(Warning: Contains ride spoilers)
“When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still — that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight! Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host, your ghost host.”
It’s officially Fall 2021 which means Spooky Season in the Disney Parks is here! What’s your favorite thing about the parks during Halloween? Is it the spooky decor, the delicious treats, the decor, or the characters dressed up in their creepiest attire? My favorite ride is definitely “The Haunted Mansion” which lets me celebrate Halloween all year round.
The New Orleans Haunted Mansion officially opened on August 9, 1969, in Disneyland, California. 2 of the mansion’s main designers, Marc Davis & Claude Coats combined a wonderful mix of a scary but fun attraction for young & old alike. Come with me, if you dare, on a tour of this delightfully ghoulish attraction.
THE TOMBSTONES
As you walk through the iron gates into the Haunted Mansion queue, you’ll notice several headstones scattered about as you make your way to the entrance. Here lies a list of the tombstones and all the amazing Imagineers they represent:
- “Master Gracey”: Yale Gracey, who did most of the special effects and visual illusions
- “Grandpa Marc”: Lead designer Marc Davis, who did the majority of the sets, painting, and characters including the infamous Stretching Room portraits
- “Brother Claude”: Claude Coats, an expert in backlit designs and lead designer of the mansion’s architecture, along with developing the Omnimover design ride layout
- “Rolo Rumkin”: Roland “Rolly” Crump who was a concept artist and did visual effects
- “Francis Xavier”: Writer of the “Ghost Host” script (which so many Haunted Mansion fans memorize) and also wrote the lyrics to “Grim Grinning Ghosts”
- “Phineas Pock”: For Paul Frees, the voice of the “Ghost Host” narration that gives me chills every time
- “Wathel R. Bender”: Animator Walter Rogers who did the animatronics
- “Cousin Victor”: Vic Greene, Chief Architect
- “Julia Shrub”: Julie Bush, Disneyland Landscaper
- “Bradford Clemente”: Brad Clemens, architect, and show designer
- “Cam Irving”: Imagineer & Art Director Kim Irvine
- “M. Dibjib”: Michael Dobrzycki, graphic designer and concept artist
- “Esteban Pine”: For Steve Pinedo, designer & show producer
As you walk through the queue, you will also see a white hearse on your right appearing to be pulled by an invisible horse.
THE STRETCHING ROOM
“Our tour begins here in this gallery, here where you see paintings of some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible mortal state. Kindly step all the way in, please, and make room for everyone. There’s no turning back now.” –
This is probably my favorite part of the ride, even before I get on the doom buggy. As a cast member ushers you into a chamber that has “no windows and no doors”, the ghost host welcomes you to the mansion.
You look up to see 4 paintings that begin to STRETCH:
– A pretty lady holding an umbrella balancing on a tightrope with an alligator with its mouth open below
– A man in a hat standing on top of another man who is also standing on another man while he’s sinking in quicksand
– A man wearing only underwear standing on a keg of dynamite
– An older lady sitting on a tombstone with a sculpture of a man with an axe in his head
“Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis. Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination — hmm? And consider this dismaying observation: this chamber has no windows and no doors… which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out! Of course, there’s always my way.”
You hear loud thunderclaps and lights flicker menacingly. You look up to see a hanging corpse, the room goes DARK, and you hear a high-pitched terrifying scream…
THE PORTRAIT CORRIDOR
The chamber door opens and you walk through a dark hallway with paintings that reveal more sinister images when the lightning & thunder flash. At the end of the hallway, 2 white head sculptures stare menacingly at you as you turn right into the corridor. On the wall to your right, above the fireplace, you see a portrait of a beautiful lady whose face starts to distort.
Next to the portrait of the lady is a white statue of a one-eyed cat whose eye flashes red as you pass by while it judges you.
DOOM BUGGIES
The cast member ushers you onto a moving platform into your black “Doom Buggy” which fits 2-3 people. The ride uses the Omnimover system which can swivel riders in any direction while still having the ride vehicles all stay on a specific track in unison. As soon as I sit down, I always forget NOT to pull down on the safety bar as soon as the ghost host says: “Do not pull down on the safety bar, please. I will lower it for you.” Every. Single. Time.
As your doom buggy makes its way deeper into the mansion, you see floating candlesticks, a crow next to a casket, you hear howls, pass by some doors that are creaking also known as the “Corridor of Doors”. You hear the sound of a baby crying and the sound of a clock ticking with the somber organ music playing in the background. The music is sinister but enchanting.
MADAME LEOTA & THE GRAND BALLROOM
As you proceed further, you see an eerie blue glow from the famous Madame Leota in her crystal ball summoning the spirits as you pass the “Seance Circle.” You feel the air vibrate and you come upon the Grand Ballroom looking over the mansion’s balcony. It appears that the ghost residents are having a lively party, complete with a long dining table, cake, and silverware while some of the other ghosts fly through the air. Waltzing in circles are ghost couples dancing forever in their immortal state.
THE ATTIC & THE BRIDE
As you leave the Grand Ballroom, you pass through the dusty “Attic” where you pass through pictures of a bride & her many unfortunate grooms as the sound of a loud beating heart pumps in the background. I introduce to you, “Constance Hatchaway” aka the “Black Widow Bride.” Wave hello to her as she says in her most spine-chilling voice: “Here comes the briiiiiiide…”
THE GRAVEYARD
Next to our blushing bride is “The Hatbox Ghost” who is grinning at us while holding his walking stick and hatbox. (Could he be one of Constance’s ex-husbands?) As the Hatbox Ghost’s face disappears, you head into the Graveyard, where you see a terrified man with wobbly, shaking knees holding a lantern next to a poor dog that looks emaciated.
You then hear happier, sillier music playing while passing 5 ghosts playing instruments, a royal couple on a seesaw, and our 4 happy haunting ghosts “The Singing Busts” singing the famous “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” You pass by more ghosts: a mummy, an older ghost, 2 phantoms, 1 knight with no head, and a prisoner. These are just some of the 999 ghosts that live in the Haunted Mansion that want you to join them in their forever immortal state.
THE CRYPT
The raven caws loudly as you pass him and as your Ghost Host says “Beware of hitchhiking ghosts.” 3 ghosts have their thumbs up and try to hitchhike with you as you enter the Hall of Mirrors. Your doom buggy puts you face to face with a row of mirrors reflecting a ghost sitting next to you. Before your ride ends, The Ghostess of the Mansion tells you to “Hurry back” as you make your way back to the mortal world.
Thank you for taking a ride with me on this frighteningly ghoulish attraction that’s so beloved by many Disney guests. This attraction has such a huge following that there are Facebook Groups dedicated to it (yes I’m a member), along with people that decorate certain rooms of their homes with the Haunted Mansion’s signature purple wallpaper. They also have artwork featuring the characters in the Stretching Room on their walls, paintings, and crystal balls with the beautiful Madame Leota inside.
Since it’s Halloween time at Disneyland right now, the Haunted Mansion is themed to the “Nightmare Before Christmas” featuring Jack Skellington & his beloved Sally. The overlay will be featured from September 3, 2021, to January 9, 2022.
The Haunted Mansion is on my must-ride list whenever I visit Disneyland. Although Walt Disney was never able to ride it, all the Imagineers and creators that worked so hard to bring this attraction to life have kept his legacy alive. Who knows, maybe Walt Disney is the 1000th ghost or “happy haunt” that watches over you as you visit the Haunted Mansion…