PUZZLE #74: Helter Skelter

PUZZLE #74

HELTER SKELTER

Each answer in this crossword variation starts at the indicated number, and then moves towards the direction of the next number (thought it may or may not stop there). The direction of the last answer is to be determined by the solver.

Once the grid has been filled out, unscramble the gray squares to get this week's FINAL ANSWER: An 8-letter word

1) The titular Swan Princess from the animated film of the same name
2) "Double, double, _____ and trouble..."
3) Defunct toothpaste brand whose mascot was Bucky Beaver
4) Condo or flat: Abbv.
5) Distressed damsel in the original Donkey Kong arcade game
6) Daggett's brother from The Angry Beavers
7) Magazine that had Lucille Ball's baby on its very first cover: 2 wds.
8) Tex Avery toon who says "You know what? I'm happy"
9) Search engine founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo
10) Appliance that might clean itself?
11) Little _____ in Slumberland
12) Alien from Warioware Inc.
13) It's usually eaten at noon
14) Male spouse, slangily
15) Times long past
16) Six, in Japanese
17) Music video director Joseph who did Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood"
18) Pet food brand that Garfield was once a "spokescat" for
19) Blueprints and such
20) What "People Are", according to The Doors
21) _____! Ghost! (arcade game with a physical diorama)
22) Pull with great difficulty
23) Inventor from Ducktales
24) Philbin's last co-host before he retired
25) Gadget that uses ringtones

Once you believe you've figured out the FINAL ANSWER, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured that one out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!