LPWire: Haunted Mansion Holiday Returns to Disneyland in October 3
'Haunted Mansion Holiday' Returns October 3 to Disneyland® Park with New Treats From Trickster Oogie Boogie
The spooky but silly “Haunted Mansion Holiday”
attraction, a seasonal highlight at Disneyland in Southern California, returns this fall
and winter with its hilarious, madcap mix of Halloween and Christmas.
Inspired by movie director Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, “Haunted
Mansion Holiday” makes its spirited return with an all-new final scene featuring
dirty trickster Oogie Boogie. The attraction opens October 3, 2003, for the Halloween
season and then continues daily through January 4, 2004, as part of the wondrous
transformation of Disneyland into the “Merriest Place On Earth.”
In this seasonal production of the classic “Haunted Mansion,” the world-famous
spooky structure is taken over by Jack Skellington and his eerie friends. Strange, wacky
things happen when Halloween and Christmas collide. New this year is Oogie Boogie, another
character from the film, who shares his tricks and twisted fun. Like a bizarre game show,
Oogie has set up a whirl wheel of holiday tricks and treats in the attraction’s final
scene. Guests will see a ghostly gift materialize in their black Christmas sleigh and
perhaps receive a chilling surprise from Oogie’s henchmen – Lock, Shock and
Barrel.
Before the fun begins within the Mansion, the ghoulish but well-meaning Jack Skellington,
decked out in his festive “Sandy Claws” outfit, welcomes guests to the haunted
abode which is decorated with a coffin sleigh and hundreds of flickering candles and
grinning pumpkins. Waiting guests are invited to sing 13 “Christmas Scarols”
from fractured lyrics posted on scrolls.
Inside, guests enter the familiar “stretching” room and hallway gallery, which
have become strangely decorated for a jolly “Scary Christmas.” Curious holiday
paintings, reflecting Halloween Town’s skewed vision of Yuletide, adorn the walls.
Surprises abound at every turn on the delirious tour. A
spirited Madam Leota bids chilling holiday wishes at her séance, and the ballroom of
dancing ghosts has been transformed into a Christmas Ball decorated with strange toys and
a giant confection sculpture of Oogie Boogie. Further ahead, in a graveyard covered in
eerie snow, playful ghosts make merry and singing jack-o-lanterns harmonize.
A special musical soundtrack composed by Danny Elfman is heard throughout the Mansion, and
added Audio-Animatronic® figures help create a totally different way to
experience this classic Disney attraction.
For general information about the Disneyland Resort, call (714) 781-4565 or visit www.disneyland.com.
--Posted August 7, 2003
Source: Disneyland Resort