The Disney Attractions Discussion Series: Haunted Mansion

[snowbot]

<b>The Disney Attractions Discussion Series
Part One - <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=6648" target="_blank">Space Mountain</a>
Part Two - <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=6699" target="_blank">Peter Pan's Flight</a>
Part Three - <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=6739" target="_blank">Pirates of the Caribbean</a>
Part Four - <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=6774" target="_blank">Tom Sawyer's Island</a>
Part Five - <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=6828" target="_blank">It's A Small World</a>
Part Six - <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=6903" target="_blank">Star Tours</a>
Part Seven - <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=7004" target="_blank">Splash Mountain</a>
Part Eight - <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=7183" target="_blank">Mr Toad's Wild Ride</a>
Part Nine - The Haunted Mansion</b>



<b>Statistics</b>
*Debuted in Disneyland on 9 August 1969.
*Opened in Magic Kindgom on 1 October 1971.
*Opened in Tokyo Disneyland on 15 April 1983.
*<i>Phantom Manor</i> opened on 12 April 1992 in Disneyland Paris.

[snowbot]

This attraction is so awesome. What can you say! I love it, from the line queue all the way to the very end, this ride is full of detail and wonder. What a fun experience! Every time I ride it, I spot something new. Good times!

[Mr. Toad]

Its my wife's favorite.

Probably the best thing you can say about it is I have ridden it about 100 times and I still pick up new things that make me smile. Really enjoy the Halloween overlay too. One of the few things done right at Disneyland in teh Pressler/Harriss era.

[pinkrenata]

My first time on this ride, I was five years old and scared to death. I remember sitting between my parents with my eyes closed. I don't think I opened them one bit the entire time. I do remember in the queue area that my mom tried to cheer me up by pointing out the picture of the pretty girl with the parasol, but then the ceiling "stretched" and I saw this:



In any case, I kept my eyes fully open during my second visit 2 years later and have enjoyed the ride immensely ever since.

[Disneyana]

I love this attraction. It is definative of the Disney experience. It is fun, scary, musical and memorable all in one. Even the wait in line is one of the best atmospheres throughout the park. the movie didn't give the attraction justice but it did revive it to new generations.

I love going to www.doombuggies.com too. Awesome site for the Haunted Mansion. I actually have full size replicas of the stretching room posters too that I put out during Halloween.

[Jack]

Although I've been to Disneyland many times since I was little, I never actually rode THM until 2003. It's now probably my favorite ride in the park, because its so effective in creating an atmosphere. Once you enter, everything is dim, musty smelling, creepy - you just completely forget about the outside world. And it manages to create such eye-popping visuals out of the simplest techniques, but still leaves you wondering just exactly how they did it. Plus, I love that theme song! It's so catchy, you might say it . . . haunts you! *ghostly rimshot*

[singerguy04]

I've been on the Haunted Mansion from disneyworld and disneyland. and i was amazed by how different they actually are. both are great, but they are two different rides. I love them no less however! it is one fo my favorite rides. I'm amazed by how ahead of it's time it seems! i just love it!

[Jack]

Aside from the changes in the inteterior of the rides, there's 3 different versions of the exterior of the house at different Disney parks . . .

Disneyland - Southern style house, fits in with New Orleans Square


Disney World - More east-coast in nature, made of bricks, fits in with Liberty Square


Disneyland Paris - Named "Phantom Manor" here, it looks almost like the Bates House from Psycho, fits in with Frontierland

[MickeyMousePal]

The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland is my favorite ride even during the Halloween and Christmas verision of Jack Skellington.
I always ride it when I go visit Disneyland.Oh, yeah I love those Doom Buggies.

[Noriel]

I truely enjoy The Haunted Mansion. It's one of those "must-go-on" rides when I go to Disneyland. My holidays do not start until I ride the Jack Skellington version.

[gadgetmobile]

When I went on my first trip to Disney World in the summer of 1975 (I was 8 years old), I couldn't wait to experience the Haunted Mansion. I loved it and bought a few postcards of the interior. It's still one of my favorite attractions. My grandmother was an elementary school teacher and had an LP of the Haunted Mansion that I listened to before we went.

[dizfan]

The new effects recently added to Disneyland's are great. The floating Madame Leota cyrstal ball is really a neat touch, and it adds a lot.

[Melly]

Another one of my favourite attractions. One of the few memories I had after my first trip was the ballroom scene. It's totally immersive and creates the perfect atmosphere. Nothing can beat your first time through, but I still love it.

[BrandonH]

I simply love the Ghost Host of the attraction. His lines and delivery are integral to the experience, and I often find myself speaking the dialogue along with him (not loudly enough to disturb the other guests, of course).

There is clever wit and charm sprinkled throughout the entire queue and ride. This is a must-see every time I go to Disneyland.

"Beware of hitchhiking ghosts!"

[AwallaceUNC]

Haunted Mansion is one of the attractions I always most look forward to when I'm going to Magic Kingdom. As others here have said, it's so well-done and has everything.

There's so much wit in it and yet it remains spooky (though not scary). It really is a quality experience that is very much in keeping with the Disney experience. I love comparing the ride to the original Disney World Nintendo game as I go through it. This is one of the most fun rides to experience with a friend or group of friends. It's also MUCH cooler at night (especially on the outside).

All the exteriors are cool but I think I prefer WDW's (though it's the only one I've seen in person). The queue is awesome and as you leave the ride, there's that mysterious wedding ring in the sidewalk outside! I really want to do the Haunted Mansion Holidays at DL, but I don't think I'll be able to go there at that time of year anytime in the near future. I wish they would do that at WDW too... maybe they will this year!

I know that they've made a few small renovations in the past few weeks, and this one is high up on the list to close later this year and reopen in late 2006 (it needs it!). There's also talk of an Eddie Murphy animatronic being added.

-Aaron

[Loomis]

Haunted Mansion was definitely a highlight for me too. It was one of my most vivid memories from the 1987 trip, and one of the first things we did on this most recent trip to California.

Given the 'mansion' setting, the atmosphere builds up from the start, and is maintained throughout. It is a testament to the ride that people can ride the thing so many times - most people were mouthing along with the opening speech, with a rousing collective of "and no windows!"

When you break it down, it is simply a really elaborate version of a storybook 'dark ride', but the key word there is elaborate. The Imagineers obviously let themselves go wild on this particular ride. Occasionally I found myself thinking "How did they do that?", which is pretty neat for a ride that is almost 40 years old. After all, this is the stuff that Disney parks have always been best at: creating atmospheric fantasy rides that draw you completely into their world. Out of all the other parks I visited on this recent trip, no other park did it quite as well as Disney, and the Haunted Mansion is a great example of this.

The vivid childhood memory of the ghosts appearing next to you in the mirror still stands up today. If something can impress you at age 8 and at age 26, you know you are on to a good thing.

I was really lucky on this recent trip that I got to see the ride when I did. If we had left the park until the following week - when we returned from Las Vegas - we would have missed out: the ride was being renovated for Halloween! (See pics below).

I've taken the liberty of posting a few photos below:

Mansion Exterior - 50th Anniversary:


50th Anniverary Logo - Close Up:


The ride under construction for Halloween 2005:

[TashieGirl]

When I was little, I was teriffed of the Haunted mansion. Everytime we went to DL, my mom and aunt would say, "Oh, were going on the Haunted Mansion after lunch". I was so scared. When we got inside, I would always grabb my mother's sleeve. I hated the part when you hear thunder and then all the lights would go out.

Over the years though, I began to love the Haunted Mansion. The ride is so amazing to look at, you just want to stop it and look at eveything. The best part of the HM is the song Grim Grinning Ghost. That's one of my favorite Disney songs.

[memnv]

This is one of my favorite attractions. I cant wait to go on it at Disneyland in 3 weeks.

Luke thanks for the new forum

[chaychay102royal]

I love the Haunted Mansion. When I was younger, I too was afraid of the attraction but now it's in my Top Ten favorite attractions. I think my favorite things about the ride is the attention to detail and the memorable song "Grim Grinning Ghosts."

[The Little Merman]

The Haunted Mansion is easily one of the best attractions made anywhere, in any park.

I've only been to THM in Walt Disney World, but I went on it about 5 times at least. I must admit, I was pretty nervous the first time, but then, it was just so fun!

*tlm