the encyclopedic entry of HalloWishes

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History

During the first few years of the Halloween Party, the evening's fireworks show was the original "Fantasy in the Sky" show, with the addition of a Halloween-themed finale. "HalloWishes" was created by Disney's Creative Entertainment division specifically for the event, first premiering in 2005. Its development was supervised by Steven Davidson and designer Brad Chicotti, who also supervises annual special firweworks shows for WDW.

Plot summary

The premise of "HalloWishes" is that the residents of The Haunted Mansion, led by Master Edward Gracey, the Mansion's "ghost host," are preparing for a celebration of Halloween. The 999 happy haunts, called by Madame Leota, are the first to arrive as Thurl Ravenscroft's opening lines of Grim Grinning Ghosts are played, followed by a pop band version. After Master Gracey welcomes us, the mood is set with "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Then the guests are serenaded with the spirits' special brand of karaoke (which the script calls "scary-oke music; just a few tombs [tunes] we've 'dug up' for the occasion") in a medley of Disney's spookiest music. Later, some of Disney's most imfamous villains starting with Ursula from The Little Mermaid "plopping in" on the party and adding her own musical mix to the festivities. Jafar from Aladdin and Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas soon follow, and (until 2008) arriving last but far from the least is Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, showing us how Halloween should really be celebrated. The party ends with the "scream-along" grand finale.

Soundtrack

The musical soundtrack of the show is Halloween themed and are in many cases, the themes of villains from Disney films.

Grim Grinning Ghosts (from the Haunted Mansion attraction and the self-named 2003 movie) (Buddy Baker / X Atencio)
This Is Halloween (from The Nightmare Before Christmas) (Danny Elfman)
"A Little Night Music Scary-oke" Medley:

Poor Unfortunate Souls (from The Little Mermaid) (Alan Menken / Howard Ashman)
Cruella DeVil (from One Hundred and One Dalmatians and its' 1996 live-action remake) (Mel Leven)^†
Never Smile at a Crocodile (from Peter Pan) (Frank Churchill / Jack Lawrence)^†
The Elegant Captain Hook (from Peter Pan) (Sammy Cahn)^×
Trust In Me (from The Jungle Book) (The Sherman Brothers) mixed in with AEIOU (from Alice in Wonderland) (Oliver Wallace / Ted Sears).
Heffalumps and Woozles (from Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day) (The Sherman Brothers)
Pink Elephants On Parade (from Dumbo) (Wallace / Ned Washington)
Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf? (from The Three Little Pigs) (Churchill)

Ursula's Spellbound Medley:

Reprise of Poor Unfortunate Souls
Be Prepared (from The Lion King) (Sir Elton John / Tim Rice)
Court of Miracles (from The Hunchback of Notre Dame) (Menken)^×

Jafar and Oogie's Medley:

Arabian Nights (from Aladdin) (Menken)^×
Oogie Boogie's Song (from The Nightmare Before Christmas) (Elfman)

Maleficent's Visit:^†

Night on Bald Mountain (from Fantasia; voice over by Maleficent) (Modest Mussorgsky)^×
Hellfire (from The Hunchback of Notre Dame) (Menken)^×

Reprise of This is Halloween and Grim Grinning Ghosts in a "Scream-Along" medley finale.
I Put a Spell on You (from Hocus Pocus) (Screamin' Jay Hawkins; plays as the exit music for the show)

^× — Instrumental version is played.
^† - Was cut in 2008.

Parts of the soundtrack, which are available on an in-park CD entitled "Magic Kingdom Event Party Music", have also been used in Halloween events at Disneyland Paris Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland.