Random Facts About WDW's Haunted Mansion

[rainfully]

The most elaborate Haunted Mansion story that I've ever seen can be found here:

http://members.aol.com/HtdMsn/gallery.html

This is not "official" Disney story by any means... but it sure is fun to read!

 

[wannabeBelle]

Very cool stories!!! Keep em coming!!! Belle

 

[PurpleDragon]

The things on the roof are not chess pieces, so dont even bring that dumb rumor up.

Actually you are incorrect! The stone structures along the roof line ARE shaped to look like chess pieces. Do a search for WDW Haunted Mansion Fun Facts, and you will find tons of sites referring to this as fact.

 

[arcsbite]

The things on the roof are not chess pieces, so dont even bring that dumb rumor up.

Are too!

And did anyone see the dinner setting's in the ballroom?
apparently the cast re arrange the plates on the far left side to form a hidden mickey, and everytime there is an imagineer visiting the set it is returned to it's origional form.

There is even a polaroid under the plate to show the setting it should be in.

Anyone seen the VIP hallway at the entrance?
Very cool, we used it on the Keys-Tour.

 

[CoffeeJedi]

My favorite detail is in the ballroom scene. If you look down on the floor of the balcony the doombuggies are traveling on about halfway through the scene you will see a patch of light and the shadows of two pairs of legs swinging as if there are two people sitting on a ledge above you. Very cool!!

actually, there ARE 2 people above you
i noticed this too last time, what you are seeing is the shadow of the animatronics "sitting" on the chandelier

Spoiler

*****************************************************
in order for the Pepper's ghost effect to work, the object must be the same distance from the glass that it will appear in the reflection
those figures are about 6 feet in front of the glass, so they appear about 6 feet deep into the scene, perfectly aligned to the real chandelier
******************************************************

as for the ring, it looks like the 'diamond' is the head of a slotted screwdriver that broke off while they were trying to pry it out, i've seen it and can confirm that it is indeed WAY too small for any adult finger
(hopefully if they rehab the queue, they'll implant a real ring in the cement)

p.s. hey, how do you get spoiler tags to work?

 

[ClemsonTigger]

There is additional reference material at:
http://www.doombuggies.com/

One of my favorites is the only hidden donald in the park as mentioned by sdguy1234. It is more a Worhol/Peter Max type version, but it is the white pattern of the chair.

The "official" hidden mickey of the ride is near the very end. Just as you are preparing to exit the graveyard, look at the ghost in the crypt to the right of the exit. In his/its left hand, right side as you are looking at it (up in the corner) is the hidden mickey.

Before entering the building, a Leota tombstone has been added to the graveyard. Periodically she opens her eyes and her face moves.

There is also an animal graveyard on the hill to the left as you are exiting the ride that most just walk by.

 

[arcsbite]

As far as someone stating about the wedding ring outside the mansion, there is a small ring-like shape in one of the large stone bricks that you walk over as you exit the mansion. It was concluded that this used to be a pole from a gate that is no longer there. They simply cut it off at the pavement and now it looks like a ring to some people. It is very small though. But I think it's funny that someone made up a whole story years ago about this being the bride's ring. Get's people more excited! :wave:

but the ring is WAY too small to be a pole...

http://hauntedmansion.info/Exit_images.asp?imageorder=14

"twightlight music"

 

[Moustronaut]

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 had heard that it was used as a bird bath for a while. It would fill up with rain water and birds would dirty it up. Park maintenance CM's would clean it up. Cleaning chemicals would kill the plants around it. Landscaping CM's would replace the plants. Rain. Rinse. Repeat.

The attraction CM's finally just kicked it over to break the cycle.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I had heard that it was used as a bird bath for a while. It would fill up with rain water and birds would dirty it up. Park maintenance CM's would clean it up. Cleaning chemicals would kill the plants around it. Landscaping CM's would replace the plants. Rain. Rinse. Repeat.

The attraction CM's finally just kicked it over to break the cycle.

That's my understanding....bird droppings

 

[joel_maxwell]

Has anyone else spotted the "wedding ring" outside the attraction??

didnt one go missing from the cement where somebody pried it out? or am i imagining that i heard or read that................

 

[Lee]

*sigh*

The "ring" is not a ring...period...though it makes a cool story.

It is not from a queue line pole, or anything like that.

It IS from the locking pole that once held a gate in place.

:wave:

 

[MagicMan17]

Thanks for the info Lee, but I don't like that version as well. Think I'll keep making stuff up to scare my nephews. Maybe the ring was left from Master Gracey's secret 8th bride that he had to dispose of quietly because she threatened to expose their relationship! Ok, maybe not. I'll keep working on another story.

 

[sdguy1234]

THEY ARE NOT CHESS PIECES!!!! Just because they may look like them, they are in fact not meant to be chess pieces. NO NO NO!!!! Dumb rumor

 

[arcsbite]

THEY ARE NOT CHESS PIECES!!!! Just because they may look like them, they are in fact not meant to be chess pieces. NO NO NO!!!! Dumb rumor

Are too


hehehehe

It was an imagineer playing a joke on another imagineer's prototype model..and it stuck

 

[joel_maxwell]

*sigh*

The "ring" is not a ring...period...though it makes a cool story.

It is not from a queue line pole, or anything like that.

It IS from the locking pole that once held a gate in place.

:wave:

dunt dunt dunt daaaa, dunt dumb dunt dumb, dunt dunt duuu daahh dunt, dunt dunt duuhhhh dahhhh dunt............... LEE to the rescue.....

thanks lee

if anyone ha trouble figuring out the tune, it is superman......... im at work and can only do so much to sound out things out loud and the voice inside my head is on lunch break :lol:

 

[PurpleDragon]

THEY ARE NOT CHESS PIECES!!!! Just because they may look like them, they are in fact not meant to be chess pieces. NO NO NO!!!! Dumb rumor

Why would you think that?

Here is a quote from an article from the Haunted Attractions Magazine website, detailing the HM in WDW:

One interesting aspect of the façade on the Disney World Haunted Mansion is the use of chess pieces rather than spires for the parapet finials. There are six possible shapes on a chessboard, Rook, Knight, Bishop, King, Queen, and Pawn. Did the Disney Imagineers use them all? How many different pieces can you find?

You can read the article yourself too:
http://www.hauntedattraction.com/22/cover.html

There are also numerous other websites referencing the chess pieces lining the roof.

Where is your proof to back up your claim? Do you have any, or are you just saying that cause you personally don't believe it?

 

[Irrawaddy Erik]

I'll add my 2 cents about the chess pieces on the roof. I do remember a Eyes & Ears coming out a few years back that had a section called Real or Rumor. Well the question was "Are the details on the roof chess pieces?" There was an article talking about how the details on the roof look like chess pieces but the article went on to say that it was all just a rumor. I do like the story but the only pieces I could find were the pawn, the rook, and the bishop. Where are the King and Queen? I dunno I like to just think of this as more of a fan story.

 

[PurpleDragon]

I'll add my 2 cents about the chess pieces on the roof. I do remember a Eyes & Ears coming out a few years back that had a section called Real or Rumor. Well the question was "Are the details on the roof chess pieces?" There was an article talking about how the details on the roof look like chess pieces but the article went on to say that it was all just a rumor. I do like the story but the only pieces I could find were the pawn, the rook, and the bishop. Where are the King and Queen? I dunno I like to just think of this as more of a fan story.

I find that hard to believe, if they weren't meant to be chess pieces then why are they there? Why is every piece on the chess board represented on the building? Besides this info is too widely known to be just a rumor.

I remember reading about this, if I can find the article I will post it here. I believe the king and queen are somewhere on the front of the mansion, I think the door knocker is the king or something like that, can't remember off hand where the knight and queen are. I do remember the article went into specific details on where each piece can be found. If I can find it again I will post a link here.

 

[rainfully]

I think I've heard that all the chess pieces were represented except for the knight...

 

[PurpleDragon]

I think I've heard that all the chess pieces were represented except for the knight...

Yes I found that too just now while searching for the article I was referring to.