Haunted Mansion

For other uses, see Haunted Mansion (disambiguation).

The Haunted Mansion
Attraction's facade at Disneyland
Disneyland
Area	New Orleans Square
Status	Operating
Opening date	August 9, 1969
Magic Kingdom
Area	Liberty Square
Status	Operating
Opening date	October 1, 1971
Tokyo Disneyland
Area	Fantasyland
Status	Operating
Opening date	April 15th, 1983
Disneyland Paris
Area	Frontierland
Status	Operating
Opening date	April 12, 1992
Hong Kong Disneyland
Area	Mystic Point
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 17th, 2013
General statistics
Attraction type	Omnimover dark ride
Manufacturers	Arrow Development (Disneyland & Magic Kingdom) Vekoma (Disneyland Paris)
Designer	WED Enterprises
Theme	Haunted attraction
Music	"Grim Grinning Ghosts" composed by Buddy Baker
Vehicle type	Doom buggies
Riders per vehicle	2–3
Duration	5:50–8:20 minutes
Audio-animatronics	Yes
Host	Ghost Host (Paul Frees) (Teichiro Hori, Tokyo version)
Fastpass available except for Disneyland Paris
FastPass+ available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Assistive listening available
Closed captioning available

The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride attraction located at many Disney theme parks around the world. A similar ride called Phantom Manor is located in Disneyland Paris. The Haunted Mansion features a ride-through tour in Omnimover vehicles called Doombuggies, and a walk-through show is displayed to riders waiting in the line queue. The attraction utilizes a range of technology, from centuries-old theatrical effects to modern special effects featuring spectral Audio-Animatronics. A similar Disney attraction set in a mansion, Mystic Manor, opened at Hong Kong Disneyland in 2013.

History

Development

The idea for the Mansion predates Disneyland and WED Enterprises, to when Walt Disney hired the first of his Imagineers. The first known illustration of the park showed a main street setting, green fields, western village and a carnival. Disney Legend Harper Goff developed a black-and-white sketch of a crooked street leading away from main street by a peaceful church and graveyard, with a run-down manor perched high on a hill that towered over main street.

Disney assigned Imagineer Ken Anderson to create a story using Goff's idea. Plans were made to build a New Orleans-themed land in the small transition area between Frontierland and Adventureland. Weeks later, New Orleans Square appeared on the souvenir map and promised a thieves market, a pirate wax museum, and a haunted house walk-through. Anderson studied New Orleans and old plantations and came up with a drawing of an antebellum manor overgrown with weeds, dead trees, swarms of bats and boarded doors and windows topped by a screeching cat as a weather vane.

Disney, however, did not like the idea of a run-down building in his pristine park. He visited the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, and was captivated by the massive mansion with its stairs to nowhere, doors that opened to walls and holes, and elevators. Anderson envisioned stories for the mansion, including tales of a ghostly sea captain who killed his nosy bride and then hanged himself, a mansion home to an unfortunate family, and a ghostly wedding party with well-known Disney villains and spooks. Imagineers Rolly Crump and Yale Gracey recreated Ken Anderson's stories in a studio at WED enterprise.

In 1961, handbills announcing a 1963 opening of the Haunted Mansion were given out at Disneyland's main entrance. Construction began a year later, and the exterior was completed in 1963. The attraction was previewed in a 1965 episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, but the attraction itself would not open until 1969. The six-year delay owed heavily to Disney's involvement in the New York World's Fair in 1964–1965 and to an attraction redesign after Walt's death in 1966.

After the fair, many Imagineers such as Marc Davis, X Atencio and Claude Coats contributed ideas to the project. By this time, Ken Anderson had left the project. Rolly Crump showed Walt some designs for his version, which included bizarre things like coffin clocks, candle men, talking chairs, man-eating plants, tiki-like busts, living gypsy wagons and a mirror with a face. Walt liked these ideas and wanted to make the proclaimed "Museum of the Weird", a restaurant side to the now-named Haunted Mansion, similar to the Blue Bayou at Pirates of the Caribbean. Though this concept was never realized, some of its aspects found their way into the final attraction.

Marc Davis and Claude Coats, two of the mansion's main designers, disagreed whether the ride should be scary or funny. Claude, originally a background artist, wanted a scary adventure, and produced renditions of moody surroundings like endless hallways, corridors of doors and other characterless environments. Marc, an animator and character designer, proposed many zany spook characters and thought the ride should be silly and full of gags. In the end, both artists got their ways when X Atencio combined their approaches and ideas, creating an entertaining transition from dark foreboding to "spirited" fun.

After Walt Disney's death in December 1966, the project evolved significantly. The Museum of the Weird restaurant idea was abandoned. The Imagineers had also objected to a walk-through attraction's low capacity, going so far as suggesting building two identical attractions to accommodate twice as many guests. A solution appeared with the development of the Omnimover system for Adventure Thru Inner Space. Renamed the Doom Buggies, the system's continuous chain of semi-enclosed vehicles offered high capacity. The cars could be set to rotate in any direction at any point, allowing the Imagineers to control what guests saw and heard throughout the show. And because each car held from one to three, it was a convenient way to divide guests into smaller groups — a better fit with the story of people wandering "alone" through a haunted house.

Employee previews of the Mansion were held August 9, 10, and possibly the 11th, followed by "soft" openings on August 9 and 10 where limited numbers of park guests were allowed to ride. A "Midnight" Press Event was held on the evening of August 11. The mansion opened to all guests August 12, 1969. The public opening was announced in full-page newspaper ads, creating the anomaly of either two official openings or an advertised "soft" opening. The attraction was an immediate success, attracting record crowds and helping Disney recover from Walt's untimely death.

In around 1977, WDI considered utilising the unused designs, creatures and effects that Rolly Crump had originally created for the Haunted Mansion and the Museum of the Weird as part of Professor Marvel's Gallery — "a tent show of mysteries and delights, a carousel of magic and wonder." This was to be built as part of Disneyland's Discovery Bay expansion area, and was dropped when those plans fell through.

In 1999, a retrospective of the art of The Haunted Mansion was featured at The Disney Gallery above the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean. When the 2003 film The Haunted Mansion was released, a retrospective of its art was featured in the gallery as well.

In October 2001, Haunted Mansion Holiday premiered, a seasonal overlay featuring characters from the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas.

On April 10, 2015, it was officially confirmed that an iconic Haunted Mansion character, The Hatbox Ghost, would return to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. The character returned on May 9, 2015. The Hatbox Ghost was originally a part of the attraction when it opened in 1969.

Other Disney parks

The attraction opened at Magic Kingdom in 1971, Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, at Disneyland Paris as Phantom Manor in 1992. Mystic Manor opened at Hong Kong Disneyland in 2013, an attraction having some early roots as an attempt to design a ride similar to the Haunted Mansion.

Disneyland Paris is home to Phantom Manor, a "re-imagined" version of the Haunted Mansion. The house is a Western Victorian, in the Second Empire architectural style, based on the look of the Fourth Ward School House in Virginia City, Nevada. Along with the Western architectural style, the attraction uses a Western plot to fit in with the Thunder Mesa and Frontierland backdrop.

Mystic Manor, a somewhat different kind of attraction inspired by the Haunted Mansion, opened at Hong Kong Disneyland in spring 2013. It does not include references to departed spirits or the afterlife, due to differences in traditional Chinese culture. The attraction's exterior is that of a large Victorian mansion in an elaborate Queen Anne architectural style, and the experience features a trackless "ride" system and a musical score by Danny Elfman. Continuing the Society of Explorers and Adventurers theme of Tokyo DisneySea, the attraction tells the story of Lord Henry Mystic and his monkey Albert. Having recently acquired an enchanted music box with the power to bring inanimate objects to life, Albert opens the box and brings all of the house's artifacts to life.

The attraction

Disneyland version

The Portrait Hallway, which guests pass through after exiting the Expanding Room. Photo by Mike Johansen.

Entering the queuing area through a pair of ornate gates, guests find themselves in the mansion's well-tended gardens and courtyards. The queuing path leads guests past a pet cemetery, a mausoleum with pun names, and a white carriage hearse led by an invisible horse which occasionally nickers. Stepping onto the porch, guests are admitted inside the mansion through a doorway on the far right of the house into the Foyer, lit by a large, flickering, cobweb-covered chandelier and surrounding candelabras.

In the Foyer, the deep, resonant voice of an invisible spirit (Paul Frees) sets the tone of the attraction with a short opening monologue, accompanied by a funeral dirge variation of Grim Grinning Ghosts.

A pair of sliding doors open to one of two identical octagonal Expanding Rooms. The invisible spirit mockingly welcomes the guests (referring to them as "foolish mortals") and introduces himself as their "Ghost Host" who will take them on a tour of the Haunted Mansion. The room contains four paintings, one on every other wall, each depicting a person from the chest up. The portraits are flanked by eight leering, candle-holding gargoyles. A sliding wall panel closes in front of the doorway where the guests entered, trapping them in the room. As the Ghost Host delivers his spiel, the room begins to vertically "stretch." The floor descends and the walls and portrait frames elongate, revealing the grim fates of the previous residents depicted in the paintings, symbolized in humorously macabre situations: a beautiful young girl holding a parasol is shown to be balancing on a fraying tightrope above the jaws of an alligator; a middle-aged bearded man holding a document is shown to be standing atop a barrel of dynamite in his boxer shorts with a candle lighting the fuse; a smiling elderly woman holding a rose is shown to be sitting on the tombstone of her late husband George, who is depicted as a stone bust with an ax in his head; and a confident-looking middle-aged man in a bowler hat is shown to be sitting on the shoulders of a frightened-looking man, who sits on the shoulders of a third man who is waist-deep in quicksand, an expression of terror on his face. As the Ghost Host concludes,

"Of course, there's always MY way..."

With a sudden thunderclap, the lights go out and the ceiling disappears. A ghastly vision manifests above: the skeletal corpse of the Ghost Host dangling from a taut rope inside the octagonal cupola with four curtainless windows (rather than the hexagonal cupola with six curtained windows seen on the exterior), illuminated by flashes of lightning. Seconds later, the room plunges into darkness, and a bloodcurdling scream is heard — falling from the ceiling to the floor, ending with the sound of the corpse hitting the floor.

As the gallery is re-lit, a wall opens, exposing a Portrait Hallway. As lightning flashes from the windows on the opposite side of the hall, the portraits transform into images of ghosts and monsters in synchronization with the lightning. At the corridor's far end are two statuary busts depicting a stern-looking man and woman. The statues appear to turn and gaze at guests, following their every move.

Turning a corner, guests enter the Load Area, where a seemingly endless stream of black carriages, or "Doombuggies," descend one staircase and ascend another. Beyond the track, clouds drift past a limbo of boundless mist and decay. The guests then board the carriages, accompanied by the Ghost Host (who lowers the safety bar and provides a safety spiel).

Once guests ascend the pitch-black Staircase to the second floor, they come across a moving suit of armor, and a chair which appears to be embroidered with a hidden abstract face. The Doombuggies also pass by the end of a seemingly Endless Hallway. Partway down the hallway is a candelabra, floating eerily.

Turning away from the Endless Hallway, guests travel past a glass Conservatory filled with dead, withered plants and flowers.In the middle of the room is a coffin occupied by a restless "guest", plaintively wailing for someone to "Let me out!'. Perched near the coffin is a black raven with glowing red eyes.

The Doombuggies continue down a Corridor of Doors. The sounds of pounding, shrieking, calls for help, screams, knocking, and maniacal laughter can be heard from behind the doors. Knockers and handles are moved by unseen hands and some doors appear to be "breathing." The walls, covered in demon-faced wallpaper, are adorned with daguerreotypes of screaming and grinning corpses, and a large painting of the Ghost Host with a noose around his neck and holding a hatchet. A demonic grandfather clock chimes 13 as its hands spin counter-clockwise and the shadow of a claw passes over it.

Guests enter a dark Séance Area full of floating objects. Madame Leota, a medium whose disembodied head appears within a misty crystal ball, summons the Mansion's spirits, levitating mysteriously above a table littered with tarot cards and a wispy green spirit moves off in a corner of the room. The raven seen moments ago in the Conservatory can now be seen perched on the back of the chair at the table. As she incants,

"Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat... Call in the spirits, wherever they're at. / Rap on a table, it's time to respond... Send us a message from somewhere beyond. / Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween... Awaken the spirits with your tambourine! / Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond... Let there be music from regions beyond! / Wizards and witches, wherever you dwell... Give us a hint by ringing a bell."

floating objects and instruments answer her in turn. Before exiting the Séance Circle, guests pass a large, ancient tome entitled "Necronomicon: Book of the Dead" resting on a stand, with the book opened to pages 1312 and 1313. Page 1312 contains a cloaked version of Ezra the HitchHiking Ghost, while page 1313 contains Leota's incantations.

After leaving the Séance Circle, guests move along a balcony overlooking a birthday party taking place in a Grand Hall, with a number of ghosts dancing and reveling. Ghosts are seen entering the room through a broken door, where a hearse has crashed with its coffin (and its contents) sliding out. Eerie phantoms are seen flying in and out of the windows above. A merry ghost is seen sitting atop the mantle of a fireplace with a mysterious green fire, with his arm wrapped around a bust. An elderly ghost is seen rocking back and forth in a chair, a book in her lap. Many ghosts have gathered around a dinner table, where a ghost is blowing out candles on a birthday cake. A massive chandelier hangs above the table on which a couple is perched and another ghost named Pickwick swings from by his cane. Another balcony is seen across the room, where a curtained doorway is situated between two portraits of dueling gunmen. From time to time, the ghosts of the two duelists appear and shoot at each other with their pistols. A number of elegantly dressed couples are seen below, waltzing to a discordant version of the the attraction's theme song played on a pipe organ (Captain Nemo's organ set piece from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) by a ghostly gentleman wearing a top hat, while banshees float out of its pipes.

The Doombuggies then proceed to the Attic, an irregularly shaped room cluttered with gifts, personal items, mementos and wedding portraits. In each portrait, the same bride is seen with a different groom, whose heads disappear only to re-appear a moment later. With each successive photograph, the bride gains another string of pearls. The sound of a beating heart fills the room, and a shadowy spirit plays a grim version of the "Bridal Chorus" on an old harpsichord. Just before the Doombuggies escape the Attic, the ghost of the bride from the pictures, Constance Hatchaway is encountered, shrouded in cool blue light, and uttering words mocking the traditional wedding vows:

"Here comes the bride... As long as we both shall live... For better or for... worse? I do. I did, In sickness and in... Wealth. You may now kiss the bride... We'll live happily ever after... Till death do us part..."

As she raises her arms, a hatchet appears and disappears in her hands between vows.

The Doombuggies drift out of an Attic window and onto the balcony, coming face to face with the Hatbox Ghost amidst a starry night sky filled with wispy spirits rising from the Graveyard below. The Doombuggies turn around, and tip backward down a 15-percent grade surrounded by dark, ghoulish trees with knotted expressions. The red-eyed raven (previously seen in the Conservatory and Séance Circle) caws at guests from a branch overhead as guests enter the Graveyard. The Doombuggies then reach the ground and turn towards the gate of the Graveyard. There stands a caretaker and his dog, the attraction's only "living" characters. The caretaker cowers in fright, an expression of terror on his face, while his emaciated dog whines and whimpers. Around the corner, a ghostly band of minstrels plays a jazzy rendition of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" as a family of cats and two owls join in harmony. Ghouls pop up from behind tombstones, a king and queen balance on a teeter-totter, and a skeletal hellhound howls from behind guests. The Doombuggies travel down a hill and turn to see five expressive haunted busts singing "Grim Grinning Ghosts" in barbershop harmony. Next, guests encounter a ghostly tea party surrounding a hearse stuck in the mud. A bony arm protrudes from a crypt with a wine glass in its hand, while banshees ride bicycles in the distance. An Egyptian mummy sits up in his sarcophagus, holding a cup of tea and singing along, while the ghost of a "wise old man" from the Renaissance period holds an ear trumpet to his ear in an attempt to make out the muffled words of the mummy. The Doombuggies then turn and pass a group of singing ghosts (an operatic pair, a decapitated knight, a masked executioner, and a prisoner) standing in front of a series of crypts. A bony arm holding a trowel dangles from a partially walled-up crypt, its occupant attempting to finish the job.

As the Doombuggies approach the entrance of a large crypt, and the Ghost Host speaks one final time:

"Ah, there you are... and just in time. There's a little matter I forgot to mention: beware of HitchHiking Ghosts! They have selected you to fill our quota, and will haunt you until you return... Now I will raise the safety bar, and a ghost will follow you home!"

Entering the Hall of Mirrors, the Doombuggies pass a group of three ghosts thumbing for a ride. Around the corner, in large, ornately framed mirrors, the guests see that one of the ghosts from the trio is in the carriage with them.

While passing through the Hall of Mirrors, the same Singing Bust spirits from the Graveyard sing a somber tune in the background while guests proceed to the exit.

"If you would like to join our jamboree there's a simple rule that's compulsory; mortals pay a token fee; rest in peace, the haunting's free; so hurry back, we would like your company..."

The guests then disembark their Doombuggies and ascend back to the "living world." The last apparition they see is the tiny Ghost Hostess, also known as "Little Leota," who encourages them to:

"Hurry back... hurry back! Be sure to bring your death certificate, if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now. We've been 'dying’ to have you."

Magic Kingdom Park version

Magic Kingdom version

During the production and assembly of the props and audio-animatronics for Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, duplicates of everything were being made for Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion. It was decided that the Florida version of the attraction would be longer and more elaborate than its California counterpart. Paul Frees recorded additional voice-overs to accompany the extra scenes in the ride. Because of the ample space within the park, the attraction's show building is much larger and not restricted by any railroad berm.

As guests approach the Mansion, an eerie wind and flute, followed by an organ can be heard. Entering the queuing area through a pair of ornate gates, guests find themselves in the Mansion's courtyard. The queuing path leads guests past a black carriage hearse led by an invisible horse and through a haunted cemetery that includes a sea captain's leaky crypt filled with seawater, a crypt belonging to a composer (which will play variations of Grim Grinning Ghosts when its instruments are touched), a Poetess's tomb (which contains a book that writes by itself), and a headstone with the face of Madame Leota that occasionally opens its eyes and peers around. Guests are then ushered inside the Mansion through a set of double doors by a servant of the house.

In the Foyer, dimly-lit by a flickering chandelier, the deep, resonant voice of an invisible spirit (Paul Frees) sets the tone of the attraction with a short opening monologue, accompanied by a funeral dirge variation of the attraction's theme song. As he speaks, a portrait of the master of the house above the fireplace slowly transforms into a portrait of a rotting corpse.

A sliding door then opens to one of two octagonal Stretch Rooms, and a servant ushers guests inside. The invisible spirit mockingly welcomes the guests (referring to them as "foolish mortals") and introduces himself as their "Ghost Host" who will take them on a tour of the Haunted Mansion. The room contains four paintings, one on every other wall, each depicting a person from the chest up. The portraits are flanked by eight leering, candle-holding gargoyles. A sliding wall panel closes in front of the doorway where the guests entered, trapping them in the room. As the Ghost Host delivers his spiel, the room begins to vertically "stretch," moaning and groaning in the process. The ceiling ascends and the walls and portrait frames elongate, revealing the grim fates of the previous residents depicted in the paintings, symbolized in humorously macabre situations: a beautiful young girl holding a parasol is shown to be balancing on a fraying tightrope above the jaws of an alligator; a middle-aged bearded man holding a document is shown to be standing atop a barrel of dynamite in his boxer shorts with a candle lighting the fuse; a smiling elderly woman holding a rose is shown to be sitting on the tombstone of her late husband George, who is depicted as a stone bust with an ax in his head; and a confident-looking middle-aged man in a bowler hat is shown to be sitting on the shoulders of a frightened-looking man, who sits on the shoulders of a third man who is waist-deep in quicksand, an expression of terror on his face. As the Ghost Host concludes:

"Of course, there's always MY way..."

With a sudden thunderclap, the lights go out and the ceiling disappears. A ghastly vision manifests above: the skeletal corpse of the Ghost Host dangling from a taut rope inside the octagonal belfry with four curtainless windows (rather than the hexagonal belfry with no windows seen on the exterior), illuminated by flashes of lightning. Seconds later, the room plunges into darkness, and a bloodcurdling scream is heard — falling from the ceiling to the floor, ending with the sound of the corpse hitting the floor.

As the gallery is re-lit, a wall opens, exposing a dark corridor leading to the Entrance Hall. After being urged by both the Ghost Host and the gargoyles to "stay together, please!", and ultimately "Get out!", they proceed down the corridor. On the walls are eerie portraits (nicknamed the "Sinister 11" by fans). Seven of these portraits are located within this hall and the adjacent room. As the guests reach the far side of the Entrance Hall, an endless stream of black carriages, or "Doombuggies," emerge around a corner "to take them into the boundless realm of the supernatural."

After the guests board the carriages, accompanied by the Ghost Host (who lowers the safety bar and provides a safety spiel), guests are taken through a room containing a Servant's Staircase, where a candelabra floats above the railing. Two of the Sinister 11 portraits are located here. The Doombuggies then take guests down a long Portrait Gallery, past windows with lightning flashing onto transforming portraits on the opposite wall.

Passing under an archway, guests enter the Library, a room filled with staring busts, moving ladders, flying books, and an unseen ghost rocking in a chair reading a book by candlelight.

After exiting the Library, the Doombuggies move through the Music Room where a shadowy figure plays an off-kilter Rachmaninoff-style version of the attraction's theme music on an old square piano. A stormy landscape, accompanied by occasional claps of thunder, is shown in the window behind the piano.

The Doombuggies then ascend a room full of Staircases that defy the laws of physics. Green footsteps appear and disappear on the steps of the upside down and sideways staircases. Occasionally, the candelabras on the newel posts are blown out by unseen spirits and mysteriously re-light themselves while the Music Room's piano reverberates in the background. At the top of the Staircases, moving and blinking eyes that glare at passing guests fade into bat-eyed wallpaper.

Once guests ascend the Staircases to the second floor, they come across a moving suit of armor, and a chair which appears to be embroidered with a hidden abstract face. The Doombuggies also pass by the end of a seemingly Endless Hallway. Partway down the hallway is a candelabra, floating eerily.

Turning away from the Endless Hallway, the Doombuggy suddenly spins around to face a glass Conservatory filled with dead, withered plants and flowers. In the middle of the room is a coffin occupied by a restless "guest", plaintively wailing for someone to "Let me out!'. Perched near the coffin is a black raven with glowing red eyes.

The Doombuggies continue down a Corridor of Doors. The sounds of pounding, growling, knocking and maniacal laughter can be heard from behind the doors and flying down the length of corridor. Knockers and handles are moved by unseen hands and some doors appear to be "breathing." The walls, covered in demon-faced wallpaper, are adorned with daguerreotypes of screaming and grinning corpses, and a large painting of the Ghost Host with a noose around his neck and his shadow holding a hatchet. A demonic grandfather clock chimes 13 every other second as its hands wildly spin counter-clockwise and the shadow of a claw passes over it.

Guests enter a dark Séance Area full of floating objects. Madame Leota, a medium whose disembodied head appears within a misty crystal ball, summons the Mansion's spirits, levitating mysteriously above a table littered with tarot cards and a wispy green spirit moves off in a corner of the room. The raven seen moments ago in the Conservatory can now be seen perched on the back of the chair at the table. As she incants,

"Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat... Call in the spirits, wherever they're at. / Rap on a table, it's time to respond... Send us a message from somewhere beyond. / Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween... Awaken the spirits with your tambourine! / Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond... Let there be music from regions beyond! / Wizards and witches, wherever you dwell... Give us a hint by ringing a bell."

floating objects and instruments answer her in turn. Before exiting the Séance Circle, guests pass a large, ancient tome entitled "Necronomicon: Book of the Dead" resting on a stand, with the book opened to pages 1312 and 1313. Page 1312 contains a cloaked version of Ezra the HitchHiking Ghost, while page 1313 contains Leota's incantations.

After leaving the Séance Circle, guests move along a balcony overlooking a birthday party taking place in a Grand Hall, with a number of ghosts dancing and reveling. Ghosts are seen entering the room through a broken door, where a hearse has crashed with its coffin (and its contents) sliding out. Eerie phantoms are seen flying in and out of the windows above. A merry ghost is seen sitting atop the mantle of a fireplace, his arm wrapped around a bust. An elderly ghost is seen rocking back and forth in a chair, a book in her lap. Many ghosts have gathered around a dinner table, where a ghost is blowing out candles on a birthday cake. A massive chandelier hangs above the table on which a couple is perched and another ghost named Pickwick swings from by his cane. Another balcony is seen across the room, where a curtained doorway is situated between two portraits of dueling gunmen. From time to time, the ghosts of the two duelists appear and shoot at each other with their pistols. A number of elegantly dressed couples are seen below, waltzing to a discordant version of the song "Grim Grinning Ghosts", played on a large organ by a ghostly gentleman wearing a top hat, while banshees float out of its pipes. Just before exiting the Grand Hall, the final Sinister 11 portrait can barely be seen at the end of the dark balcony.

The Doombuggies then proceed to the Attic, an irregularly shaped room cluttered with gifts, personal items, mementos and wedding portraits. In each portrait, the same bride is seen with a different groom, whose heads disappear only to re-appear a moment later. With each successive photograph, the bride gains another string of pearls. The sound of a beating heart fills the room while a grim version of the "Bridal Chorus" played on the piano can be heard reverberating from off in the room somewhere. Just before the Doombuggies escape the attic, the ghost of the bride from the pictures, Constance Hatchaway is encountered, shrouded in cool blue light, and uttering words mocking the traditional wedding vows:

"Here comes the bride... As long as we both shall live... For better or for... worse? I do. I did, In sickness and in... Wealth. You may now kiss the bride... We'll live happily ever after... Till death do us part..."

As she raises her arms, a hatchet appears and disappears in her hands between vows.

The Doombuggies drift out of an Attic window and onto the balcony, facing a starry night sky filled with wispy spirits rising from the graveyard below. The Doombuggies turn around, and tip backward down a 15-percent grade surrounded by dark, ghoulish trees with knotted expressions. The red-eyed raven (previously seen in the Conservatory and Séance Circle) caws at guests from a branch overhead as guests enter the Graveyard. The Doombuggies then reach the ground and turn towards the gate of the Graveyard. There stands a caretaker and his dog, the attraction's only "living" characters. The caretaker cowers in fright, an expression of terror on his face, while his emaciated dog whines and whimpers. Around the corner, a ghostly band of minstrels plays a jazzy rendition of "Grim Grinning Ghosts". Ghouls pop up from behind tombstones, a king and queen balance on a teeter-totter, and a skeletal hellhound howls from behind guests. The Doombuggies travel down a hill and turn to see five expressive haunted busts singing "Grim Grinning Ghosts" in barbershop harmony. Next, guests encounter a ghostly tea party surrounding a hearse stuck in the mud. A bony arm protrudes from a crypt with a wine glass in its hand, while banshees ride bicycles in the distance. An Egyptian mummy sits up in his sarcophagus, holding a cup of tea and singing along, while the ghost of a "wise old man" from the Renaissance period holds an ear trumpet to his ear in an attempt to make out the muffled words of the mummy. The Doombuggies then turn and pass a group of singing ghosts (an operatic pair, a decapitated knight, a masked executioner, and a prisoner) standing in front of a series of crypts. A bony arm holding a trowel dangles from a partially walled-up crypt, its occupant attempting to finish the job.

As the Doombuggies approach the entrance of a large crypt, the Ghost Host speaks once again:

"Ah, there you are... and just in time. There's a little matter I forgot to mention: beware of HitchHiking Ghosts! They have selected you to fill our quota, and will haunt you until you return..."

Entering the Hall of Mirrors, the Doombuggies pass a group of three ghosts thumbing for a ride. Around the corner, in large, ornately framed mirrors, the guests see that one of the ghosts from the trio is in the carriage with them. After pulling a prank on the guests, they disappear.

Turning around a corner and traveling into the Exit Crypt, guests encounter the ghost of a miniature woman standing above an archway within the crypt, who beckons them to return and join the spirits:

"Hurry back... hurry back! Be sure to bring your death certificate, if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now. We've been 'dying’ to have you."

After passing underneath this threshold, the guests then disembark their Doombuggies and emerge back out to the "living world" while the same Singing Bust spirits from the Graveyard sing a somber tune in the background while guests proceed to the exit.

"If you would like to join our jamboree there's a simple rule that's compulsory; mortals pay a token fee; rest in peace, the haunting's free; so hurry back, we would like your company..."

Exiting the ride, a mausoleum with pun names can be found outside the Mansion.

Adaptations

In 2003, a feature film based on the attraction starring Eddie Murphy was produced by Walt Disney Pictures.

In October 2005, Slave Labor Graphics began publishing a bimonthly Haunted Mansion comic book anthology, with the main recurring story (Mystery of the Manse) centered around "Master Gracey" and inspired by the sea captain concepts proposed for the attraction by Ken Anderson in the 1950s.

In July 2010, Guillermo del Toro announced that he was set to write and produce a new movie based on the attraction, promising that it would be both scary and fun.

In January 2014, Marvel Comics began publishing "Seekers of the Weird"; a five-issue miniseries under the Disney Kingdoms imprint based on Rolly Crump's unused designs for the attraction and Museum of the Weird.

In July 2014, it was announced that a cartoon special based on the attraction, animated by Gris Grimly, was being developed in honor of the 45th anniversary, to be aired on the Disney Channel and Disney XD.

Changes

Disneyland

In 1995, Disneyland's Haunted Mansion was updated. A phantom piano player sat at a run-down piano, just like the music room at Walt Disney World's Mansion. However, instead of the sinister Rachmaninoff-esque version of Grim Grinning Ghosts, a dark version of Richard Wagner's Bridal March plays. New pop-ups and accompanying audio were also added. Instead of the screams and shrieks from the old ones, they now scream "I do!" The pop-ups/blast-ups were discontinued in the 2006 upgrades. The La-La Singer which would accompany the Monotonous Hearse Quartet in the internal graveyard was also discontinued.

In 2001, a newer, more detailed safety spiel was added to the onboard audio of the Dommbuggies in the Load Area, now featuring voice-over artist and Paul Frees impersonator Joe Leahy, giving a bilingual safety warning as part of a park-wide attempt to increase safety at attractions.

In 2005, the changing portraits in the Portrait Hallway were reverted to their original style of metamorphosis, as well as given a new thunder sound effect. Now, just like in the original Haunted Mansion, the changing portraits flicker in synchronization with the flashing lightning and turn into their ghastly counter-images, rather than just fading between each other.

On Disneyland's 50th anniversary, The Haunted Mansion was given a number of upgrades. First, the original portrait in the Portrait Hallway of a beautiful young lady turning into an old hag (commonly known by fans as the "April–December portrait") was discontinued and replaced with the Aging Man, which can be found in Walt Disney World's Foyer. Next, Madame Leota floats, instead of her crystal ball remaining stationary on the table. A new Attic scene was also added. Instead of the old attic scene with pop-ups and a silent bride, there are now five changing portraits. The portraits show Constance Hatchaway, the new "Black widow bride" (played by Julia Lee, voiced by Kat Cressida), and throughout each of the photos, the husbands' heads pictured with her now disappear. In each of the photos, she gains a strand of pearls on her necklace. Her facial expression now turns from a frown into a sly smile throughout each portrait. A new bride figure was also put in place of the original. Now, the bride utters her wedding vows in a slow and ominous voice:

"Here comes the bride... As long as we both shall live... For better or for... worse? I do. I did, In sickness and in... Wealth. You may now kiss the bride... We'll live happily ever after... Till death do us part..."

A hatchet appears in her hands between her vows.

Finally, the original stars in the graveyard were replaced with more realistic fiber-optic technology.

In 2008, The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland received stenciling on the Load Area belt to simulate an endlessly moving carpet.

In June 2010, Madame Leota's floating technique was presumably replaced with a clearer and digital internal projection, just like the current projection of her at the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion.

In May 2015, as part of the 60th anniversary for Disneyland, a newly created Hatbox Ghost figure was installed in the attraction's attic scene.

Walt Disney World

In 2003, just like at Disneyland, a bilingual safety spiel was added to the Entrance Hall, also featuring voice-over artist and Paul Frees impersonator Joe Leahy, giving a safer warning as part of another park-wide attempt to increase safety at attractions.

At the Walt Disney World Resort, The Haunted Mansion closed for refurbishment on June 8, 2007, and reopened September 13, 2007, a day before the first night of "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party" of that season.

Changes to this version of the attraction during the refurbishment included a new paint job on the exterior of the facade, new and higher quality audio systems in the Stretch Rooms and Doombuggies to make it sound as if the Ghost Host is circling above guests' heads, different lighting and wallpaper throughout the attraction, a new Staircases scene, a floating Madame Leota with a clearer internal projection, and new singing voices for some of the ghosts in the Graveyard. The other Disneyland enhancements were also implemented, such as the Portrait Gallery with the flashing, changing portraits, and the new Attic scene with Constance Hatchaway the Black Widow Bride. This refurbishment was known as the "ReHaunting."

In early October 2010, construction walls went up in the queue area of the Haunted Mansion, blocking the view of the small graveyard just outside the entrance. A new effect was also added to the ride: a glowing green arrow points to the left on the back of the Doombuggies as guests exit.

In March 2011, a new "interactive queue" debuted, with new crypts and tombstones honoring Imagineers; a murder mystery for guests to solve featuring the sinister Dread Family; the Composer Crypt, which features musical instruments that play variations of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" when touched; the Mariner's brine-filled sepulcher, whose ghost sings and sneezes from within, and a crypt for Prudence Pock the poetess, which features haunted books & Prudence's ghost writing invisibly in her poem book. Guests can solve the unfinished poems by speaking into microphones located on the crypt. Guests may also opt to skip the queue and go straight to the Foyer doors.

On April 6, 2011, changes to the "Hitchhiking Ghost" section of the ride were completed and debuted to park guests. The mirror effects have been extensively updated, using computer and facial recognition technology that simulates the ghosts physically interacting with riders. All three Hitchhiking Ghosts can now be heard for the first time, voiced by Disney voice-over artist and recording vocalist Kurt Von Schmittou.

In September 2013, The Haunted Mansion was given new Fastpass+ signage. This included the removal and relocation of the plaques at the main gate and replacing them with safety instructions, as well as installing a sign that says "Disney Fastpass+" with a clock on it. New carpeting, now with a pattern, was also installed in the Foyer and Entrance Hall.

The Haunted Mansion Holiday

Haunted Mansion Holiday

Main article: The Haunted Mansion Holiday

Since 2001, the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland is transformed into Haunted Mansion Holiday during the Halloween and Christmas seasons, inspired by Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The Haunted Mansion is closed in September for a few weeks as they revamp the attraction, replacing many of the props and Audio-Animatronics with characters and themes from the movie. It features Jack Skelington as Sandy Claws. Jack discovers the mansion, then decides to decorate it, outside and in, in his unique way for the 999 happy haunts. Corey Burton replaces Paul Frees as the Ghost Host, as Frees died in 1986.

Characters

Main article: List of Haunted Mansion characters

Pepper's Ghost

The world's largest implementation of Pepper's ghost can be found at the Haunted Mansion and Phantom Manor attractions. A 90-foot (27 m)-long scene features multiple Pepper's ghost effects, brought together in one scene. Guests travel along an elevated mezzanine, looking through a 30-foot (9.1 m)-tall pane of glass into an empty ballroom. Animatronic ghosts move in hidden black rooms beneath and above the mezzanine.

Soundtrack

The Foyer, Stretch Room, and ride narration were performed by Paul Frees in the role of the Ghost Host. The theme song, "Grim Grinning Ghosts", was composed by Buddy Baker with lyrics written by X Atencio. It can be heard in nearly every area of the ride, with various instrumentations and tempos.

Popular culture

• The video game Epic Mickey features a Haunted Mansion-like level known as Lonesome Manor. According to Warren Spector, it is the different versions of the Haunted Mansion ride thrown together.
• Another video game, Kinect Disneyland Adventures, features a digital version of the ride.
• Many of the ghosts from the attraction appear in the direct-to-DVD film Mickey's House of Villains.
• In Toy Story 3: The Video Game , the Sid's House level features a kid friendly version of the ride with the song, "Grim Grinning Ghosts".
• The ride's theme music can be heard as an easter egg in Disney Pixar's Inside Out during one of Riley's nightmare before entering her new house.

References

• "Disneyland's Ghost House". (2004). The "E" Ticket (41).
  This is the Fall 2004 issue of the magazine The "E" Ticket, which was dedicated to the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.
• Eastman, Tish. (1997). "Haunting Melodies: The Story Behind Buddy Baker's Score for the Haunted Mansion". Persistence of Vision (9) 39.
  Persistence of Vision is an irregularly published magazine "celebrating the creative legacy of Walt Disney." Back issues can be found at The Book Palace.
• Smith, Paul. (1997). "Tales from the Crypt: Life in the Haunted Mansion." Persistence of Vision (9) 89.
• Surrell, J. (2003). The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movie. New York: Disney Editions. ISBN 0-7868-5419-7
  A book published by Disney giving a comprehensive history of the Haunted Mansion from early inception, in which it was a walk-through attraction, to its current form. It includes information on the Haunted Mansion movie.

External links

• Official website