The Nightmare Before Christmas HM - permanent?

[Lord Fantasius]

Does anybody know whether the "update" to the HM is permanent? Or temporarily permanent, or permanently termporary?

O.k., here it goes...(deep breath)...I hated it!! Possibly because I really didn't like the move, but especially hate to see Disney kowtow to a specific segment of their viewers and overlay a classic with a lower-class imitation. Why does everything at DL or WDW these days have to be a movie tie-in? It's not a family ride anymore, but rather targeted to a specific-demographic...is Disney that unsure of itself anymore?

Really, reallly, really hope they don't do it at the MK! It put a distate in my mouth for returning even though there's many other reasons to recommend DL over MK in other respects....

My two cents...or should I say my $59 worth,

-R

P.S., Admittedly, if you do like the movie, they did do a good job; however, I think Walt is turning over in his grave on this one...

 

[samkj]

Its just for the holidays and will all come down after the New Year.

 

[karylrocks]

They have been doing it for several years now. The overlay goes up before Halloween and comes down after New Years.

 

[CamColt]

I was told it will be up until 1/16. They are making it longer than usual because it is so popular.
I rode it yesterday and even not being a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas, I thought it was excellent! The amount of change is amazing. I wouldnt want it to stay either, but I was very glad I got to see it.

 

[Lord Fantasius]

Thanks for the information everyone!

I rode it yesterday and even not being a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas, I thought it was excellent!

Yes, admittedly it was excellently done, I was just taken aback since I don't actually put Tim Burton and Disney together in the same sentence let alone the same breath (I know, I know...).

Maybe I'm just railing against my larger concern of Disney turning every ride possible into a movie tie-in...one's like/dislike of the movie will overshadow the ride itself; and did I mention I really don't like Tim Burton's movies, and am probably not the only one? I know, I should have expected something from the exterior decorations, but thought it was going to be more subtle, like bringing in a few of the characters from the movie, not a complete overlay where if you didn't see the movie you wouldn't "get it." Anyways, I guess I'm glad it's popular, but on Saturday I really didn't see many families seeing it together, just mostly teens and younger adults...and quite a few in the goth category...guess I'm lamenting more the Nightmare tie-in and the group of people it attracts than I am the ride itself. Make sense?

Oh well, a couple trips to the Tiki Room helped detox my system and renewed my faith in the original Disney...I'll just have to make sure next time I come down to DL on a whim, or we bring our daughter down with the in-laws, I'll avoid this time period (though I reallly would like to see the Christmas decorations one of these years).

-R

 

[denyd]

Make sure you try the Christmas Small World before condeming all overlays. I think they provide an excellent opportunity for the park to remain fresh while remaining true to it's roots.

 

[Sthronds]

I guess I disagree with you on this topic. One of the reasons that my family goes during the holidays is for the Haunted Mansion Holiday. Even though I am an adult, the regular Haunted Mansion freaks me out. I love the holiday overlay because it isn't as scary and I love the movie. It's all just a matter of opinion, but I am glad that it is there for the few months it is.

 

[aussiemum]

Another one here who loves the overlay. My children have been watching the movie over the last few weeks and they cannot wait to ride it again.
aussie

 

[Lord Fantasius]

My children have been watching the movie over the last few weeks and they cannot wait to ride it again.

Aussiemum - can I ask how old your children are? The Nightmare overlay just seems more "intense" than the standard HM, possibly because the music and sound system was pumped up a bit more than normal, but seemed more "gaurish" than eerie and spooky.

I guess it's like comparing the original "Addams Family" version of the HM against a "South Park" version. One brings you into the vision, the other throws it at you....

-R

 

[Nautilus]

Another fan of the ride here. I find it to be a great change of pace to the ride during the holiday season. If you dont like it, fine with me, there's nothing wrong with that, plenty of people dont. Just plan your trip not in October, November and December.

And when I go I really dont see any Teens/Goth Kids in line anymore then I see three year olds and Grandmas.

 

[Lord Fantasius]

And when I go I really dont see any Teens/Goth Kids in line anymore then I see three year olds and Grandmas.

Part of it may be that Tim Burton was there last Saturday (10/22) for a few hours signing autographs and bringing out "new stuff." His emblazoned groupies were there in force and they weren't hard to identify!

But really, 3-yr olds and grannies? I won't let my daughter on that ride until she's at least 6 or 7...I could just imagine the nightmares!

-R

 

[LucyKate]

My kids hate that movie, but loved the ride (though admittedly, we've never been on it without the overlay, and they were keen to ride it again at some point in its non-holiday mode). But what demographic are they targetting? My 5 and 9 yo kids loved it as much as their 40yo parents and it was one of only 2 rides we did 3 times.

The fact is, Disney rides have ALWAYS been movie tie ins.

Dumbo, Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Alice, Mad hatters tea party, Tarzan's tree house (which was formerly Swiss Family Robinson) etc are some of the oldest rides in the park and all are movie tie ins. More recently we have Winnie the Pooh and Splash Mountain, which of course is themed around Song of the South. And then there's an entire section of the park, Toon Town, themed around Roger Rabbit, and the 3D rides - Bug's life, Honey and Muppets. And let's not forget the submarines (20,000 leagues under the sea), or, in more recent years, Indiana Jones (Steven Spielberg). Of course, with Pirates, it's gone the other way - the ride that became a movie!

If Haunted Mansion is a sell out, well it's a sell out that's been going on for 50 years and one Walt approved of from day one.

 

[samkj]

But really, 3-yr olds and grannies? I won't let my daughter on that ride until she's at least 6 or 7...I could just imagine the nightmares!

-R

My kids(4, 5, 7) have been on the ride since they were babies and never had a nightmare. They understand it is all just an illusion and not reality. To each his/her own I guess. Its all in how you handle the situation. If you act like they should be scared then they will, but if you explain what is happening and how its done, then the fear isn't there.

 

[ZeusNike]

Have to admit that one of the reasons we like to plan our DL trips in November is to see the Haunted Mansion with the overlay. One of the first questions my daughter asked when she found out we were heading to DL this year was "will the Haunted Mansion be decorated?". Happily, I could say yes!

 

[LucyKate]

But really, 3-yr olds and grannies? I won't let my daughter on that ride until she's at least 6 or 7...I could just imagine the nightmares!

Actually, the only thing remotely scary about it is the name. My youngest can get nightmares after watching Harry Potter, and neither of my kids has been able to sleep alone since we were burgled 4 months ago. But neither had any problems with that ride, and the 5yo did it 3 times. She just loved the characters, the effects and the whole illusion.

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

I absolutely love the holiday overlay and look forward to it each year...it's something different!

 

[xmelissax]

Thanks for the information everyone!
guess I'm lamenting more the Nightmare tie-in and the group of people it attracts than I am the ride itself. Make sense?
-R

I have always seen families in line for the ride during the overlay, and know of many families who bring their children especially for this each year. Aside from that why would you ever lament "the group of people it attracts"? In case you forgot Disneyland is for everyone, and that includes teenages, young adults, AND people who may appear "goth" to you.

 

[Lord Fantasius]

Dumbo, Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Alice, Mad hatters tea party, Tarzan's tree house (which was formerly Swiss Family Robinson) etc are some of the oldest rides in the park and all are movie tie ins.

Except for the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, all the Disney movie tie-ins originally were placed in Fantasyland because they were based on Disney cartoons. Even 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was placed in Fantasyland because it was based on an individual's imagination; the rides in all the other "lands" were ideals/concepts of "reality." Much like the difference between building a ride based on ancient Rome and building a ride based on Roman mythology.

Conceptually, it's the reason one has to go through Sleeping Beauty's castle to get to Fantasyland. While all the other lands you can get through without going through the castle are images of iconic reality, Fantasyland requires you to suspend reality and enter through your imagination to create a fantastical "land" as a child...it was one of Walt's subtle reminders that to understand his movies you had to believe in dreams and the fantastic.

Unfortunately, I think once you start overlaying classics with a movie tie-in that targets a specific demographic because that's the target audience for the movie, you might as well abolish the "lands" concept and just put a ride anywhere just because you want to sell more dvd's. Nightmare Before Christmas is actually a disturbing movie to me and is limited mostly to a cult following...it is not part of the population psyche' unlike Snow White, Pinocchio, etc. And for Disney, Inc., to push it that direction equally disturbs me. There's a difference...just hard to explain.

Oh well, I'm happy there are people that like HM with the overlay, I wasn't one of them and it disappointed me; but then again there is far more at DL to be recommended!

-R

 

[Lord Fantasius]

In case you forgot Disneyland is for everyone, and that includes teenages, young adults, AND people who may appear "goth" to you.

xmelissax, actually not...Walt built Disneyland specifically for families (albeit, the 1950's ideal thereof) to enjoy together. If you read anything about his ideas for DL, WDW, and his driving purpose behind their creation, it was not that families would enter the gates and then disperse in different directions for the day and then meet up again at night. That was actually what was happening when he was growing up - the family would go to an amusement park, and the dad would run off to one corner and play cards with the other dads while the moms with the younger children would ride certain rides and the older children would run around with their own fun. It truly appalled him and he deliberately built a new type of theme park to combat that segmentation.

Yes, it might be more "ideal" than reality, but it is well documented. I'm sure Walt would be happy that everyone can enjoy DL individually, or in like groups, but that was not why he designed DL the way he did.

Maybe I just timed it wrong, but the hour I watched the line last Saturday there were few if any families enjoying the ride together.

-R

P.S., We'll save the goth discussion for another thread...not the direction I was thinking about going here.

 

[brenda1966]

Nightmare Before Christmas is actually a disturbing movie to me and is limited mostly to a cult following...
-R

I think this is a gross overstatement. The film has a large following and a lot of fans. Just because Tim Burton has a cult following doesn't mean NBC doesn't appeal to a large audience.

My 58 year old mother who'd never seen the film adored the holiday overlay. My whole family went on the ride 3 times we liked it so much. That included my 3.75 year old who loves "Jack and Sally". She has seen the film twice, the second time skipping the Oogie Boogie parts which she didn't like. She's been on WDW's Haunted Mansion when she was 2.75 and didn't find it scary. To her it's the "Halloween" ride and about ghosts and the fun of Halloween.

Put me firmly in the camp who loved the overlay and is tickled pink that I finally got to see it.