Haunted Mansion Holiday questions...

[krismom]

How different are the changes with Jack Skellington? My son LOVES Nightmare Before Xmas and wants to ride- but I'm worried about the rest of the ride freaking him out. Also- is there any way to skip the "stretching room" and go right to to the ride? I will have a guest assistance card for him but he has no mobility issues...
Thanks in advance!

 

[Minderbinder5]

**Spoilers** Don't read if you don't want to spoil the experience Highlight the area below to read:

The format of the ride is the same, but nearly everything in the mansion has been replaced with Nightmare Before Christmas objects, from man-eating wreaths to a snow-covered graveyard. Below is a link to a website that gives a lengthy and detailed walkthrough of the Haunted Mansion Holiday ride. It's all on sequential pages, so it's a little cumbersome, but just keep clicking NEXT at the bottom to go to the next page. Hope this helps.

http://www.etixland.com/halloween/HMH/HMH01.htm

 

[dizzyami]

I am pretty sure the beginning of the ride, with the stretch room were the same...I would also recommend the other thread of taking a toddler on HM, there are some great ideas for prewarning of the screaming and making it a fun ride for the kiddies!!! (My kids love the ride!!!)

 

[jocotter]

The stretching room is still a stretching room but with NBC touches. I can't remember exactly what happens, but it's similar in scariness value. I think some children are scared when they make it dark in there, so maybe you could talk to him about that ahead of time. Also, some children don't like the crowding, especially if they are alot shorter than the adults. It may make them feel claustrophobic.

I like NBC and I think it makes the ride less scary and more fun. I love the music.

 

[dohgusgus]

How different are the changes with Jack Skellington? My son LOVES Nightmare Before Xmas and wants to ride- but I'm worried about the rest of the ride freaking him out. Also- is there any way to skip the "stretching room" and go right to to the ride? I will have a guest assistance card for him but he has no mobility issues...
Thanks in advance!

What is so particularly scary about the stretching room? I know the corpse hanging from the ceiling freaks me out but during TNBC set up, You see Jack's face instead. I believe there is a different "soundtrack" to it but I forget, its been 2 years since I've been during Christmas time. Anyone know for sure?

The ride is completely different as well, its all brightly colored. Very fun!

 

[Another^Dimension]

*big time spoilers ahead* Highlight below to read:






The ride soundtrack is completely different.

The ride script is completely different.

The Tim Burton Nightmare poem starts in the foyer and continues thru most of the attraction, give or take a some changed lines referring to the Mansion and seperating the Mansion from the movie.

The Stretch rooms feature a Jack face instead of the Master Gracey 'hanging around' and just incredible music.
The whole attraction just features incredible music (which was much much better the first year) and incredible sounds and bright, un-Haunted Mansion-like HalloweenTown / ChristmasTown inspired visuals.

The portait hallway features all new Nightmare Before Christmas / Haunted Mansion themed changing portraits, using the previous method of image-changing. Not the present Haunted Mansion lightning-flash image changes. The HMH portaits change slowly. And as expected, as to the standard set by the Haunted Mansion.. both images displayed look amazing!

The ghastly thunderstorm outside that is usually seen thru the windows of the Haunted Mansion has changed into a pleasent little snow fall.. with the HalloweenTown 'vampire band' outside one of the windows peeking in.

The heads that follow your every step at the end of the portrait hallway remain, but their new spiderwebs offer some holiday cheer. Look closely.

A sign barely lit by a flickering candle shows a sign that says Slay Rides Ahead...

The barely lit misty load area has been filled with presents. Colorfully and ghoulishly wrapped by and also filled with the residents of HalloweenTown doing various things and moving independently of each other. It's really quite a sight! Merry/Scary Christmas, indeed!

Up the staircase the Black Sleigh goes and the presents most definitely did not stop in the load area. The Mansion is packed with them... all of them featuring some of the greatest wrapping paper and bows the world has ever seen!

The old knight now features (well did last year, for the first time) a jack o lantern for a head!

The endless hallway has been taken over by Zero.. the Ghost Dog Reindeer and many many bones that Jack has given to Zero litter the area. Including a floating bone-present replacing the famous levitating candlabra.

The casket area still has the same guy trying to push his way out, but now the Vampire Teddy from Nightmare is sitting on the lid, and has a hammer in his hands. Next to him is an evil singing AA vine... singing Deck the Halls one year and various other scarols other years. The hallway of doors is pretty much the same with the doorknobs and various knockers... except the dark Nightmare ribbons and bows pack the hallway. Before you get to the clock... there is an encounter with a massive version of the wreath from the movie. It's just so cool! It's even swinging the chandalier with it's vines.

The Seance room walls look totally different. Gone are the floating household items, in place are giant Nighmare Before Christmas tarot cards. Spinning, dancing, tilting. Madam Leota's crystal ball doesn't 'float' in this version of the Mansion... but her dialogue is breand new and is in direct connection with what is shown on the levitating tarot cards.

The ballroom features levitating presents arriving for the party, a Zero the Gost Dog Reindeer, a brand new table set up and centerpiece every year and tons more Nightmare inspired presents and treats than the Mansion ever did before. The far end of the ballroom features a massive and nightmarish Holiday Tree... with spiders holding skulls and lightbulbs and spiders webs for decoration... and of course under the tree is packed with presents. Jack knows how to party!

Look up before the end of the hallway to se the Mansion's newest 'uncovered' room, that features a whirlwind of levitating and spinning books...

The attic is packed with even more presents and some of them opening and revealing their mysterious contents, more nightmares, more incredible detail and the presents hungry goofy-looking snake from the movie.

Out of the attic and into the snowdrift. Hey look! It's Jack Skellington himself and the Ghost Dog Reindeer that lit Jack's original flight... and Jack is happy with what he's done to the legendary mansion!

Futher into the snow, the singing busts are now silly singing and boo-ing jack 'o' lanterns. Scary Scay Christmas! Yes!

Snowdrifts into snowangels, more presents, more snow ... and then it's Oogie Boogie and he's huge and boisterous and he's spinning an evil-prize wheel... and you are a winner! Maybe...

Lock Shock or Barrel pop up in front of you in the now shattered glass in the mirors that line the crypt and blow cold air at you and laugh as they scare you! Did they scare you?

The unload area is the same, but filled with snow behind the iron fence.

Little Leota, is on vacation.. getting a little tan, I would guess.

And in her place is Sally offering Jack a safe flight and wondering when he will be back to spend Christmas with her. To the right of Sally is a huge full moon... Jack's bonedeer-pulled sleigh, packed with presents. can be seen streaking across the moon... it's way lit by Zero, the Ghost Dog Reindeer.

The speedramp, if working, deposits you at the top and the exit is the same as the HM is... but usually the smiles are a lot bigger!!


The cool music and the amazing visuals and the clever changes and the awesome new script... It's quite a wonderful new experiece for 4 months a year... and something I will always be incredibly happy Disneyland created and opened!!

HMH...

 

[dizzyami]

The part that is scary for DS in the stretch room is not the room itself, but when it turns completely dark and then the lightning and thunder at the top.

 

[B9erSteve]

My 5 year old finds the Haunted Holiday experience to be much less scary than the Haunted Mansion. Don't know why but he does!

 

[iceskatejen]

There is no lightning or thunder on the NBC version of the stretching room.

 

[dizzyami]

No, I guess I don't remember completely - it has been almost a whole year since we have been back - didn't it still get dark though - or no???

 

[krismom]

Wow! Now that's detail only a Disney fan could appreciate! Thanks so much- I feel much better and no he's going to love it. He's sleeping with his Jack Skellington doll as we speak!
Thanks again!

 

[Hollyster2]

Haunted Mansion Holiday is definitely voted LESS scary by all of my kids. The youngest ones are very willing to go on it when it is done up for Halloween.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Well I'm one of those people who thinks the NBC version of the ride should be a ride of it's own. I absolutely love it, even more then the original HM. I think as far as scary goes, it's MUCH less scary then HM. I remember seeing Jack's face on the ceiling instead of that hanging dead guy and was just amazed, it was so cool. All the snow everywhere, it was awesome. A HUGE part of why we picked next October to go for our trip. My husband wasn't with us (it was a trip with my son, Mom and younger brother) and I just can't wait for him to see it like that.

So if I was worried about a child getting scared on the HM I would take them when it's NBC. I didn't find it scary at all, it was so pretty and festive.

Oh and yes it does get dark before Jack's face shows up in the stretching room. Depends on the kid I guess, but for my son I'd just let him know about it ahead of time, and just get him excited to see Jack.