The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Adaptations: Part 2

Wishbone: Halloween Hound: The Legend of Creepy Collars (1997)

Wishbone was a popular kid's educational series on PBS from 1995-1997. Wishbone would inhabit certain books and act out the part of the main character, with a wrap-around story in the real world that had something to do with the book. This series was a little after my time, so I hadn't really watched it until I had kids of my own. I was excited to see that there was a Halloween episode centered on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and have watched it a couple times with my two boys. Here's how it compares to the other adaptations.

In terms of the actual story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, this does a good job of giving young kids the basic idea of the book: superstitious schoolmaster falls for local rich girl Katrina, but that puts him in the sights of Brom Bones, and Bones uses Ichabod's superstitious nature to scare him away from Sleepy Hollow...or does he? Most of the fun of the book section is seeing Wishbone, a dog, interact with humans in colonial garb. I was waiting to see Wishbone riding on top of a horse near the end of the story, but I guess that was too much to ask for! So, the next question is how does The Legend of Sleepy Hollow factor into the wrap-around story?

Joe Talbot returns home from sports practice and his mother quickly detects that something stinks. It ends up being Joe's socks that he wears to practice and games for good luck. So, already we're integrating in a way that shows that Joe is in some ways superstitious like Ichabod. Joe and Wishbone leave to check out the new sporting goods store and that's where they meet the owner, Travis del Rio, who introduces them to his niece and nephew and invites them to a Halloween scavenger hunt. Of course Joe's socks come back up as Joe's new acquaintances can't help but smell the pungent aroma. Joe isn't sure about it, seeing as he's not a huge fan of scary things. Travis looks at the roster and reveals that Joe was already signed up by his friends, Sam and David. The teams have to follow several riddles to different locations, until they finally reach the end and get the grand prize. Their main competition is Damont and his little cousin Jimmy. They use teamwork to get through every challenge, though Damont seems to be one step ahead of them. It all culminates at the old Murphy house; a place Joe had gone to when he was younger and was scared off by glowing eyes coming from the opened door. He had vowed never to go near the supposedly haunted house again. Wishbone runs into the house while chasing a cat, thus forcing Joe to enter and finish the hunt. Though Damont attempts to sabotage them, Joe is able to solve the last riddle and win the game for his team. Most of the story focuses on believing in yourself, working as a team, and not letting fear ruin things for you.

I like this episode a lot and I'm a little disappointed I had never bothered to watch it when I was younger. The episode has great atmosphere, which is one of the most important aspects of a Halloween special. It reminds me of past Halloweens when everything seemed perfect. The crunching leaves, the donuts and cider, the pumpkins, and all the spooky Halloween decorations everywhere you went. The scavenger hunt in the episode is one of those things I would have been all over if we had something like that. Alas, my hometown and local sporting goods store wasn't this cool. The episode is very of it's time, though not as much as the Are You Afraid of the Dark episode, which was sometimes painful to watch. What helps this show over Are You Afraid of the Dark is the higher production level and better acting, at least in comparing the two episodes. This episode also acts as a better introduction to the Sleepy Hollow story, as you get the main story beats through a dramatization. With The Tale of the Midnight Ride, they do give you a very simple telling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow when Brad dares Ian to get the pumpkin from the Bridge of Souls, but otherwise you would have to have a good understanding of the complete story to see the representations of Ichabod, Katrina, and Brom in the kid characters. I certainly don't remember that dynamic when watching it as a kid. I was just happy to see the Headless Horseman. In all, I would say that the Wishbone episode is more worth your time, and is something you can watch with your kids over and over. You can watch this on Youtube. 

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Tim Burton's version of the tale definitely takes the most liberties, but is my favorite live-action version. While Disney's Sleepy Hollow is lush with autumn colors, this Sleepy Hollow seems to be under a permanent curse of gloomy weather. You expect that with a Tim Burton film, though, so it's not that shocking. Ichabod Crane is not a schoolteacher, but a police constable from New York City, sent to investigate mysterious beheadings in Sleepy Hollow. I won't go into the whole plot since I highly recommend watching it yourself if you already haven't, but it concerns much more than a love triangle between Ichabod, Katrina, and Brom. In fact, that's one of the least concentrated on  parts of the movie. Brom is barely in the movie so he doesn't factor into things that much. No, the real villain in this film is a very real Horseman and someone else who is controlling the vengeful ghost. Ichabod is a man of science and at first is loathe to admit that there is a supernatural being stalking the citizens of Sleepy Hollow. This all changes when he witnesses the Horseman up close and realizes that perhaps science doesn't have an answer for everything. With the help of the lovely Katrina and a young orphan boy, Ichabod is able to unravel the conspiracy that has taken hold of the town and caused the Horseman to come back from the grave. In terms of similarities with the original story, about the only thing is the names of the characters. You get a little dash of the original story here and there, but most of it is completely new material. Funny enough, you get a call back to Disney's The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow about a third of the way through the movie. Ichabod and Gunpowder are going over the covered bridge in town and you can hear the frogs sound like they're saying "Ichabod" and "Headless Horseman". This exact thing, along with a shot of a frog jumping into the water, happens in Disney's version. I'm pretty sure they used the same sound clip. Ichabod is then chased by the Headless Horseman a short ways until the Horseman lobs a fiery jack-o-lantern at his head. While it isn't a perfect replication, it does look an awful lot like the flaming pumpkin from Disney's version. There is also a scene near the end where Ichabod hits a tree branch, flies in the air and lands on the Horseman's horse backwards, just like in Disney's version. Besides these homages to the Disney film, there is also some to the Hammer films. The Hammer films were known for using bright red blood in their movies, and lots of it, a trait that Sleepy Hollow definitely shares. Burton also cast Hammer film veterans Michael Gough and Christopher Lee in the movie. Burton was also heavily influenced by Italian director, Mario Bava, including homages to Kill, Baby....Kill! and Black Sunday in the film. This is by far the most violent of the Sleepy Hollow adaptations, so don't expect anything mild-mannered like most of the other versions. Like I said, check this one out if you haven't seen it already. It's classic Tim Burton and always a comfort watch for me. This is available to stream on Netflix. 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1999)

This is a Hallmark version of the tale and thus doesn't have any star power the same way as some of the other adaptions. I can't help but feel that this movie was made just to profit off the Tim Burton movie, Sleepy Hollow, that came out the same year. This version doesn't differ too much from the book. It does have to pad out a few things but the main addition concerns Katrina and Brom. Katrina wants to be worldly and doesn't want to be with a country bumpkin like Brom. Brom wants to leave Sleepy Hollow and travel west to Ohio to make his own way in the world, but Katrina doesn't want to turn her back on her family. They fight and break up after Brom refuses to give up on this dream, though it conflicts with Katrina's dream of traveling and becoming learned, then returning to her parent's farm. Brom is more sympathetic in this version than the others because while he is immature, to be sure, and plays pranks, he does want to achieve something for himself and not just live off of marrying Katrina. Ichabod isn't exactly the kind-hearted hero though, as he accidentally shows his true colors by admitting to Baltus Van Tassel, while Katrina listens from outside the room, that if he were to marry Katrina he would manage the farm and that Katrina would have to forget all about becoming learned and worldly. Ichabod is a complicated character, as you want him to succeed but at the same time he just wants Katrina for her money and what the relationship can do for him. He's as bad as Brom in a lot of ways, but isn't seen as a bully at least so you pull for him. Brom and Katrina are also portrayed by younger people than in the other versions, probably around 20 years old, while Ichabod looks to be in his late 40's. While it may not have been the craziest thing back then, it's weird to see a love triangle between two twenty-somethings and a middle-aged man. 

The film does end with Katrina declining Ichabod's proposal of marriage, just like in the book. She reveals to Ichabod that she heard what he said and chastises him for only wanting her wealth. Dejected, Ichabod goes on his lonely late night ride but is chased by a Headless Horseman. The headless rider hits its head on a tree limb during the chase and falls off their horse, unconscious. Ichabod discovers that it is really Brom Bones, but only gets to gloat for a second. The real Headless Horseman shows up, picks up Brom's pumpkin and throws it on the ground after realizing it's not his head. The Horseman rides off and the last we see of Ichabod is him hurrying away into the woods in a panic. There's no talk if he is alive or not, just people knowing that he was spirited off by the Headless Horseman. Katrina marries Brom and they spend the winter in Amsterdam, as she had wanted, thus giving the couple a little more closure. All in all it's a pretty forgettable rendition. There's no stars to give the adaptation any extra character, and they don't do that much outside of the story to give it an extra wrinkle. This is another adaptation that you can find on YouTube.

Night of the Headless Horseman (1999)

This version is probably the ugliest of them all, though they were trying something new at the time. This was done with motion capture technology, before we would see a more polished presentation with 2004's The Polar Express. Considering people are still creeped out by The Polar Express, I'd say this cartoon as a big hill to climb. The animation is just not pleasant to look at. In fact, it's downright distracting. This aired on Fox in 1999 as a Halloween special and was never re-run as far as I can tell. There's probably a reason for that. This appears to be another film that was meant to benefit off of the release of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. It definitely has some of the same violence as Sleepy Hollow, as you do see a bit more blood than I thought you would for an animated version. Story-wise it takes a few liberties, but mainly sticks with the main story points. The main difference is Brom sells his soul to the Horseman to get revenge on Ichabod. Yes, you read that right. We don't see it happen, but Brom makes a deal that he would live a happy life with Katrina and then become the Horseman. The wrap-around story has a mysterious hooded stranger telling the story to Washington Irving. At the end the hooded stranger reveals himself to be Brom Bones himself, and removes his head to show he is now the Horseman. It's at least something in this otherwise lackluster adaption.  About the only other thing this has going for it is the voice acting. William H. Macy voices Ichabod, Tia Carrere voices Katrina, Luke Perry voices Brom, Mark Hamill voices Adrian Van Ripper, and Clancy Brown voices the stranger and the hessian trooper. Having well-known actors voice animated characters has unfortunately become commonplace, and mostly to lift up an average to below average film. There's also a bit more violence than you'd think there'd be for a cartoon special. There's a lot of blood, so this probably shouldn't be a kid's first exposure to the story, for more reasons than one. If you want to see creepy animation and a guy with more chins than you thought possible, then go seek this one out on Youtube. 

The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow (2004)

This is less of an adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and more of a new story that uses Sleepy Hollow characters. Two young kids named Nick Crane and Kate live in Sleepy Hollow and are visiting the local museum that has Washington Irving's original manuscript on display. After the kids leave to start work on a school project, two crooks come in and steal the manuscript, hoping to sell it for big bucks. They are chased by a security guard and for some reason decide to hide the manuscript inside of a pumpkin at a pumpkin patch so they can come back for it later. I guess it was slowing them down? There is very little logic in this cartoon. Nick and Kate need a pumpkin for their school project and what do you know? They pick the one that has the manuscript inside. Apparently putting the manuscript in the pumpkin caused the pumpkin to become haunted by the Headless Horseman, because of course it does. This also releases a revolutionary era soldier named Nathaniel that wants to help the kids. Nathaniel is basically Funky Phantom without being funky in any way, shape, or form. At least Funky Phantom had a shtick, this guy is just around to deliver exposition and be cowardly. The kids apparently need to keep the Headless Horseman from getting the pumpkin or he'll come back with his full power. He needs to put the pumpkin on his head at exactly midnight. After a visit to the Van Tassel mansion that includes an unnecessary musical serenade by the ghosts of Baltus Van Tassel and his wife, the kids, the thieves, and the Headless Horseman all run into each other outside the mansion. The kids are able to play keep away from the Headless Horseman until midnight when he retrieves it and puts it back on his body. Then he disappears. Turns out Nick knew the clock outside the Van Tassel mansion was a minute slow, so the Horseman put the pumpkin on too late. I would think being a supernatural being would give you an ability to know what the exact time it is without the assistance of an old clock, especially if you're entire existence relies on it. The thieves are caught and Nick and Kate celebrate ending the curse of the Headless Horseman. 

Yeah, this one is not exact the peak of animation or storytelling. The kids basically have no personality whatsoever, save for randomly spouting out historical facts about Washington Irving. There's a lot of padding in the story and lots of unusual story choices, as if they knew what outcome they wanted, but not sure how to get there. Ichabod is never seen, though you do find out that Nick is his descendant. There seems to be a thread of Ichabod having descendants, though the original story makes it pretty clear that he disappears, though if you believe that he runs off to another town and marries, there would be kids, but it just seems a little far-fetched. This one is available on Youtube if you care to watch.

The Hollow (2004)

A modern tale that again concerns the descendant of Ichabod Crane. Ian Cranston has just moved to Sleepy Hollow and attracts the attention of Karen, a cheerleader at his high school. Of course there's the quarterback on the football team, Brody, who doesn't like Ian because of relationship with Karen. Like with the Are You Afraid Of The Dark episode, each name is reference to characters in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The descendant of Hans Van Ripper, Claus Van Ripper, is the graveyard caretaker and warns Ian that the Headless Horseman is back and that Ian is the only one who can stop him. He tells Ian that a Crane descendant is the only one who can defeat the Horseman. Of course Ian thinks Claus is a drunk, so he ignores his warning. It's not until Ian's classmates start getting killed off that he understands that the threat is real. There's a side story about Ian's dad wanting him to play football but Ian wants to fence that never really get resolved but who cares? Ian defeats the Horseman with the help of Claus and the others and Ian's dad gives him a hug. There's nothing really plot-wise to mention because the rest of the movie is pretty standard low budget teen horror stuff. There's more violence than most of the other versions and there's plenty of swears and teen sexual tension, so it's a bit different. Most of the cast is actually well-known, with Nick Carter playing Brody, Stacy Keach playing Claus, Judge Reinhold playing Ian's dad, and Kaley Cuoco playing Karen. With that cast the acting isn't as bad as it could be, but it still isn't great. The Horseman is definitely memorable, as he always is wearing a huge gross-looking jack-o'-lantern. This is the closest to a slasher movie any of the Sleepy Hollow movies have come, but it also fails at being a decent slasher. None of the kills are particularly interesting, which happens when your villain can only kill in one specific way: cutting off people's heads. This movie does follow the tired trope of anyone who has sex gets killed. Literally the only people who die are teens trying to get laid and no one else. Seek this one out if you are morbidly curious or want to hear Stacy Keach say the word "teacher" a million times. This ones also on Youtube.

The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow (2013)

This film is a real bait and switch, which probably won't bother most people, but it still changes the animation a little ways into the movie. You go from the CGI figures from the movies to all of a sudden a hand-drawn animated version for the main story. It wouldn't be so egregious if the cover art didn't feature the CGI versions. You can tell they were trying to attract those kids and families that are used to the recent movie versions of the Smurfs and not the classic look Smurfs. The real story concerns a contest between Brainy Smurf and Gutsy Smurf. It's a yearly contest to see who can collect the most Smurfberries and Brainy has won the last nine years, much to Gutsy's chagrin. If you don't recognize Gutsy's name it's because he was made for the movies. Gutsy is curious on how Brainy wins every year so he follows him into the foreboding Smurfy Hollow. It is said the Headless Horseman lives in Smurfy Hollow, so nobody goes there. Brainy has found a large stash of Smurfberries in the Hollow and Gutsy finally knows how he always wins. Gutsy decides he's going to teach Brainy a lesson by pretending to be the Headless Horseman. This works, but a little too well. Brainy runs away and winds up getting trapped by Gargamel. Gutsy wins the contest but the other smurfs soon become worried that Brainy hasn't shown up. Gutsy goes back to Smurfy Hollow with Smurfette and they are soon captured by Gargamel. They all escape together and while being chased by Gargamel and Azrael, they all run into the Headless Horseman. The Horseman chases them back to the bridge back out of Smurfy Hollow. The Smurfs make it back over just fine but Gargamel and Azrael get a pumpkin thrown at them, causing the bridge to open up beneath them. The Smurfs return home as Gargamel and Azrael wash away down the river. Gutsy and Brainy apologize to each other and all is well. 

It's a cute story and all, but there really isn't a reason for the Headless Horseman and the Smurfs to be combined. They don't go into the reason the Horseman is in Smurfy Hollow and it seems odd that Brainy would risk going into Smurfy Hollow if there was a ghost around. There are plenty of Halloween specials to choose from so I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this with your family. This one is one Youtube as well but it's one of those weird videos where the movie is in a small screen surrounded by a computer wallpaper.

Conclusion

The story of Ichabod and the Headless Horseman endure to this day thanks in part to our culture's fascination with folktales and ghost stories. While our population is much less superstitious than those of early America, we still enjoy hearing stories about ghosts. The Headless Horseman legend has been told in many variations since Celtic times and it's one of the only Old World tales to have taken foot in America and now thought of as a uniquely American ghost, at least by Americans. You can view Washington Irving's tale as a story about two men fighting over a woman of wealth, until one successfully scares the other way, or you can view it as a love story that is taken over by the supernatural. I've always preferred the supernatural interpretation, but that's because it's way more interesting than Brom simply scaring Ichabod away. I don't think it's altogether surprising that The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has had so many adaptations. It's a story that steeps you into the season of fall and can easily get you into the Halloween spirit. I'm sure I may have missed an obscure adaptation here and there, but I tried to get to as many as possible, even the ones I knew would be painful. I hope that you check out some of these versions for yourself, or even read the short story. It's well worth it! Happy Halloween! 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Adaptations: Part 1

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving is one of  the most popular stories to come out of the early 1800's in America. The tale has endured the test of time and is mainly associated with the holiday of Halloween due to the supernatural aspect of the story. With any popular book, there are film and television adaptations. There just happen to be a lot of adaptations, all starting in 1922 with the silent film version. Not just limited to movie length adaptations, the story has also been done in television episodes, some doing a faithful recreation, and some just using it as a jumping off point. I thought it would be fun to go through all the different versions of the tale I could find and see how much they differ from each other and from the source material. Before I start on the adaptations themselves, I'll give a short summary of the book for reference. 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow concerns a Connecticut school teacher who moves to a small town in New York called Sleepy Hollow in the year 1790. Ichabod becomes the town's new schoolmaster and is known as being strict with his students, though not too strict as to not warrant a welcome invitation to their houses for dinner. Ichabod is tall, thin, and though very learned is also extremely superstitious. He lives with various farmers during his tenure at Sleepy Hollow and also teaches choir to the women of the town. Ichabod soon meets Katrina Van Tassel, a young woman known for her beauty and wealth. Her father, Baltus Van Tassel runs the largest farm in the town and therefore is well-to-do. Katrina has many suitors, but it is Abraham Van Brunt, also known as Brom Bones, a rough and tumble man with a reputation as being mischievous, who has laid claim to the wealthy heiress. Ichabod and Brom compete for Katrina, but Brom cannot seem to get rid of Ichabod like the other suitors, as he cannot fight him outright, and Ichabod is unwavering where others have had more sense and left Katrina alone. Ichabod sees Katrina as a way of improving his station and thinks to himself that once he marries her he will forget everything about being a school teacher and even look down on the lot. Brom, realizing that Ichabod is superstitious, plays various pranks on him, including tearing up his school house in order to make Ichabod think that witches had held a meeting there. Katrina appears to be playing the two against each other on purpose. Things come to a head when Katrina invites Ichabod to a harvest party at her home. Ichabod dances with Katrina while Brom looks on with jealousy. Ichabod then goes and listens to spooky tales by the fire, which eventually turns into the whole group talking about Sleepy Hollow's most famous ghost, The Headless Horseman. Brom even chimes in, saying that he raced the Horseman for a bowl of punch but the Horseman disappeared once Brom went over the church bridge. Ichabod stays after the party in order to propose to Katrina, but it apparently doesn't go well, as he leaves the party devastated. He takes the horse he borrowed from Hans Van Ripper, the person whom he is currently staying with, and makes the journey back through the dark woods. The ghost stories get to him while he's riding home and he starts to fear everything is out to get him. He rides on until he sees a stranger on a horse riding nearby. He doesn't panic at first because he cannot see who it is and tries to talk to the stranger. It's only once the figure is backlit by the night sky that Ichabod sees that it is the dreaded Headless Horseman. The Horseman chases Ichabod all through the woods until they get close to the church bridge. The Horseman throws its head at Ichabod and Ichabod falls to the ground. The next morning, Hans Van Ripper doesn't see Ichabod at all and the schoolmaster is absent from the school house. Eventually the people of Sleepy Hollow find Ichabod's hat on the ground near the bridge with a smashed pumpkin nearby. The townsfolk all believe that Ichabod has been carried off by the Headless Horseman. Brom and Katrina marry, and Brom is seen having a knowing look when the Headless Horseman incident is brought up in conversation. Word came back to Sleepy Hollow that Ichabod Crane was alive and well back up north where he started a law practice. Some believed this, but most continued to believe that the Headless Horseman had finally found a head. The schoolhouse was abandoned and folks say that you can hear the old schoolmaster singing his hymns nearby. 

The Headless Horseman (1922)

The earliest version of the Sleepy Hollow story, it doesn't stray too far from the book's premise. Ichabod is his usual self, though maybe a little more proud and arrogant. He flaunts his intellect over the people of Sleepy Hollow, who he considers country bumpkins. In some versions of the story Ichabod is looked at with fascination because he is an outsider, some he is looked on with derision for the very same reason. This version gives you a little of both. In one of the additions to the tale, Brom convinces the townsfolk that Ichabod is a witch-doctor who put a spell on a young boy. Ichabod is nearly tarred and feathered by the townsfolk, but is luckily saved by Baltus Van Tassel, who has taken a liking to the unusual pedagogue. This version of the tale ends with no ambiguity like the short story does. Brom is revealed to have been the Headless Horseman after he runs Ichabod out of town. There are some unusual parts, too. When Ichabod asks Katrina to marry him, the words on the screen make it look like she says yes, but the reaction makes it look like she said no. Not sure if there was some missing footage or what. There are two different ways you see the Headless Horseman: a solid body that ends up being Brom, and a ghostly looking one when the movie introduces the Horseman. I like the double exposure effect they used for the horseman as it adds some great spookiness to the movie. Not my favorite version of the tale, but it is interesting to see how they tackled the tale in the early days of film. This version is available on Amazon Prime. 

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

This adaption is the first animated one, and comes from Disney. I watched this version many, many times over the years, though mostly the last third of the film. To me, this version is the best that there has ever been. It's short, but not too short, and hits on all the main plot points. The characters don't talk, you just get the narration from Bing Crosby. That itself would push this near the top, but the film also has some genuinely funny moments and an exciting climax. All the songs that Crosby sing are great, but especially The Headless Horseman. There are a lot of great spooky moments throughout, from the Van Tassel party, to Ichabod's late night ride on Gunpowder. The chase scene is one of the best set pieces in Disney animation history, and really drives home that Ichabod is in real danger. With most of the Sleepy Hollow adaptations, you see Ichabod ride away screaming for a minute and then get hit in the head by a pumpkin. The Horseman merely scares and chases him but not much else. In this version, the Horseman is full on trying to cut off Ichabod's head with a sword. It still culminates with Ichabod getting hit with a pumpkin, but this time it's a flaming jack-o-lantern. Love it. In terms of characterizations, they all fit into the classic molds. Ichabod looks just like he is described in the book and shows off several times how superstitious he is. Katrina is fair and it's made pretty obvious that she is purposefully playing the men against each other. Brom is an oaf and a bully, and that's about all that is said about him. It think that while the identity of the Horseman is still left ambiguous, I still feel like it's supposed to be an actual ghost. Besides the Horseman trying to outright kill Ichabod, Ichabod gets a good look down the Horseman's collar and I feel like he would most likely be able to tell if it was a person under there. Brom may be jealous, but he is never portrayed as murderous, just a practical joker. So it seems a stretch to say that he was trying to murder Ichabod. The animation is also the best of all the other animated adaptations of the short story by far. I credit Mary Blair's magnificent backgrounds and concept art. This is about the only adaption that hits the autumn time aesthetic hard, whereas most of the others seem stuck in a never ending bleakness. Highly recommend this as a kid's first introduction to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, as it covers everything pretty well story-wise, and I would say it's not the scariest version of the tale. This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Tales of Washington Irving (1970)

An Australian animated TV special that includes the story of Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, both being Irving tales. The animation is what you would expect from the late 60's, early 70's, so it's not too bad. Katrina is about the only one that looks a little weird. I think it's the stilted way that she talks, too. Ichabod sounds an awful lot like Paul Lynde (he did a lot of voices for Hanna-Barbera) so that's a little distracting, but it fits the character well. Ichabod is very superstitious and mentions that witches used to use Sleepy Hollow as a meeting place, along with his belief that the Headless Horseman is real, because so many people have claimed to see him. Katrina is much less coquettish than in the short story. She bristles at Brom's affections and says to her friends that she would like someone with some intellect, like Ichabod Crane. One unusual part of this adaptation is that Sleepy Hollow is not considered where the people live, but instead the woods and countryside are Sleepy Hollow. I guess the people live in Tarrytown? Though Katrina seems to like Ichabod throughout the story, she ultimately rebuffs him at her family's party, and probably one of the harshest ways I've seen. She laughs right in his face, asking why would she want to give up all she has to live in poverty with the schoolmaster. He tries to say that he could take over the farm, but she laughs at this too, saying that he may be a good schoolmaster, he wouldn't be any good at farming. The ending leaves the identity of the horseman ambigious, and Katrina marries Brom. The school house falls into disrepair and they say Ichabod's ghost haunts the area. This ending is probably as close as they come to the end of the book, as it's the only one that mentions the schoolhouse being abandoned. The characterization of Katrina is very odd for this adaption. She really seems to favor Ichabod until he asks her to marry him, and though she claims to detest Brom, she marries him. Not a bad cartoon, but not nearly as good as Disney's. You can watch this one on Youtube. 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1972)

This is a very short adaptation of the tale, mostly known for it's unusual visuals and for the narration of John Carradine. This version is extremely 70's, as you can tell by the music, unique animation style, and the use of color. There is not a lot of detail with the backgrounds, it's mostly just one backdrop of color, which permeates the rest of the scene, though the characters are often a different color to make them stand out. In terms of the story, it hits the main beats, including Brom playing pranks on Ichabod and Katrina saying no to Ichabod's proposal. They even have Ichabod not run immediately upon seeing a figure in the woods who ends up being the Headless Horseman. This one is worth a look if you don't mind the overtly 70's aesthetic. This is available to watch on Youtube. 

The Scooby Doo Show: The Headless Horseman of Halloween (1976)

Scooby and the gang, plus Scooby-Dum, are at a costume party at Crane Manor. Beth Crane explains to the gang that Ichabod is her great-great-grandfather. Beth's Aunt Gertrude is hosting the party and shows off her diamond necklace. The Headless Horseman shows up and scares all the guests away. The gang attempt to solve the mystery of the Headless Horseman and why he's come back to haunt the Crane's again. Gertrude's nephew, Elwood, mentions that the diamond necklace she wears is cursed and of she gives them to him to put in the bank, this will all stop. He leaves with the diamonds and is quickly "killed" by the Headless Horseman. Now the Horseman is riding around with Elwood's head on. The gang eventually catch the "ghost" and reveal it to be Elwood (BUM BUM BUMMMMMM). Elwood's company had gone bankrupt so he was going to use to diamonds to start a new life in another country. He had to keep the façade of the Horseman alive so the ghost would be blamed for the diamond necklace's disappearance. All in all, not a bad Scooby Doo episode. Not the best, but it's from The Scooby Doo Show, so it's never going to be the same as Scooby Doo, Where Are You? As with most Scooby Doo villains, Elwood's Headless Horseman is not that threatening. The episode gives a short recap of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but there's not much else there. This begins the trope of not doing a straight adaptation of Sleepy Hollow but using a descendant to tell a new story in modern times. This is available to watch on HBO Max.

 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980)

Jeff Goldblum plays Ichabod Crane in this TV movie adaption of the Sleepy Hollow story. Goldblum's Ichabod is different from other incarnations in most ways. While still brainy, as you would imagine from a school teacher, he lacks the belief in superstitions and ghosts, at least at first. There's a few new characters in this version: Fritz Vanderhoof, an older man that tries to get Ichabod to believe in ghosts, his widowed daughter Thelma Dumkey who is chasing after Brom Bones, and Brom's dim-witted best friend, Frederick Dutcher. 

Ichabod comes to Sleepy Hollow and quickly hears from Mr. Vanderhoof that ghosts haunt this town and that each of the previous school teachers went funny and disappeared in the night. Winthrop Palmer, one of the most unlucky school teachers, was said to have been driven into the river to his death by the Headless Horseman. Ichabod doesn't entertain such nonsense, but as the story goes on, he's not so sure there isn't something supernatural going on at Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod falls in love with Katrina, whom Brom has claimed but has yet to make a move officially. Seems Brom struggles with commitment issues! Mr. Vanderhoof tries to set up Ichabod with his widowed daughter, but she has eyes for Brom. It's one big mess all capped off by appearances by the ghost of Winthrop Palmer. He mostly harasses Ichabod throughout the story, before finally coming to him face-to-face and telling him that he seeks revenge on Brom for trying to scare him off, and on the Headless Horseman who drove him off the cliffs into the river. Ichabod isn't quite sure if Palmer really is a ghost or not, but he starts to believe more than before in the supernatural when he runs into the Headless Horseman outside his school house. He starts "acting funny" in the eyes of the town, talking of the Headless Horseman and Palmer's ghost coming to him, and though he had been making strides in winning Katrina's heart, it's all for naught when her father deems him to be unfit for her. Ichabod's classroom is destroyed and he believes it to be ghosts, so he brings Squire Van Tassel (Balthus's title) back with him, only to find it's back to normal. This doesn't help his case at all. Ichabod gets in a tussle with Brom at the Van Tassel's winter ball, and he is banished from the house by Squire Van Tassel. He rides home, dejected, not knowing what awaits him. Meanwhile, back at the Van Tassel's, Brom and his buddy Dutcher plan to scare Ichabod away for good by dressing up as the Horseman again. Palmer, wanting revenge on Brom, is about to jump out at them from a barn, but gets tangled up in a rope instead. He is soon found by Mr. Van Tassel, who realizes that Ichabod wasn't funny in the head. Palmer had been pretending to be a ghost the whole time in order to get his revenge on Brom. Ichabod is on his way home when he runs into Brom's Headless Horseman. The real Horseman joins the fray and Brom runs away, right into Mr. Vanderhoof and his daughter. They realize that it has been Brom pretending to be the Horseman this whole time, and threaten to tell the whole town if he doesn't marry Thelma. Brom begrudgingly agrees. Ichabod, now believing that the Horseman is none other than Palmer, chases him into the town square, back to the Van Tassel's house. The Horseman disappears past the house and Ichabod calls out for Squire Van Tassel. Squire Van Tassel reveals that he found Palmer in his barn and that Ichabod is not crazy after all. He allows Ichabod to marry Katrina, though Ichabod almost ruins it by mentioning that he had just been chasing Palmer here, so he couldn't have been in the barn. Katrina kisses him to shut him up, and they all go inside to celebrate the engagement. 

As you could probably tell, there were quite a few differences between this version and most of the others. Added characters aside, there's also the fact that it is made plain that the Headless Horseman is real. Katrina actually marries Ichabod in the end, changing the more depressing ending of the traditional story. Brom doesn't make out that bad, though. He gets a girl, but just not the one he had wanted. There are plenty of story beats that fit with the original story, though mostly to do with what Brom does to harass Ichabod. In general, I like this version better than most of the other TV versions because it tries to do something different, like Burton's Sleepy Hollow does. It doesn't go that far out of the realm of the story, but just adds some extra pieces to make the story a bit more interesting. Jeff Goldblum is always gold, even in an early role like this. You do have a few other well-known actors (at the time) in the movie, namely Meg Foster as Katrina, Dick Butkus as Brom, and Paul Sand as Dutcher. Michael Ruud plays Winthrop Palmer and he's by far the most hammy of them all. He pretends to be a ghost by making the most clichéd ghost wails and laughs that you have ever heard. It's too funny not to love. Butkus's Brom is a dumb oaf like most other Brom's, but this version has a moustache, so he is infinitely more interesting and out of place. All in all I like this version a lot, though I know the quality isn't exactly top notch. It reminds me of watching late night movies on the VCR as a kid. It just has that soft, grainy quality to it. It's on Youtube if you're interested in watching it yourself. 

Shelly Duvall's Tall Tales and Legends: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1985)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was the first episode of Shelly Duvall's second anthology series. In this version we meet Doffue Von Tassel, Katrina's uncle and the narrator of our tale. Doffue is a part of the story but breaks the fourth wall to talk to the audience. Everything about this adaption is over the top, acting wise. Ed Begley Jr. plays Ichabod Crane with a manic energy, taking the description of Ichabod being fearful and superstitious to the extreme. I'm pretty sure he yelps and screams more than he talks. Tim Thomerson plays Brom Bones and he is also chewing the scenery, acting like a cross between Gaston and Johnny Bravo. There is definitely more humor inserted into this version than any of the others, which is apparent by the animated performances. While the characterizations are the same, the legend surrounding the Headless Horseman have changed. The pesky phantom instead of a Hessian soldier was a highwayman who lost his head by a sword instead of a cannonball. There is no mention of a bridge to cross, just that a Headless spirit roams the woods of Sleepy Hollow looking for a new head. The tale ends with a definitive answer that it was Brom that scared Ichabod off with a Headless Horseman costume. While that is only mildly surprising, the real twist is that Brom himself becomes the victim of the Headless Horseman the night after Halloween. It seems that Ichabod may have gotten some justice in the end. Another adaption that you can find on Youtube.

Are You Afraid of the Dark: The Tale of the Midnight Ride (1994)

This version centers not so much on Ichabod and the Headless Horseman, but a middle-schooler named Ian. Ian is new to Sleepy Hollow and is having a hard time making friends due to him trying way too hard. While the school is setting up for a Halloween party, Ian runs into Katie, who he immediately falls for. Of course, Katie is dating a bully named Brad and Brad doesn't take too kindly to Ian making nice with his girlfriend. At the dance, Ian and Brad get into a confrontation that leads to Brad telling Ian he must go to the Bridge of Souls to recover a pumpkin, as it is a town tradition. This version of the Headless Horseman story differs as it centers in Ichabod taking a wrong turn and not making it to the Bridge of Souls before the Headless Horseman gets him. Once he goes and gets the pumpkin, the Headless Horseman arrives and chases him until Ian falls and begs for his life. Of course it ends up being Brad and all the kids come out of the woods and mock Ian. Katie decides to stay with Ian, mad that Brad has embarrassed Ian. While walking back to the dance the couple run into a ghostly man on horseback asking which way to the Bridge of Souls. They tell the ghost the right way and the specter identifies himself as Ichabod Crane before disappearing into the fog. They get back to the school and run into the real Headless Horseman who chases them because they changed the story. Brad gets his comeuppance when he, still wearing the Horseman costume, gets scared by the real Horseman and falls down backwards. Ian and Katie run all the way back to the bridge where Ian leads it across and the Horseman bursts into flames. The couple see Ichabod once more at the bridge who tells them he is lost and will go back to the fork and go his original way, thus setting the story straight. The two tired teenagers head back home, happy to no longer be in danger and look forward to their new relationship.

Besides using The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow as a backdrop, the main story itself draws parallels, namely in the love triangle. Ian, Katie, and Brad are all plays on Sleepy Hollow's Ichabod, Katrina, and Brom. There are obvious differences in how the love triangle plays out, as Katie ends up with Ian in the end instead of with Brad. Katie also doesn't lead Ian on just to make Brad jealous as Katrina does to Ichabod. The show had to add the part about Ichabod taking a wrong turn so they could come up with a way for the kids to change the story. The episode itself is just OK. I think I never noticed how Canadian the accents are in this show when I was a kid, or maybe this episode was extra egregious thanks to how many times Ian says "sorry". Ian is not likable at all. Everybody knew a kid like this growing up, or you were that kid sometimes without even knowing it. A lot of unearned confidence in this kid. The twists on the Sleepy Hollow story are fun and I like stories about towns with spooky traditions, real or otherwise. In the end, it's not a go-to if you are looking for a story about Sleepy Hollow and is definitely not one of the best Are You Afraid of the Dark episodes. I'll make a list of those when I get around to watching them all over again. You can watch this episode on Youtube. 

Disneyland 2019

Unlike going to Disney California Adventure, our trip to Disneyland was very much planned ahead of time. Still, planning usually goes out the window as soon as you get to the park. The park was for the most part very manageable throughout the day. We went the weekend after Thanksgiving, so I was hoping that most visiting families would have packed up and gone back home. This only gets you so far, as most of Disneyland is populated by townies. Still, we were able to do basically everything we set out to do. While my wife sat out of Disney California Adventure, she wouldn't miss the chance to go to Disneyland again. Like I mentioned in the last entry, Goober was tall enough to ride almost everything, so it made the trip that much better. He's also older, and wasn't freaking out at every line.

Fantasyland

Peter Pan's Flight

The go-to first stop for Disneyland. If they ever re-do the outside of this ride, I'm sure a Fastpass queue will be the first thing they add, as this ride sorely needs it. We were at the park at rope-drop and we still had to wait a good fifteen or so minutes to get on since this is what most early birds go for first. Goober was still a little bemused by waiting in line, but he put up with it rather well. They added a new animation affect on Big Ben in the "flying over London" scene, so that was really cool. Otherwise, it appears to be extremely similar to the Magic Kingdom version.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

This would have been a no-brainer last time we went, but they were unfortunately refurbishing it. Dumbo was back this time around, with an updated queue and everything! I haven't been on Dumbo since I was little, so this was a lot of fun to ride with my family. Goober had a blast and loved pointing out Timothy Q. Mouse in the middle of the ride.


Alice in Wonderland

I was disappointed we didn't get to go on this one last time, as it is the only version of this ride in the world. This is probably one of my favorite dark rides. There is so much detail and bright colors, I feel like you could discover something new each time you ride. I also think it's fun you go outside for a small portion and then go right back in for the Mad Tea Party. While some of the other dark rides can be a little too loud (Mr. Toad) or frightening (Snow White), this one is perfect for small children.



Mad Tea Party

My wife had to sit this one out as she is unable to ride spinning rides anymore. Goober was super excited to get on this one, though. He demanded to be spun at maximum level! This is another one I hadn't rode on since I was a kid, and riding it with Goober was pure joy.





Pinocchio's Daring Journey

This dark ride was a little bizarre. Definitely not one of my favorites at the park. It was...too dark? I know it's a dark ride, but everything looked dull. I was surprised to learn that this was added in the early 80's, as it does fit in with the traditional look and feel of the dark rides from the mid-50's. This is another storybook dark ride that kind of yada yada's most of the plot, especially the ending. Like, you go from Pinocchio escaping from Pleasure Island, and then Monstro just shows up and then you're in your house again and the Blue Fairy is there. It's a necessary evil with this movie though, as there are way too many bad things that happen to Pinocchio. I would say if you visit and can't fit this in, I wouldn't worry too much about it. That being said, there is never a line for this ride.

Snow White's Scary Adventures

This ride in Disney World went the way of the dodo, so this is the only way to ride it in the U.S. The title of this ride is not kidding, this ride can be pretty terrifying, especially for young kids. Most of the ride is you being harassed by the Evil Queen in hag form. The ride begins with you seeing Snow White, and then at the end you get a picture of Snow White being carried away by Prince Charming. Anyone expecting a ride full of Snow White will be both disappointed and scared out of their wits. The theming this one is great inside and out, with the exterior made to look like the Evil Queen's castle. You can even see her open and shut the curtain in a window above the ride every once in a while. Inside the queue there is a a barred window you look down from and see the Evil Queen's lab. Very nice touches!  I always got a kick out of this ride, so it was fun to be able to ride again. Goober was not having it, however. This wasn't the ride that scared him the most that day, however.

Matterhorn Bobsleds

This ride wrecked me last time I rode it, and that was because I was not prepared for a rickety roller coaster from the late 50's. This time I was prepared and braced myself the whole way, so I actually enjoyed the ride much better this time around. While I had a good time, Goober was having a much different experience. I might have forgotten to tell him that this ride had a yeti on it, and as soon as you start the ride you go into a tunnel with the yeti roaring all around you. Suffice to say, he had his eyes and ears covered for most of the ride. Yay! Dad of the year! In my defense, he loves roller coasters, though I didn't consider the yeti as a possible problem, so you can still call me dumb. My wife seemed to enjoy it, too, though the ride throat-punched her when it started up. The funniest thing about the whole experience is that Goober is obsessed with this ride. Yes, it scared him half to death at the time, but ever since the trip he only wants to talk about the "geti" as he calls it. I have probably watched the ride-through video of this ride on Youtube a hundred times with him now. I have an album of Disneyland ride songs and he demands to hear the Matterhorn song as soon as we get into the car (it's all yodeling). If I took him back to Disneyland today, I can almost guarantee he would refuse to ride it, but that doesn't mean he can't enjoy it from the comfort of his own home!

It's A Small World 

Our next stop after Matterhorn was Small World, as I knew we needed something to calm Goober's nerves. What's more calming than a bunch of dolls singing the same songs over and over again!? What was neat is they do a massive holiday overlay on this ride, so the outside was completely decked out in lights. Inside they had a ton of holiday themed decorations, lights, and characters. I know this caused a stir for some die-hard Disneyland fans, but I enjoy seeing the Disney characters dispersed throughout this ride. It's like Where's Waldo, except this time I'm trying to find Stitch. This got the job done in calming Goober down, who loved all the songs and lights. The queue and outside of this ride is so much better than Disney World's it's not even funny. Yes, Florida's much rainier than Southern California, so there's a good reason that Disney World's version is covered, but it just doesn't look as good. The outside, even when not decorated for the holiday season, at Disneyland is just so much more vibrant and unique. Yeah, I know some people can't stand this ride, but it's always a must-ride for me.

Storybook Land Canal Boats

This mouthful of a ride is a calming boat ride through areas populated with miniatures from your favorite Disney movies. Did I also mention that this calming ride starts with you going through the gaping maw of Monstro? Seeing this part of the ride on my old VHS copy of Disney Sing-A-Long Songs "Disneyland Fun" always made me jealous that it wasn't at Disney World. This ride and Matterhorn were both sore spots for me as a kid since they were only at this magical park I never thought I would go to in my life. Now, this ride is nowhere near as exciting than Matterhorn, but it's a nice break from the hustle and bustle of a crowded theme park. Goober seemed to like it, too, though mostly because of Monstro.

Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough

Amazingly, one of my favorite parts of the day, and I think Goober's too, was not even a ride. We hadn't really bothered with this last year, mostly because the entrance wasn't as apparent as the ride entrances were. I managed to find it this time around and it's just a fun walk-through of the Sleeping Beauty story. You travel through the castle and look into windows which are populated with beautiful dioramas of different scenes from the movie. Most have some special effects that really make the story come alive. Goober loved every second of it. It's a simple experience, but definitely worth seeing.

We skipped Casey Jr. Train as he rode that last time, and it shows you a lot of the same things as the Storybook Land Canal Boats. We also didn't go on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, as Goober was very frightened last time by the explosions.

Tomorrowland

Star Tours: The Adventure Continues

Our first ride outside of Fantasyland was Star Tours. This one is a favorite of my wife's and mine, and we were hoping that Goober might feel the same. He has only a passing knowledge of Star Wars, so the characters weren't familiar to him. He has seen the original version of Star Tours on Youtube a few times. When he was smaller I would put him in a laundry basket and move it around pretending to be part of the ride. He is unfortunately too big for that now. Goober seemed to like the ride itself a lot, but was still upset when we were walking out of the exit. I asked him what was wrong and he frowned and said, "We left without the captain! Where was the captain?" The beginning of the ride has C-3PO saying that they can't take off yet because the captain isn't aboard, but of course Star Tours takes off without him. That was apparently Goober's takeaway from the ride. We did get to ride this again much later in the day. The best thing about this ride is there are a bunch of different versions, so you usually don't get the same experience. Our first ride involved The Last Jedi, while our second ride was centering on the prequels, mostly The Phantom Menace. Both lots of fun! Goober liked the ride much better the second time around.

Astro Orbiter

A ride in the same vein as Dumbo, this one goes a bit higher in the air. Both times we went there seemed to always be a line just long enough to keep you from riding on a whim. We did wait to ride since we had to wait on our Hyperspace Mountain Fastpass to come up, and it was pretty smooth sailing besides them stopping the ride because it looked like someone was going to climb out? My wife and Goober rode together on this one and I did my best to record the experience, but Goober loved going up and down so much I couldn't keep up! The centrifugal force is a bit stronger than you think it will be on this ride, especially if you aren't holding on like I wasn't. Fun ride if you have the time and if your kids like heights and spinning!

Hyperspace Mountain

If the name looks a little off, it's because this is the Star Wars overlay of Space Mountain. The overlay has been used a couple times at Disneyland, and had come back this past year thanks to Galaxy's Edge opening. I hadn't really heard much about this ride ahead of the trip, so I wasn't too sure what to expect with Goober. Well, the ride for my wife and me was probably the highlight of the day, while Goober didn't seem to appreciate the darkness and loud noises. I swear I'm not trying to scar my kid for life. I honestly didn't think they could make Space Mountain any better, but just adding John William's score and some projections of Tie Fighters and X-Wings battling each other really makes the ride into a whole new experience. I'm a little sad they don't do this in Disney World, but I think Disneyland has to do some special things to keep it interesting for the townies.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

This was a last minute choice near the end of the day. We had passed by this submarine ride several times during the day and Goober was always very curious what the ride was like. I decided that we might as well experience the ride since they don't have it anywhere else. My wife bowed out since the thought of being crammed into a small submarine underwater was not her idea of a good time. This ride has an extremely slow load up, so the wait time was very deceptive. Also, the ride is not short, so in all we spent 45 minutes in total for the whole experience. Was it worth it? I would say so. I know a lot of people would rather see this area used for something else than a low capacity ride that costs a ton of money to operate, but it has its charms. It replaced the original Submarine Voyage from 1959, which closed in 1998, so it wasn't like they came up with idea of a submarine ride in 2007 when the Nemo version opened. Goober was utterly fascinated the whole time. You look out of portholes and see a lot of physical props, but also a lot of screens so it looks like Nemo and friends are there with you. The one thing that I can't stand about this ride and also the Finding Nemo ride in Epcot is the voice actor for Marlin. Albert Brooks, like many famous actors, chose not to reprise his role as Marlin and it shows. This is a weird gripe, but it just takes me out of both rides every time Marlin speaks. While Goober loved the ride, I'm not sure I would take the time to ride it again thanks to the large amount of time it takes to ride.

In this section we skipped Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Autopia. Goober decided as we were in line that he was scared of Zurg so we got out Astro Blasters quick. Autopia was not a priority, plus don't think we wanted to smell like car exhaust the rest of the day.

Adventureland

Tarzan's Treehouse

This walk-through attraction replaced the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in 1999 and also exists in Hong Kong Disneyland. I don't have too much nostalgia about Swiss Family Robinson, so I was fine seeing this re-do. It is a very fun walkthrough, with plenty of interactive spots. The trouble is there are so many people taking pictures and instagramming that you can't really get in and experience everything. At least that's what happened to us. Goober was super interested in the life-sized leopard, Sabor. That was, until Sabor roared loudly in his face. Just like the Matterhorn, Goober's fascination with this experience has only grown, though he was frightened at the time. He also requests to listen to the song for Tarzan's Treehouse, though he always calls it "Jungle Cruise".

Jungle Cruise

Speaking of Jungle Cruise, we rode that immediately after Goober and I traveled through Tarzan's Treehouse. Disneyland's version somehow never has a terrible wait compared to Disney World's and I'm not sure what the reason is. No unusual surprises here. It's the Jungle Cruise, and you get the same basic experience with the Jungle Cruise. Some of the jokes may change a little bit, but most have been used for decades. Goober loved riding this again, and this was a nice, pleasant ride in the middle of the day. I will say, because we were in line for about ten minutes versus walking right on like last time, I got to see a whole lot more of the queue, and it is very detailed and fun to poke around.

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

My wife does not like this show. It was the first thing I made her experience at the Magic Kingdom and she was not impressed. I wasn't going to force her to see the show this year, but Goober saw the sign as we were getting Dole Whips and demanded we see the tiki birds. One thing I'll say is the waiting area outside of the show room is much better than Magic Kingdom's. You have a bunch of Polynesian gods that take turns telling you about themselves and moving around a little bit. You can tell it's something that's been around since the show started in the mid-60's and it's really fun to watch. As far as I can tell, the show itself is no different from the Magic Kingdom version. It's just a fun, hokey show. I get a kick out of these old rides from a bygone era, especially this, Carousel of Progress, and Country Bear Jamboree. Goober had a great time and requests the Tiki Bird song often, though not as much as Matterhorn or "Jungle Cruise".

Goober was only too short for one ride at Disneyland and that was Indiana Jones Adventure. Even if he was big enough, I'm not sure how he would have reacted. It's a super fun ride, but I don't think small kids would enjoy getting bounced around and surrounded by snakes.

Frontierland

OK, so we didn't really do anything in Frontierland besides sit near the Mark Twain riverboat and eat popcorn. They had both the Sailing Ship Columbia and the Mark Twain Riverboat operating, so that was neat seeing them go down the Rivers of America. We didn't have enough time to go on Tom Sawyer's Island, unfortunately. I don't remember ever going as a kid so I was curious what is over there. Plus, Goober probably would have benefitted from some running around time, but it also may have tired him out prematurely. There is one ride that couldn't miss, however.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Goober had been looking forward to this ride for a long time. For the most part, I think it lived up to his expectations, though. He got a little freaked out by the dynamite at the end, so he covered his ears. Big Thunder is such a fun coaster, and I used to not give it a second thought in the past. Maybe I just like Disneyland's version better? I'm not sure, but this was a lot of fun to ride with Goober, including pointing out the goat chewing on a dynamite stick.

New Orleans Square

Pirates of the Caribbean

This ride kept intermittently closing, so we kept coming back over to it to see if we could finally ride it. Even with the fast load up, we spent probably the longest time in this line than any other. It's all worth it, as this is still one of the coolest rides at Disneyland. Goober had a better experience this time, as he wasn't freaked out by the small drops.

Haunted Mansion Holiday

From September through December, the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland gets taken over by The Nightmare Before Christmas. This isn't a lazy overlay. They really go all out on it. There's a good portion of the Haunted Mansion effects that are still present, mostly in the ballroom scene, but others like the attic are almost completely changed. Is it a good presentation? Yes. Was it entertaining? Yes. That being said, it was probably the biggest disappointment of the day. I love the Haunted Mansion. Like, a lot. I wanted to be OK with this overlay, and I guess I am just OK with it, but I would never go out of my way to ride it again. Goober was very unimpressed, and he likes the Nightmare Before Christmas characters. And this isn't me hating on Nightmare Before Christmas. I also love that movie, so you'd think this is a perfect combo for me. Alas, it just wasn't our thing.

Critter Country

Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is one of the most popular rides in any Disney Park. Every time I've visited Disney World, the line is always long. I kept looking at the wait times for Splash Mountain at Disneyland and the wait never moved from 5 minutes. OK, so maybe the wait times app is acting up. Nope! Turns out local Californians don't like to get wet if the temp dips below 75 degrees. It was late November and it wasn't the warmest day, so I guess I can't blame them. We walked right on this ride and didn't see another person the whole time. Comparing the Disney World and Disneyland Splash Mountain, the Disney World version is better, honestly. In Disneyland, they took a bunch of old animatronics from America Sings, a recently closed show in the 80's and put them into Splash Mountain. The age shows on some of the characters, and otherwise there were just some animatronics missing. I'm not talking random animals missing either, I mean Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear. One of the last scenes I heard Brer Bear's voice, but didn't see him anywhere, and that's when I realized he had been removed form the scene entirely. That, coupled with absolutely no one else being on the ride kind of dampened (ha) the experience. Also, we got wet.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

I said it last time, but I had slept on this dark ride because it seemed like a cash grab replacement for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Disney World. Turns out this dark ride is really fun and has some cool effects! It's one of our favorites at the park and Goober got a huge kick out of it. My only gripe is that this ride took over Country Bear Jamboree, which would have been fun to take Goober to.

Mickey's Toontown

Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin

This was unfortunately all we got to do in Toontown. The wait for Gadget's Go Coaster was too long for how late it was and Goober was too tired to fly through Mickey and Minnie's House or Donald's Boat. We honestly did this ride on a whim since there happened to be a Fast Pass available soon after we did Tiki Room. Car Toon Spin is in the style of a classic dark ride, though you have the ability to spin your car around at most intervals. This is what makes the ride. Goober loved spinning around as much as possible, though it does take a good amount of effort to turn the wheel. Otherwise the ride is nothing spectacular. There seems to be a lot of empty space and mostly disparate goofy scenes. It's definitely not a run through of the movie. No Judge Doom, though the weasels do show up and Jessica Rabbit is near the end of the ride. It's fun enough, but not one that I would go out of my way to ride again.

Galaxy's Edge

OK, so I knew ahead of time that I would most likely not be riding on Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, so I didn't even put this area as a priority. I knew I wanted to at least walk through the land, but I knew there wasn't anything there for us to do as a family. Besides Smuggler's Run you have a very small bar that you have to have reservations for and a few shops. Rise of the Resistance wasn't open yet, either. So, we didn't end up going here until the end of the day, closer to 5 or 6. We got a few pictures and mosied around some of the areas, but otherwise there wasn't too much going on. Definitely a cool area, and I wish we had visited during the day time, but I'm glad we went through it.

After we left Galaxy's Edge we made our way back up to the front of the park. Goober was completely spent at this point, so we knew we wouldn't be getting on any other rides. However, there was one ride that we hadn't done yet that was just passive enough to not agitate Goober, and it was something he loved: The Disneyland Railroad. By the time we got up to Main Street U.S.A., the night parade had started. We got a few good looks at some of the passing floats, but were trying our best to hopefully catch the train before it departed. We also didn't know if it was there in the first place, so this was completely a shot in the dark. Luckily, the train was still there and we got on no problem. It was a very pleasant ride through Disneyland, and not something I had done before at night. Goober was mostly conked out on my wife, but lifted his head to watch the pass through Splash Mountain and the Grand Canyon/Prehistoric Times diorama building between Tomorrowland and Main Street U.S.A. Needless to say, Goober went right to sleep after we finally got back to our car. It was a very full day, but very worth it.

It's taken me much longer to finish these posts than I thought, so this vacation is a few months in the past. Goober is still wants to listen to Matterhorn and "Jungle Cruise" on most car rides. He also likes to take the maps of each park and have me go through the whole day, while he adds in his own commentary on how he felt about each ride. I do hope we can go back again someday, but I'm pretty sure our next Disney trip will be down in Florida instead.