In October 2001, Disneyland began the seasonal presentation of “Haunted Mansion Holiday”, in which Jack Skellington and the rest of theHalloweentown gang take over the Haunted Mansion. The entire mansion is transformed as Halloween collides with Christmas — with plenty of pumpkins, spider webs, and Santa hats. The Ghost Host has a new rhyming holiday “tale that’s quite charming” which continues throughout the attraction. All of the portraits in the stretching room and the entry hall are replaced by representations of various Nightmare Before Christmas characters and themes. Madame Leota’s seance becomes a holiday-themed tarot card reading: “On the 13th day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me Thirteen rings of power, embracing strength that never ends.” Much of the background music throughout the attraction features spooky renditions of familiar Christmas carols — in discordant minor keys. At the beginning of the final graveyard scene an audio-animatronic Jack Skellington, dressed as Sandy Claws, offers a holiday greeting. As for the rest of the graveyard scene —- it’s amazing and really must be seen in person — words don’t do it justice.
Haunted Mansion Holiday typically starts the last weekend in September and runs through the first weekend of January. During this time the Haunted Mansion crowds are much heavier than usual and the Fastpass machines are activated.
