Why is the Haunted Mansion such a favorite and beloved attraction at the MK???

[Wilt Dasney]

^ True enough, but I'll take a stab at expounding on my one-word entry.

To me, the Haunted Mansion might be the only Disney attraction which at every point makes me feel like I could genuinely be in the situation presented, instead of in a theme park trying to fool me. (ToT is pretty close to this standard, but seeing the rest of the park when the doors open at the top of the shaft makes it pretty clear you're on a thrill ride.)

Even HM's loading area, which is the point where so many attractions break down narratively, feels like part of the story. You have those creepy Doom Buggies just kind of materializing inside the house, and the maid or butler just watching you board (instead of "How many here? Row 2, please.") Even the requisite safety spiel fits the setting. ("Do NOT pull down on the safety bar, please. I will lower it for you.") There's nothing "fake" about it.

 

[scheat]

Everything everyone has said and the fact that it is so easy to get into the theme-very immersive attraction.

 

[ttalovebug]

For years I loved the grim grinning ghosts song on the "Disneyland Fun" sing-a-long. Over any other song, I made my parents rewind that one over and over, which they thought was a little strange. After all those years, when I finally got to ride it, I was ecstatic.

 

[AGentlRose]

It's a ride that you can keep on going on and you'll always see something you didn't see the time before. There is so much attention to detail, and of course there is the role play of the cast members at HM. And although, not anywhere near the top reasons for riding --- it's nice and cool on a hot, humid day.

 

[Susan Savia]

Because its a haunted house and yet a 'friendly' haunted house and the music is perfect and the way it moves you around is great...forward, sideways, backwards, etc. Classic ride, love it.

 

[jonnyc]

On our last trip, we rode HM came out to terrential rain so went on it a further 4 times.

To be honest i could have happily riden it for the rest of the day and not got bored!

 

[DisneyMusician2]

It is just plain spooky fun.

It isn't about scaring people with a "horror" approach, but embodies the nostalgic haunted house of old ghost stories. In that, it has great appeal to those guests who grew up on ghost stories and those young guests who can enjoy it without wetting the bed for the next week.

And it has some of the coolest effects in all of WDW.

 

[Tom Morrow]

If someone asked me to pick one attraction to represent everything that makes Disney parks so great... I would pick Haunted Mansion.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

The music and the narrator's voice are one of my earliest memories of Disney World. It's nostalgic and is so associated with MK to me.

 

[hcswingfield]

No matter how many times I ride it, I always find something I've never seen before in the line, the pre-show, the ride or the walk out. And the cast members are terrific! Plus you get to sit down, and it's air conditioned.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

The Haunted Mansion cast members are fantastic! Honorable mention to one man who never broke character after my dad joked around with him.

The man spoke with a deadpan spooky demeanor and my dad started in with him (in a polite way) and affected a very poor, exaggerated Rex Harrisonesque accent back.

Then we went into the rotunda where the portraits stretch and my dad affected a Curly from the Three Stooges routine saying "oooooh....I'm so scared."

The cast member was trying so hard not to crack a smile...he never wavered.

What can I tell you...they are pros.

 

[Ceekling]

I remember the first time I went on it that I was quite a bit scared and clinging to my mother. To reassure me, she told me that Walt Disney would never do anything to purposely scare children and it's that thought that I used to reassure my own son on his first ride of HM.

So, for me, it's because it had the ability to scare you and make you laugh at the same time.

Take, for example, the graveyard scene. You've just come from the ghost party and suddenly you're in a spooky graveyard with the caretaker's knees shaking and ghosts popping up from behind gravestones. Next thing you know, they're having a party and you're invited and silly statues are singing. It's just that perfect mix that keeps young and young at heart entertained.

 

[CaptainJackNO]

Because it is awesome.......:sohappy:

 

[Mr Toad]

By far my favorite ride in MK.