The ballroom scene where the ghosts are having a party is filled with so many things that it's hard to focus on everything in one trip. The imagineers went into unflinching detail when creating this party. However, they forgot something when creating the dancing ghosts. Beneath your ride vehicle behind glass are the models audioanimatronics ghosts that dance around while their images are projected onto a screen-which is what you see in the ballroom. When they created the ghosts they did not think about the glass projecting the image backwards as all mirrors do and instead of the men leading the women (which is how they were made) the women are actually leading the men. Look at their hands next time you go through.
These six couples had the misfortune to be invited to one of Madame Leotas parties. They had one thing in common--they all loved to dance. How they got an invitation to the party remains a mystery since they had no interest whatsoever in the occult. During the course of the celebration, the group kept to themselves, pointedly ignoring the weird Madame Leota and the melancholy Master Gracey. They simply danced.
After several hours of being ignored, Madame Leota had taken all she could stand. Muttering to herself, she stopped the music and shouted a curse to the dancing couples. The couples stopped and stared at the deranged Madame. Suddenly the couples were overcome by a peculiar sensation--they began to dance, whirling and twirling, faster and faster, becoming more and more exhausted. Unfortunately, try as they might, they were unable to stop dancing, and as one by one their bodies succumbed to the Angel of Death, their souls could not be given so easy a reprieve. They continue to dance to this day, a tribute to the evil of Madame Leota.
Hidden Mickey on your right, in the upper right hand corner of doorway, just as your car is heading to the hitchihiking ghosts. The hitchiking ghosts all have names.
Ezra Dobbins and Phineas Queeg were friends of Gus Gracey. The three were cellmates at the Salem Asylum for the Criminally Insane.
Ezra was a voyeur--his lean frame was ideal for climbing trellises and trees. He developed a fascination with obese women and sought out the most rotund young ladies to spy upon. Ezra was finally caught skulking in the boudoir of the mayors ample daughter. When this corpulent miss took the stand, the chair groaned under her weight, the court did not hesitate to accept Ezras insanity plea and commit him to the Salem Asylum.
Phineas was a discredited chemist who made his living as a snake-oil peddler. He traveled the countryside, carpetbag at his side, seeking the most ignorant rubes to buy his worthless potions. His diabolical sense of humor led Phineas to spike his wares with ingredients he knew would cause unwanted side effects, i.e. his "hair tonic" was actually a depilatory. Phineas made his final mistake when he sold "Queegs Youth Elixir" to the chief of police, causing the mans voice to raise an octave. Criminal charges were promptly filed. A parade of hapless witnesses, combined with Phineass snickering in court, led him to the Salem Asylum.
The three cellmates spent their time planning their escape. Ezra fasted until he could squeeze through the bars to reach the keys and unlock the cell door. Once the three were free of their cell, Gus toppled the guards with his ball and chain, while Phineas set off a smoke bomb to prevent their pursuers from chasing them.
The Three friends hitchhiked down the road. They would hop aboard the moving vehicle regardless of whether the coach or carriage stopped for them or not. Passengers were startled when the three friendly little fellows plopped down beside them or on their laps. Ezra always aimed for the plumpest female; Phineas picked out the stupidest looking; and Gus just wanted to play with the children.
Ezra Dobbins and Phineas Queeg met their ends at a carnival. Phineas sampled a quack remedy at the medicine show. Ironically, he died not from the quack remedy, but rather he cut his lip on the bottle cap and died from lead poisoning. Likewise, Ezras fetish ultimately caused his demise. He snuck into the sideshow fat ladys tent and was killed when she inadvertently sat on him after he had crept up behind her.
Years later Madame Leota cast a spell confining Gus to the Mansion for as long as he lived and eternity after that, but she took pity on the lonely dwarf and summoned the spirits of his two departed friends to keep him company. They decided to stay and there theyll remain until they spot someone theyd rather follow home.
When you are in the Haunted Mansion after you leave the stretching room notice the bats on the posts of the que as you approach the doom buggies. Look at the heads very closely on the first few and then check out the head of the bat at the end of the line before you turn the corner-it's totally smooth with no features at all- done so by the millions of hands that grab onto it as they turn the corner. You can also find "one-winged" bats in this same queue.
Name: Emily Cavanaugh Gracey - "The Bride"
The second Mistress Gracey, Emily Cavanaugh was born to the very wealthy Cavanaughs of Rhode Island. Being an only child, Emily was destined to inherit the entire family fortune. Much to her parents dismay, she was a flighty girl and given to disappearing for hours on end, contemplating flowers or patterns on wallpaper. Much was done by her parents to teach Emily the responsibility of her station, but the girl refused to grasp the gravity of her situation.
When her parents were suddenly killed by a runaway carriage, the entire wealth of the Cavanaughs fell on her unprepared shoulders. At the funeral she met Master Gracey, who having recently lost his first wife, was prepared to offer her consolation and guidance. An impressionable girl of 16, she fell in love with the authoritative figure of the Master and his boyish good looks. When he proposed marriage, the unwitting Emily accepted.
The wedding was a beautiful affair and the bride was radiant. The trouble began on the honeymoon at the Gracey Mansion. Madame Leota waited there for the young bride, killing time until she could dispose of the bride. Being young, Emily was still playful and decided to play Hide and Seek with her new groom. So eager was she to begin this honeymoon game that she didnt even wait to change out of her wedding gown. She found herself in the attic, and hearing George calling her, she quickly hid in a large sea trunk. The trunk was uncomfortable and stuffy, and just as she prepared to come out of hiding, she heard the sound of scraping metal. Madame Leota had seized the opportunity and locked the trunk, the poor young bride suffocated.
Emily Graceys Wedding Ring
After discovering his young brides untimely demise, Master Gracey felt the need to announce his continuing dedication to her in order to avoid rumors that he only married her for her money. Gracey arranged to have the funeral services in the courtyard of the Mansion so that the entire town could be present. With the Gracey household and the town as his audience, only Madame Leota mysteriously failed to attend, Master Gracey stood on the drivers bench of the hearse buggy and prepared to announce his undying devotion to Emily. He planned to place the ring on his little finger as a reaffirmation of his dedication to Emily and so that she would always be close to him. Suddenly, before he was able to place the ring on his finger, something spooked the horses and Gracey was thrown from the buggy. As the horses galloped wildly away, a wheel of the buggy rolled over Emilys wedding band, embedding it in the cobblestone walkway. Despite his best efforts, Master Gracey was unable to free the ring from its cobblestone grave. . .the ring remains there to this day. The servants were sent to search for the hearse. A few days later the horses and buggy were discovered, but the hearse was empty. Emilys body was never recovered.
Prudence and the story of the floating candelabras
This is the tale of a poor, unfortunate housemaid, who met her death quite by accident. Prudence was Little Leotas personal maid. She was neither attractive nor memorable--a person would forget meeting Prudence before he finished saying good-day to her.
Prudence had a rare quality that caused her to blend into her surroundings. This made the task of serving Little Leota even more difficult. Little Leota was not the easiest person to serve, always sending Prudence on wild goose chases. Prudence was doomed to search for lost shoes, misplaced handkerchiefs, and at times, even unidentified noises in the middle of the night.
Such was the case one cold night when Leota called for Prudence. Leota claimed she had heard a noise downstairs and sent Prudence, candle in hand, to investigate. Even though Prudence objected and was visibly frightened, Leota ordered her to investigate. Prudence wandered the halls, the flickering candles her only source of light in the dark house. As she was walking down the long dark hall, one of the doors swung open and slammed against the wall. Poor Prudence was so terrified by this that she collapsed and perished in the hall. She never discovered that it was only Little Leota trying to frighten her. Prudence still haunts the halls, searching for disturbances.
The gravestone of Madame Leota that moves (lifts its face...glances around...) is the last tombstone before entering the foyer of the HM. This tombstone just appeared within the last year or so.
Madame Leota, the creepy woman in the crystal ball in the seance room of the Haunted Mansion, was played by Leota Thomas (a former Disney Imagineer, actually) and voiced by Eleanor Audley (also the voice of Malificent and Lady Tremaine).
The real Leota Thomas actually died fairy recently, and that's when Disney decided to erect that tomb w/the moving face on it.
The story begins with Master Gracey, the mansion's owner. Master Gracey had been married 6 previous times and 5 of his previous wives had died mysterious deaths. His 6th wife, a now divorced Madame Leota (the woman that appears inside the crystal ball), was still madly in love with Master Gracey. Master Gracey soon fell in love and proposed to his 7th wife. This infuriated Leota.
Master Gracey's new wife was a bit of a prankster. One day she went into the attic and hid in a large trunk so she could scare Master Gracey when he came up to find her. The enraged Madame Leota was hiding upstairs when she saw Gracey's new wife step into the trunk. She took the key and locked it, then cursed the mansion. Gracey's wife's calls for help went unheard and she eventually suffocated. This sent Master Gracey into severe depression.
When the time came to bury Gracey's wife, his wife's coffin was placed in the back of a horse drawn carriage to be driven to the cemetery. Master Gracey, beside himself in grief, held his wife's hand for what would be the last time. At that instant, something spooked the horse, causing it to run away. As it left, Gracey's wife's ring fell off, and the horse's hooves stomped it into the ground as it took off.
The next day the carriage was found outside the cemetery. The horse, the driver, the corpse and coffin were all missing. This sent Master Gracey over the edge who then returned home and eventually hung himself. (That's him hanging up in the ceiling in the pre-show area.)
The 100 yrs pin (after the hitchhiking ghosts) it was blinking like a heartbeat.
ba-bump...ba-bump.
Disney has an upcoming film "The Haunted Mansion" based on the famous ride at
Disneyland. The site of the exterior sets are located at Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, CA - a beautiful rural area north of Los Angeles. Eddie Murphy was there shooting the other evening and graciously greeting local fans and signing autographs. As for the mansion facade itself it differs in design to the original ride at the Disney theme park(s), but was pretty cool nevertheless.
If you're by the Haunted Mansion at night, look up at the top story right above the front door. If you watch it for a while you'll notice a light pass by it and some shadows, it looks like 2 people are walking by with a lantern.
There is always a fresh rose on Master Gracie's grave.
Don't forget to stop another 30 feet down the sidewalk and visit the pet cemetary. Most people just walk right on by.
If I only had more time :BIG SIGH:
There is no floor between your Doom Buggies and the table with the crystal ball!! Disney has since installed a heavy duty cargo net in that area just in case another foolish mortal tries to take a walk on the other side...literally!!! I guess he was lucky he didn't become the 1000th Haunt! 
