While I was on my CP, i had an outstanding behind the scenes tour of the Haunted Mansion! While some things might be obvious, and you have already heard about, some things i found quite interesting! Some of you, (jonnie, jill and beth) can atest (is that a word?) to the fact that I loved going on the Haunted Mansion after my tour, and completely ruining it for the person i was riding with, by pointing out useless trivia, so i thought I would share with everyone! Enjoy, and look for these things during your next Doombuggy ride!
I can't go in order of the ride, because we skipped all over the place during the tour... i'm sorry for any inconviences (sp?) that may occur.
Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside at all times, or as Genie likes to say... "The pair of shoes from most parents are tired..."
1. When the Haunted Mansion first opened, the very first room would fill with fog before a servant opened the doors to let guests in. The fog was a great effect, and rolled out onto the guests, giving a very creepy first impression. One of the servants happened to be alergic (or so she said), to the fog, so they cut it out. (i thought, personally, that most theatrical fogs were water based...?)
2. In the room with the changing portrait, see how many hidden mickey's you can count... there are quite a few, they are the border of the frame around the changing picture. Get close, you will see that the design is mickey heads all put together.
3. In every room there is a face watching you, not necessarily a human, or ghost face, but somehow, something hidden is watching you. The firescreen in the changing portrait room is sort of a devilish face, keeping tabs on everyone in the room. The banister tops while waiting to board your doombuggy are all faces, and some have teeth... look closely. Once you board your doombuggy, just as the ride starts, look at the curtains drawn above your head in the doorway leading into the first scene... the curtains are actually a bat, watching you.
4. In the room with all of the portraits eye's following you, the big portrait straight ahead hanging above you is the original concept for Master Gracey. I believe he is a captain of a boat, or a sailor in a storm or something like that. The attraction was originally supposed to be focused more around him.
5. While i am not giving away how any effects are done in the ride, just random trivia, i will say, the busts that follow you, were the most mind blowing to me. people have tried to explain this to me before, and i never quite 'got it', but seeing them from the backside of the set was mind blowing!
6. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER attempt to step out of your doombuggy. especially during Leota's seance!
7. I had a WONDERFUL opportunity to actually dance with some of the ballroom ghosts, and I should say that they are quite polite, and great dancers (i stepped on one lady's toe, but she said she didn't feel a thing :lookaroun ) In the ballroom scene, most people don't realize that there are ghosts on the chandeliers (sp?), under the table, and in the portraits above the organ. The ballroom scene was very fascinating to me, and as far as set construction goes, there is so much more than, or actually, there is so much less than meets the eye! - side note... the granny in the rocking chair on the far right hand side of the ballroom scene is used in what other attraction, (think about the future, of a great big beautiful tomorrow)
8. When you are in the attic, there is a story that the bride is actually pushing you out of the attic window, and i guess i am just not observant, because before i was told this story plot, i never realized that if you look to your right while on your way down, you see the backside of the mansion you are falling out of. Anyway, she pushes you to your death, in the graveyard! What a meany.
9. As soon as you enter the graveyard, you go under a tall gate, if you look really hard, at the top lef-center portion of the gate, there is a paper tag. This is the original purchase tage from California, they forgot to remove it, and it is still there today!
10. The entire graveyard scene was amazing to me. Just seeing all the ghosts and their ghostly world in the light was pretty neat, like i said though, i'm not hear to ruin illusions... but pay close attention to this room, everytime I go through it, I see and hear something new!
11. In the scene with the lone piano player, pay close attention to what's going on outside! Notice the direction the wind is blowing the tree compared to the direction the clouds are moving...
12. The grandfater clock sports a pair of bloody fingers for hands, and the clock is acutally one of the faces in the room, watching you, with a devilsh tail for a pendulum.
13. The fountain outside of the attraction was originally meant to be a working fountain, but some parts never got shipped from California in time for opening day, so the fountain was just kicked over where it was.
I think I'll stop at thirteen, because it's a great number for the Haunted Mansion! I know that there are TONS of hidden things in this attraction, but most are widely known, i just hope you thought this was as interesting as i did, and possibly learned one new thing about this classic attraction.
I can't go in order of the ride, because we skipped all over the place during the tour... i'm sorry for any inconviences (sp?) that may occur.
Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside at all times, or as Genie likes to say... "The pair of shoes from most parents are tired..."
1. When the Haunted Mansion first opened, the very first room would fill with fog before a servant opened the doors to let guests in. The fog was a great effect, and rolled out onto the guests, giving a very creepy first impression. One of the servants happened to be alergic (or so she said), to the fog, so they cut it out. (i thought, personally, that most theatrical fogs were water based...?)
2. In the room with the changing portrait, see how many hidden mickey's you can count... there are quite a few, they are the border of the frame around the changing picture. Get close, you will see that the design is mickey heads all put together.
3. In every room there is a face watching you, not necessarily a human, or ghost face, but somehow, something hidden is watching you. The firescreen in the changing portrait room is sort of a devilish face, keeping tabs on everyone in the room. The banister tops while waiting to board your doombuggy are all faces, and some have teeth... look closely. Once you board your doombuggy, just as the ride starts, look at the curtains drawn above your head in the doorway leading into the first scene... the curtains are actually a bat, watching you.
4. In the room with all of the portraits eye's following you, the big portrait straight ahead hanging above you is the original concept for Master Gracey. I believe he is a captain of a boat, or a sailor in a storm or something like that. The attraction was originally supposed to be focused more around him.
5. While i am not giving away how any effects are done in the ride, just random trivia, i will say, the busts that follow you, were the most mind blowing to me. people have tried to explain this to me before, and i never quite 'got it', but seeing them from the backside of the set was mind blowing!
6. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER attempt to step out of your doombuggy. especially during Leota's seance!
7. I had a WONDERFUL opportunity to actually dance with some of the ballroom ghosts, and I should say that they are quite polite, and great dancers (i stepped on one lady's toe, but she said she didn't feel a thing :lookaroun ) In the ballroom scene, most people don't realize that there are ghosts on the chandeliers (sp?), under the table, and in the portraits above the organ. The ballroom scene was very fascinating to me, and as far as set construction goes, there is so much more than, or actually, there is so much less than meets the eye! - side note... the granny in the rocking chair on the far right hand side of the ballroom scene is used in what other attraction, (think about the future, of a great big beautiful tomorrow)
8. When you are in the attic, there is a story that the bride is actually pushing you out of the attic window, and i guess i am just not observant, because before i was told this story plot, i never realized that if you look to your right while on your way down, you see the backside of the mansion you are falling out of. Anyway, she pushes you to your death, in the graveyard! What a meany.
9. As soon as you enter the graveyard, you go under a tall gate, if you look really hard, at the top lef-center portion of the gate, there is a paper tag. This is the original purchase tage from California, they forgot to remove it, and it is still there today!
10. The entire graveyard scene was amazing to me. Just seeing all the ghosts and their ghostly world in the light was pretty neat, like i said though, i'm not hear to ruin illusions... but pay close attention to this room, everytime I go through it, I see and hear something new!
11. In the scene with the lone piano player, pay close attention to what's going on outside! Notice the direction the wind is blowing the tree compared to the direction the clouds are moving...
12. The grandfater clock sports a pair of bloody fingers for hands, and the clock is acutally one of the faces in the room, watching you, with a devilsh tail for a pendulum.
13. The fountain outside of the attraction was originally meant to be a working fountain, but some parts never got shipped from California in time for opening day, so the fountain was just kicked over where it was.
I think I'll stop at thirteen, because it's a great number for the Haunted Mansion! I know that there are TONS of hidden things in this attraction, but most are widely known, i just hope you thought this was as interesting as i did, and possibly learned one new thing about this classic attraction.
