FRIGHTFULLY FESTIVE
Tempe house decked out with ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ display
With tombstones in place and death hanging in plain view from the large tree out front, all felt right in the nightmare that is Jessica Brown’s dream home. Not just any nightmare, mind you. The one before Christmas, as crafted by Tim Burton and used by Disneyland for a holidaythemed Haunted Mansion. At Brown’s Tempe home, sharp teeth frame the gaping maw of the house’s entrance. Demonic eyes stare down from the second-floor windows. A carnivorous wreath shudders and groans when someone approaches. A month before Halloween, professional decoration crews arrived to deck the howls from one side of the Browns’ yard to the other. Four days later, they left behind a frozen tableau filled with eerie presence. Jessica, her husband Francis and their two small daughters will have a horror-jolly Christmas, thanks to a large dose of Halloween.
Tricks, but mostly treats
Not long after the sun has ghosted the sky, friends and strangers come by to enjoy the elaborate display inspired by “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.”
This is the second year jack-o-lanterns battle with gifts and lighted trees for holiday supremacy in a not-as-quiet-as-it-was-in-September neighborhood.
But the real winners are the Browns — the dual-holiday display comes with a three-month shelf life — as well as those happy to open the doors and push the buttons of the interactive features.
Every detail catches the eye, from the intricately carved stone walls layered with snow to the Tim Burton-esque figures representing each member of the Brown family (Jessica, 33; Francis, 37; 5year-old Samantha and 18-month-old Quinn).
The extensive display reflects a passion for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday that would exceed most anyone’s budget.
“This is our dream home and I knew when we moved in, we’d do something special for Halloween,” Jessica Brown says. “This was it.”
It all goes back to Disneyland
Jessica Brown visited Disneyland often as she grew up in California, falling in love with the attractions and characters. When she and Francis met in Arizona 10 years ago and started dating, she was appalled to learn he’d never been to the Anaheim theme park. She cut him no slack that he’d grown up in Philadelphia and had been to Disney World in Florida.
She arranged a three-day trip to Disneyland. On the second day, he purchased an annual pass for two.
“That’s when I knew he was a keeper,” Jessica says.
They’re also fans of Halloween (she more than he), and moving into their dream home in September 2016 gave the Browns the perfect canvas on which to paint their holiday masterpiece.
With just a month to prepare for Halloween that first year in the new house, they skipped decorations, not wanting to embarrass themselves with unimaginative simplicity.
But even then, visions of jack-o-lanterns danced in Jessica’s head.
“I knew I wanted Haunted Mansion Holiday,” she says, referring to the Disneyland overlay that transforms the Haunted Mansion into Jack Skellington’s playground. “That’s by far my favorite ride at my favorite time of year.”
Wanted: Imagination engineers
In early 2017 and on the advice of a friend, the couple reached out to a design company to sketch their nightmarish dreams. Therascapes, a Phoenixbased design firm, knew how to create 3D magic with polystyrene foam bricks and acrylic mortar.
Jessica and Francis described what they wanted, with Jessica going over her favorite parts of the Haunted Mansion ride (which was just about all of it).
A few weeks later the artists returned with detailed drawings of nightmarish objects, each item carefully designed to adhere to copyright laws.
(The life-size Jack Skellington and Sally figures stationed by the front door were purchased from an authorized retail outlet and thus officially licensed).
Not at all determined to adhere to their initial budget, the Browns went way over it. Neither Jessica nor Francis would say how much was spent, only that the sum was “tens of thousands of dollars” and included setup and teardown.
This is where it must be mentioned that Fran is managing partner of a successful cyber-security company.
“Very successful,” Jessica says, knowing how the hybrid-holiday display comes across as an indulgence.
And so it is, but one that is worth every penny to the Browns.
New displays this year
This year the Browns added a headless horseman from a non-specific town, not to be confused with the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow fame (the specter of copyright infringement looming again).
Also new are small doors that open to major holidays, including Thanksgiving and Easter. Each has a twisted surprise, like a certain bunny that get electrified at the touch of a button (consider it a little Halloween revenge over the other candy-focused observance).
As much as the Browns enjoy their display, the real payoff is watching others interact.
“I knew people would have fun,” Francis said. “But I wasn’t prepared for the real joy on their faces. We’ve had people tell us they’ve driven from across the Valley to see this, some more than once. It blows me away.”
Those crowds will continue to build as Halloween approaches, and again when Christmas nears. While Jessica and Francis were concerned about neighbor complaints — they said they received a letter from the homeowners association warning of consequences should the display cause heavy traffic — the display has been a dream when it comes to neighborly relations.
They’ve heard nary a complaint and have met neighbors they’d likely not have if not for the display.
“I think it’s brought us together,” Fran says. “I think a few are even upping their (holiday decoration) game.”
Even nightmares must end
All things must come to an end, and so it is with holiday magic. One of Jessica’s saddest days of the year comes when crews come to take the nightmare away shortly after Jan. 1, when Jessica’s birthday collides New Year’s Day.
Once that happens, the Brown home will be just another beige house on the block, devoid of character(s).
It won’t be long before the post-Halloween/Christmas fog lifts and Jessica will start thinking about next year’s display. She plans to add new features each year until there’s no room left in the expansive front yard. Homes in the neighborhood are set on acre lots.
“I’m big on traditions, which is why I wanted a special tradition for our family when we moved into our dream home,” she says. “But I hope this house is part of other people’s traditions, too. I want to see them come back year after year. Maybe one day the people who came here as kids will bring their own kids. That would be amazing.”
And a nightmare come true.