Forgive any typos I may have riddled the following responses with -- I assure you, I can spell and I am literate, but I am still trying to get used to this new keyboard (which has a totally different touch than the old one I was used to) and I am also zooming through, trying to type faster than normal as I reply, revising as I go, changing things around, etc.
Sherry - DD wouldn't care if it is new or old. In fact, when she came back from school each year I purchased a new one because I didn't want "that germ infested
thing" in the house.
I had no idea where it had been. I have a brother who lives in the area and I think that I might just send him over to DTD to purchase one and drop it off at the hotel registration the morning we arrive. That way she won't be nervous about getting one.
Question: if we have never seen NBC, do you suggest we watch it before going to Disneyland in October?
2tinkerbell --
Having your brother take care of the Stitch business for you is a great idea!
I think it wouldn't hurt to watch NBC in advance -- though it's not absolutely necessary -- just so you can get familiarized with the characters and have some kind of idea of what Jack Skellington is about before going on Haunted Mansion Holiday, if you choose to go on it.
Jack Skellington yearns to bring a bit of Christmas into his town, and knowing that back story and how it evolves helps to kind of add a bit of substance to the concept of his Christmas-meets-Halloween takeover of the Haunted Mansion.
There is also quite of bit of NBC merchandise in the parks, especially in New Orleans Square. There are even NBC-themed treats in shops and menu items in some restaurants. And you will see things such as Mickey-dressed-as-Jack-Skellington plush toys in the stores.
But, then again, as you have probably read above,
Corinna (dolphingirl47) has never seen NBC at all and she loves Haunted Mansion Holiday -- so it is possible to skip watching it and still enjoy HMH.
I have never watched NBC. I have to admit when I went in pretty blind when I visited during the Halloween season in 2011. I thought NBC referred to the TV channel. For me HMH was love at first sight. DH does not really get it, but I simply adore it. I have to admit that I was tempted to watch it after I came back from that trip, but I don't think it is my kind of movie and I was worried that if I don't like it, it would spoil the ride for me.
Corinna
Corinna --
Whenever I type out "NBC," my first thought is always the TV network!
That's a good point too -- those who have not seen NBC, but still enjoy HMH, could possibly end up not liking NBC and then having a different view of HMH after that.
I'm not even sure if I totally buy into the whole concept of the Halloween/Christmas takeover of the Haunted Mansion by Jack Skellington -- it is a concept surrounded by much controversy and debate. All I know is that I love Haunted Mansion Holiday, and a Halloween/Holiday season visit to DLR for me is not complete without a ride or two on HMH! I even love the whole queue, and how all of the NBC touches have been added in.
Visually, I am never bored on HMH because there is always something to see or notice, or something that I haven't seen before. There are so many details-within-details to appreciate that my eyes are constantly darting all over, left and right, trying to catch everything.
Mad T Party only did "This is Halloween" when I was there...which seemed to be the Halloween song de jour within DL (I heard the Cadaver Dans also sing it). In terms of the decor, it was kind of subtle, but was there (especially if you compare it to the photos of non-Halloween Mad T Party). They added hanging lanterns with Halloween-ish designs and spiders and spider web cutouts.
You can see the spider web (kind of) in this photo:
This was the opening archway...there are Mickey-Black-Widow Spiders. Normally, none of the white decor is on the archway. (The golden spirals are normally there.) Tweedle Dee and Dum's opening spiel also had a Halloween twist to it.
These were the lanterns hanging over the main stage area:
figment_jii --
Thank you for posting the pictures!
Were all of those decorations up on 9/13 last year? I think I remember seeing some of the white stuff, but at night -- in the middle of the set, when the lighting is changing and there is mist and all of that -- if the other things were there, I missed them. I remember that Liza/funatdisney (who was with me) said she didn't really notice any obvious Halloween touches at Mad T Party either. That's why I wondered if more things appeared as the season wore on.
I also don't think that the holiday version of Mad T Party is enough to stand on its own as viable holiday-themed entertainment either, despite the set list and décor in that specific area. Thank goodness DCA is now getting more involved in the holidays and adding more decorations throughout the park!
In general, Mad T party is a show that a lot of people will not take the time to see (or even be interested in) -- and I say that, being someone who was very involved in the 1980s glam metal/rock music that is often covered by the Mad T Party in their sets. It
should be something that is right in my wheelhouse, and yet...I just don't make an effort to go back there on most trips, except to take pictures of the area in the daytime (for eventual Theme Week Countdowns!).
In any case, DCA needs more Halloween décor than just the limited amount that can be found in a tucked away spot of Hollywood Land!
For me, I just don't love Tim Burton's image style in Nightmare Before Christmas. I find the visual style unpleasant, especially compared to more friendly looking styles found in Disney and Pixar. I'm going to watch it again before our trip, though, to see if I like it more.
We have also been watching old Disney movies and cartoons once a week at our house in early anticipation of the Fall trip, including Peter Pan, collections of short cartoons from 40s and 50s, Cinderella, etc. I find it interesting that there is no Cinderella ride at the park.
(That's, like, two non-lurking days in a row. I'm going to have to tone this down.
)
SusanMatt --
You're absolutely right -- the visual style, landscape and overall look of NBC is totally different from what we'd see in most Disney movies or Pixar movies. I think that is probably a reason why some people don't take to the movie -- it has a look that requires some getting used to.
As a child I always thought it was so interesting (and maybe disappointing?) that there was no Cinderella ride or attraction, especially in the "dark ride area" of Fantasyland! Our Castle isn't her castle -- it's Sleeping Beauty's -- so Cinderella doesn't even have that at DLR! I remember when the Pinocchio ride opened in the "new" Fantasyland in 1983. I was a teenager then, but I was thinking "Shouldn't there be a Cinderella ride?"
Cinderella is one of the most prominent Princesses in the pantheon of Disney princess-driven stories, if not THE most prominent. The whole Cinderella story -- including the Wicked Stepmother, the idea of anything "turning into a pumpkin at midnight" and the glass slipper -- is iconic, woven into pop culture and the overall tapestry of literature and cinema for generations to come. It is very strange that there is no Cinderella-based ride at Disneyland!
This is pretty much how I feel about NBC as well. I'm thinking it's the animation style, like a PP said, because I feel the same way about James and the Giant Peach. I think I also don't like NBC because of the mixing of Christmas and Halloween. The holidays are just too different to be mixed up together in the same movie.
mikana876 --
Very good points! I would imagine the Christmas-Halloween mash-up is something that probably doesn't sit well with a lot of the people who don't really love NBC. You're right -- the two holidays are very different, in symbolism, visuals, traditions and even in simple things like color schemes for decorations.
I don't mind the idea of Jack Skellington coveting the Christmas spirit and the overall good feeling that washes over people during that time of year, and wanting to bring some of it to Halloween Town...but, for some reason, it just leaves me with a sort of
meh feeling about it when NBC is over. It could be the Tim Burton effect. I often wonder if Disney or Pixar could have done a better job with that same exact story, and made it more appealing and heartwarming.
Hi, my name is Kemrey and I've been lurking on this thread for a few weeks and finally decided to register so I could join in the discussion! My husband and I are hopefully going to DLR for halloween time! We've never been during halloween, so it's really exciting! We'll probably go at the end of Sept, but we won't know until the end of this month/they announce MHP days. We took our kids for Christmas in Dec from the 1-5 and it was amazing, but also hard with a 2 yr old and 9 month old! So this fall, we're hoping to leave the kids with the grandparents!
Just wanted to introduce myself. Everyone seems so great on this thread and Sherry, I am amazed at all the work you do for this! Thank you! Also, I know I'm not anywhere near an expert like a lot of you on here! But I'm definitely obsessed. Growing up, we could only go to the park(s) every 2 years, but the anticipation made it so fun.
I've gotten more obsessed with disneyland as I've gotten older, so to feed my obsession, I read whatever I can about disneyland daily. And I love looking at the wait times on my mousewait app almost daily, to see how busy it is! Haha. My husband teases me about it, but I just love disneyland!
Welcome,
Kemrey!
Thank you so much for joining us, registering and coming out of lurkdom!
Thank you, also, for the kind words and thoughts!
I really appreciate it. It means a lot. As I have said in the past, this thread and the Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread are like my children! They require work, but I put a lot of care and love into them too! Sometimes I have to kind of bounce back and forth between them and tend to each one as certain needs arise, and one thread may get more attention than another for a period of time, and sometimes I have to take care of other things and can't tend to the threads as much as I'd like (real life interferes here and there)! But, thankfully and fortunately, we have great DIS'ers such as
figment_jii, Cheshirecatty, crystal1313, Bret/mvf-m11c, Vala, Corinna/dolphingirl47, Vintage Mousketeer, just to name a few, who can jump in and tackle questions and give info here at any time!
Yes, the Christmas experience in December with 2 very young kids would be quite different for you than a Halloween Time experience with just adults! I'm so glad you had a great time in December -- the holidays are really spectacular at DLR.
Halloween Time will be a bit different from the holidays. The parks are not quite as thoroughly decorated for Halloween as they are for the holidays (especially DCA), and the hotels are not decorated at all, sadly. Many people probably appreciate that if they don't really enjoy a lot of decorations everywhere.
However, that said, what
is at Disneyland in terms of Halloween Time décor and fun packs a powerful punch! There is no denying the Halloween spirit as soon as you walk through the turnstiles, set foot on Main Street and see bits of orange everywhere, all the way up to the Hub.
Actually, the Halloween Time décor begins on the tram path, way before ever getting to the turnstiles -- so if you have any reason to take the tram to and from the Mickey and Friends parking structure, you will see the extra Halloween touches!
There are also wonderful vintage window displays and pumpkins with different 'personalities' lining Main Street. The Halloween Carnival/Roundup in Frontierland is a gem -- it is an area jam-packed with Halloween festivities. The Dia de los Muertos display is really interesting and colorful. The Ray Bradbury Halloween Tree in Frontierland is sort of a quiet, unassuming little treasure. Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, of course, are hugely popular. And, if you end up attending Mickey's Halloween Party, you will most likely enjoy the Halloween Screams fireworks!
You know, I have to agree with you about becoming more obsessed as I get older -- as time marches on I think I become more of a Disney fan and Disneyland fan overall. Or maybe it's just that my love of the brand and of the parks changes and evolves over time, becoming more multi-dimensional than it was when I was a child. As a kid I only cared about rides, characters and souvenirs! Now I can enjoy my Disneyland trips in so many different ways, and I appreciate
so many things about the parks and hotels now that I would have never cared about or looked at as a child! I still love all of the same things I loved about Disneyland when I was visiting as a child, but now there is just a lot more to appreciate!
Do you find that to be the case with you? Has your love of Disney and Disneyland taken on different dimensions and levels as you get older?
And you are so right once again -- the anticipation of those childhood Disneyland trips was
the best, wasn't it?! As soon as one trip ended, you were likely already planning the next one in your head (even if the adults didn't know it yet!
)! The excitement was palpable! I would get one of those paperback souvenir pictorials on each trip (they were horizontal and had a breakdown of each land) and as soon as the trip was over I would get out that book and read it cover to cover, planning out how the next trip would go in my mind (which would probably be a full year later, at least), which ride we'd hit first, which characters we'd find, etc. So much fun!
It is perfect timing, since we have all been discussing HMH and NBC!
