Welcome foolish mortals, to an evening of food, music and entertainment in that most ghostly of settings - The Haunted Mansion Movie Set! You, the living, are ushered into the Mansion by the somber chimes of the doorbell, which intones the opening strains of “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” You find it as beautiful as the stories say, but eerily silent. The air is heavy as you proceed into the dining room and behold the Grand Staircase.
Halfway up there is a small landing, home to a massive, ornate pipe organ. It is here that Madame Carlotta, self appointed Mistress of the Manor and hostess for the evening awaits you. At her side is her faithful servant, Broom. The duo are still as statues until Madame, quite suddenly and without warning, releases a blood-curdling scream as her own brand of welcome! After this “greeting” Madame and Broom mingle amongst you, relaying their frightening histories in an attempt to make you feel “at home”.
The dining room has been set for a feast. Milling around readying themselves to attend to your every need, are silent, pale faced servers dressed in formal black and white-they were buried in their best, after all. On an upper landing a ghost band is playing. You can hear their eerie repertoire cutting through the other sounds of the night.
As you are seated to partake of the sumptuous meal, Broom reads the evening’s menu to you, describing each course in detail (perhaps more than you want to know?) Madame circulates to see how everyone is doing and to check an occasional pulse. Once your first course has been delivered by servers from the great beyond, Madame and Broom leave you enjoy the food and conversation with your fellow Guests. They return to announce the dessert course, a specialty of the house that is “to die for.”
As you finish your dessert and the evening winds down, Madame screams again! She is getting “vibrations” from the spirit world. Madame falls into a trance – the spirits are trying to tell her something… you must leave at once! Broom sweeps you out of the mansion, encouraging you to flee for your lives! Unless, of course, you are dying to stay…
You depart this spectral soiree well fed, well entertained, and hopefully, more than a little spooked.
