Scholl, whom I wrote about a few articles ago for his appearance at the State Fair, has worked on everything from the storyboards of such popular Disney movies as Mulan, Mulan II, Cinderella II and III, to such Disney channel favorites as Kim Possible, The Emperor's New School, Lilo and Stitch, House of Mouse, and a childhood fixation of mine, Darkwing Duck. Now this Disney animator is bringing even more Disney magic to life in the small town of Folsom, California, located just twenty minutes north of Sacramento.

As I found out when visiting his website, Scholl's passion for all things Disney extends beyond the storyboard…all the way to theme park attractions. "I absolutely love Disneyland and that's a major influence to me," Scholl says in a news interview posted on his website. "I want to retain and keep that magic alive." It is for this reason that he has spent the last three years turning Folsom's 12"-gauge steam train, the Folsom Valley Railway, into a Halloween treat reminiscent of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

Making clever use of such everyday objects as dancing Santas and self-playing pipe organs, Scholl has created a ghoulish trick that kids of all ages can enjoy. Called The Ghost Train for obvious reasons, this Halloween treat features 13 ghosts…a slight downsizing from Haunted Mansion's 999. However, with an audio-animatronic organist and a slightly blue Julius Caesar with a cobwebbed birthday cake, there is no end to the Disney magic here. The key, Scholl says, is to keep the ghouls smiling. "They have to have a definite expression and have a fun, whimsical feel to them."

Inspired by the "older Disneyland rides," Scholl not only creates the annual Folsom Ghost Train, but has taken his passion to his own backyard…literally. His belief that inspiration is man's most valuable asset probably explains how Scholl came to have a real-life dark ride in the backyard of his Sacramento area home. Using singing reindeer heads he found at a local grocery store for a mere ninety-nine dollars, as well as old props from such famous TV sets as Charmed, Scholl has created a ride reminiscent of two beloved Disneyland attractions—the happy sing-along of Splash Mountain and the bubbling cave of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad; something any Disney aficionado would love to have in their own backyard.

"As artists it is our responsibility to pass on the magic and knowledge to future generations," Scholl says. Walt Disney, I feel assured, could not have agreed more.

The Ghost Train runs nightly from October 19th to October 31st, from 7 to 9pm. For more information on the Ghost Train or Larry Scholl in general, visit www.larryscholl.net or call (916) 965-1217.