Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Overlay

Today I thought I would talk about the Haunted Mansion and it’s Holiday Overlay. I must admit, it is not one of my favorite attractions when it has the holiday makeover. But at the same time, I appreciate the creativity and work that goes into this massive makeover inside and out.

Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Overlay

The holiday overlay is Nightmare Before Christmas themed. It is based on the movie Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton. The movie is very strange. However, from an artistic standpoint, it is very creative and a LOT of hard work. I couldn’t imagine attempting a feature-length film in claymation. That takes talent!

History

In Disneyland, The Haunted Mansion closes for its transformation in the last week of August each year. Then it reopens as Haunted Mansion Holiday. The attraction sticks around from the beginning of September till the beginning of January. Disneyland started this annual tradition in 2001. It has been extremely popular ever since.

Based on the Movie Nightmare Before Christmas

If you have never seen the movie, and you plan on visiting the park during the holiday overlay time, I highly recommend you to watch the movie. It will make a world of difference. The first time my family and I rode this attraction with Jack Skellington, we were so confused. It was loud and weird. But, after you see the movie and understand the storyline, it made a world of difference. I actually enjoyed the ride after that. I am still partial to the original, but they did a wonderful job inserting the characters into this ride.

Take a Look Inside

Haunted Mansion Holiday has so many different characters, props, music, and scenes to look at. It is pretty amazing. Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero and Oogie Boogie to name a few characters that are inside. I don’t want to give too much away, but, I would like to talk about the HUGE gingerbread house that is inside of the attraction. The gingerbread house is different every year!

In the great hall, where it is usually a birthday party and ghostly dancers, Disneyland has a huge gingerbread house on the table. This gingerbread house is different every year too! A completely different house. How cool is that! But the best part of the gingerbread house scene is when you are going by in your sled. You can actually smell the gingerbread!

Ok, sign me up! Where do I buy it?

It is so fun to be able to smell it. It makes you really feel the experience. Or should I say smell the experience…

Outside Decorations

Disneyland completely decorates the outside of the attraction as well. They also have music playing outside. It sounds like a jewelry box playing.

I recommend seeing the attraction after dark in addition to the daytime. It is lit up after dark.

Final Thoughts

If you have never seen this attraction, you are in for a treat. But be prepared. It is extremely popular. There could be some long wait times. Or, you could grab a Fastpass first thing and come back later in the day. You won’t be disappointed!

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them below. Thank you!