The Backstory of The Haunted Mansion?

KrazyKemp

KrazyKemp

Member
Original Poster
Okay...I've heard differing opinions on the official backstory on the Haunted Mansion.

Three or four versions of the story have been told to me, involving rings in the cement outside the ride's exit, broken windows, Master Gracie killing himself, The Bride killing herself, when you come to the Haunted Mansion you are there for a will reading, when you ride you take the bride's perspective of things...

I was just wondering if anyone knew the REAL backstory of the Haunted Mansion, in all it's glory. Details are appreciated!
 
Horizons1

Horizons1

Well-Known Member
I don't think there is any real backstory to the HM, its just there. There were so many different variations from the start that they never really decided on one. The only HM is to really have a story is PM at DLP, where all of Fronteirland is tied into PM.
 
ctwhalerman

ctwhalerman

New Member
It's hard to say what is the "real" back-story, simply because there never has been an official one.
They all center around Master Gracey, and since his gravestone is in the graveyard and is newly filled-in, we can assume it is his house. He seemed to get married and somehow his new bride died, whether from foul-play (i.e. Madame Leota killing her off) or I've also heard she played hide-and-seek and was trapped in a box in the attic and suffocated, so her ghost is always up there. Master Gracey then hanged himself, and is the man hanging from the rafters in the stretching rooms. The bride's wedding ring is supposedly imbedded in the ground outside the house. However, there are so many stories that my inadequate description cannot do the stories justice.
However, I think that the absence of a true story, just like Pirates of the Caribbean, is what makes this attraction great. It is so original and has spawned so many stories that every time you ride it you can come out with a different theory of what the story really is!
 
Chernabog

Chernabog

New Member
Having spoken to many HM cast members and giving tours throughout the attraction I can tell you there is no official story for WDW Haunted Mansion. All the stories you hear are either cast member originals, stories from the other parks, or combinations of both. There are some really great stories but sadly none of them Disney admits to being the right one for our mansion.
 
e4ymod

e4ymod

Well-Known Member
KrazyKemp said:
I suppose Walt Disney died before giving the Haunted Mansion a real backstory then...:(
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I'm sure the Haunted Mansion has an official backstory. However, the imagineers would prefer that you analyze the ride and come to your own conclusions as opposed to just telling you. If they just told you what it was, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now.
 
RonAnnArbor

RonAnnArbor

Well-Known Member
The storyline at Phantom Manor is Disneyland Paris is actually much clearer - although it incorporates most of the same elements...going through the WDW haunted mansion afterwards seems to put the same storyline into effect - but there are some pieces that do not fit and do not make sense. The bride storyline is much clearer at DLP...although it disappears completely for half of the ride at WDW. I just go and enjoy the atmosphere.
 
FigmentJedi

FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
The Slave Labor Comics Haunted Mansion series gives the Mansion a backstory, though it's mainly for the Disneyland one. It has the Endless Hallway Candlelabra and guy trapped in coffin as the architects(Mr. Coats and Mr. Davis, a tribute to the Imagineers, respectively) who ended up being did in by their design as both tried to murder one another through the Mansion's traps. The caretaker is given the name of Horace Fusslebottom. Gracey's backstory apparently involves him in piracy as Captain Blood.
 
H

HMGhost13

New Member
Texas84 said:
There is indeed a ring embedded near the exit gate.

http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/WDW/MagicKingdom/Secrets/LS/Mansion.html#RING
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huge huge huge HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE Disney Urban Legend. which, i have to say, is untrue. and just adds onto more "stories".

The Haunted Mansion has no true backstory except for one: a retirement home for ghosts (supplied by disney himself)

besides that one little thing, there is no finalized backstory. there were at least 10 different ones befor ethe first ride opened in Disneyland in 1969. the mansion itself underwent many changes not only story wise but structurely, how it would be operated, ride capacity, whether it would be dark or funny, etc etc. With so much happening to one little ride, there are so many idea's with it (the ring, Master Gracey=Ghost Host, etc etc) that it's hard to say exactly what the basis of the mansion is about.

but i stand by what it says it is: a show. a tour of a haunted mansion where 999 haunts live and are attempting to scare you into joining them.
 
H

HMGhost13

New Member
Texas84 said:
Uh, sorry, it's really there.
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*sigh* there is the remanents of a pole there yes. that has lead to stories of a ring. it has been debated back and forth for YEARS and i really don't want to get into it. as far as i am concerned since there is no true evidence either way, it's not true and takes in the role of of Urban Legend. much like bigfoot and the loch ness monster. I've seent his "ring" as well as a few others in the same general area.
 
raven

raven

Well-Known Member
The REAL STORY IS...Walt wanted to create a haunted house attraction. That's it. The imagineers (called WED in those days) then wrote the storyboard and tied it together with the Master Gracey character. :wave:
 
ballewclan

ballewclan

New Member
You know it would be really cool if one of these days the imagineers reintroduced the raven as the narrater and added a more definite storyline. I wouldnt want the ride to change much but if they just told us the main storyline i would be happy. But i still love the ride and am contempt with it now.
 
Woody13

Woody13

New Member
raven said:
The REAL STORY IS...Walt wanted to create a haunted house attraction. That's it. The imagineers (called WED in those days) then wrote the storyboard and tied it together with the Master Gracey character. :wave:
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I[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]magineer Yale Gracey, is best known for his brilliant special effects in the Haunted Mansion and the Pirates of the Caribbean park attractions. (Master Gracey, whose name can be found on tombstones outside the Disneyland and Disney World mansions, gets his name from Yale.) Gracey also worked as a layout artist and art director.
[/FONT]
 
CThaddeus

CThaddeus

New Member
I'm currently reading "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies" by Jason Surrell, which goes into early concepts, storylines, and urban legends about all of the different Mansions. It's well worth the $20, and fortunately the movie is only covered in the last 40 pages or so.
 
raven

raven

Well-Known Member
Woody13 said:
I[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]magineer Yale Gracey, is best known for his brilliant special effects in the Haunted Mansion and the Pirates of the Caribbean park attractions. (Master Gracey, whose name can be found on tombstones outside the Disneyland and Disney World mansions, gets his name from Yale.) Gracey also worked as a layout artist and art director.
[/FONT]
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Yup! I love how they use the name of imagineers in the stories. Yale Gracey was a master in my mind.
 

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