Joe Yakovetic’s Pumpkin Wonderland at the Disneyland Hotels Through Halloween!

Even here in sunny California, we’re starting to feel a little chill in the weather. I finally got to break in my new sweater. It’s Halloween Time at The Disneyland Resort, and all sorts of things are happening, hard-ticket parties, special snacks and Jack o’Lanterns everywhere you look. Outside of the parks, there are lots of pumpkins in the planters at Downtown Disney and a photo spot at the Disneyland Hotel, just outside of the Fantasy Tower entrance to the pool area. 

Also by the entrance, from noon to 3PM, you’ll find Disney artist extraordinaire Joe Yakovetic, surrounded by pumpkins and making them into incredible Disney art. Some of his completed work is visible, like the huge and beautifully detailed Dumbo he carved a few days ago:

And for you Werewolf by Night fans, he did a gorgeously wicked werewolf last week:

Meanwhile, he was using clay carving tools like the ones I had in college and a brush to create a portrait of The Beast’s magic rose from Beauty and the Beast.

Joe told us what he’s been working on, and gave me some photos of the creations he carved at the Grand Californian Hotel, Madame Leota from The Haunted Mansion, very appropriate for Halloween:

And a beautifully wicked Ursula portrait, from the original animated Disney’s The Little Mermaid:

He also carved Sally’s Frog Breath from The Nightmare Before Christmas, the secret ingredient in her soup to cover up the taste of sleeping potion:

Joe was doing design and fabrication work for The Disney Stores along with his sculptor friend Gary, who did all of the sculpted figures in the shop windows and displays. Disney contacted Gary and asked him if he would like to do some pumpkin carving for a promotion they were working on. Gary said no, but then told them that Joe would take the job.

Disney called Joe, who had zero experience carving pumpkins, and asked him if he would like to take the job. Joe immediately said yes to the job and set off to learn how to carve pumpkins. He found videos and tutorials by Ray Villafane, master pumpkin sculptor, back when they were free. You have to pay for them now but they’re worth it. In a short time, Joe was ready to do the work Disney had requested of him and he was good enough at it that Disney was happy.

Disney eventually had Joe working at Big Thunder Ranch as a pumpkin carver, complete with cowboy outfit, fitting with the theme. He was there a few years until Disneyland moved the festivities back into the Festival Arena, which had been built for the Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools show. Disneyland now had it as a Halloween and Dia de los Muertos carnival, but still had Joe dressed as a cowboy, which didn’t match the carnival theme at all. 

The funniest was when Joe was called upon to do pumpkin carving at Club 33 for a members only event, a Halloween party. Once again Disney costuming showed up with a cowboy costume. Why on earth did they do that? They answered, this isn’t a cowboy costume, it’s a pumpkin carver costume! Other people there were wearing Halloween costumes, so Joe just figured that the pumpkin carver was going in a costume as a cowboy for Halloween. 

Joe carved several pumpkins, but my favorite from that night was the one with the new, art nouveau Club 33 logo on it. I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of it to show you.

Speaking of costumes, Joe was wearing a new shirt costume when we saw him on the 25th. He had been wearing the Cast Members’ Oogie Boogie Bash costume with the bats on it and had found it both attractive and comfortable, but Disney decided to change it, so he changed it. 

Joe has gotten so good at Pumpkin carving that he appeared on the TV show Halloween Wars on team Spell Binders in Season five with Kristen Lovullo and Charity George. They asked Joe what was the most daunting thing he’s ever accomplished. He said “Personally, being a dad, and it ain’t over. Professionally, illustrating and art directing 24 Little Mermaid books for Disney and having one year to complete the task, [and] that means two books a month, plus all the promotional material that goes with it, and designing the books and hiring a staff of artists to help get the job done.” Rivals Scream Team ended up winning but Spell Binders’ output during the show was impressive.

See more of his pumpkin carving here. 

I first met Joe at the MiceChat Tenth Anniversary Party. He was part of the authors’ group interview. I was the moderator. I had never moderated before but he made me feel completely at ease. I actually have a painting he did for the Disney Inn hanging in my hallway. 

Here’s some of Joe’s Disney experience:

• Art director/designer on Disney attraction “Say ‘Hello’ to Honda’s ASIMO” for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. Designed the theater, graphics that wrapped the theater, the set, props and art directed video clips for stage show and designed posters and banners.
• Concept Artist on many parade floats, attractions and theatrical events for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
• Designed the railings and colonnade with Disney characters surrounding the “Partners” stature in Disneyland’s Hub.
• Art Directed/designed multiple interactive attractions for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Innoventions, overseeing construction and fabrication for each attraction, Finding Nemo and Haunted Mansion.
• Art Directed and designed Award Winning Animated windows for the Disney Stores. Overseeing construction and fabrication.
• Successfully managed art direction for over half of an 18-book series, “Disney’s Storytime Treasures Library”.
• Art directed and illustrated Disney’s most successful 24-book series, “The Little Mermaid Treasure Chest”.
• Costume designer for The Little Mermaid on Ice.
• Created numerous fine art, paintings for the Disney Galleries.
• Performed across the country and Canada as an official Disney Sketch Artist.
• And, of course, pumpkin carving. You can see examples of Joe’s many projects on his website  under “Work”.

If you want to meet Joe, you only have a few days left. He’s at the Disneyland Hotel by the back door of the Fantasy Tower daily from noon until 3PM, then he’s at the Grand Californian from 5PM until 8PM until October 30th. I hope you can catch him in action. His work is incredible. Happy Halloween!