Is there a more elegant, hauntingly melancholic track than Disney's Ghostly Music Box? This track is featured at the Haunted Mansion and Phantom Manor park attractions, and plays a mechanical music box rendition of Grim, Grinning Ghosts.
Welcome to another exciting edition of Freebie Fridays, where I scour the depths of my vintage novelty Halloween vinyl record and tape collection and then review and share them with you all! This time out we have "Haunted Mansion," by Rubie's Costume Company (who somehow are still in business after all these years!). Now if like me, your first thought is, "Cool, Haunted Mansion. I love Disney!" you would also just like me, be completely wrong. This has no affiliation with Disney's iconic haunted attraction whatsoever, outside of simply lifting the name.
The Ultimate Sounds Of Horror In Stereo. I would be willing to say that this tagline is a bit far fetched, but honestly this is a really fun cassette. What you get is two sides of classic, novelty Halloween sounds. A mishmash of screams and cackles, organ notes, werewolf howls, weird cat meows, thunder cracks, and just about every other standard Halloween sound effect, all rolled into two 15-minute tracks. And I love it! This cassette nails what's so great about the vintage Halloween soundtracks of the 80's. All kinds of "spooky" sound effects pasted together with a paper-thin production quality, mass-produced with over-the-top graphics, and available everywhere during the Halloween season. Pure Halloween nostalgia! And the best part about this one? It's still available everywhere, most still sealed in their original backing card! Straight from the late 80s directly to your door. And for cheap!! They must have way overproduced these things back in 1987 and are still trying to get rid of them today. But their loss is our gain! Enjoy "Haunted Mansion, " because this one really is a classic novelty Halloween gem. DOWNLOAD "HAUNTED MANSION" HERE.
We just got back from our first family vacation down to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and what a time it was! It seems like only yesterday that we were wrapping up Halloween, and now we were already hopping into the car to go celebrate the start of the Christmas season with Mickey and friends. And while everything there was already set up for Christmas, I was still able to find a few spooky-themed elements amongst it all (this IS a Halloween blog after all, and I was still in full Halloween mode!)...
We ended up camping at Fort Wilderness Resort and the first thing I noticed was all the wonderfully eerie trees draped with long strands of creepy Spanish Moss. I could have collected a metric ton of this stuff and brought it back to use in next year's haunt display. No one else seemed to notice, but I was constantly looking up into the trees...
Cinderella's Castle was lit with various holiday colors, but at certain angles and certain color combinations and shadows, it gave off a slightly less cheerful vibe.
Squawking blackbirds were perched all around the Fort Wilderness marina...
And an incredible animated steampunk dragon made its way to one of the Main Street parades.
We took a day to visit Epcot Center as well. No visit would be complete without a stop at the Mexico village, complete with a full collection of Dia De Los Muertos sugar skulls and figurines.
And finally, yes OF COURSE we visited the Haunted Mansion! It was the highlight of the entire trip, especially for a haunter like myself. I couldn't wait to experience it with my 4-year-old-son for the first time.
Once inside, he was a bit frightened by the darkness and creepiness of all the ghosts, but he didn't cry and made it through the ride with flying colors! I was so proud of him!! I shot some of the incredible tombstones around the house before the ride itself, but wasn't able to shoot much inside, as I was making sure to keep an eye on the little guy...
When hinges creak in doorless chambers
and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls,
Whenever candle lights flicker,
Where the air is deathly still.
That is the time when ghosts are present,
practicing their terror with ghoulish delight...
And if you happen to make it to the Haunted Mansion yourself, why not visit Memento Mori, the gift shop just outside the Mansion's exit and get yourself some cool shirts and the official soundtrack CD like we did! And while you are paying at the main register, why not stop and check out the last page on the guest registry booklet at the counter for a good laugh... Yes, I am a dork.
A cold, weathered hand pierces the rust-laden earth of a late autumn night. Reanimated decay becomes the evening's guide. Masked faces bask in the fiery glow of a jack-o-lantern's illumination. A lifeless finger points the direction toward the next porch-lit house. For this is the night of ghouls and goblins and tricks and treats. This is the night of Hallowe'en...
