The Fabulous Disney Babe
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As for the attraction: I went nuts over Haunted Mansion Holiday last year. I brought everyone I could drag to the park to see it, even people whom I know hate theme parks. I badgered friends who could get me a copy of the soundtrack until they cracked, and I listened to it a LOT. When I played it in June, I counted the days until I could go on it again. I pouted on the Haunted Mansion the rest of the year because there weren't any presents. I really, really waited for this. And I was really, really disappointed. I'm very glad that Danny Elfman let them use his music from the film for the attraction (golf clap) but it lacks the holiday magic and whimsy of last year's ride soundtrack. And let me tell you, I LOVE Danny Elfman. I sneaked out of the house and made it to the other side of the island with my friend Ursula to see Oingo Boingo when they came to Hawaii in 93. He's brilliant. A genius. But I want last year's music back. The attraction just kind of sits there without it. I'll go further: I honestly believe that if this year's soundtrack had been in it last year, it would have been a hit, but not the monster hit it turned out to be. There's something magical that grabs you, and it's not there now - and the Scarols don't even begin to be a substitute.
The presentation at the Fantasyland theatre was not as good as other years - Doobie will have the details for you elsewhere in LaughingPlace.com. I miss Tim O'Day...and he needs to email me, anyway. It was great hearing about the film, especially seeing the two voice actors who had done many of the creatures of Halloweentown. Glenn Shadix (www.glennshadix.com) looks magnificent, and has a voice like warm caramel over tart apple pie. Catherine O'Hara had no idea that the film had such a huge fan following. But the moderator never asked her about voicing Madame Leota for the attraction - I wanted to know how she got her version of Eleanor Audley's chant down. He never mentioned the attraction, but took care to mention his book over and over and over. There were complimentary beverages (coffee, tea, Fruitopia and Dasani), cookies in various shapes and decorations, and orange rice-krispie treats with chocolate Jack-o-Lantern faces on them. The two C's asked if I thought the dinner package was worth it. We figured out that it worked out to 131.00 to upgrade from package K to package C. For the litho, the private, delicious, themed dinner, entertainment, and having your name in the ride - albeit briefly - yeah, it was well worth it and if they have it next year, I'll be there.
After the discussion, we went back on the attraction. See the paragraph above.
I stopped by Le Bat en Rouge 2 and bought a Maleficent shirt for Dragon Dude and a couple of those Sandy Claws antenna balls. Cute. They had a bank of registers set up in the courtyard between the shop and Pieces of Eight. My transaction was finished in a flash, so I headed upstairs to the Disney Gallery, and, to my surprise, found myself face-to-face with an old friend:
The caretaker from the Haunted Mansion. They'd wanted to put his dog up, too, but there was no room. If you want to have your photo taken with him, get to the Gallery during the Haunted Mansion exhibit. In the Green Room, they have one of Jack's skeleton reindeer. In the Blue Room, they have Santa's Sleigh and a Halloweentown model from the film. The exhibit is wonderful - and you can finally afford some of those fantastic Marc Davis pieces, thanks to Print on Demand.
On the way out, we got a skeleton reindeer pin in a pouch and a litho of the same art on my sweatshirt: the stained glass mansion window, with Jack, Zero, Sleigh, and possessed Mickey on it.
I have another story, one about Stitch. But it's 4:30 am, and that's a story for tomorrow.
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-- Michelle Smith
Michelle Smith can be reached using the Talkback form below or by emailing her at [email protected].
The Fabulous Disney Babe's column is posted every Friday and whenever else she has something to say. For more on Michelle's background, see her first column. She also offers The Fabulous Tour: Disneyland Secrets and Stories. Click here for more information.
The opinions expressed by our Michelle Smith, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted October 4, 2002