Disneyland Australia: A Dream Resort

[DisneyManOne]

Next update will come tomorrow or Tuesday. We will instead visit Memento Mori Cemetery before we dive into Haunted Mansion Holiday (which, in my park, is named "Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland").

Obviously, the next two updates have everything to do with the Haunted Mansion, and admittedly, that is all self-indulging pleasure on my end. The Haunted Mansion is my favorite, so what can I say? Combine Halloween and Christmas in the mix, and I'm sold.

The big question now is... What update would you like to see next? So, AFTER Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland and Memento Mori have been posted. I can dive into an overview of the revised resort. I can cover another attraction or a show. What would you - the ever-so-faithful audience - like to read next? I fully intend to take your opinion and request in account. So please, be vocal!

I'd really like to see what the resort will be like -- or at least what your Disneyland/Magic Kingdom will be like -- before you get going with the individual attractions.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

I'd really like to see what the resort will be like -- or at least what your Disneyland/Magic Kingdom will be like -- before you get going with the individual attractions.

Fair enough! Of course, starting with the Haunted Mansion and its respective overlay were on account of it being Halloween and myself being "in the mood" for it.

Anyone else have any input on what they would like to see next? Don't be shy!

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

“Hurry ba-ack… Hurry ba-ack. Be sure to bring your death certificate if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now. We’ve been dying to have you.”

​

A peculiar sign urges our return to the “World of the Living.” Since departed from our Doom Buggy, we embark on an uphill climb to an old crypt, but not before we catch glimpse of one final spirit: Little Leota. A sorrowful, almost chantlike version of “Grim Grinning Ghosts” fills the air. Little Leota beckons for our eternal internment at the Haunted Mansion, portrayed and voiced by Leota Toombs. With a deep, gravelly laugh ringing in our ears, we continue back and out into the relative safety of Hollywoodland.

********** ​

Memento Mori Cemetery ​

“Remember You Must Die”​

​

Stepping outside, we find ourselves beyond but not far from the old Gracey Estate, a dense necropolis of sorrow and spectacle: Memento Mori Cemetery. The ethereal wind of an ancient boneyard is oft-too broken by the deranged, almost disturbed refrain of an unseen organist. Once a public cemetery of the 1800s, Memento Mori has since become the Gracey Family burial ground. Roland and Emily and members of their families are all buried here, along with members of the Hollywood Elite, famous ghosts, ghosts trying to make a name for themselves...and ghosts afraid to live by themselves!

​

There isn’t a soul in sight - only the inhabitants of this bizarre, supernatural playground. The eroded and dilapidated crypts, tombs and monuments sharply contrast with the pristine, otherwise “normal” facade of the adjacent Gracey Manor. This sprawling plot of Père Lachaise* is a complete and total wasteland; a true nightmare come to life.

*The largest cemetery in Paris, France. The famous “residents” include Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. Much of Memento Mori’s aesthetic and design is a direct lift of the French cemetery.

​

First we encounter the dysfunctional and sinister Dread Family: big-game hunter Bertie, honorable Aunt Florence, greedy Uncle Jacob, conniving Cousin Maude, and the spookiest twins since The Shining, Wellington and Forsythia. Each killed off one of the others in a plot to inherit the family fortune, and each monument - a bust in their comic likeness - features an epitaph and a cryptogram that offer a clue as to who killed whom.

BERTIE
Avid hunter and expert shot,
In the end that’s what he got.
(Shot by Aunt Florence)

AUNT FLORENCE
Never did a dishonorable
Deed, yet found face down
In canary seed.
(Killed by the Twins)

UNCLE JACOB
Greed was the poison he
Had swallowed. He went
First; the others followed.
His killer’s face he surely
Knew; now try to discover
Who killed who.
(Poisoned by Bertie)

THE TWINS
FORSYTHIA & WELLINGTON
Departed life while in their
Beds, with identical bumps
On identical heads.
(Killed by Cousin Maude)

COUSIN MAUDE
Our sleeping beauty,
Who never awoke, the night her
Dreams went up in smoke.
(Killed by Uncle Jacob)

​

The stone visage of the Grim Reaper himself looks to the entrance of the Gracey Family plot. The rusted gates hang askew from their hinges, half-sunken in the earth. A vast collection of stone coffins and cracked tombstones mark the overgrown gardens and crooked pavement. Each morning, a fresh rose is placed on Roland Gracey’s tombstone. A stone angel weeps at the plot of Emily Hutch, taken from this life far too soon…

ROLAND GRACEY
LAID TO REST
NO MOURNING
PLEASE
AT HIS REQUEST
1900 - 1935

EMILY HUTCH
“AS LONG AS WE
BOTH SHALL LIVE”
1909 - 1935 ​

In this oldest part of the cemetery, we find the plot of two servants:

JASPER JONES
Loyal Manservant, Died 1933
“Kept the Master Happy”

ANNA JONES
Faithful Chambermaid, Died 1934
“Kept the Master Happier” ​

​

All throughout the family plot lie the tombs of various citizens and relatives…

Mary Murphy, 1901 - 1929, “Til Death…

Frank Ballard, 1888 - 1929, ...Do Us Part.”

Ma Ballard, 1850 - 1929, “Over My Dead Body”

IN MEMORY OF
OUR PATRIARCH
DEAR DEPARTED
Grandpa Marc
1818 - 1918

At Peaceful Rest Lies
BROTHER CLAUDE
PLANTED HERE
BENEATH THIS SOD

DEAR DEPARTED
BROTHER DAVE
HE CHASED A BEAR
INTO A CAVE

HERE RESTS
WATHEL R. BENDER
HE RODE TO GLORY
ON A FENDER
Peaceful Rest

REQUIESCA
Chauncey Xavier
NO TIME OFF
FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR
RIP

FIRST LADY OF THE OPERA
OUR HAUNTING
Harriet
SEARCHED FOR A TUNE
BUT NEVER COULD CARRY IT

DRINK A TOAST TO
OUR FRIEND
Ken
FILL YOUR GLASS
AND DON’T SAY “WHEN”

December 31, 1899
A TRAIN
MADE A STAIN
OF ABSENT-MINDED
UNCLE BLAINE
REST IN PIECES

FAREWELL FOREVER,
Mister Frees
YOUR VOICE WILL CARRY
ON THE BREEZE
Hanged October 1, 1871

April 15, 1903
ELIZABETH MANN
LIVED AN OLD MAID
DIED AN OLD MANN

LORD ANTONIO BAXTER
Died April 12, 1892
A GLORIOUS MUSTACHE
HEAVEN BLESSED
NOW DEAD & ROTTEN,
STILL WELL DRESSED

HERBERT & MARY WEDD
Died 1864
QUARRELED AND FOUGHT
AS MAN AND WIFE
NOW SILENT TOGETHER
BEYOND THIS LIFE

VALENTINE
“The Boneless”
HERE LIE THE PIECES
OF A BROKEN MAN

December 2, 1893
“I Told You I Was Sick”

HAROLD “HOLLYWOOD”
Hanged October 13, 1897
Shot December 10, 1898
Stabbed June 28, 1899
Poisoned March 6, 1900
He’ll Be Back

JACQUES SHRILLMAN
LYNCHED BY A MOB
OF MUSIC LOVERS
“A Wrong Note Was His End”
January 18, 1925

Here Lies
LEADFOOT FRED
“Danced Too Slow
And Now He’s Dead”
1902 - 1926 ​

And on one end of the cemetery, at the confines of a dense forest, we find the makeshift, wooden grave markers of a circus tiger and his three victims:

November 13, 1895 - Breakfast Time
(A Clown)

November 13, 1895 - Lunch Time
(The Ringmaster)

November 13, 1895 - Dinner Time
(An Elephant)

November 13, 1915 - Striped with Happiness
After Years of Happy Hunting
(The Tiger)

​

One headstone, which bears the sculpted face of a beautiful young woman, reads:

DEAR SWEET LEOTA, BELOVED BY ALL,
IN REGIONS BEYOND NOW, BUT HAVING A BALL
​

Not entirely at peace, the sculpture frequently opens her eyes, watching passers-by as they proceed through the cemetery. This subtle but spooky detail sets an appropriately ominous tone for perhaps a “return visit” to Gracey Manor…

The wind carries our tour of the desolate Memento Mori to a favored spot among purported ghost and “wildlife” enthusiasts alike - a Pet Cemetery. Each grave marker in the Pet Cemetery is a sculpture or illustration in portrayal of the deceased; a beast of the field, sea or sky.

FLYBAIT
“He Croaked”
August 9, 1869

OLD ROSIE
Finally Made It
To Hog Heaven
1919

In Memory of My Rat
Whom I Loved…
Now He Resides
In the Realms Above

FREDDIE
The Bat
1927
We’ll Miss You

LENORE
Our Raven
“Nevermore”

(An Unnamed Monkey clashing Cymbals)

(An Unnamed Cat surrounded by Birds)

BELOVED WADDLE
Little Waddle Saw the Truck
But Little Waddle Didn’t Duck
1928

FIFI
(A Crucifix made from Bones; a Poodle)

BOWSER
(A stone Doghouse with a Funeral Wreath)

Beloved Lilac
Big on Curiosity
Short on Common Scents
1917

OUR HEN
“Skimmer”
Shouldn’t Have
Visited the Neighbors
At Dinner

OUR SQUIRREL BUZZ
He Stopped To See
If The Cat Was There.
It Was.
July 17, 1915​

​

The sulking trees and weeping moss point our path toward the mouth of a spectacular, twisted and cavernous grotto, a near-decimated crypt boldly labeled and portrayed as the “Burial Crypt of Famous Villains.” Truly, the interned within are the “several prominent ghosts who have retired here from creepy old crypts all over the world.” An ethereal wind howls from within… Bats screech… A cat yowls… We enter.

​

Dim candlelight and the ambient sounds of a subterranean realm set our stage for an omnipresent danger… First we glimpse the odd but stately residence of six prominent ghosts; from left to right, top to bottom, the buried include: Nero, the vile Roman Emperor, Dracula, the centuries-old vampire, Jack the Ripper, the infamous serial killer, Medusa, fabled she-beast of Greek legend, Attila the Hun, the terrifying Hun Ruler, and Bluebeard, murderous 15th Century pirate. The wall-side graves “breathe” and bulge a la the Corridor of Doors…

​

In “Spiritual Remorse,” the eerie candlelight illuminates the cavernous mausoleum further in respect of countless corpses. The epitaphs are almost exclusively humorous, proving that no one in Memento Mori seemed to take death too seriously…

C.U. Later

Dustin T. Dust

Asher T. Ashes

M.T. Tomb

I.M. Ready

Rustin Peace

Pearl E. Gates

Levi Tation

Bea Witch

Izzy Dead

Hal Lusinashun

Hap A Rition

Manny Festation

Fester N. Rot

Clare Voince

Wee G. Bord

Rigg R. Mortiese

Paul Tergyst​

Then, the spectacular crypt of Ward Edwards and his many wives. Mr. Edwards, a wealthy railroad tycoon built the Mansion against the superstition of locals claiming the hill in which the Mansion sat was on that of an Indian burial ground.

1900
WARD EDWARDS
Railroad Tycoon
Here Lyeth his Loving Wives
Penelope Died 1894
Abigail 1895
Anastasia 1896
Prudence 1897
Phoebe 1898
Eugenia 1899
Lucretia ????
Seven Winsome Wives
Some Fat, Some Thin.
Six of Them were Faithful
But the Seventh Did Him In. ​

Strangely, the Burial Crypt of Famous Villains appears to lead further into the subterranean depths of the Underworld… However, progress is futile; the Crypt is, in actuality, a direct passage into a large soundstage found beyond the Magic Kingdom. The Crypt functions as a queue for a seasonal Halloween Maze for “Disney’s Haunted Halloween” event, held each September - October. The featured maze typically pertains to silent and classic horror: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu and Young Frankenstein. Fortunately, the Crypt remains open year-round, leaving the would-be maze barred-off ‘til September.

Anxious to leave the dark mysteries and prankish spirits of the Haunted Mansion behind, we briskly depart for the “World of the Living” and rejoin the bustle and color of Hollywoodland - but not before noticing the haunting figure of Roland Gracey glaring at us one last time from an upper-floor window…

**********​

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Hello, out there! Anyone still around? ;P Likes and comments are always appreciated... Man, do I sound like a YouTuber or what? I'm sure all armchair Imagineers would agree in regard to feedback being our life-source around these parts.

**********​

Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland


​

The old Gracey Estate has never looked… Merrier? Truly, the devoted groundskeepers have transformed the desolate property into a spectacular winter wonderland. The walls of Gracey Manor have been decked “skull-to-toe” in a vibrant display of Victorian décor; evergreen garland, warm candles, and handcrafted ornaments of baubles, tin soldiers, holly berries and more. If anything, this so called “Haunted” Mansion is nearly like a picture print by Currier & Ives…

​

What a nostalgic feeling…

Our holiday travels begin in Gracey Square, a bereft (but oddly merry) relic of Old Hollywood. The ominous cobblestone and cracked pavement allude to the once foreboding silhouette of Gracey Manor. But today, things are different… Before us: twin stucco columns kept beneath the watchful (red) eye of snarling, stone lions. The lions don gay apparel - festive eye-masks, garland and lace. Their fanged-mouths hold between them a vibrant and festive banner: "Haunted Mansion Winter Wonderland." Eerily, the “Wonder” of “Wonderland” often fades to reveal a subtle but gruesome transformation: "Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland"… On either column, the usual bronze shield has been enveloped in the mouth of a normal, unsuspicious wreath. The intrigue of a holiday orchestral calls us ‘cross the threshold and into the festive wonderland beyond.

The Courtyard ​

The holiday music of an old phonograph is our underscore for a stroll of the beautifully decorated Courtyard. The vibrant flowers, succulents and palms set a stage for a scattered collection of ancient wonders: statues, fountains and art of Greece, Rome, Egypt and Spain. Of course, the Christmas spirit has added an extra spark of ambiance; glowing candles, strands of garland, shimmering trees and ornaments, all Victorian in their appointment. Among Gracey’s seasonal décor and artifacts - a six-foot tall Nutcracker and equally impressive Mouse King; a German wood carving of the vile Krampus; a statue of Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley. In a truly spirited fashion, these country club-style decorations hint at what might lie in the Mansion ahead…

​

Perhaps the abandoned zoo is most ominous of all… The empty cages have been filled with candles and colored lanterns. The cavernous interior of the empty tiger cage glows with an orange, almost pumpkin-like sheen. Somewhere unseen, a wolf howls. A glimpse at the Mansion itself reveals the once stately, reserved house to be ablaze in hundreds of candles and lacey candelabras. Garland and wreaths consume every last gable, railing and rooftop, even the broken window on the third-floor. The iconic clock tower (still stuck at XIII) is even enveloped with a wreath. On the roof sit a number of familiar angels*, one a bit, er...askew?

*These angels - commonly called “blow molds” - are the same angels found on the house of the boy who receives a shrunken head in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The "askew" angel hangs off the roof, much like the film.

​

The lonely bandstand has been converted into a meeting place for Santa! However, Santa’s lavish throne sits empty, left for dust. A number of presents and a handsome tree set the stage for a would-be meet ‘n’ greet - one in which will never occur. Instead, the beautiful presents bask in shadow, untouched. A peculiar chill runs through us as we draw near the entrance of the eerie manor. The music continues from an unattended radio. A pair of invisible residents enjoy the winter weather; one stirs their cocoa, while the other slowly flips the pages of a terribly outdated magazine. In fact, one might hear our spectral reader humming along with the crackle of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

An autumn twilight descends upon the Haunted Mansion as the numerous candles and lanterns flicker to life… The music grows more frantic and ominous. Our trail begins a slight descent as we travel past the decorated front door and toward what appears to be the entrance of a Wine Cellar. A number of gardening tools and overgrown plants prelude a vast collection of barrels and kegs stacked neatly in a blanket of cobwebs and dust. The orchestral music has begun to fade in favor of a familiar pipe organ and unholy children’s choir… A number of presents and unused decorations are hidden among the clutter. The ancient cellar doors open with a slow and painful creak... “Enter, and make room for every body.”

​

The Wine Cellar



“‘Twas a long time ago, longer now that it seems, in a place that perhaps you’ve seen in your dreams. For the story that you are about to be told began with the holiday worlds of old. I know you’re curious to see what’s inside… It’s what happens when two holidays collide.”
​

The Ghost Host, the unseen presence that will escort our tour of the Mansion, begins his ominous, poetic narration in the musty but cheery Wine Cellar, underscored by a slow, minor-key funeral dirge of “Up on the Housetop” with a children’s choir. The Ghost Host is voiced by Corey Burton in lieu of Paul Frees, a remarkably similar performance to the timeless original.

​

The dank cellar is littered with forgotten relics, storage, and near-hills of untouched wine and spirits. Victorian garland and ornaments illuminate the dust and shadow, all seemingly innocent and charming enough. Our attention is drawn to a formal portrait of Father Christmas standing proudly on a frosted rooftop, readied to slide down the chimney. As the Ghost Host delivers his narration, the portrait gradually transforms into the image of Jack Skellington dressed as “Sandy Claws.” Behind him stands the iconic Spiral Hill and a number of snow-capped jack-o-lanterns against the backdrop of a harvest moon.

A panel in the cellar wall slides open to reveal one of two identical Screening Rooms...

**********
​

Earlier in the thread, as in Page One earlier, I had listed the music heard in the Queue of both the Haunted Mansion and Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland. I have since updated said music as I was ultimately unhappy with the end result. THIS is what you should be listening to:

Haunted Mansion Courtyard, January - August:

(The non-seasonal loop is a direct lift of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror's wonderful Queue; with few exceptions)


​

1. "Pyramid" - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra
2. "Deep Purple" - Turner Layton
3. "Jitterbug's Lullaby" - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra
4. "I'm In Another World" - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra
5. "We'll Meet Again" - Vera Lynn
6. "When the Sun Sets Down South (feat. Noble Sissle's Swingsters)" - Sidney Bechet
7. "Delta Mood" - Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
8. "Alabamy Home" - Duke Ellington
9. "Grim Grinning Ghosts" - Chris Calabrese
10. "Inside (This Heart of Mine)" - Fats Waller
11. "There's a House in Harlem for Sale" - Henry Allen
12. "Jungle Drums" - Sidney Bechet
13. "Sleepy Time Gal" - Glenn Miller
14. "I Can't Get Started" - Bunny Berigan
15. "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra
16. "I'll Be Seeing You" - Billie Holiday
17. "Uptown Blues" - Jimmie Lunceford
18. "Remember" - Red Norvo
19. "Grim Grinning Ghosts" - Buddy Baker, Club 33 Arrangement
20. "Jeep's Blues" - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra

Two versions of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" are featured in the Queue loop, also distorted and "aged." The first can be heard here:

​

/\ The track starts around 1:30. The other version can be heard here:

​

As for the Winter Terrorland Queue Music... That will come at a later date. For now, enjoy, and as always, offer feedback... If'n you have any.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Hello, out there! Anyone still around? ;P Likes and comments are always appreciated... Man, do I sound like a YouTuber or what? I'm sure all armchair Imagineers would agree in regard to feedback being our life-source around these parts.

**********​

Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland


​

The old Gracey Estate has never looked… Merrier? Truly, the devoted groundskeepers have transformed the desolate property into a spectacular winter wonderland. The walls of Gracey Manor have been decked “skull-to-toe” in a vibrant display of Victorian décor; evergreen garland, warm candles, and handcrafted ornaments of baubles, tin soldiers, holly berries and more. If anything, this so called “Haunted” Mansion is nearly like a picture print by Currier & Ives…

​

What a nostalgic feeling…

Our holiday travels begin in Gracey Square, a bereft (but oddly merry) relic of Old Hollywood. The ominous cobblestone and cracked pavement allude to the once foreboding silhouette of Gracey Manor. But today, things are different… Before us: twin stucco columns kept beneath the watchful (red) eye of snarling, stone lions. The lions don gay apparel - festive eye-masks, garland and lace. Their fanged-mouths hold between them a vibrant and festive banner: "Haunted Mansion Winter Wonderland." Eerily, the “Wonder” of “Wonderland” often fades to reveal a subtle but gruesome transformation: "Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland"… On either column, the usual bronze shield has been enveloped in the mouth of a normal, unsuspicious wreath. The intrigue of a holiday orchestral calls us ‘cross the threshold and into the festive wonderland beyond.

The Courtyard ​

The holiday music of an old phonograph is our underscore for a stroll of the beautifully decorated Courtyard. The vibrant flowers, succulents and palms set a stage for a scattered collection of ancient wonders: statues, fountains and art of Greece, Rome, Egypt and Spain. Of course, the Christmas spirit has added an extra spark of ambiance; glowing candles, strands of garland, shimmering trees and ornaments, all Victorian in their appointment. Among Gracey’s seasonal décor and artifacts - a six-foot tall Nutcracker and equally impressive Mouse King; a German wood carving of the vile Krampus; a statue of Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley. In a truly spirited fashion, these country club-style decorations hint at what might lie in the Mansion ahead…

​

Perhaps the abandoned zoo is most ominous of all… The empty cages have been filled with candles and colored lanterns. The cavernous interior of the empty tiger cage glows with an orange, almost pumpkin-like sheen. Somewhere unseen, a wolf howls. A glimpse at the Mansion itself reveals the once stately, reserved house to be ablaze in hundreds of candles and lacey candelabras. Garland and wreaths consume every last gable, railing and rooftop, even the broken window on the third-floor. The iconic clock tower (still stuck at XIII) is even enveloped with a wreath. On the roof sit a number of familiar angels*, one a bit, er...askew?

*These angels - commonly called “blow molds” - are the same angels found on the house of the boy who receives a shrunken head in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The "askew" angel hangs off the roof, much like the film.

​

The lonely bandstand has been converted into a meeting place for Santa! However, Santa’s lavish throne sits empty, left for dust. A number of presents and a handsome tree set the stage for a would-be meet ‘n’ greet - one in which will never occur. Instead, the beautiful presents bask in shadow, untouched. A peculiar chill runs through us as we draw near the entrance of the eerie manor. The music continues from an unattended radio. A pair of invisible residents enjoy the winter weather; one stirs their cocoa, while the other slowly flips the pages of a terribly outdated magazine. In fact, one might hear our spectral reader humming along with the crackle of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

An autumn twilight descends upon the Haunted Mansion as the numerous candles and lanterns flicker to life… The music grows more frantic and ominous. Our trail begins a slight descent as we travel past the decorated front door and toward what appears to be the entrance of a Wine Cellar. A number of gardening tools and overgrown plants prelude a vast collection of barrels and kegs stacked neatly in a blanket of cobwebs and dust. The orchestral music has begun to fade in favor of a familiar pipe organ and unholy children’s choir… A number of presents and unused decorations are hidden among the clutter. The ancient cellar doors open with a slow and painful creak... “Enter, and make room for every body.”

​

The Wine Cellar



“‘Twas a long time ago, longer now that it seems, in a place that perhaps you’ve seen in your dreams. For the story that you are about to be told began with the holiday worlds of old. I know you’re curious to see what’s inside… It’s what happens when two holidays collide.”
​

The Ghost Host, the unseen presence that will escort our tour of the Mansion, begins his ominous, poetic narration in the musty but cheery Wine Cellar, underscored by a slow, minor-key funeral dirge of “Up on the Housetop” with a children’s choir. The Ghost Host is voiced by Corey Burton in lieu of Paul Frees, a remarkably similar performance to the timeless original.

​

The dank cellar is littered with forgotten relics, storage, and near-hills of untouched wine and spirits. Victorian garland and ornaments illuminate the dust and shadow, all seemingly innocent and charming enough. Our attention is drawn to a formal portrait of Father Christmas standing proudly on a frosted rooftop, readied to slide down the chimney. As the Ghost Host delivers his narration, the portrait gradually transforms into the image of Jack Skellington dressed as “Sandy Claws.” Behind him stands the iconic Spiral Hill and a number of snow-capped jack-o-lanterns against the backdrop of a harvest moon.

A panel in the cellar wall slides open to reveal one of two identical Screening Rooms...

**********
​

Earlier in the thread, as in Page One earlier, I had listed the music heard in the Queue of both the Haunted Mansion and Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland. I have since updated said music as I was ultimately unhappy with the end result. THIS is what you should be listening to:

Haunted Mansion Courtyard, January - August:

(The non-seasonal loop is a direct lift of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror's wonderful Queue; with few exceptions)


​

1. "Pyramid" - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra
2. "Deep Purple" - Turner Layton
3. "Jitterbug's Lullaby" - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra
4. "I'm In Another World" - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra
5. "We'll Meet Again" - Vera Lynn
6. "When the Sun Sets Down South (feat. Noble Sissle's Swingsters)" - Sidney Bechet
7. "Delta Mood" - Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
8. "Alabamy Home" - Duke Ellington
9. "Grim Grinning Ghosts" - Chris Calabrese
10. "Inside (This Heart of Mine)" - Fats Waller
11. "There's a House in Harlem for Sale" - Henry Allen
12. "Jungle Drums" - Sidney Bechet
13. "Sleepy Time Gal" - Glenn Miller
14. "I Can't Get Started" - Bunny Berigan
15. "Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra
16. "I'll Be Seeing You" - Billie Holiday
17. "Uptown Blues" - Jimmie Lunceford
18. "Remember" - Red Norvo
19. "Grim Grinning Ghosts" - Buddy Baker, Club 33 Arrangement
20. "Jeep's Blues" - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra

Two versions of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" are featured in the Queue loop, also distorted and "aged." The first can be heard here:

​

/\ The track starts around 1:30. The other version can be heard here:

​

As for the Winter Terrorland Queue Music... That will come at a later date. For now, enjoy, and as always, offer feedback... If'n you have any.

As always your skill and creativity astound me! As well as your attention to details! Even the amazing soundtracks you add to your projects!

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

As always your skill and creativity astound me! As well as your attention to details! Even the amazing soundtracks you add to your projects!

Thank you! Of course it's the loyal readers and fellow creatives like you who make the projects worthwhile.

Quick bit of a downtime between posts - just coming off celebrating a close friend's birthday for two days - and before I have to rush to Annie rehearsal this morning (@DisneyManOne, I'm playing Bundles... Again), but here is a scene breakdown for The Haunted Mansion in case we have any first time viewers or lurkers who might be a bit lost with the Winter Terrorland overview. I have also included the music track featured in each scene.

The Haunted Mansion, January - August:

1. The Courtyard: (See Prior Mansion Post for Music)
2. The Wine Cellar: (Heard 0:30 - 0:56)
3. The Screening Room:
4. The Funeral Parlour:
5. Hall of the Arts: /\ Same Listing
6. The Endless Hallway: /\ Same Listing
7. The Library: /\ Same Listing
8. The Film Vault: /\ Same Listing
9. The Grand Staircase & Spider Nest:
10. The Music Room: /\ Same Listing (With Added Piano)
11. The Corridor of Doors: Only Sound Effects
12. Seance Circle:
13. The Grand Hall: (Heard 2:40 - 4:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMY6ySG_8PM
14. The Clockwork Room: Only Sound Effects
15. The Graveyard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scxl6wlr7kc
16. The Exit Crypt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bpf8oeMJR8

The Haunted Mansion, September - December:

1. The Courtyard: TBD
2. The Wine Cellar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkmxV6lSABI
3. The Screening Room: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyD-ismFz5E
4. The Funeral Parlor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXkqTeq9sZ0
5. Hall of the Arts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNXfIg1WNa4
6. The Endless Hallway: /\ Same Listing
7. The Library: /\ Same Listing
8. The Film Vault: /\ Same Listing
9. The Grand Staircase & Spider Nest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kAp48-V1P0
10. The Music Room: /\ Same Listing (With Added Piano)
11. The Corridor of Doors: /\ Same Listing (With Plant Choir)
12. Seance Circle: (No Isolated Track Available) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3jE5oONUlI
13. The Grand Hall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc5LSvSIC1A
14. The Clockwork Room: (No Isolated Track Available) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPZwLByL6Ws
15. The Graveyard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWKvtoKaE0s
16. The Exit Crypt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvVhl1xjsRo

The original Haunted Mansion Holiday is notorious for having two entirely separate and distinct soundtracks. One featured in the premiere season back in 2001, the other featured from 2002 to today. I felt as if combining the two soundtracks would perfectly fit the tone of my rather "scary" take on the Haunted Mansion. At the least, I can't resist including the sweeping score from the 2001 Grand Hall. If you listen to any of the above links, AT LEAST listen to that one, it is truly a gem.

As always, feedback is loved!

 

[spacemt354]

I was wondering when I'd get the next alert about the dream resort - and I just realized now it's in a new thread. Almost a month late to it wow lol

So much dedication to the Haunted Mansion it is very inspiring. It's one of my favorites as well, and this version I think blends the best of all the Haunted Mansions around the world while also giving it a personal and original take - can't ask for more than that!

One confusion I have is this still the Dream Resort layout (give or take) from last year? Where the Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror branch off of Hollywood Boulevard?

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

I was wondering when I'd get the next alert about the dream resort - and I just realized now it's in a new thread. Almost a month late to it wow lol

So much dedication to the Haunted Mansion it is very inspiring. It's one of my favorites as well, and this version I think blends the best of all the Haunted Mansions around the world while also giving it a personal and original take - can't ask for more than that!

One confusion I have is this still the Dream Resort layout (give or take) from last year? Where the Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror branch off of Hollywood Boulevard?

Yep. Made the move to better organize everything into one thread. The last thread had two or three drafts in it, if I'm not mistaken.

Thank you for the kind words! It's for sure a compilation of Phantom Manor and the other Mansions with an ever so subtle hint of Mystic Manor. I can't wait to share the remainder of Winter Terrorland to better establish just how different this Mansion is from the others.

This is a different layout from the map you had so beautifully designed. I made the difficult decision to have Hollywoodland as its own thing and not be the park's "Main Street." The Gracey Tower of Terror has also been cut and replaced. Once I'm done with Terrorland, we'll be diving right into the park itself, so that will better establish a sense of location in the soon-to-be Magic Kingdom.

Update coming soon, folks!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Since you heard the sad news is there going to be a tribute Stan Lee either in one of the windows of Main Street and/or Marvel area?

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Since you heard the sad news is there going to be a tribute Stan Lee either in one of the windows of Main Street and/or Marvel area?

Of course. There is no longer a complete Marvel area, but there will be attractions.

**********

The Screening Room​

The normal portraits in the Screening Room have been taken down for cleaning and replaced with warm Victorian etchings of a 19th Century Christmas. As always, the movie screen is the main focal point, whilst the chandeliers and statues of Egyptian gods appear trailed in lush garland, holly and wreaths. The music continues as our Ghost Host leads on…

“Welcome, my friends to our Christmas delight! Come witness a ghoulishly glorious sight. It’s time for our holiday tale to begin. There’s no turning back now… Please, come all the way in.

Our holiday tale is a tale that’s quite charming. But during this season, it’s sometimes alarming! So relax and reflect, feel free to take pause, while we tell you a tale about dear Sandy Claws…” ​

The new portraits include: a beautiful Christmas Tree; children in pajamas climbing down a garland-draped staircase; old-fashioned toys - tin soldiers, a baby doll, sailboat, teddy bear and jack-in-the-box; a kindly grandmother holding a cookie sheet; a smiling Ebenezer Scrooge carrying Tiny Tim; a beautiful woman in a “Santa-trim” dress and holding a parasol.

A macabre servant of Gracey Manor bids one final world of friendly warning… “To see how Jack has wrecked our halls, kindly drag your bodies away from the walls and into the dead center of the room…” Suddenly, the panel slides shut, sealing us into the rectangular space. Without warning, the entire room is cast into darkness, save for an eerie blue glow that flutters around the chamber… The ceiling, walls, statues and portraits have all begun to “stretch,” the screen now flickering in a dim, but "merry" light… A dramatic (but festive) underscore of strings and a macabre children’s choir fills the air in a dramatic crescendo of Halloween and Christmas spirit - together at last.

​

​

The portraits - cast in an eerie light - elongate to reveal the comically grim fate of their seasonal subjects. The statues, with their eyes aglow, appear now as soaring giants, the ceiling not far behind them. The screen portrays grotesque imagery of a Halloween-skewed Christmas - demented toys, screaming children, foul treats, glowing pumpkins - the Ghost Host continues:

“‘Twas the nightmare before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was peaceful not even a mouse. The stockings all hung by the chimney with care when opened that morning would cause such a scare! The children nestled all snug in their beds would have nightmares of monsters and skeleton heads! (Laughs)”​

Skulls rise toward the ceiling and screen with a crescendo of a familiar “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” Lightning flashes and ghostly children shriek. The screen suddenly rips in half to reveal Sandy Claws himself: Jack Skellington. The monstrous image of Jack waves with a hearty “Happy holidays, everyone!” He wildly cackles for a moment, only to vanish in a wisp of colored smoke. The silhouette of a corpse is seen dangling briefly from a hangman’s noose. The lights wink out, and a shrill scream fills the air.

At the scene’s conclusion, a panel in the wall beneath the now-decimated screen slides open to reveal one large, dimly lit chamber.

The portraits - once fully elongated - reveal a beautiful Christmas Tree consumed by a ravenous, orange and black snake; children in pajamas climbing down a garland-draped staircase, unaware the grotesque “One Hiding Under the Stairs” awaits beneath with blackened candy canes; old-fashioned toys are directly mirrored - upside down - by evil toys - zombie soldiers, a possessed doll, an undead duck, vampire teddy bear and jack-o-lantern-in-the-box; a kindly grandmother holds a cookie sheet of restless, zombified gingerbread men; a smiling Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim are pulled by Oogie Boogie into his underground funhouse; a beautiful woman in a “Santa-trim” dress and holding a parasol stands on a frayed tightrope above the jagged teeth of a HUGE man-eating wreath.

**********
​

More to come. Please share feedback!

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

**********

The Funeral Parlor

​

“Now, hurry along, as they say, ‘Look alive!’ This is one holiday you will want to survive! (Laughs) And now a dark carriage will take you away. Sit back, rest in peace, in your black Christmas sleigh. Your sleigh will accommodate one or two more. We hope you’re prepared for what Jack has in store… ”​

The Screening Room exits into an oddity for any home: a Funeral Parlor. An enormous picture window looks onto a sinister, moonlit landscape caught in the midst of a violent blizzard. Snow falls amid the brilliant flashes of lightning. The chamber is filled with coffins and caskets of all manner and design, each wrapped and displayed as if they were some morbid Christmas gift. The traditional Victorian décor has been swapped for a more “unique” taste - decayed harvest garland lined with black ribbon, thorns, berries and skulls. Orange Christmas lights illuminate the eerie shadow that surrounds our path.

The coffins just out of our reach house a few familiar fiends, namely the Vampire Bros. of Halloween Town. Their coffins sporadically open and close to reveal a quick gag; the Prince holds a funeral wreath; the Baron hangs upside down with a petrified doll; the Lord wears a party hat and holds a sickly lollipop; the Count holds a candle and a sign that reads “Free Slay Rides.”

​

Holiday portraits hang throughout, the subject of each transforming into a nightmarish image with each flash of lightning - a jolly snowman melts into a hideous “pumpkinman”; the foreboding Gracey Manor transforms into a snowy, holiday delight; Santa and his reindeer are swapped for Jack and his skeleton deer, led by Zero; Sally holds a miniature Christmas Tree, only to foresee fire and despair… Before us: a “boundless realm of mist and decay.” The strange, cloud-shrouded landscape illuminates an endless train of black Christmas sleighs - our Doom Buggy. A supernatural choir and orchestra gently underscore our holiday tour. We board a sleigh of our own. The Funeral Parlor now well behind us, our Ghost Host continues:

“Don’t pull down the bar, it will float down with ease. And keep a close watch on all children - please. All good ghouls and boys must sit safe in their seats, and keep in their sleigh all hands, arms, legs or feets.”​

​

Our sleigh travels beneath a landing where Scary Teddy, the unofficial mascot of Winter Terrorland, pops out from a box amid oversized packages and sinister decorations. Even the antique chandelier that resembles a spider is decked in festive lights. The grotesque One Under the Stairs lurks in the shadow beneath the landing, his glowing eyes fixated on passers-by.

The Hall of the Arts
​

The music carries well into a fluorescent corridor before us, a rather sinister collection of macabre art and hideous decorations; giant, possessed nutcrackers opening and closing their fangs, glowing jack-o-lanterns, light-strung cobwebs; the portraits, however steal the show with their eerie, glowing eyes that follow our every move; the subjects being residents of Halloween Town, of course.

​

The Wolfman lurks from within an oversized gift box; the Mayor reads from a “Naughty or Nice” List; the Zombie Band butchers a holiday carol; Mr. Hyde and his miniature clones make a “self-Christmas Tree”; the Harlequin Demon stares down a gift-wrapped snake; Dr. Finklestein discovers a festive elixir; Undersea Gal decorates a tree of seaweed; Lock, Shock and Barrel display vile decorations; the Clown holds his favorite fruitcake; the Witches stir a cauldron of glowing, ethereal eggnog; Jack and Sally embrace on a snow-capped Spiral Hill, the only portrait not to follow our every move.

“Jack Skellington came here from Halloween Town. You’ll notice his handiwork scattered around. This year he’s decided to play Sandy Claws, but when Halloween creates Christmas, you might see a few flaws…”

The Endless Hallway

“More rapid than vultures, the Mansion was changed. All was soon covered, adorned and deranged. And what to your wondering eyes disappears? It’s Jack’s little friend, Zero, the ghost dog-reindeer!” ​

A familiar bark shatters a chill in the air. Our sleigh points down what appears to be an endless hallway, now framed with ribbons and garland of bones. Down this corridor to infinity, the cheerful Zero floats gracefully toward his holiday treat - a pile of delicious bones tied with a bow. The faint moans and cries for help of the usual Mansion ghosts intersperse the barking. The large armchair has been replaced by a monstrous vase of crooked poinsettias. The taxidermied grizzly bear has been wrapped in flickering lights.

The Library

“Yes, down through the chimney Jack flew like a bat, clutching his magical Sandy Claws sack. He ripped open the sack and, in moments it seems, created a Christmas you have in bad dreams.”​

Our sleigh sharply rotates forward and into the private library of Gracey Manor. The normal posters in portrayal of Roland Gracey’s film career are no more. In their place, three windows look to the stormy sky beneath a shimmering harvest moon. Jack and his coffin sleigh (sans Zero) soar past, wildly cackling. The library is filled from floor to ceiling by shelves lined with hundreds upon thousands of books - all ghost stories, of course. Phantom hands pull books from shelves. A ladder slides to and fro as an unseen force searches for some late night reading. And among the shelves, those ubiquitous marble busts glare at us as our sleigh moves past, dimly lit by a twinkling strand or orange lights. The chained Ghost of Jacob Marley materializes, chains and all. The transparent fiend floats in mid-air as he decorates a spinning tree of floating books. Nearby, the cloaked Ghost of Christmas Future has also materialized, reading Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with a grinning Scary Teddy.

​

The Ghost of Christmas Future and Jacob Marley both materialize from A Christmas Carol, a sly nod to the original pitch for a Haunted Mansion overlay, circa 1999. Whilst the Ghost of the Future is a faceless, black robe with skeletal hands, the Ghost of Marley is a variation on a Marc Davis original; a twist on the unused “Burning Miser” portrait, featured in the Mansion’s usual “Sinister 11.”

The Vault​

The blueprints for Jack’s “skeleton deer” bid a fond welcome as we pull into Dr. Finklestein’s makeshift laboratory. The private vault of Roland Gracey has been temporarily converted into a scene out of Frankenstein with whirring contraptions, buzzing electrodes and bubbling potions. Finklestein himself tinkers at the mechanism of a giant, mutated Robert the Robot*. The good doctor opens his head for a quick “brain scratch.” Meanwhile, Igor, Finklestein’s hunchback assistant fiddles with an extension cord, frequently electrocuted as a result. The Burtonesque robot, standing seven feet in height, flickers to life before quickly shutting down. Fortunate news for our safety…

​

*The famous Robert the Robot is given the Halloween Town treatment; yellow eyes with ballpoint pupils.

**********​

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

First and foremost, a very Happy Thanksgiving (early) to all of my faithful readers! For without you, this thread would not exist. I can't think of all names off the top of my head, but @DisneyManOne, @Pionmycake, @spacemt354, @orlando678-, @S.P.E.W, and anyone I might have missed, thank you for everything!

**********​

The Grand Staircase

​

Our sled ascends the nightmarish “Endless Staircase.” The music changes from a slow and mournful carol to that of “Kidnap the Sandy Claws,” performed by an unseen harpsichord and children’s choir. To the left and right of the main staircase, additional flights of stairs float illogically, leading nowhere, illuminated by flickering candelabra and twinkling garland. Glowing green footsteps meander up and down the stairs. A familiar laugh rings out. The silhouette of Oogie Boogie slithers throughout the chamber in all manner of direction and expression, perhaps the source of these green footsteps. His silhouette is cast on one door, then another, until finally, his grinning shadow appears on an overhead harvest moon before transforming into the shape of a Christmas Tree. Odd, considering we are technically indoors… Or are we?

Having reached the top of the Grand Staircase, we enter a short, gloomy corridor in which glowing eyes stare from the shadow; the eyes glow green and red. Huge cobwebs house equally huge spiders aloft in their tomb of webbing, lit by mangled strands of orange bulbs. A few frightened bugs in gift-wrapped cages (addressed to Oogie) tremble at the omnipresent laugh of the approaching Bogeyman… Another familiar voice erupts from the shadow: it’s Sandy Claws, in person, bound and tied to a large web. Old St. Nick pleads and barters for his freedom: “B-but there must be some mistake! Haven’t you heard of ‘Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward Men’? Where am I? This can’t be happening!”

The glowing eyes blink and study our Doom Buggy, slowly revealing themselves to be coming from behind the iconic, purple-and-black wallpaper…

The Music Room

(/\ Skip to 5:22 to hear part of the harpsichord arrangement) ​

Our sleigh glides backward and into the garland-strung Music Room, where a frantic harpsichord arrangement of “Kidnap the Sandy Claws” fills the air. A dust-covered piano sits in the center of the room, playing by itself. Or so it seems… Bright moonlight streams through a picture window, casting a shadow of the pianist onto the floor. Scary Teddy makes its perch from a music stand, conducting the pianist with a candy cane baton. The expansive window looks into a moonlit, snow-capped forest, providing an appropriately “merry” backdrop for the scene. A small Christmas Tree sits on the piano. The otherwise dead vase of funeral flowers has come alive, budding with chomping fangs and yellow eyes in a hectic choral of “Kidnap the Sandy Claws.” The hapless corpse inside the piano still attempts his escape, desperately trying to pry open the lid. The pianist slams the lid shut before continuing his performance. A coffin-shaped tag on the piano reads “Do not open ‘til Christmas!

The Corridor of Doors​

“A man-eating plant makes a wonderful wreath… As long as you don’t get caught in its teeth.”

​

The spirits begin to grow more restless and make their presence known as our sleigh turns down the long Corridor of Doors. Doorknobs and handles twist and turn every which way, each door capped by a festive skull & crossbones. Unseen presences pound unmercifully on doors from the other side. Otherworldly creatures snarl, growl, howl, shriek, laugh, moan, and groan, dying for escape. One door appears to breathe, bulging out as a powerful force acts upon it from within the room. Another door even has the face and hands of a tortured soul pressing against the wood, bulging out in a perfect outline. Dreary, post-mortem “family photos” line the walls… A monstrous arm bursts through one final door in a relentless attempt to break it open. Perhaps most frightening of all, we catch the visage of a sorrowful female spirit, wildly pounding from behind the glass of an ornate mirror…

Notably, huge tendril-like vines have overtaken the hallway from floor-to-ceiling. The singing plants continue their unholy “Fa-La-La-La’s” as we look up into the piercing gaze of a giant, fanged wreath, the granddaddy of all floral arrangements. The monstrous plant gnashes its fangs and stares in every direction, its claw-like vines enveloping the chandeliers. Its small, menacing flowers continue to sing and chomp threateningly. The wreath is so large in fact, we have traveled through its mouth… Let that detail sink in.

As we depart the frightening Corridor, we pass an ornate grandfather clock that is perpetually struck on thirteen. The clock is swept in garland and addressed as a gift from Sandy Claws to Madame Leota. A number of odd packages surround the demon clock as the shadow of a claw scrapes by…

“Jack’s holiday vision was unlike no other, so ring out the bells, there’s more cheer to uncover!”​

The Séance Circle
​

With the thirteen chimes of the grandfather clock still ringing in the air, we enter the dark Séance Circle, an eerie sanctum in which an age-old holiday ritual is taking place. A mist-filled crystal ball floats high above a table littered with tarot cards and strung in garland. Scary Teddy sits perched atop a chair directly behind the table, gleefully ringing handbells. A large, ancient tome, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, rests on a nearby bookstand, opened to a spell that summons those spirits trapped in a winter storm. A festive tree made of fortune cards offers a wintery flare to the otherwise gloomy chamber. Colored lanterns and giant tarot cards replace the normal instruments found soaring through the air. In all corners of the room, a statue of the Central European Krampus has been added. Garland laced with candles connects from each statue to the next, link-by-link, claw-by-claw.

As we continue our slow circle around the table, we finally meet our medium, the disembodied spirit of Madame Leota, trapped in the crystal ball. Behind Leota, Lock, Shock and Barrel press against a large window, dying to get in. Leota recites a holiday incantation:

“On the 13th day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me:
13 rings of power, embracing strength that never ends…
12 signs of the zodiac, that rule the future and transcend…
11 candles floating, their scent of mystery in the air…
10 telling tea leaves, that swirled with secrets yet to share…

On the 9th day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me:
9 magic crystals, that sparkled with a force that is pure…
8 balls of knowledge, that answer with a truth that is sure…
7 pearls of wisdom, to keep my love bewitched to me…
6 mystic mirrors, reflecting futures yet to be…

On the 5th day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me:
5 lucky charms, to understand the right from wrong…
4 wheels of fortune, to spin their rich and golden song…
3 lifelines, extending helps to those in need…
2 passion potions, that love and romance may succeed…

On the first day of Christmas, my ghoul love gave to me:
A star! A brilliant star for my fortune card tree!” ​

The giant tarot cards portray characters of Halloween Town in depiction of Leota’s incantation. For instance, Oogie Boogie displays the “four wheels of fortune,” whilst the Vampire Bros. portray the “6 mystic mirrors.” Kim Irvine, daughter of the original Madame Leota (Leota Toombs), bears a startling resemblance to her mother. So Kim performed Madame Leota’s eerie incantations as her mother had done more than fifty years earlier. Now mother and daughter are forever united, working together to create the magic of Madame Leota.

The Grand Hall

“With some treats and some games, you can make a scene merry. Why, even a gingerbread house could seem scary! All at once, happy haunts did materialize, like a nightmarish painting by Currier & Ives.” ​

​

Now well beyond the Séance, we catch brief glimpse of a peculiar sight from beyond a second-floor window… Down below, a hearse has arrived at the Mansion, filled with pumpkins and presents. A calm snow has covered the estate. Magically, the once barren scene is stocked with a procession of spooks in line for a so called “Christmas Party.” A spectral butler in a Santa hat reads from a list as one spirit after the next floats out of the occupied hearse, each holding a present or jack-o-lantern.

We then enter a spectacular, panoramic view of the aptly named Grand Hall.

​

The Grand Hall is the scene of the ultimate Christmas Party. A haunted, anthropomorphic gingerbread house has overtaken the banquet table, plunging forks into terrified gingerbread men with its hulking claws; other gingerbread men already trapped in the dessert’s cavernous mouth… An enormous Christmas Tree - dead, as you might expect from Jack Skellington - decorates the middle of the dance floor. The dead evergreen is littered with skulls, jack-o-lanterns, candles and spiders, whilst a skeleton arm holds the ethereal star on top. Odd presents and a demon train circle the base of the tree, anxiously awaiting Christmas Day - unless they grow hungry… Zero hovers near the top of the tree, playing chicken with the pistol-wielding duelists. Brilliant lightning flashes reveal the silhouettes of Jack and Sally from behind a balcony window (presumably with a sprig of mistletoe). Couples waltz the night away (through the tree) as a mad organist - in his outrageous Santa hat - plays a demented “Carol of the Bells” in a frantic waltz and choral spectacular. The pipe organ is decked in garland and jack-o-lanterns.

​

Elsewhere, a group of otherworldly revelers have gathered at the banquet table to celebrate the spirit of the season. The guests slowly fade in and out of sight, seemingly in time with the hostess’s repeated attempts to blow out the candles on a Jack Skellington-face cake. Other swinging specters enjoy spirits of a different kind while sitting atop an ornate chandelier high above the table. Wispy wraiths and skeleton deer fly in and out of the room through the upper windows as lightning flashes behind them, and that same slew of ghostly guests from before pour in from a door outside the hall, eager to join the fun.

The entire ballroom is decorated in a spectacle of lights and garland. Nothing here was forgotten… Even some twisted stockings have been hung by the chimney with (s)care. The fireplace mantel is covered in grinning jack-o-lanterns, namely one in resemblance of Jack Skellington. Meanwhile, the Clown-with-the-Tearaway-Face rides his unicycle on the opposite-facing banister. The horrific Melting Man warms (and melts) himself by the fire. Mr. Hyde and his miniature clones stand near the organ, singing from “Scarol” books.

The Clockwork Room

​

“A bag full of toys Jack had slung on his back… They were strange and bizarre - hmm, hmm - and on the attack!”​

The film’s signature song, “What’s This?,” fills the air as our sleigh enters the dark and dusty attic, which is overflowing with colorfully bedecked Christmas presents just waiting for Sandy Claws to deliver them to all the good boys and ghouls. This mechanized clockwork room is the perfect spot for Jack to hide a few toys and presents until Christmas Eve, though some of the more eager gifts have already unwrapped themselves…

Most of the old familiar junk has been cleared in favor of the creepy gifts and toys, from some of which leap a giant skull, a jack-o-lantern-in-the-box, and an oversized cat. Black light and the screams of children permeate the space, and the ominous atmosphere is underscored by the low rumble of the dismal clock tower, gears and cogs turning in every which way. The usual antique dolls, clowns, harlequin toys and ventriloquist dummy still haunt the clutter. Bats madly flutter. Jack’s huge Naughty-or-Nice List spans the width of the entire chamber, draped over the boxes and abandoned artifacts. Of course, the names on the list pay tribute to the creative team behind Winter Terrorland…

​

One “pop-up” toy after the next transition into our encounter with a gargantuan, black-and-orange snake chowing down on the aforementioned list. The snake’s tail is coiled into a Christmas Tree on one end of the room, while its head on the other side stands in place of the infamous Bride. Other toys include an undead duck bloodied with bullets; a monstrous train on tentacle tracks; a basket of lit dynamite; a ghoulish Pinocchio wielding an axe; a baby doll possessed by a demon; a petrified rocking horse; a tiny Oogie Boogie crashing cymbals; zombie tin soldiers in combat with an undead Mouse King; a twisted ballerina; a dolly hung by a noose; and, locked in a birdcage, Dan Dan the Gingerbread Man of Tim Burton’s Hansel & Gretel (pictured above).

As we turn the final bend of the Clockwork Room, we come face-to-skull with the wayward ghost of Master Roland Gracey, fully materialized. He leans on a cane with his right hand and holds a ribbon-topped hatbox in his left - and that’s where the fun begins. In a mesmerizing moment, Gracey’s deathly pate disappears from his body, reappears in the hatbox, and then returns to his body, leaving the hatbox empty. Gracey is revealed: the legendary Hatbox Ghost. Of course, in the spirit of tricks and treats, Gracey dons holly at the rim of his hat.

**********​

 

[spacemt354]

Happy Thanksgiving, MEW! - will take a longer look into this elaborate attraction lineup when I get back in a few weeks!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Will Dan Dan incessantly insist that the riders eat him?

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Will Dan Dan incessantly insist that the riders eat him?

You mean like, "If you want my body, and you think I'm tasty... Finish me!"?

Nope, he'll be silent. Lol.

 

[DisneyManOne]

You mean like, "If you want my body, and you think I'm tasty... Finish me!"?

Nope, he'll be silent. Lol.

Really? I was reading through the Wikipedia page on that article, when I came upon that part: "The mobile drops what appears at first to be a large lump of dough which emerges from behind the boy as a creepy clown-like gingerbread man named Dan Dan. Dan Dan insists that Hansel eat him and begins driving Hansel crazy with his incessant screaming on the matter." And my first thought was "Oh my gosh, that would fit so perfectly with a Christmas-themed spookhouse ride!"

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Really? I was reading through the Wikipedia page on that article, when I came upon that part: "The mobile drops what appears at first to be a large lump of dough which emerges from behind the boy as a creepy clown-like gingerbread man named Dan Dan. Dan Dan insists that Hansel eat him and begins driving Hansel crazy with his incessant screaming on the matter." And my first thought was "Oh my gosh, that would fit so perfectly with a Christmas-themed spookhouse ride!"

Granted, a lot of the toys featured in Hansel & Gretel will cameo throughout the clockwork room (though not mentioned in the ride-through). I'd rather keep him silent because his whole character is a bit, um...adult? Lol. It's super "over kids' heads" if you know what I mean lol.

I was in Germany back in 2014 when someone finally uploaded Hansel & Gretel to YouTube, which was, at the time, considered a "lost film." Despite this myth, it had been shown at the traveling Tim Burton exhibition for a few years prior, complete with its original introduction by Vincent Price. It didn't receive widespread notice until it made its way to YouTube. The film was paired with Vincent and aired only once or twice on Halloween back in the '80s on the then new Disney Channel. It was never aired again apart from that one Halloween. Only Vincent would go on as a special feature on The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD. Hansel & Gretel was introduced by freakin' Vincent Price to put it into perspective.

Anyhow, the moral of the story is, I awoke in my hotel room in Germany to find it in my recommended videos. Of course I watched. Boy, was I disturbed. What's even weirder is, the next day our bus drove to Prague in the Czech Republic where the Tim Burton exhibition was on display. We visited to find Hansel & Gretel playing in a room painted entirely in black and white stripes.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Man, this took forever to finish. At the very least, once I've simmered down from this update, I'll be able to move on and start doing actual updates of the park itself. Stay tuned.

The Graveyard

“Sandy Claws worked his magic, both outside and in, but one final touch made his bony face grin. Now what better gift on my friends to bestow, than a graveyard that’s covered in ghostly white snow!” ​

Past the eerie visage of the Hatbox Ghost, our sleigh “falls” out an attic window, all under the evil laughter of Scary Teddy perched in a nearby tree, wildly chewing on a strand of lights. Snowflakes tumble from the sky where ghosts once rose from their crypts, and orange lights, icicles and paper skeletons adorn the once barren trees. The Graveyard is blanketed in ghostly white snow, where playful spooks are busy making their own unique Christmas trees. The vast plot is also home to a re-creation of the Halloween Town graveyard’s landmark Spiral Hill, one of Tim Burton’s most iconic designs. The frosted hill is covered in grinning jack-o-lanterns flickering in time with the merry music.

​

A full-sized Audio-Animatronic figure of Jack Skellington in his blood-red Sandy Claws suit stands at the cemetery gates, the loyal Zero by his side. “It’s Christmas! Have you been good this year? Ho, ho, ho! I think I like this Christmas thing. See, Zero! I told you they would like my Christmas! Fruitcake, anyone? Ho, ho, ho! I really outdid myself this time! Look at all the happy faces! Seasons greetings, everyone! Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, hee, hee, hee… It’s Christmas time! Welcome to my Christmas delight! Look Zero, I think they like our Christmas. Have you been naughty or nice? I have a special present, just for you… Happy holidays, everyone! What’s your name? C’mon, don’t be shy!”

​

Snow dusts every last tombstone, crypt and mausoleum, some even wrapped in cheery ribbons and bows. The ghosts cross all boundaries of time and space, joined now by the odd resident(s) of Halloween Town. First we encounter a band of medieval minstrels in their macabre rendition of “Jolly Old St. Nicholas.” The minstrels are joined by three familiar freaks - Halloween Town’s zombie band. Halloween Town’s own Wolfman howls at the moon in place of the transparent hellhound. Nearby, a trio of Lonesome Ghost lookalikes eagerly await a mug of fresh brew - two transparent witches (ghost witches, respectively) stir a bubbling green elixir in their black cauldron, joined now by Halloween Town’s “living” witches. In the distance, a grim quartet of decayed skeletons begin to reanimate and rattle to a “Skeleton Dance” of their own. Of course, the minstrels would be unimpressive without the frightful vocals of “The Phantom Five,” now a gay quintet of living jack-o-lanterns. The warbling pumpkins sing a macabre arrangement of “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” “We Wish You a Merry (Scary) Christmas,” and “What’s This?”

​

Continuing on, we find a properly paranormal English tea party. Huge snow angels with jack-o-lantern heads span the cemetery path, their icicle-claws gripped onto massive trumpets. Victorian spooks enjoy a chorus with a game of chess and a spot of tea alongside a cozy, crashed hearse decorated in twinkling lights and garland. A skeleton deer hovers close-by with a tray of teacups, whilst a number of wraiths on bicycles chase another deer in circles around a dead Christmas Tree. Another tree, made of bones and teacups illuminates the macabre party, decorated by Halloween Town’s “adorable” Corpse Kid and Winged Demon; Corpse Dad and Corpse Mom look on proudly, holding hideous gifts.

The former, now deceased mayor of Hollywood tips his hat - and his head - in a holiday greeting, joined by Halloween Town’s own two-faced Mayor. “How horrible our Christmas will be!” An Egyptian mummy sits upright in his sarcophagi wearing a twisted Santa hat, desperately trying to entertain a befuddled old man with an ear-horn (also in a Santa hat); the one-eyed Mummy Boy and Cyclops (of Halloween Town) listen nearby. Suddenly, gunfire! A masked bandit and his sheepish mule (both ghosts) attempt their getaway with stolen gifts - the cowardly ghost of a rival sheriff hiding behind an obelisk ‘cross the cemetery, seldom firing back.

A flapper of the Roaring ‘20s enjoys a spot of tea with the chained ghost of a former convict and the bizarre Harlequin Demon in his “delightful” rat-hat. In the open coffin below, Undersea Gal holds a ribbon-capped fishbowl inhabited by a skeletal fish. A former pirate captain raises a pint o’ grog in toast of the Christmas celebration, joined by an incredibly short Viking perched on a small tombstone. Their tree is built from ship-oars, pirate flags and buried treasure. A presumably drowned flight attendant (assuming from the life-jacket) sings solo to the sight of a big game hunter and phantom tiger - the hunter’s pants grasped in the tiger’s maw. The spectacular Hanging Tree - complete with (five) skeletons hung by nooses - stands in the background, all six joining in song. Of course, the huge tree is strung in Christmas lights and icicles. The transparent phantom of Krampus, the “anti-Santa” joins the party, a bag full of skulls slung on his back.

​

All throughout the Graveyard, the hideous pop-up ghosts have donned themselves in gay apparel - a Santa hat each. Their horrific screams are swapped in favor of demented “Ho, Ho, Ho’s!” A headless knight, executioner and tiny prisoner sing “backup” for a pair of opera singers dressed as Vikings, the duo madly warbling in time with the music. It truly isn’t over ‘til the fat lady sings… Nearby, the occupant of a brick tomb attempts to seal himself within his gift-wrapped crypt. Lock, Shock and Barrel decorate the tomb as it were their Christmas Tree, precariously stacked on one another’s shoulders. Barrel stands at the top, placing a crooked star on the roof.

The Exit Crypt​

“As Jack sprang to his sleigh, three hitchhikers he spied… They said, ‘Sandy Claws, may we please have a ride?’ But Jack waved goodbye, for he could not stay - he had much to deliver before Christmas Day!” ​

Scary Teddy puts in one last appearance, playing a miniature trumpet under the festive lights. The red-eyed Rat - the usual Mansion mascot - remains near Teddy atop the giant stone crypt, holding a gifted candy cane and wearing a miniature Santa hat. We then come face-to-face with the Mansion’s most popular characters: the Hitchhiking Ghosts. A festive banner above reads: “We Wish You a Scary Christmas!” Surrounding our beloved hitchhikers are hideous packages, spider-web-snowflakes, and evil toys galore.

​

From left to right, Phineas is the large ghost dressed like the regal Ghost of Christmas Present; Ezra is the tall, bony ghost tipping his hat dressed in a manner similar to Ebenezer Scrooge; Gus is the short ghost with a bushy beard, currently dressed like a Christmas elf. Our sleigh pulls deeper into the Crypt, passing a series of ornate mirrors enveloped in the mouths of fanged wreaths. We soon learn that one of the three ghosts has hitched a ride and is seated with us.

The image in the mirror is a remarkable variation on a 2011 addition to the Walt Disney World Mansion. The digital image is not of a subtle 3D cartoon, but instead of a more “realistic,” 3D approach. The portrayed interactivity is much creepier in tone; less cartoonish and more bewitching. The skeletal Ezra climbs over the top of the vehicle in a last minute attempt to hitch a ride home. Phineas mysteriously appears between passengers, throwing his arms around anyone close-by. And convict Gus floats overhead, dropping an uncomfortable load of evil toys on the passengers below.

“May Jack’s ghostly Christmas now follow you home, and stay in your heart where'er you may roam. For now you know what happens when holidays meet - you might get a trick, or a holiday treat… Mwahahaha!” ​

​

A peculiar sign urges our return to the “World of the Living.” A scattered snow drift gives even this dark depository a holiday glow, as do the few jack-o-lanterns grinning out from the empty vaults. Since departed from our sleigh, we embark on an uphill climb to an old crypt, but not before we catch glimpse of one final spirit: Sally. A sorrowful, almost chantlike version of “We Wish You a Scary Christmas” fills the air. Sally beckons for the return of Sandy Claws to the Haunted Mansion, the silhouette of Jack and his coffin sleigh riding past on the shimmering harvest moon… With a deep, gravelly laugh ringing in our ears, we continue back and out into the relative safety of Hollywoodland.

“Hurry back! Hurry back!
Be sure to bring your Sandy Claws sack!
I’ll be waiting to open my Christmas present…
Hurry back! Hurry back…”

“Merry Christmas, one and all!”

“Thank you, Sandy Claws, for bringing your cheer.
Please hurry back, we can’t wait till next year.
And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight…”

“This world will not forget my Christmas night! Hahaha!”​

********** ​

Memento Mori Cemetery

“Remember You Must Die”

​

Stepping outside, we find ourselves beyond but not far from Jack’s Winter Terrorland, a dense necropolis of sorrow and spectacle, the finely decorated Memento Mori Cemetery. The ethereal wind of an ancient boneyard is oft-too broken by the festively macabre music of an unseen orchestra. The once deserted cemetery is now filled with jack-o-lanterns of all manner and design; 113 to be exact. Even some familiar headstones of Halloween Town have made the move to Memento Mori, namely those seen throughout “Jack’s Lament.”

​

There isn’t a soul in sight - only the inhabitants of this bizarre, supernatural playground. The eroded and dilapidated crypts, tombs and monuments sharply contrast with the color and light of the grinning jack-o-lanterns and decayed garland. First we encounter the dysfunctional and sinister Dread Family: big-game hunter Bertie, honorable Aunt Florence, greedy Uncle Jacob, conniving Cousin Maude, and the spookiest twins since The Shining, Wellington and Forsythia. Each killed off one of the others in a plot to inherit the family fortune, and each monument - a bust in their comic likeness - features an epitaph and a cryptogram that offer a clue as to who killed whom. The stone visage of the Grim Reaper himself looks to the entrance of the Gracey Family plot. The rusted gates hang askew from their hinges, half-sunken in the earth, wrapped in garland. A vast collection of stone coffins and cracked tombstones mark the overgrown gardens and crooked pavement.

ROLAND GRACEY
LAID TO REST
NO MOURNING
PLEASE
AT HIS REQUEST
1900 - 1935

EMILY HUTCH
“AS LONG AS WE
BOTH SHALL LIVE”
1909 - 1935 ​

In this oldest part of the cemetery, we find the plot of two servants:

JASPER JONES
Loyal Manservant, Died 1933
“Kept the Master Happy”

ANNA JONES
Faithful Chambermaid, Died 1934
“Kept the Master Happier” ​

​

All throughout the family plot lie the tombs of various citizens and relatives…

Mary Murphy, 1901 - 1929, “Til Death…

Frank Ballard, 1888 - 1929, ...Do Us Part.”

Ma Ballard, 1850 - 1929, “Over My Dead Body”

IN MEMORY OF
OUR PATRIARCH
DEAR DEPARTED
Grandpa Marc
1818 - 1918

At Peaceful Rest Lies
BROTHER CLAUDE
PLANTED HERE
BENEATH THIS SOD

DEAR DEPARTED
BROTHER DAVE
HE CHASED A BEAR
INTO A CAVE

HERE RESTS
WATHEL R. BENDER
HE RODE TO GLORY
ON A FENDER
Peaceful Rest

REQUIESCA
Chauncey Xavier
NO TIME OFF
FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR
RIP

FIRST LADY OF THE OPERA
OUR HAUNTING
Harriet
SEARCHED FOR A TUNE
BUT NEVER COULD CARRY IT

DRINK A TOAST TO
OUR FRIEND
Ken
FILL YOUR GLASS
AND DON’T SAY “WHEN”
December 31, 1899

A TRAIN
MADE A STAIN
OF ABSENT-MINDED
UNCLE BLAINE
REST IN PIECES

FAREWELL FOREVER,
Mister Frees
YOUR VOICE WILL CARRY
ON THE BREEZE
Hanged October 1, 1871

April 15, 1903
ELIZABETH MANN
LIVED AN OLD MAID
DIED AN OLD MANN

LORD ANTONIO BAXTER
Died April 12, 1892
A GLORIOUS MUSTACHE
HEAVEN BLESSED
NOW DEAD & ROTTEN,
STILL WELL DRESSED

HERBERT & MARY WEDD
Died 1864
QUARRELED AND FOUGHT
AS MAN AND WIFE
NOW SILENT TOGETHER
BEYOND THIS LIFE

VALENTINE
“The Boneless”
HERE LIE THE PIECES
OF A BROKEN MAN
December 2, 1893

“I Told You I Was Sick”

HAROLD “HOLLYWOOD”
Hanged October 13, 1897
Shot December 10, 1898
Stabbed June 28, 1899
Poisoned March 6, 1900
He’ll Be Back

JACQUES SHRILLMAN
LYNCHED BY A MOB
OF MUSIC LOVERS
“A Wrong Note Was His End”
January 18, 1925

Here Lies
LEADFOOT FRED
“Danced Too Slow
And Now He’s Dead”
1902 - 1926

DEADLY NIGHTSHADE

WITCH HAZEL

HEN BANE

(An Unmarked Monument Resembling “Ghostface”)

(Two Unmarked Monuments Resembling a Screaming Ghost & a Hideous Horse)

(An Unmarked, Twisted Demon Statue Poised to Pounce)
​

And on one end of the cemetery, at the confines of a dense forest, we find the makeshift, wooden grave markers of a circus tiger and his three victims:

November 13, 1895 - Breakfast Time
(A Clown)

November 13, 1895 - Lunch Time
(The Ringmaster)

November 13, 1895 - Dinner Time
(An Elephant)

November 13, 1915 - Striped with Happiness
After Years of Happy Hunting
(The Tiger)

​

One headstone, which bears the sculpted face of a beautiful young woman, reads:

DEAR SWEET LEOTA, BELOVED BY ALL,
IN REGIONS BEYOND NOW, BUT HAVING A BALL
​

Not entirely at peace, the sculpture frequently opens her eyes, watching passers-by as they proceed through the cemetery. This subtle but spooky detail sets an appropriately ominous tone for perhaps a “return visit” to Gracey Manor…

The wind carries our tour of the desolate Memento Mori to a favored spot among purported ghost and “wildlife” enthusiasts alike - a Pet Cemetery. Each grave marker in the Pet Cemetery is a sculpture or illustration in portrayal of the deceased; a beast of the field, sea or sky. Each “animal” wears a version of Jack’s iconic “bat-bow-tie.” Some new animals have also taken up residence…

​

FLYBAIT
“He Croaked”
August 9, 1869

OLD ROSIE
Finally Made It
To Hog Heaven
1919

In Memory of My Rat
Whom I Loved…
Now He Resides
In the Realms Above

FREDDIE
The Bat
1927
We’ll Miss You

LENORE
Our Raven
“Nevermore”

(An Unnamed Monkey clashing Cymbals)

(An Unnamed Cat surrounded by Birds)

BELOVED WADDLE
Little Waddle Saw the Truck
But Little Waddle Didn’t Duck
1928

FIFI
(A Crucifix made from Bones; a Poodle)

BOWSER
(A stone Doghouse with a Funeral Wreath)

Beloved Lilac
Big on Curiosity
Short on Common Scents
1917

OUR HEN
“Skimmer”
Shouldn’t Have
Visited the Neighbors
At Dinner

OUR SQUIRREL BUZZ
He Stopped To See
If The Cat Was There.
It Was.
July 17, 1915

SPARKY
(A Crucifix made of Bones; from Frankenweenie)

ZERO
(A Doghouse)

GOODBYE, KITTY
(In Resemblance of “Hello, Kitty”; only, Her Eyes are “X’s”)
​

Strangely, the Burial Crypt of Famous Villains is inaccessible for the holiday season. The Crypt is, in actuality, a direct passage into a large soundstage found beyond the Magic Kingdom. The Crypt functions as a queue for a seasonal Halloween Maze for “Disney’s Haunted Halloween” event, held each September - October, thus being open in an entirely different way throughout Winter Terrorland. The featured maze typically pertains to silent and classic horror: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu and Young Frankenstein. Fortunately, the Crypt reopens in January, remaining closed throughout November and December.

Anxious to leave the dark mysteries and prankish spirits of the Haunted Mansion behind, we briskly depart for the “World of the Living” and rejoin the bustle and color of Hollywoodland - but not before noticing the haunting figure of Roland Gracey glaring at us one last time from an upper-floor window…

**********​

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

First off, if you haven't read the Haunted Mansion and Haunted Mansion Winter Terrorland ride-throughs found on Page One & Page Two, please do so now. I would almost consider said ride-throughs a bigger passion project than the resort itself.

Second, if this is your first time checking out this thread - welcome! This has been a project in the making since March of 2016. Yep... This project is officially coming up on three years of design this coming March. In the past three years, we've been thru at least four or five drafts, multiple "do-overs," and countless readers from all generations of WDWMagic. Heck, I've worked three to four different jobs in the time this project has been around.

But this time - this is it. This is the quintessential Disneyland Australia. As always, feedback is most appreciated and truly keeps me going! So like, comment, subscribe (wait, this isn't YouTube), and enjoy the ride! This is it - the 100%, no take-backs, no turning back FINAL DRAFT. Huzzah!

**********

Disneyland Australia Resort

Version 5 - The Final Cut ​

​

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman ​

***

Inspired by:

“A Dream Called Walt Disney World” (1981), DisneyChris.com, ThemeParkTourist.com, Widen Your World, Ideal Build-Out, and Disneyland - The First Thirty Years

Dedicated to:

Walt Disney and his Original Imagineers ​

***

The Happiest Legacy on Earth

“If we can borrow some of the concepts of Disneyland and Disney World and Epcot, then indeed the world can be a better place.” -Ray Bradbury

​

​

Will Jones of the Minneapolis Tribune once wrote of Walt’s Disneyland, “If it’s an amusement park, it’s the gosh-darndest, most happily-inspired, most carefully-planned, most adventure-filled park ever conceived. No ride or concession in it is like anything in any other amusement park anywhere.”

Disneyland was never meant to portray the county fair or amusement park that Walt had known too well. It was instead to represent a “flight into a dimension beyond the reach of time.” The new concept in entertainment was that of a fabulous playground - a fairytale kingdom, a metropolis of the future, an untamed jungle - it was, above all, a place for people to find happiness and knowledge with a universal sense of communication and understanding.

“I don’t want the public to see the world they live in while they’re in Disneyland. I want them to feel like they’re in another world.” - Walt Disney​

“Disneyland really began,” Walt said, “when my two daughters were very young. Saturday was always ‘Daddy’s Day’ and I would take them to the merry-go-round and sit on a bench eating peanuts while they rode. And sitting there, alone, I felt that there should be something built, some kind of a family park where parents and children could have fun together.”

The 20-year dream of Disneyland welcomed its first visitors on July 17, 1955. Since then, Walt’s first Magic Kingdom has grown into an entire family of parks and resorts, worldwide. The Disneyland Australia Resort has since carried the legacy of the original “Castle-Park” for a new generation of dreamers and believers. What once was an orange grove in Anaheim, California has since grown into the “Happiest Legacy on Earth.”

​

The crown jewel of the Disneyland Australia Resort is Disneyland Australia. An unprecedented design in theme park immersion, the nostalgic landmark was in representation not of the corporate synergy and chaos of the modern era, but instead of the same charm, imagination and nostalgia that had once made Walt’s Disneyland a living piece of art. Disneyland Australia was designed by a collaboration between Walt Disney Animation and Imagineering. Like Disneyland before it, this Magic Kingdom was built to encompass the aesthetic and design of an Animated Classic; Disneyland Australia “hugs and kisses you.”

The magic of dreams coming true begins as we explore the seven cardinal realms of Disneyland Australia:

World Bazaar

“World Bazaar is in celebration of the World’s People; a vibrant collage of culture, intrigue and the start of a glorious adventure. The travelers of many a tale have once stepped foot in this peculiar marketplace, where the sight of a magic carpet or fairytale castle are none too out of the ordinary. World Bazaar is an embrace of the World’s Diversity - its People, its Stories, and its Culture.”

Hollywoodland

“The Golden Age of a Hollywood ‘That Never Was.’ A fantastic vista into the world of high adventure, beautiful romance and fairytale magic. A tribute to the American Dream - a celebration of Tinseltown, not as a place on a map, but as a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine…”

Tomorrowland

“Technology - Transportation - Communication - Health. Tomorrowland is a vista into a world of wondrous ideas, signifying man’s achievements… A step into the future, with predictions of constructive things to come. Tomorrowland is a living blueprint of our future - a new frontier in science, adventure and ideals. The challenge of outer space, a ‘green’ future, and the hope for a peaceful and unified world…”

Discoveryland

“Discoveryland is the future ‘That Never Was’ - or could be. The past, present and future coexist among the kinetic towers, soaring spacecraft and alien creatures of this galactic starport. Discoveryland celebrates Man’s Quest through time to realize his fondest hopes and dreams for the future; here imagination gives birth to innovation; where ‘what man can conceive, man can achieve.’”

Fantasyland

“Here is the world of imagination, hopes and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, the age of chivalry, magic and make-believe are reborn - and fairy tales come true. Fantasyland is dedicated to the young and the young-at-heart - to those who believe that when you wish upon a star, your dreams do come true.” - Walt Disney

Westernland

“The Wild West is reborn in this cinematic portrayal of the American Frontier. The mythos of Pecos Bill and Davy Crockett establish the colorful drama and adventure of the Old West in the exciting days of the covered wagon and stagecoach… Westernland recalls the promise and allure of Manifest Destiny - the music and lore of the Hollywood Western - and the faith, courage and ingenuity of the pioneers who blazed the trails across America.”

Adventureland

“Here is adventure. Here is romance. Here is mystery. Tropical rivers - silently flowing into the unknown - Windswept tales of danger on the Seven Seas - the unbelievable splendor of exotic flowers… The eerie sound of the jungle - with eyes that are always watching… This is Adventureland.” ​

Presented here, for your enjoyment, is a magical, musical, and visual virtual tour of the “Happiest Place Down Under.” From this detailed essay, the casual “Armchair Imagineer” or Disney Nut might enjoy their own “E-Ticket” adventure in this would-be Magic Kingdom of the mind and imagination. I invite you to “come inside my mind” for a glimpse at the legacy of Walt in a bold vision of dreams and wishes all come true. So sit back, relax, and let your imagination run wild. This is the Disneyland Australia Resort…

The Esplanade

“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing… That it was all started by a mouse.” - Walt Disney

​

The Disneyland Australia Resort was once flat - no rivers, castles, mountains or forests - a mere 10,000 Acres of unkempt land, readied for a magical future. As a designer once recalled of Walt’s Disneyland, “When we began designing Disneyland, we looked at it just as we do a motion picture. We had to tell a story, or in this case a series of stories. In filmmaking, we develop a logical flow of events or scenes that will take our audience from point to point through a story.” Surely, the Disneyland Australia Resort would do the same. From the moment we enter the “theatre,” that is, the front gate, Scene One begins: The Esplanade.

(Photo from Yesterland.co​

The Esplanade is an accessible, spectacular port of transportation and travel. The air is filled with wonderful music of the Disney Canon. Lush gardens, fountains and trees set an inspired threshold to the Main Gate of our Magic Kingdom. Beyond it, a living showplace of beauty and magic filled with the accomplishments, joys and hopes of the world. North, we find Disneyland Australia; south, the Parking & Transportation Center; east, the Disney Boardwalk & Hotel District; west, the vacant plot of “Future Development.” The Monorail and MagicWay PeopleMover provide a simple, sophisticated method of transportation throughout the Resort. The elevated network, once thought to be that of science-fiction, can accommodate all guests, save those who wish to explore by foot. Hiking trails and a manmade wilderness look to the shore of Fantasy Lagoon, a 100-acre lake near the shore of the Boardwalk District. By day, real beaches and watersports; fishing, water skiing and parasailing. By night, an extraordinary transformation into a living collage of imagination and light in a fantastic World of Color.

​

A vivid tapestry of color, magic and imagination, World of Color is in tribute to the beloved animation and spirit of the Disney Studio. The romance, friendship and music of the past celebrate the nostalgia and magic of the future in this nighttime extravaganza. As the show’s extraordinary elements are woven into a kaleidoscope of color and imagination, the spectacle sweeps the surface of Fantasy Lagoon, a “free-to-the-public” pageant spanning almost a century in Disney Magic.

The Boardwalk & Hotel District is an eclectic collage of shopping, dining and recreation near the shore of Fantasy Lagoon. Inspired by the lakeside village of Lake Arrowhead, California, we find a quaint paradise tucked among the serenity of a secluded wild; a great forest of the Pacific Northwest amid the Australian Outback. As would a real wilderness town, the four seasons are always present; snow in the winter, autumn leaves in the fall.

​

The Boardwalk District is of an “historic” origin, inspired by the lost Pleasure Island of Walt Disney World. Meriweather Adam Pleasure, renown oceaneer, founded the former “Pleasure Lake Village” we visit today. As the legend goes, each building once held an operation of Pleasure in this “lakeside” retreat for world travelers. A storied plaque at the entrance to each locale recollects the former use of the hallowed ground.

Pleasure Lake Village
Founded 1915

G’day, Mate!

A living monument to “the wise fool, the mad visionary, the scoundrel, the scalawag, and the seeker of enjoyment,” Merriweather Adam Pleasure, who discovered Fantasy Lagoon and this inexplicable oasis in the spring of 1915. His success with Pleasure Island of Lake Buena Vista, Florida inspired him to craft a retreat for his closest comrades of the Australian Outback. Here they would discuss, discover and experiment in the exotic, the supernatural and the unexplainable.

Known as the Grand Funmeister, Pleasure vanished during his 1941 circumnavigation of the Antarctic. His daughter, Mary Sue, took over the Lake Village and its assets. Her management came to an end after an unfortunate run-in with the Australian Law in 1955; thereafter, the Pleasure Lake Village was abandoned.

In 2018, archaeologists uncovered the site and its remains, and as the same had been done with a rediscovered Pleasure Island in 1987, a large-scale reclamation project into Disney’s Boardwalk & Hotel District had begun. By 2020, the old Lake Village was reopened and dedicated to the life and legacy of the vanished rapscallion.

“Fun for All, and All for Fun”
Placed here by the Pleasure Lake Village Historical Society ​

​

In the foreground of Disneyland Australia and the vast Esplanade is the lavish and spectacular Disneyland Australia Hotel. An array of fountains, gardens and trees prelude a Victorian Hotel of the finest quality, service and hospitality. A “Grand Entrance” to Disneyland Australia, the beautiful retreat is of the same design and influence of Disneyland Paris’s own Disneyland Hotel. The 500-room Resort holds a spectacular and sentimental place in the heart of Visitors; it is often the first (and last) sight upon a day at the Magic Kingdom.

To offer shelter from the often harsh climate of Australia, the Disneyland Australia Hotel holds beneath it the turnstiles and ticket booths of the Main Gate, a trait shared with Disneyland Paris. Remarkably, the “enclosed” Main Gate is kept cool via the “hardest working air conditioner in show business.” While the beautiful Hotel might look into the Magic Kingdom just beyond, an occupant might not catch much glimpse past the tall clock tower of a familiar train station…

**********​

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Small-ish update today, but a fulfilling one nonetheless. If you're just joining us, please refer to Part One found on Page 2. As always, feedback is what keeps me going! Likes, comments, you name it.

Disneyland Australia

“I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”- Walt Disney


​

In the design of our Magic Kingdom, everything is a form of storytelling. We, the audience, will physically experience one adventure after the next, seldom as spectators, but almost always as “participants” in the drama. In contrast to the county fair or carnival known the world over, Disneyland Australia, or “DLA,” is a seamless, thematic epic. This perfect blend of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy is in favor of the wild animals, alien creatures, and storybook castles found beyond the Main Gate.

Inspired by the unrealized concept for “WESTCot Center” and the Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Australia is a remarkable design in immersion and focus on the Guest Experience. The idea sought to bring Walt Disney World and Disneyland into the 21st Century; the most detailed, fully realized theme park in history, rivaled only by that of Tokyo DisneySea.

“Many of us fondly remember our small hometown and its friendly way of life at the turn of the century. To me, this era represents an important part of our nation’s heritage. On Main Street we have endeavored to recapture those by-gone days.” - Walt Disney

​

“Scene Two” is World Bazaar, where a dramatic blend of architecture and “vision” from around the world fill the promise of our expected “Main Street.” Here is a collage of color, music, the exotic and the familiar; a marketplace of 1,001 Arabian Nights; a postcard of Italy’s Grand Canal; the bustle and light of old Manhattan. The adventure and discovery of James Cook, Lewis and Clark, Marco Polo, and Zheng He are retold amid the soaring towers and thatched merchant stalls of this patchwork marketplace; an avenue of mystery and beginning in a world of magic.

​

But remarkably, the entrance of World Bazaar and this Magic Kingdom, is not of the unfamiliar or the exotic. In fact, those familiar with Disneyland, U.S.A. or Hong Kong Disneyland might recognize the same clock tower and gingerbread-trim of the Fort Collins-inspired Main Street Station. World Bazaar Station is of the same design.

Walt’s lifelong love of the railroad has once more translated into a Disney Park. Once through the familiar turnstiles and beyond the gate, we glimpse the storied clock tower and station, the smile of a Mickey Mouse Floral. The romance and grandeur of early steam travel is captured in the beauty and excitement of the Disneyland Australia Railroad.

A Grand-Circle Tour of the Magic Kingdom, the Disneyland Australia Railroad is an authentic, 3-foot narrow-gauge heritage railroad. Along the way, we catch the many sights and sounds along the rails - an ancient jungle, a metropolis of tomorrow, an active volcano - the unkempt frontier of the American West is our threshold to the rim of the Grand Canyon.

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A spectacular glimpse at one of the world’s longest dioramas, the Grand Canyon is a panoramic re-creation of the flora and fauna of Arizona’s Great Abyss. To Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” curious wildlife examine our train in hesitant caution. A freak thunderstorm brings a brilliant light to the promise of a vibrant rainbow, all while a flock of mountain goat look on…

From the Station, we pass through one of two tunnels on either side of the aforementioned Mickey Floral. A bronze plaque above either tunnel read a familiar sentiment:

“HERE YOU LEAVE TODAY
AND ENTER THE WORLD
OF YESTERDAY, TOMORROW
AND FANTASY”​

An iconic attribute to any Magic Kingdom, electronic posters line the walls of either tunnel, each interchanging to offer a taste of the coming attractions and adventures. One unique detail, however, is that each poster features a simple animation; i.e. Dumbo actually appears to fly.

World Bazaar

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The true Grand Entrance of Disneyland Australia, World Bazaar is a lovingly built and detailed capture of the world’s most beautiful, familiar and exotic architecture. The seamless and eclectic neighboring of European, Asian, African and American influence set our stage for an enticing adventure in the kingdom of dreams before us. This is our overture to a symphonic masterpiece.

In the principle of Main Street, U.S.A., World Bazaar is a sparkling thoroughfare presented in the style and architecture of one unique design after the next. The ground floor buildings of World Bazaar are built on a 9/10 scale, with the second and third stories progressively smaller; forced perspective at work. The thoroughfare is to always remain fresh and new. Throughout, the air is filled with song. The Background Music (BGM) of the Bazaar is global in origin, inspired entirely by the culture and taste of an international network, for at one moment one might hear the serenity of Chinese Zen music, in another, the haunting charm of an Arabic flute.

Traveler’s Green is the “Town Square” of World Bazaar, a lush park set between a variety of different buildings. Live musicians, a central fountain and exotic trees set the stage for a storied adventure. A bandstand is host to performance groups and live entertainment. A flagpole is erected near the central fountain, proudly bearing the Australian field of six stars and the Flag of the United Nations. A plaque in the base of the flagpole reads the dedication of Disneyland Australia:

“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Today, the spirit of Walt Disney and his Disneyland continue into the hope and aspiration for the Disneyland Australia Resort. In this enchanted realm of yesterday and tomorrow, fantasy and adventure, we relive the nostalgia and innocence of a childhood dream. This Magic Kingdom is dedicated in honor of the young and the young-at-heart, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”
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Whereas a Town Square would feature a City Hall or a Firehouse, Traveler’s Green features, on either end, a major attraction: Meet the World and Soarin’ Over the Horizon.

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Statues of the Roman Empire lead our trail to a grand observatory of Venetian Gothic design. It is said that the celestial observatory is the hidden dwelling of a Leonardo Da Vinci, still alive. Inside, a number of peculiar inventions and blueprints channel the spirit of imagination to realize man’s most ancient and elusive dream: to soar like a bird.

The elderly Da Vinci has invited us to board his latest prototype of a Renaissance aircraft. As the lights dim and the music grows, we take flight before an 80-foot projection dome, 40-feet high from the earth below. The Australian Outback, Mount Rushmore and Niagara Falls are among the spectacle and wonder of our globetrotting tour, ending in a firework spectacular above Sydney Harbour. The iconic score of “Soarin’” by Jerry Goldsmith is retained and remastered in a moving performance by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

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In a quiet corner of the ancient observatory, we find the entrance of Da Vinci’s, an Old World delight of warm service and rich, Italian tradition. On the outside patio or in the spacious dining room amid murals of the Renaissance and Ancient Rome, sparkling chandeliers help relish the deep, textured flavors of classic Italian fare. The observatory neighbors a miniature courtyard of a Mediterranean harbor. Corte di Cesare (Court of Caesar) is an aged vineyard of the Italian coast; a small collection of shops and cafes. True to form, olive trees, Mediterranean citrus, wine tastings and a fine selection of real grapevines mark the Vigna Imperiale (Imperial Vineyard), another fine restaurant. It offers a six-course meal of “Chef’s Choice” wine and foods from around Italy. On the horizon, one might spot the distant silhouette of St. Mark’s Campanile. A statue of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet stand before the entrance of the Mercato di Verona (Verona Market). Aged murals and décor portray the tragedy of Romeo & Juliet. For purchase, fine cookware, decorative items, Italian foodstuffs and apparel, an incredible selection of wines and spirits, and dazzling Venetian masks.

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Meet the World is, in essence, the Mission Statement of World Bazaar. In short, our host, the voice of an unseen traveler, leads an inspired retrospective into the past, present and future of our Earth. The presentation is in salute to the world’s most valuable resource: its People.

The elegant Paris Opera House is the home of such an extraordinary tale. The history of the world unfolds in a dramatic retelling enhanced with over 40 Audio-Animatronic figures, rear-projection film and an orchestral score by Michael Giacchino. Such vignettes include: the Dawn of Man, the Rise of Egypt, the Fall of Rome, World War II, and the Moon Landing. Along the way, we’ll meet such luminaries as Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Marco Polo, and the late Steve Irwin.

Like the miniature snapshot of Italy found ‘cross Traveler’s Green, a small image of France lies nestled in the shadow of the Paris Opera House. With the Eiffel Tower off on the horizon, the smell of fresh bread and romance of “Gay Paris” are captured in this warm corner of World Bazaar. The famous Fontaines de la Concorde (built on a smaller scale) is an icon all its own. Les Chefs de Paris is perhaps the finest restaurant in World Bazaar. Nestled in an elegant corner of the Opera House, Les Chefs de Paris stands as it were a typical bistro of Paris; high ceilings, mosaic flooring, white linens, and expansive windows looking out onto the promenade. Patio and interior seating compliment the fresh and simple ingredients of French cuisine; beef tenderloin, onion soup and roast duck among others.

Le Donjon Du Fantôme, also nestled in the Opera House, is named for the terrifying icon of French Literature: The Phantom of the Opera. “The Phantom’s Keep” is a macabre nook with décor of the occult; though the shop itself is a "subterranean" music store... A cobweb-kissed pipe organ springs to life, its ghastly, unseen organist only portrayed in shadow… Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie has the most enchanting aroma in town, a traditional French bakery: baguette sandwiches, croissants, souffles and French roast coffee. Boutique de Souvenirs has the apparel, home décor, accessories, perfumes and trinkets of a French market, even inspired by a since shuttered, real-world Parisian market.

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The spectacular Ratatouille: The Adventure of Epcot and Walt Disney Studios Park has made a third home amid this miniature recreation of Paris, France, just off an askew trail of Traveler’s Green. Gusteau’s famous Parisian restaurant is the setting of our “zany” adventure. Having shrunk to the size of Remy and friends, we scurry to safety in a dazzling chase across Chef Skinner’s kitchen with the sights, sounds, smells and dangers of the legendary restaurant. Remy and Emile often frequent the Fontaines de la Concorde which, remarkably, seems to have bronze rats intruding in its historic design…

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