For anyone interested, here is the story of the Haunted Mansion as told to me when I did the college program 5 years ago. Sorry in advanced if it is kinda jumbly.
The Mansion itself was built long before Master Gracey inherited it. In early days it was used by pirates to hide out in and store their loot since it was so close to the river. Hence the tombs of Bluebeard's brides at the end. The mansion was built with a curse on it, something about building it in the wrong place, over a burial mound, I really don't remember that part.
Anyway, Master Gracey inherited it. He was a very superstious man. He hired Madame Leota to be his personal pyschic and guide him in his daily choices. Over time Madame Leota fell in love with the charming young Gracey. One day Master Gracey met a beautiful girl whom he fell madly in love with. The girl was likewise in love with him but she had a nasty sense of humor. She loved playing games of hide and seek. However unlike normal games, when people went to hide she locked the doors and trapped them in rooms, nailed them into coffins, and other not so nice things.
Master Gracey told the girl (sorry I can't remember her name) that he wouldn't marry her unless she promised to stop playing these games if they were wed. The girl promised and a wedding date was announced. The future wedding enraged Madame Leota and she vowed to get rid of the girl to have Master Gracey to herself.
On the day of their wedding the young girl decided to play one final game of hide and seek. Except this time it would be she who hid and once Grcaey found her they would be wed and she would stop playing the games. The girl chose to hide herself in the attic in a large chest she had seen there. When Madam Leota noticed the girl wandering the house in her wedding dress alone she knew this might be her chance to rid herself of her. She followed the girl in the attic and locked her into the chest.
Weeks/months passed before the girl was finally found. Master Gracey discovered that her daeth was Madame Leota's doing and banished her from the estate and his life. On the day of the funeral something spooked the horses who rode off with the young girls coffin. Later in the evening, Gracey found the carriage but without the horses or his beloved's coffin. For the second time his bride had been taken from him with out a chance to say goodbye.
With no other alternative Master Gracey summoned Madame Leota to try and contact his bride's spirit so he could say goddbye. Out of spite for banishment Madame Leota summoned not only the bride's spirit, but the spirit's of every person who had previously lived (and died) in the house.
Unable to stand the constant torment of the other ghosts, Master Gracey hung himself in the parlor to escape the nightmares of the living and be reunited with his love.
In the ride we are following the story and follow the bride up to the attic where she finds us and pushes us out the window so we don't know her hiding place. Prior to that event all the ghosts appear only briefly to us because we are still living beings. Following that, we die and can then see all of the ghosts all the time since we are also ghosts. It is also said that the Ravens throughout the ride act as Madame Leota's eyes, informing her of everything happening in the mansion.
Hope you all enjoyed that, whether you agree with it or not. Sorry it's so long.
