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!

Watch Out For The Terror-Thon on TCM

Halloween is always a fun month on TCM. The classic movie channel (one of the best cable channels available, bar none) always has a fascinating slate of spooky films to unspool all month long, including the premiere of a new documentary about horror film kingpin Vincent Price, and of course, the annual 48-hour Halloween Terror-Thon, October 30th-31st. Check out this link for more info. It's all part of our Countdown to Halloween 2026. 

Archie And The Not So Lonesome Ghosts

Archie Andrews is an annual favorite here at Tulgey Wood's Countdown to Halloween? Why? Because way before the twisted supernatural happenings of the CW TV series Riverdale, Archie and his high school friends met up with a surprising number of monsters. Below is an example from 1962, Pep issue no 158, where Archie is oblivious to some very PEPpy poltergeists. 

55 Years Of Substitutiary Locomotion And Other Assorted Spells

As we continue our Countdown to Halloween 2026: Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) premiered 55 years ago today at a special charity benefit in London. In celebration of the anniversary, I had the great privilege and honor of offering a presentation on the Hyperion Stage at the D23 Ultimate Fan Event on August 16th. Below are some photos from the Event celebrating this bewitching musical fantasy. And to discover more about this Oscar-winner, please click here to read the article I wrote for the D23 website.  

 

Classic Hocus Pocus Poster

The eye-catching poster for Disney's Hocus Pocus (1993) was illustrated by the legendary Drew Struzan. Though not a huge hit on its original release, this witchy comedy has become a cult classic, especially at Halloween. To discover more about the frightful favorite, click here to read the article I wrote for D23.com. It’s all part of our Countdown to Halloween 2026.

The Munsters Are (Paper) Dolls

The Munsters are a favorite at our annual Countdown to Halloween. Why? Because they fit in so well with Tulgey Wood’s more lighthearted outlook on the spooky season. This frightful but fun clan features caricatures of the famous movie monsters filtered through a feel-good 1960s sitcom. (The producers came from Leave It to Beaver. Need I say more?) Adding authenticity to the silly spookiness: The Munsters is a Universal TV series, meaning the show could use the studio’s trademarked Frankenstein monster design—think the flat head and neck electrode bolts—instead of a generic design. The Munsters inspired some fun merchandise, including these Whitman paper dolls, which help this monstrously funny family haunt Tulgey Wood each Halloween.

Belle and the Beast At The Halloween Ball

A beast’s cursed castle seems like the ideal place for a late autumn ball, as can plainly be seen on this classic Disney Catalog cover from 2002. The Beast waltzes with Belle, as Cogsworth gives it a reluctant whirl with the Wardrobe and Lumière enthusiastically dances up a Halloween storm with the Feather Duster. All these classic characters from Beauty and the Beast (1991) are bemasked, befitting a one-of-a-kind Halloween masquerade ball. This eerily evocative but delightful art is part of the Countdown to Halloween 2026.

 

 

A Not So Lonesome Ghost

Mickey is so busy trying to crack the case of the seven ghosts that he doesn’t even notice one of them hovering behind him. But Goofy definitely notices...and so does Donald! This artful cover by the great Daan Jippes from Mickey Mouse no. 220 illustrates the classic comic strip narrative by the legendary Floyd Gottfredson that ran in newspapers in 1937. “The Seven Ghosts” was inspired by the theatrically released animated short Lonesome Ghost (1937), an all-time classic. Why did Gottfredson choose seven ghosts instead of the three spirits that materialize in the cartoon? Could it be because a certain movie about a princess and her seven benefactors was in production and released that same year? Come back here to Tulgey Wood all through October for some serious spooky fun in our Countdown to Halloween 2026! #countdowntohalloween 

Creepy Calendar

It's October 2nd, and the early days of the month bring to mind calendars. For our Countdown to Halloween 2026, here's a video from my YouTube channel spotlighting some spooky calendars for this month of Halloween. In this YouTube Short you'll see Garfield, Spider-Man, and Linus from Peanuts among others, all celebrating these October days. To watch the video, please click here—and while you're at my channel, check out the other Halloween-themed videos. And be sure to check back here all through October for more Halloween fun. #CountdownToHalloween2026

A Haunted Countdown to Halloween 2026

Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with this View-Master scene! Could it be that the 2026 Countdown to Halloween blogathon is upon us? Here begins 31 days of fascinating but frightful fun that will lead us straight to the spookiest day of the year! As October 1st is the anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney World, it’s a Tulgey Wood tradition to begin with a truly boo-titful Opening Day attraction. And how much more so for the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney World (never "Disney World," always Walt Disney World)? This haunting view of the Haunted Mansion is from a View-Master set celebrating the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom Park, which opened this day 55 years ago! Come on back tomorrow (and all through October) for more Halloween merriment. And be sure to visit all the "Cryptkeepers" that are also counting down. There’s no turning back now! #CountdowntoHalloween2026