Day 989: Hitchhiking Disney Fan

I've never really been a big fan of Halloween. I guess I just never really saw the appeal. I don't really eat a ton of candy, so that didn't appeal to me, and beyond that dressing up is fun, but I didn't really get into it until I started DisneyBounding.

Now, however, I'd give pretty much anything to be able to experience all the Halloween season has to offer in the Disney Parks. Maybe it's just because I follow a lot of Disney fans who live close enough to attend the parities, see the shows, meet Jack and Sally, and ride the Haunted Mansion Holiday, or maybe I'm just really missing Disney to the point that I want to be there in general, but here's a few of the things I'd just love to experience:

I'll be honest with you, I haven't seen Hocus Pocus in years, but this reminded me why I really need to pull it back out this Halloween Season (and trust me, there will be a blog post when I do get around to watching it sometime between now and October 31). Actually, the entire Halloween show in general would be great to see live, but I do tend to say that about every speical event show. So...can we get a Hocus Pocus sequel then, or is that too much to ask? 

The video also brings up another great point: Villains. Why aren't the villains out like all the time? Meeting the Evil Queen and Captain Hook at Disneyland was basically the best (and I'm still sad I missed Cruella!), so Disney World needs to get on that. Dr. Facillier, Hades, Cruella, Maleficent, Jafar, everyone! Oh...and can we meet the Sanderson Sisters too while we're at it?

When I was younger and would spend time with my Dad in his office at work, we'd always listen to Live365 and Fastpass Radio, and I can't even express to you the number of times Haunted Mansion Holiday came on. I never quite understood why Disney World doesn't get this update, and while I love the Disney World verison of Haunted Mansion better, the fact that Disneyland gets this definitely ups how awesome it is. 

While there are tons of other experiences at the Disney Parks for Halloween (seeing the Mickey Pumpkins, Dressing Up, Hallowishes, just to name a few), I think these are the main ones. The whole Sanderson Sisters thing really got me this year. Maybe I'll throw in Halloweentown to my October Movie List too. That or I'll have to hitchhike to Disney...both of them.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 25 due to a tight schedule).

Day 293: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Since we're on a Halloween post roll, let's keep it going. I talked yesterday a little bit about one of my favorite Halloween movies, and now seems like the perfect time to continue talking about it!

The Nightmare Before Christmas!!!

Ok, so I guess it hasn't always been one of my favorite Halloween movies. I didn't see it for a really long time, and then once it was on Disney Channel and I decided that it was a good time to finally see this movie that everyone had been talking about for years. I mean, it's on TV and it's free and I had the time, so why not?

And you know what, I loved it! Doesn't mean that I ever bought it, because I didn't. I honestly did not buy it on DVD or in any form for a really really long time...until this month actually. Earlier this month I was out shopping with my mom and my brother and I was determined to find a copy and buy it. I was sick of always going to Disney World and being like "I should get that!" and then I never do. So finally, FINALLY, I bought The Nightmare Before Christmas.

And then I watched it twice this week.

My favorite parts are obviously probably the favorite moments of everyone...This is Halloween and What's This!?! I love both those songs SO MUCH! Goodness if this were a musical on Broadway I'd totally go see it (see what I'm hinting at here Disney?). I mean, the music and the storyline are just perfect...oh, and Oogie Boogie is just the coolest creepy character of all time.

Here's today's Disney History: 1922: Actor John Anderson, the voice of Mark Twain and Franklin Delano Roosevelt for Epcot's American Adventure attraction, is born in Clayton, Illinois.

Have a magical day!

Day 292: Hallowishes

I'll be honest, I've never been a huge fan of Halloween. It just never settled right with me, but you'll get to hear ALL about that in a few days when it actually IS Halloween and I talk about it. For now though, there are a few things that, despite my previous distaste of the holiday, I feel I've been missing out on.

Disney World, and Disneyland, are great places. We all know that, obviously, or else I wouldn't be here, and you probably wouldn't be here reading this either. But you see, they get even more magical at certain times of the year...or in this case Spooky.

You see, I've been to Disney World numerous times during the Christmas Season, and just as you'll hear about Halloween in general, you'll hear in a couple of months about everything Christmas and Disney. But Disney gets dressed up for more than just the Holiday season. That's right, Disney also gets all dressed up for Halloween, and that's something that even I have never seen.

Now, I doubt that I'll actually get to see the Halloween stuff at Disney for many years, as I hope to work the Fall Semester of the College Program (And if I'm really lucky I'll get to spend a whole year there and I can experience everything, but that's beside the point), but that doesn't mean that I can't wish that I could see all the Halloween awesomeness.

As the title of today's blog post suggests, one of these pieces of Halloween awesomeness is Hallowishes, which is the Halloween edition of Wishes at the Magic Kingdom. From what I hear it's a spectacular show, and, really, truly I'd like to see it sometime (since I refuse to watch it online because I feel like that might spoil it. I did the same thing with World of Color...I didn't watch it until I was there in person, and that was SOOO worth it...haha, this coming from the person who gets almost daily Once Upon a Time spoilers).

And if we hop over to Disneyland, we have another Halloween and Christmas tradition that I'd love to see. Ok, actually I'd love to go to Disneyland for the holidays in general, since that too is something I have never done, but I've always known about one tradition there...The Haunted Mansion Holiday. Only it's not just the Haunted Mansion. No, it's actually the Haunted Mansion paired with one of my favorite Halloween Movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

When I was younger my dad and I would always turn on ParkHopper Radio in his office in the Family Business and I'd either help him with some of his work (I loved to count money as a kid), or I'd work on some sort of work that I had, and we'd just listen to the Disney Parks Audio. Aside from Illuminations and Spaceship Earth, I have to say that one of my favorites that I remember was the Haunted Mansion Holiday from Disneyland. It's always been one of those things that's been in like the back of my mind of "I want to do that! I want to see that someday!" although it seems like that probably won't be happening anytime soon. I can wish, right?

In general, I think Halloween at Disney would be a lot of fun...and you'd better believe that I'd have a great costume. I've seen some awesome ones though, and here are a few of my favorites:

That last one though...

Here's today's Disney History: 2011: Disney Theatrical Productions announces it has commissioned its first original Broadway show, a prequel to Peter Pan called Peter and the Starcatcher. Based on the Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson novel of the same name, it is expected to open in spring 2012 at a Broadway theater. 

Have a magical day!