh my gosh, I'm the only one of my friends who remembers this. There was a guy dressed up as a knight and he only jumped out at every few doom buggies...I was TERRIFIED!! It took years to get over that fear and hoping and pray the knight would never come back.

Yes, it was, indeed, a knight in the HM! Not many of my friends remember it either, even though some of them were in the doom buggy with me on the occasions that it happened! For the life of me, I cannot recall in which years this knight was lurking in the HM, but I know we encountered him more than one time, and another time we saw him lunge at the buggy in front of ours and we were so relieved that he would skip ours!!

Can you remember for how long the knight was in there? It seemed like he started out 'just' lowering the weapon he was holding into our buggy slowly, and then on another occasion, he actually reached into the buggy and touched one of our arms, and we saw him do that to other people as well. I didn't like that at all! For some reason, that kind of scare tactic crossed a line for me. I like the tame 'happy scary' stuff that Disney does so well. But this actual live person hiding inside a knight costume, making actual physical contact with the guests, bothered me and took it to a different level that I didn't think was appropriate for Disney.

Whatever the case, clearly Disney came to their senses and realized that it was best to remove the live person/knight from the ride because he has been gone for ages and ages.

 

[DLR29]

I like how the thread went from the original question to "Do you like HMH and if so, should it run only at Christmas?"

Anyway, I really like both HMs. I've never even seen The Nightmare Before Christmas and I like HMH. Back to the original question, I would also say no. Disney pushed the limit with SM:GG. I think 1 "real scary" attraction is enough for a very family oriented park. HM(H) is a good way to introduce the younger ones to some humorous "scary", and it does it quite well.

 

[pixiewings71]

I like how the thread went from the original question to "Do you like HMH and if so, should it run only at Christmas?"

Anyway, I really like both HMs. I've never even seen The Nightmare Before Christmas and I like HMH. Back to the original question, I would also say no. Disney pushed the limit with SM:GG. I think 1 "real scary" attraction is enough for a very family oriented park. HM(H) is a good way to introduce the younger ones to some humorous "scary", and it does it quite well.

What??? You've never seen NBC??? You have to see it.....it's so much fun.

 

[DLR29]

What??? You've never seen NBC??? You have to see it.....it's so much fun.

I know! Now that I've ridden the ride, I should really go see the movie. Maybe the ride will make more sense then!

 

[pixiewings71]

I know! Now that I've ridden the ride, I should really go see the movie. Maybe the ride will make more sense then!

LOL The ride will definitely make more sense!!! LOL You'd like it, DD10 loves all things Tim Burton, she got Corpse Bride & Coraline in 3D for Christmas this year.