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Liberty Square Attractions
 Fun
Fact: At Disneyland, the
Haunted Mansion was completed by 1963, but the Imagineers couldn't
decide what to do with the inside. This delayed the
opening of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland for several
years (1969 - and we thought Test Track was bad!!)
Year Opened: 1971
Follow
the howls of the wolf to the special effects and ghostly
gags of the Haunted Mansion, 999 happy haunts, but there's
always room for one more! This popular attraction starts
to line up outdoors under a canopy. It can get very hot
waiting here in the summer months. As they wait, guests
are treated to the humorous headstones that have inscriptions
such as "Here lies poor old Fred, A great big rock
fell on his head". The mansion itself is of the gothic
style reminiscent of the 18th Century Hudson River Valley
structures.
Butlers and maids (always in character) greet you at the
door and escort you into the library (or stretching room,
does the ceiling go up or does the floor go down?)
TIP: Remember to watch the picture over the fireplace changing
as you are entering the room.
Guests move on to the awaiting Doom Buggies for their 8
minute journey through the mansion. The special effects
are terrific, especially the duelers in the ballroom
scene. In typical Disney fashion, attention is paid to the
finest details you'll notice something different every time
you go on this ride. No cleanup is required in this stately
manor, dusting here requires the spreading of it, not the
wiping up.
While not seriously frightening, you may want to think twice about bringing very young kids on this one. (Sometimes a small flashlight helps to make the dark scenes less scary.)
Ask Cast Members about the legend of Master Gracey. Guests
must be able to transfer from wheelchairs. Don't forget
to check out the ghost horse hearse out front.
Let’s move forward to September 2007.
After being closed for several months for refurbishment and guest anticipation, Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion has re-opened.
Just as when Pirates opened after a lengthy rehab, there was a great deal of speculation and hesitation about any changes made to the beloved Mansion. This is one of the attractions with a very loyal fan base.
The fan base and everyone else can relax and rejoice. The Haunted Mansion looks and sounds terrific.
There have been some spooky additions made.
- The story of the Bride and her many husbands has been expanded with a new Bride in a new location.
- The carnival-like neon spiders and spider webs are gone.
- The wallpaper with the eyes has been changed.
- There is a new gallery of paintings with some special twists at the beginning.
- Madame Leota no longer rests on her table.
- The graveyard scene has been enhanced
- The banquet scene has been enhanced
- And what is sure to get the most attention is the new “staircase effect” as your doom buggy begins to ascend the main staircase into the Mansion. It’s an awesome addition.
New visitors will get to experience a classic Disney attraction in all its glory and we think long time fans will be pleased to see an old friend looking and sounding better than ever.
Welcome back Haunted Mansion, we missed you.
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