My Disney Nightmare

 

Hello My Disney Day Dreamers,

Today I would like to visit my favorite Nightmare, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Even as a young child, I have always had a special connection with The Nightmare before Christmas.

I remember as a kid having a wonder and fascination with this movie that was so different than anything I had ever seen before.  I have always had a love of Disney, and its animated musicals were always kind of my thing.  But when I saw this wondrous stop motion world filled with the dark, scary inhabitants of Halloween Town, it truly captured my imagination.

I immediately connected with the visuals and music of the Nightmare world, and loved the fact that it involved my two favorite Holidays, Christmas and Halloween. Jack Skellington, The Pumpkin King, quickly became my favorite tragic hero and I made sure to learn every line of dialog and every song he sang.

The infusion of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion with Nightmare is a wonderful take on the story, and is quite possibly the best setting to explore Jack’s journey of Christmas through the eyes of Halloween.

With Jack Skellington following his heart to find meaning in his own world, it identifies something we all strive to do in our own way.  This tale even manages to show how his actions affect not only him, but those around him, with Sally trying to help Jack when he gets into trouble.  But of course it is Christmas town that sees the most damage when Jacks’ best intentions go awry.

Traveling through the Haunted Mansion attraction, you can see that even it’s inhabitants get into the “Festive” spirit.

This stunning display is one of the best in the attraction giving you a peek at the inhabitants of Halloween town.

As you board your “Doom Buggy”, you get to travel throughout the Mansion and see just how Nightmare has taken over the ride.  Zero with his floating ribbon collar haunts his treat room filled with Christmas bones.  Madame Leota the Haunted Mansion’s psychic travels in a Christmas ornament with holiday poem seances. The Gingerbread scented dining room scene is home to Oogie Boogie’s yearly Gingerbread house display.

Then as you travel “outside” the mansion, you get to see Jack and Sally in the snow filled grounds.  I just love how Sally projects her Adoring glance towards Jack from a distance. And finally you have a chance encounter with Oogie Boogie who sends you home with a final holiday treat.

As you exit the ride you are transported back to the real world and leave the wondrous worlds of the holidays behind… at least until you get back in line for the next ride.

With Halloween quickly approaching, it’s just a matter of time before Christmas begins to invade the parks.  If you have a chance to visit, I highly recommend Halloween time around the parks.  If not, just stay tuned and I will continue to cover the holidays as they come.

That’s all for now my fellow dreamers.  Thanks again for visiting and I hope to see you around the parks!