Constance Hatchaway was a beautiful woman born in Money County, California supposedly in the year 1851. By 1869, an 18-year-old Constance had moved to Secret County, California where she became engaged to a young farming-heir named Ambrose Harper. Not long into their marriage, the teenage Constance murdered Ambrose with a hatchet via decapitation. Being Harper's wife, she inherited much of his estate while also keeping his severed head within a hatbox as a twisted souvenir. The murder of Ambrose Harper was the first instance of Constance's modus operandi as a serial killer. Constance would target wealthy men and murder them with her hatchet before stuffing their heads inside of hatboxes as trophies. Through this habit, Constance would garner more and more wealth and status. An apparent affiliate of hers, at some point in her criminal career, was a man of unknown identity who came into possession of her hatboxes at some point in time. Constance's next victim came in 1872 in the form of Frank Banks, an eastern banker, and community pillar. Two years later, Constance married the foreign diplomat and Chinese military officer the Marquis de Doome and in doing so presumably became the Marchioness de Doome herself. A year later she married celebrated railroad baron, gambler, and world-renowned gourmand, Reginald Caine. All of these husbands would fall to her blade and have their belongings and heads become part of Hatchaway's collection. in 1877, the now 26-year-old Constance married one George Hightower of the wealthy Hightower family. By this time, Constance had left California and went on to move into a grand manor which George came into possession of. This manor was however haunted by many spirits and deemed, "The Haunted Mansion" by locals. Regardless, Constance used the mansion's attic to hide away her many incriminating belongings.
Each year, Jack Skellington gives the Haunted Mansion a holiday makeover, complete with jack-o-lanterns and wreaths, a real gingerbread house and kooky characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Haunted Mansion Holiday is open throughout the Halloween and holiday seasons at Disneyland Park. Take a look inside the mansion, click on any image in the gallery to enlarge. Have you ever noticed the portrait of Elvis in the attic scene before???
This is basically a reprint of 2003's "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies", completely scrubbed of any references to the underwhelming Eddie Murphy film, and with a new chapter on Hong Kong Disneyland's Mystic Manor (informative with lots of illustrations and photos) and a few new spreads on recent additions to the Anaheim and Orlando attractions (the attic bride and hatbox ghost for Disneyland, the new elaborate queue and gift shop at WDW).
Rolly Crump's design for the enchanted Romani wagon was later reworked for Madame Leota's Vardo. The Vardo serves as a form of small gift-shop located outside of the Haunted Mansion while the more legitimate and expansive gift shop, "Port Royal Curios and Curiosities" is located in one of alleys of New Orleans Square. The cart is decorated to be the Vardo which Madame Leota would have used while still alive in New Orleans, alluding towards her backstory being that of a traveling Romani medium in the late 18th-19th century. The writing on the cart references her having performed seances, crystal gazing, performing parlour tricks, brewed potions, selling mysterious tomes and casting magic spells. - Haunted Mansion Wiki
The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world." When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life -- he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry. Release date: October 13, 1993 Decked Out for the Hallow-Days Pumpkin King Jack Skellington has been busy decorating the Haunted Mansion with frightfully festive touches inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Experience some of your favorite sights, special seasonal surprises—and scare-aracters from the movie. Sally, Oogie Boogie and other Nightmare nasties will be on hand to wish you “Season’s Screamings!” Each year, Jack Skellington gives the Haunted Mansion a holiday makeover, complete with jack-o-lanterns and wreaths, a real gingerbread house and kooky characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Haunted Mansion Holiday is open throughout the Halloween and holiday seasons at Disneyland Park. Haunted Mansion Holiday – ‘Twas “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and all through the Haunted Mansion, Jack Skellington and his friends are causing a collision between Christmas and Halloween. Enjoy the frightfully festive décor and familiar characters from the classic film, including Sally, Zero and Oogie Boogie. |
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Growing up in Los Angeles in the 70s/80s we visited Disneyland on a regular basis and often after school, before "Annual Passes". ![]() Categories
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