It's October, baby! Halloween is my favorite time of year, from the pop-up Halloween stores to the reels of Classic Horror, October is the season of tricks and treats, and what better way to kick off this most magical time of year than by releasing the first update for my expanded and revised "Dream Disney Resort"? In fact, we'll be celebrating now through October 31st here with more than a few "spooktacular" updates... As to what these updates might be; well, you'll have to wait and see...
Instead of going straight into an overview of the Magic Kingdom, we'll be starting a bit unorthodox here, diving right into my all-time favorite attraction: The Haunted Mansion. This was going to be the very last thing I would post in this thread, but, given the spirit of the season, I really can't think of a better way to kick things off in the new thread than by sharing my take on Disneyland Australia's Haunted Mansion. Walt knew that fear was one of the most basic human emotions, and today, this holds true. In fact,
In a trip to the United Kingdom, Walt had mentioned in a report that one of the reasons for his trip was to comb the old castles and mansions for displaced ghosts… These ghosts were to hold a passion to continue their trade in a new “country club” environment, “built especially for them” at Disneyland. “The nature of being a ghost is that they have to perform, and therefore they need an audience,” Walt said.
As a sign had once read outside the entrance of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion:
“Notice!
All Ghosts
And Restless Spirits
Post-lifetime leases are
now available in this
HAUNTED
MANSION
don’t be left out in the sunshine! Enjoy
active retirement in this country club
atmosphere the fashionable address for
famous ghosts, ghosts trying to make a name
for themselves...and ghosts afraid to
live by themselves! Leases include License
to scare the daylights out of guests
visiting the Portrait Gallery, Museum of
the Supernatural, graveyard and other
happy haunting grounds. for reservations
send resume of past experience to:
Ghost Relations Dept. Disneyland
Please! Do not apply in person.”
All Ghosts
And Restless Spirits
Post-lifetime leases are
now available in this
HAUNTED
MANSION
don’t be left out in the sunshine! Enjoy
active retirement in this country club
atmosphere the fashionable address for
famous ghosts, ghosts trying to make a name
for themselves...and ghosts afraid to
live by themselves! Leases include License
to scare the daylights out of guests
visiting the Portrait Gallery, Museum of
the Supernatural, graveyard and other
happy haunting grounds. for reservations
send resume of past experience to:
Ghost Relations Dept. Disneyland
Please! Do not apply in person.”
This same sign (penned by the late Marty Sklar) can be found in Disneyland Australia today, still soliciting spooks from around the world to take up residency in this undead retirement home of “Haunted Hollywood.”
The Haunted Mansion
Have you ever seen a haunted house? You know the kind I mean…
That old dark house that’s usually at the end of a dimly lit street. The owners haven’t been seen for years; no one really knows why. The windows are dark and silent, yet the old clock tower still chimes. The gardens and grounds are well-kempt and groomed, though a single window appears cracked and disheveled. There’s a high moss-covered wall around the property. Is it there to keep somebody out, or is it there to keep something inside? It’s a house that people avoid walking past at night. Strange sounds come from within the walls, and it’s said that eerie lights have been seen both in the attic window and in the graveyard at the side of the house… It was always imposing, seemingly abandoned, and thoroughly rumored to be a Haunted Mansion.
Our story revolves around this mysterious Mansion…
With Jason Surrell’s The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic and Chef Mayhem’s fantastic DoomBuggies.com as a guide, join me now for a tour through the boundless realm of the supernatural; a glimpse into my all-time favorite Disney Attraction. As they say, “look alive,” and we’ll continue our little tour…
The old Gracey Estate has been left as spectacular as it were before the untimely death of a young Gracey and his bride. Devoted groundskeepers abide by a distant relative’s wish to “Take care of the outside, and let the ghosts take care of the inside.” The walls of Gracey Manor hold within them a treasure trove of acquired antiquities, rare artifacts, priceless paintings, and a sight all too popular among the world’s richest: a private zoo. Beasts of the field, jungle, sea and sky once filled the Gracey Zoo, of course, all beasts have since vanished from the property… Or have they?
“I’ll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day and through…”
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day and through…”
Our adventure begins in Gracey Square, a bereft relic of Old Hollywood. The ominous cobblestone and cracked pavement allude to the foreboding silhouette of Gracey Manor. Before us: twin stucco columns kept beneath the watchful (red) eye of snarling, stone lions. On either column: a bronze shield in which “The Haunted Mansion” is inscribed. Atop either shield, a horned skull appears frozen in a scream amid writhing hair and gnarled ribbon, carved of bronze. The ethereal distortion of a vintage jazz standard calls us ‘cross the threshold to enter the lonesome yet meticulously landscaped estate of Gracey Manor.
The Courtyard
The music of an old phonograph is our underscore for a stroll of the beautiful Courtyard. The vibrant flowers, succulents and palms set a stage for a scattered collection of ancient wonders: statues, fountains and art of Greece, Rome, Egypt and Spain. An Egyptian Anubis and Sphinx overlook an emptied swimming pool. The desolate hole remains cracked, dry, still enjoyed by a seldom few umbrellas and scattered lounge chairs.
Perhaps the abandoned zoo is most ominous of all… The empty cages and destroyed bars hint at an unfortunate finale. Rusted placards detail the animals that once held residence here, many having starred in Gracey’s films. It is said their faint cries might be heard in the still of an October night. Bones litter the empty tiger cage; somewhere unseen, a wolf howls…
As we draw near the Mansion itself, we glimpse a broken window on the third-floor. Come nightfall, an eerie light illuminates from beyond the shattered panes, gently bouncing rhythmically with a natural wind. The Mansion itself is of a Mission and Spanish Revival influence, a remnant of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The huge, “eight-story” house is an illusion itself; forced perspective at work. The iconic clock tower is eternally stuck at XIII (13).
“We’ll meet again
Don’t know where
Don’t know when
But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through
Just like you always do
Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away…”
Don’t know where
Don’t know when
But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through
Just like you always do
Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away…”
A gorgeous bandstand once held many a concert; classical, jazz or otherwise. Now, the old gazebo has been left for dust. An overturned chair and toppled bass set the stage for a lone piano and upright cello. Still, one might hear a subtle refrain of a familiar “Grim, Grinning Ghosts” coming from the instruments… After all, what would a haunted house be without a haunted piano?
A peculiar chill runs through us as we draw near the entrance of the eerie estate. The ethereal jazz continues from an (un)attended radio. A pair of invisible residents enjoy the night air; one stirs their coffee, while the other slowly flips the pages of a terribly outdated magazine. In fact, one might hear our spectral reader humming along with the crackle of Glenn Miller’s “Sleepy Time Gal."
Our trail begins a slight descent as we travel past the shuttered front door and toward what appears to be the entrance of a Wine Cellar. A number of gardening tools and overgrown plants prelude a vast collection of barrels and kegs stacked neatly in a blanket of cobwebs and dust. The jazz has begun to fade in favor of a familiar funeral dirge… The ancient cellar doors open with a slow and painful creak... “Enter, and make room for every body.”
==============================================
It should be of note that the featured concept art was designed by @Basketbuddy101 many years ago when the idea of a Hollywood Haunted Mansion first came into fruition. Having a Haunted Mansion set in a Magic Kingdom's would-be Hollywoodland has been an idea I've had since middle school, but not one I have tackled since the earliest roots of this Dream Resort. A native Californian myself, "Haunted Hollywood" is perhaps the most prevalent urban legend of my time, right next to San Diego's Waley House, the "most haunted house in America." To me, there is no better home for the Haunted Mansion than Hollywoodland...
Stay tuned for Part Two! Thoughts? Anyone excited for the Final-Final-Final Draft?!