Let the Halloweenification begin!

I'm telling you! Halloween is chasing down X-mas with a chainsaw. It is definitely the 2nd most popular American holiday. I've never seen so many decorations and holiday novelties before in my life. Target stores alone, have a whole section dedicated to Halloween - including amazing food kits! Cookies, cupcakes and even a haunted gingerbread house!

Target hits the bulls-eye with this year's Halloween novelties!

Wish these were around when I was a kid. (only 10 bucks)!

And Disneyland has taken a turn for the best kinda worse. Mickey-o-lanterns, great window displays and lots of spooky-themed takes on rides like The Nightmare Before Christmas - Haunted Mansion. A Space-fire creature inhabits Space Mountain through the eerie month. The season's fireworks show has a good dose of classic Haunted Mansion too.

It's in the Disney-details! The whole park is tricked out for treats!

Main Street takes our favorite holiday mainstream!

If we could just get folks to start giving presents on the 31st, Santa wouldn't stand a chance! Have a happy and horrible Halloween all my monster pals. Make sure to post your favorite Halloween haunts here and EVERYWHERE so that the season continues to fester and grow!

New relics from The Haunted Mansion

I don't know of any horror fan that doesn't have a special love affair with Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion. As a kid, that magical attraction (calling it a "ride" would be sacrilege) was the landmark of my dreams. Growing up, I felt that place was made just for me. So, naturally when I visit I MUST take a piece of it home with me. And Disney has made it easier for us to do just that by manufacturing an ever-changing flood of reasonably priced, gorgeous - but painfully limited editions.

Haunted Mansion 40th anniversary ear hat (by SHAG) with lenticular ears and groovy sateen hat box. Retail around $40

Coffee Mug (cool wallpaper imprint inside). Retail $12

A couple of T-shirts - gray one (early ad) already sold out. Retail $24 ea.

The most recent, elegant ear hat with bat stanchion. Retail around $15

Most of these items are already out of print. Of course, they can be had on eBay at up to triple their retail price. Yuck! Best thing to do is visit the park soon and pick up a few souvenirs. The Haunted Manison is the last attraction I ride before the park closes. I hang back and examine every detail I can. The skull sconces. The carpet. The gratings above the doors. Then I hop in the very last Doom Buggy possible and wind my way through the place. As I round the corner into the graveyard, I make a silent wish that the ride will break down in front of the singing busts so that I can watch and listen to my hero Thurl Ravenscroft sing the entire Grim Grinning Ghosts song...Happy haunting!