Here's the ride-through of each scene of The Haunted Lighthouse.
@Outbound and
@Pufflefan helped to make it less of a Haunted Mansion clone, and more of its own story
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Queue: The queue begins alongside the harbor, allowing us to look out at the ships docked in port. We then enter through the wickie’s house, a structure standing alongside the lighthouse. Within the house, we wind through a small kitchen, a bedroom, and some hallways, all the while surrounded by antique lighthouse gear. Things like life preservers, oars, axes, and lamps all sit, strewn about as if a massive storm had hit the house and left it in a state of disarray. We pass by a series of portraits, all depicting things that Captain Watney loved in life. One is of a ship, showcasing his love of the sea. One is of a beautiful Romani woman with a crystal ball showcasing his love of culture and the unknown. One is of a pirate with a chest of gold, showcasing his love of adventure and treasure. And finally, the fourth portrait is of his dear wife, a beautiful woman in a nightgown. As you pass by, all four portraits seem to follow you, as if you are trespassing.
Foyer: Before entering the stretching room, you enter the lighthouse proper. The stairs wind around you, but there is no way to get up. The foghorn blares as the cast members shut you in and the Ghost Host greets you. However, this ghost host is malicious, a subtle Scottish accent in his voice as he whirls around the room. The voice tells you “Ye are aboutta hear a story of the briney ol’ Wickie what used man Ol Cat’s Eye Light here. Step inta the room that just opened before ye, and let me spin ye a yarn of an ol Sea Captain what met his maker.” All the while, a Dorian Gray painting of a Sea Captain in the center of the room, titled “Captain Eli Watney” begins to decay into a skeleton before our eyes.
Stretching Room: The Stretching room is a similar model to the other park’s versions, but this one actually serves as an elevator bringing you down to the underground boarding section. Four paintings stretch as the room does, one showcasing a smiling pirate who is revealed to have been caught by tentacles coming up from the ocean. Another is a sailor who poses, only to reveal that his ship is sinking. A third shows a beautiful woman smiling and posing, only to reveal she is a mermaid on a rock, while a hand reaches above water next to her, showing her latest victim. The final one is of a 1700s diving suit underwater, which is revealed to be pursued by a hungry shark.
All the while, the ominous voice of the ghost explains that this lighthouse was once run by an old sea captain who retired after sustaining injuries aboard his final voyage. He tells that the captain didn’t do anything wrong in life, yet, he unknowingly made a deal with the Devil, finishing with the ominous statement “Lost treasure always comes wit a curse”
Boarding: Riders exit the stretching room, appearing to be in a sort of cave underneath the lighthouse. We wind through the corral before loading the omnimover, which appears like an old-timey lobster trap, with barnacles and tangled fishing net included. We exit through a cave exit.
Room 1: The first room feels like you are back outside, but it is nighttime as the sound of waves, the smell of the salty sea, and the sound of squawking seagulls fill the air. We pass along the coast, where a replica of the lighthouse sits atop a rock across from us. We can hear the distant foghorn every so often as the light spins, illuminating certain things. We soon pass through some large rocks, where the light hits every few seconds. The lighthouse illuminates a series of vignettes, all of which showcase Watney’s exciting career. The ghost only says a few ominous things, such as “Captain Watney was always prepared... until he wasn’t” Otherwise, the vignettes tell the story.
Room 2: We appear to be crossing the water towards the lighthouse, going directly underneath it. Before entering a cave, we see an animatronic of a man, but we don’t see his face. All we see is his jacket blowing in the breeze as he stares up at the Cat’s Eye Lighthouse. We enter underneath and see piles and piles of gold and treasure, all being dug by animatronics, one of an old seafaring man, the others of younger men who bare a striking resemblance to some well-known hitchhikers. They celebrate the finding as the Ghost narrates “The bilge-rats found the treasure of ol’ Captain Kidd after he was caught, but lost treasure always comes with a curse.”
The Ascent: We begin the dark ascent up the spiral staircase in the lighthouse. It is long and very tight, and as we ascend, we hear audio snippets. Things are said, from “My mission is complete. To treasure!” with the clinking of glasses. Then, a snippet is heard, saying “I will buy us a grand manor, one looking over all of the harbor. I promise.” The next snippet is different voices, all saying “The old man pays us a mere gold piece, while he swims in doubloons up on his fancy hill.” The next statement is “The money, it’s running low,” followed by “Ye owe us money, old man, give it here.” Finally, we hear “No, I have nothing. I’m out. Don’t do this.” Between each snippet, the foghorn blows.
The Light Room: We end our ascent, going in front of the central light, casting our shadows over the figures standing in the room. The glass is broken and three men stand around, looking out the window as the seagulls flock (via projection) down below. Lightning crashes every so often, and the shadow of a body lights up in the sky.
The Manor: We quickly exit the lightroom, entering into the manor. We see the same figures rummaging through the manor, tearing apart rooms as the storm flashes through the windows. We pass by a figure of a woman, the captain’s wife, staring in shock. The thunder strikes and the wife disappears as the crew appears, covered in seaweed and barnacles, before the light vanishes and it returns to normal.
Watney’s Return: The next scene showcases the three men, standing, shaking in their boots as the figure of Captain Watney, in the first time we see his face, stands before them, covered in bilge and brine and seaweed and barnacles. The music swells to a crescendo as lightning crashes. Using Pepper’s ghost, when we pass by, all four figures disappear.
The Game Room: We pass into the next room and it’s evident many months have gone by as cobwebs have taken over. We see a room full of fishing gear, life preservers, and other nautical nonsense. The taxidermy fish and sharks on the wall all appear alive as the sound of organ music is played from farther down the room. We follow down and we see the three men, now too covered in the filth of the sea, standing, looking out towards their ocean home, as the figure of Captain Watney sits, playing a nautical song that true Disney fans would pick up as “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” a ghostly figure of a woman lovingly leaning on his arm. However, the music is melancholy and the voices singing sound agonized and tormented. Sung somberly, and in unison, to the tune of the song, the ghosts all sing “Lost Treasure always comes with a curse.”
The Outside: We exit the house as the Ghost Host returns He says “.Some spirits are not to be trampled with. Now y’know the legend is true. For you see, ‘Tis I, the Ghost of Eli Watney. And ‘tis I who shall let ye leave this forsaken place. Yet, always remember: Lost Treasure comes with a Curse."
The Exit: Right before approaching the unloading, we look across, over at a model of the lighthouse out on the ocean, and just in front of the light, the figure of an old sea captain passes by, before disappearing from sight. Our vehicles then return to unload where we exit through a giftshop
