Disneyland Showtime Redux (Starring Kurt Russell, His Dimples, And The Haunted Mansion)

And the great big "boo"-tiful day is here. To celebrate October 31, 2026, here's a link to my 2007 blog post all about the classic Haunted Mansion-centric episode of The Wonderful World of Disney, Disneyland Showtime. Please take a look...and please accept my thanks for your patience and support throughout my participation in the Countdown to Halloween 2026 blogathon. As usual, pesky real-life concerns such as assignments and deadlines pushed Halloween frivolity out of the way, but I have attempted to do a catch-up of sorts. Special thanks to my most steadfast supporters, including Dean "On The Brink" Brinkerhoff and Caffeinated Joe. Thanks to all, and keep the fun spirit of Halloween alive. Or maybe undead. And in the meantime, please to enjoy my Disneyland Showtime article. 

It's The Great Pumpkin's 60th Anniversary, Charlie Brown

From Halloween 1966: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first aired on October 27 on CBS. To celebrate the "great" occasion of the 60th anniversary of this all-time classic, here's the storybook version of the show from 1965. Being Great Pumpkin was the third Peanuts TV special, it's no surprise that this was the third such book. The first, from 1965, was illustrated by Dale Hale, who was specifically assigned by Charles M. Schulz to illustrate the book adaptation. The second, Charlie Brown's All-Stars, was illustrated by Schulz himself. This third used production art and stills from the animated special itself, setting the pattern for the storybook adaptations to follow. Here's a look at the book cover and some of the spectacular art created for the special. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.

Disney Villains Dominate McDonald's Boo Buckets

For today’s Countdown to Halloween 2026, we celebrate McDonald’s bringing back its fan-favorite Boo Buckets. This year, they are in the form of a dangerously delightful assortment of Disney Villain designs. These five Boo Buckets offer a variety of evil Disney characters: two males, three females, one animal, three who are supernaturally blessed (make that cursed)...and three from films of Disney's Renaissance of animation, while two are from features produced by Walt Disney himself. The buckets (intended to be used for trick-or-treat candy) are designed in colors coordinated with each villain's palette: purple for Ursula, green for Maleficent, orange for Scar, red for Jafar, and, most unique and clever, I thought, black-and-white for Cruella. These colorful tubs are also adorned with strong silhouettes and fun stickers. It's always great to see McDonald’s specifically focusing on Halloween, and the inclusion of the Disney Villains takes it all to a frighteningly new level for Halloween 2026. 

Uncle Scrooge And The Scary Stuff

Did you know that Disney comic books are back? Thanks to that steadfast publisher of comic art Fantagraphics, the Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comic books ("floppies," if you will) are again being published on a regular basis. Please seek them out at your local comic book shop or online source for publications. According to the Fantagraphics website, the new issue of Uncle Scrooge (Legacy no. 468), shown here with a scarily tasty cover by Andrea Freccero: "When Scrooge activates an ancient spellbook called the Horrorkomikon- the McDuck Money Bin gets magically infested with dragons—banshees—and pirates! The only cure lies with long-lost horror novelist H.P. Hatequack… but only Professor Ludwig Von Drake can find him- and Scrooge’s ghostly evil twin is standing in the way! Those spooky elements make this issue of the Uncle Scrooge comic book a must-have part of this Countdown to Halloween blogathon. 

You Too Can Be A Monster, Thanks To Mattel

In 1964, Mattel introduced its Fright Factory Thingmaker, to the delight of Monster Kids everywhere. Perfect for cooking up some eerie facial enhancements using Mattel's famous Plastigoop. All to help us Countdown to Halloween. 

Winnie the Pooh's 100th Anniversary (Plus Some Hundred Acre Wood Jump Scares)

2026 is the 100th anniversary of Winnie the Pooh...and this year is also the 60th anniversary of Walt Disney's Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966), the first of the animated Pooh featurettes. To make Pooh Bear a part of our 2026 Countdown to Halloween blogathon, here are some scary (in a Pooh-ish manner, of course) sights from two Whitman activity books, in which both Pooh and (especially) Owl seem to take great Halloween delight in the fright they cause each other. Who knew the Hundred Acre Wood could be so scary? Only the Heffalumps and Woozles, I guess. 

Monsters By Way Of Jack Davis

The main attraction of this monstrously produced LP is the cover, which also is today’s official Countdown to Halloween entry. The 1964 art is by monster master Jack Davis (famed for his work in Mad Magazine and many other venues). Milton DeLugg was the NBC music man for many decades, providing music for everything from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast to (most infamously) The Gong Show, wherein host Chuck Barris always referred to him as "Milton DeLugg and the Band with a Thug."  All of your best-loved (and most feared) hits are here, including the themes of The Munsters, Bewitched, King Kong, and other favorites.

Halloween Time is UNICEF Time

Our Countdown to Halloween continues: For many, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has been a Halloween tradition—and still is! Since 1950, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has grown from kids collecting donations in those Halloween-colored orange boxes into the longest-running youth engagement campaign in the United States. For over 75 years, that spirit of generosity has raised nearly $200 million, helping UNICEF deliver safe water, vaccines, nutrition, education, and emergency relief to children around the world. UNICEF has often used celebrity spokespersons to spread the word about the campaign, everyone from Captain Kangaroo to Casper to Kermit the Frog. Kermit's involvement was celebrated in . Enjoy—and for more info about being part of the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF for 2026, please click here. Halloween Boo-nus: Check out the account of a Great Muppet Caper setting being a haunted mansion!

Danny Gets Into The Halloween Spirit

Danny, the little black lamb from Walt Disney's So Dear to My Heart, is featured on this Rexall drugstore promotional cover. As we celebrate this year’s Countdown to Halloween 2026, we look back to this incredible art by legendary Disney artist Hank Porter from October 1948. As the pumpkin balances on Danny’s head, I’m sure the crows above wonder how on earth he does it. After all, it’s what you do with whatcha got that counts! PS you can read the article I wrote about So Dear to My Heart for D23 here. 

Win Some, Lose Some With Winsome Wendy

As part of our Countdown to Halloween 2026, Wendy the Good Little Witch is up to loads of good deeds and misadventures in these Halloween-related comic book covers! Casper even joins her in a few because what would Halloween be without our favorite friendly ghost? Whether she is sailing across the stars or encountering spooky specters in a cauldron, you know Wendy will be careful to always make sure everyone has a good little time!