Disneyland Vice President of Merchanding Q&A About Mansion Event

As everyone has probably heard, Tim Burton, the producer of Nightmare Before Christmas and Danny Elfman who did the score will not be able to take part in the panel discussion at the October 3rd Haunted Mansion Holiday special event on October 3rd. The announcement came on September 27th and since then there have many questions regarding the circumstances of the cancellation. LaughingPlace.com had the opportunity to ask via email Carmen Bauza, The Disneyland Resort's Vice President of Merchandising about those circumstances and other aspects of the event:

Why did Tim Burton and Danny Elfman have to cancel?
Due to the recent events that occurred on September 11th we learned from Director, Tim Burton and Score Composer, Danny Elfman that they would be unable to attend the event due to scheduling conflicts that resulted in delays to prior commitments which arose in the production of an upcoming film and additional current projects.

Why did the event go on anyway rather than be postponed to a time they could attend?
In light of the situation, both Tim Burton and Danny Elfman were unable to commit to another date. In order not to disappoint our Guests, we felt that the “show must go on.” Our goal at the Disneyland Resort, is to always provide an exceptional level of quality entertainment, while we realize it is impossible to please everyone at all times with the decisions that are made, it is always our objective to provide great Guest experiences. To this point, we did not want to disappoint our Guests, if the postponed date was not kept.

There was a rumor that the October 3rd date was chosen because that was the only date that Burton and Elfman could attend. Is that true?
October 3rd was actually chosen as the event date so that we would be able to give our Guests the opportunity to preview the new Haunted Mansion Holiday attraction. October 3rd was agreed upon by the Panelists in order to accommodate their hectic schedules and was chosen because it allowed for us to have a variety of creators from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.

Will anything be added to the event that otherwise wasn't scheduled to make up for Burton and Elfman not being there?
Exceeding the expectations of our Guests is very important however this event has many exciting elements in store for our Event Guests. As everyone else we were disheartened to hear of Tim & Danny’s cancellation, but the primary focus of our event has always been the Haunted Mansion Holiday attraction and the opportunity to hear from creators of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas and those involved in the transformation of the attraction. Although we have worked hard to keep many elements of the event a surprise, the following is a list of the panelists who will be participating in the Panel Discussion. Steve Davison (Disneyland Resort Entertainment Show Development), Henry Selick (Director of Nightmare Before Christmas), Chris Sarandon (Voice of Jack Skellington), Glenn Shadix (Voice of the Mayor), Rick Heinrichs (Visual Consultant), Mike Belzer (Animator), Eric Leighton (Animation Supervisor) and Frank Thompson (Panel Discussion Moderator & Author of The Art of Nightmare Before Christmas). In addition, we were able to work with both Tim Burton and Danny Elfman to schedule a video crew to film an introduction and personal comments about The Nightmare Before Christmas, which we will show during the panel discussion.

Why are people required to purchase items on their Random Selection List without viewing the actual item? In past events they could see the item and choose at that time?
Actually, you bring up a great point. Our Random Selection Process is one of our most effective and efficient processes. In the past we have allowed Guests to preview their merchandise, however with each large event we also conduct a survey on experiences that worked and didn’t work for our Guests and what can be done to enhance their experience here with us at the Resort. The overwhelming response heard from the past two events of this caliber has been that our Guests would rather pick up their merchandise and move on to other elements of the event. As most of you have expressed your concerns in wanting to attend more of the event and less of the merchandise waiting periods. In the past, the brochure has always contained art images rather than the actual photographed piece, which has also been a constant request. Since we were able to obtain photographs of almost all the merchandise, we combined our efforts to make your Merchandise pick-up a smoother process. Requiring our Guests to purchase what they have asked for is what makes our RSP process so effective.

How will you handle people who show up at the event and didn't hear about the change? Will they be able to get a refund?
First of all, we will be letting everyone know at registration about the changes to the event in case they were unaware. However contact was made to almost all of our expected Event Guests via telephone or voice mail. We will also have appropriate signage placed at Registration to let Guests know of the last minute cancellation. The only Guests we anticipate not knowing about Tim & Danny’s cancellation are any of our Event Guests whose name may have not been registered at the time ticket sales took place. At the point of Registration, Guests will be completely notified of the changes and at that time have the opportunity to receive a refund. Refunds will not be issued once the notified Guest enters the Park.

In your statement (about the cancellation) you said you're very excited about the event and Burton and Elfman were just the tip of the iceberg. It would seem from the Itinerary that the panel discussion is the center of the evening and Burton and Elfman were the center of that. The ride through (for those not purchasing the dinner) isn't described as a special ride-through, so I'm assuming it'll be the same ride guests could get on October 5th (after it opens). Are there additional activities scheduled for the event that were not on the invitation or itinerary?
Once again have brought up a fantastic point. We are very excited about the event and hope that our Guests attending are excited as well. This is truly a memorable moment in Disney history as we see one of our most beloved attractions, become transformed into Nightmare Before Christmas. It seems to bring together the best of both worlds. You are correct in stating that the panel discussion is the center of the event, because we are excited to see and hear from some of the extraordinary creators of the film and the attraction. The sneak preview ride is special in its own way… this is the first time anything like this has ever taken place at the Haunted Mansion, and being the first of many to enjoy this exciting moment, is what makes it special. Now, Doobie, you know I can’t give all the elements of our event away…that’s why our Guests our coming to the event, to experience something unlike any other and to enjoy an evening of chilling surprises.

-- Posted October 2, 2001