Villains Land
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The Haunted Mansion (Part 1)
Backstory
In 1475, George Bluebeard began construction on a sprawling mansion for his 7th wife, Lucretia. Featuring a plethora of eclectic rooms and a unique design, Bluebeard spent the next several years trying to build the perfect mansion for his perfect wife. Unfortunately for Bluebeard however, his situation took a turn for the worst.
Picture of Lucretia
George had seven winsome wives, some of them were fat, some thin, but the seventh one did him in. George Bluebeard died in the mansion he built, and rumor has it at the hand of the woman he married he built it for. Lucretia took control of the mansion, but ever since she claimed her inheritance, she began experiencing ghostly appearances throughout the house and grounds.
The organ in the ballroom began to play on its own, doors would swing open, voices would cry out to her, and the clock never told the right time. She decided to bring in a seance in order to discover any ghosts in the mansion, and to possibly rid her of her daftly spirits. However, that just made matters worse.
The seance, named Leota, called on the spirits, wherever they're at, and George Bluebeard's mansion soon became a portal to 999 happy haunts from all around the world, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight. The spirit of George Bluebeard rose from the dead to haunt Lucretia, and drive her out of the mansion he built. Some say they can still hear her screams from the room in which she saw him. For the next few years, the mansion was known for its spiritual dwellings. Those who sought to dare venture inside were met with the ghouls within, touring the mansion at their own behalf and risk.
Queue
Approaching the queue for the Haunted Mansion brings guests around a bend and away from the Mansion itself. You enter into a myriad of plants and shrubbery, much of which has been decayed over the years. As you arrive at the front gates, you can hear the howling of a dog in the distance, foreboding a haunted journey ahead.
The overgrown plants encompass the dimly lit walkway that meanders around a bend and sends you into a maze of triangularly shaped trees, along with an eclectic variety of poisonous plants. If you look closely at one of the triangular trees, you'll see that it is a passageway to the "ground" and realize that the trees are actually tombstones designed as plants. With one of them open, as guests walk past, during some points a puppet figure will pop out of the ground and frighten guests with his ghostly smile.
Continuing on into the gardens, guests can now see that the entire garden is an overgrown and overcapacity graveyard, with tombstones on top of one another, all with unique sayings on them.
Here lies sweet little Sally, she wanted to fly, but fell into an alley.
The remains of our loving brother Dave, he had a pet lion that didn't behave.
And several other descriptions of the deceased members of the haunted graveyard. Surrounding the tombstones are also descriptions of the plants themselves.
Deadly Ivy, do not touch if you want to remain lively.
The dog howls once more in the distance as you can see the side entrance of the Mansion approaching even closer. Mist begins to permeate through the area, clouding your vision in the process. (In summer days, this mist could be a nice cool down after being outdoors in the queue for a long time) And it's cool blast symbolizes the presence of ghosts on the grounds.
Towards the end of the outdoor section of the queue is the tombstone of Lucreita -- with the Bluebeard family crest on the top of it, and a passage that reads.
While the 7th wife did him in, she eventually met her timely Fin
The second half of the queue begins with a sign that says - to the Bluebeard Mansion. However the sign itself points you into a large hedge maze that you have to navigate around. 8 foot tall blackish/green bushes surround you and envelop you, taking away your sense of boundaries to the area. You hope you're walking in the right direction. To add to this psychological paranoia, the queue actually takes you to a dead end at one point (which is the holding pattern similar to the doors opening in the WDW version of the Haunted Mansion.
Rather than doors opening - the "ghosts" open the hedge maze using a mirror projection seen in Enchanted Tales with Belle in Fantasyland -- and guests walk up to the front porch of the Mansion and into the open doors ahead, venturing into the medieval mansion.
A cast member gives you a grim greeting and points you into the library with no doors and a window above. Books stacked up around 15 feet in the air, marble fireplace burning, paintings all along the high walls, with eyes that watch you as you circle around the library for the pre-show
A deep and powerful voice comes over the loudspeaker:
"Welcome foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion - I am your host, your ghost host *evil laugh* Our tour begins here in this library, which is filled with the greatest ghost stories the literary world has ever known. But one story has yet to be revealed, and that story is yours *evil laugh* You might be contemplating why you're here."
As the ghost host says that, books begin to come out of the shelves, as if ghosts are picking them out. Lightning flashes and the paintings on the walls change to evil grins and faces as the thunder roars. The window above you begins to shake as rain begins to pour onto it from above.
"Oh, are you feeling a sense of discomfort? A chilling choice of fate? You're wondering how to escape from this deprecated mansion, I can tell you one way out hahaha...but we wouldn't want to noose this tour prematurely. Your tour's just getting started. Your sense of reality will be challenged, and your beliefs might just change...shall we begin? "
Thunder and lightning flash and a cool breeze is pumped into the library. Everyone can feel a chill running down their spine, as the lights completely go dark...and a rush gives you the sense that something is behind you.
Then suddenly, the lights come on to reveal a haunting cast member in front of you as one of the library shelves has moved to its side and you enter into a long hallway to approach your ride vehicle.
The Ghost host narration comes back on.
"This is just a taste of the entrees of haunts we have planned for you. Kindly watch your step and let's all stay together. We wouldn't want anyone to be left behind muahaha."
As you approach the boarding area of your doom buggies...the voice comes on again.
"Now, a carriage approaches, to take you into the boundless realm of the supernatural."
Blueprint of the Attraction