Details you really love about the Haunted Mansion

[DoomBugger]

What details amongst the countless little things about Disneyland's Haunted Mansion do you like the best? There are certain details I really dig and can't wait to see when I am on the Haunted Mansion and I am also always looking to focus on different things, it makes it more fun for me!

I've always loved the picture in the stretching room (elevator) of the parasol wielding woman on the tightrope with the crocodile underneath. Also, the endless hallway and the ballroom with the ghosts drunk on the chandeliers and the ghosts shooting each other. In the graveyard the ghosts riding bikes, the mummy squatting and the singing ghosts are always a welcome sight.

There are three effects in the Haunted Mansion that I think are great and I love to see them, these are my favorite little details right now:

- In the seance circle room after you have moved about halfway across the room if you look above the entrance area of the room there is an image of a mummy-type face with a glowing ball of light moving around on it... Really cool effect and I bet many miss this as you tend to look at other things for the few moments it is visible.

- In the attic, about halfway through to the right there is a shadow of a creepy man playing the phantom piano... Really cool and it looks like a Boris Karlof-type phantom henchman is back there playing the piano... and waiting for another victim! bwah hah ha ahh aaa!

- In the graveyard, towards the end there is a small mausoleum-type structure that has an open front and when the Doombuggy turns toward it (right before turning to the last set of ghosts by the green light) there is a really neat ghostly image of a white-shrouded, faceless spirit figure inside it and it is maybe the best ghost effect on the ride! It is almost real looking!

Did I mention I kinda like the Haunted Mansion??

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

It's one of my very favorites, so I'm right there with you!

Let's see. I like when your walking down the hall way coming out of the stretching room, the faces that "move" with you. Creepy!

The floating candles in the hallway.

The two guys shooting eachother in the paintings.

The singing heads of course!

The dog in the graveyard with the guy, all shivering!

There is really too many things I like about it to name. They paid so much attention to detail!

 

[Hound 109]

Great thread. I'm taking notes.

I love the woman at the end of the ride (when you're on the escalator) saying "Come Back...." (is that the same woman who dispatched of her multiple hubbys?)

 

[bumbershoot]

The main detail I notice, even though it creeped me out sooooo much, is a shadow that comes down either in or right before or right after that hall of doors. I think there's a clock that it's in front of. The first time I saw it out of the corner of my eye it looked like someone sneaking past. Later I realized it was a shadow of a skeletal arm coming down. Either way, creepy as anything!

 

[4_Churros_Please]

The paintings of the Zombie, Skull guys and the tiny woman at the end when your on the moving side walk as you exit.

 

[goofy's friends]

The ghost blowing out candles on the cake in the ballroom!

 

[DoomBugger]

The main detail I notice, even though it creeped me out sooooo much, is a shadow that comes down either in or right before or right after that hall of doors. I think there's a clock that it's in front of. The first time I saw it out of the corner of my eye it looked like someone sneaking past. Later I realized it was a shadow of a skeletal arm coming down. Either way, creepy as anything!

That is a great detail that is easy to miss. 4 Churros mentioned the mummie pictures in the hallway, I have always been really creeped out by those too! When I was akid i was convinced they were from the same artist that used to do the Iron Maiden album covers and I would think, "That is almost too creepy for Disneyland!"

The "gotcha" corpses that jump out from the tombstones in the graveyard are great, especially if you forget it is coming.

I just love the music too, that organ is the best! I realy dig the hearse buggy parked in the ballroom with the coffin sitting up next to it, there are so many little things it is fun to try and appreciate more and more details.

It's fun to hear everyone's specific thoughts on what they love about the Haunted Mansion too, there is no bad answer!

 

[MommyWithDreams]

I like the doorknockers. I remember as a kid just really being creeped out by that. The other thing I just really think they did well is just the dust. Everything really just looks so "real".....not like Hollywood haunted, but I mean real time haunted.

 

[DoomBugger]

I like the doorknockers. I remember as a kid just really being creeped out by that. The other thing I just really think they did well is just the dust. Everything really just looks so "real".....not like Hollywood haunted, but I mean real time haunted.

Yes, the dust and cobwebs are the icing on the Haunted Mansion cake!

If I was that old guy with the skinny dog I would be scared to enter that graveyard too!

 

[DevilDuckie]

I love the dancers in the ballroom.

 

[pixiewings71]

"hurry back......and don't forget your Death Certificate" LOL I love HM!! I love the guy in the coffin who's pushing the lid up, the mummy that was described earlier in the seance room. I love Leota!!!! She rocks! The body under the table in the ballroom, the woman who dispatched all her husbands. The dog in front of the graveyard, the cats watching the ghosts right as you enter. There is a tombstone there that always makes me jump, even though I know it's there! LOL It's the one right as you enter the graveyard, it pops up and for whatever reason I always jump! LOL I love the trees as you go backwards to the graveyard too. Sorry it's all jumbly, I'm just typing and remembering at the same time.

DoomBugger, I wonder if it's the same artist that does the Iron Maiden CD covers now....I mean it looks really close to the same. I'll have to ask them when I go to work tomorrow......

 

[goofy's friends]

Oh, the trees that have scary faces when going down the hill backwards to the cemetery

 

[Chandor]

I read that there was a link between the woman in the HM and the "Wench For Sale" over in PotC (and that she is the same woman in the picture in PotC with all the looted treasure and the skele's drinking in front of it.)

Anyhow, while I love it regular, when Jack takes over is my favorite time... the living wreath, all the toys coming alive... great stuff!

 

[DLR29]

My favorite part is in the attic scene where the pictures fade in and out. So spooky. In HMH I really like the giant Jack Skellington that takes the place of the guy and his dog and of course the giant Oogie Boogie at the end.

 

[MunkyMe13]

I love everything Haunted Mansion. I love it so much my DH proposed to me on the ride in front of the ballroom. My fav detail is the ghost host and the crow. Even though I know the idea didn't pan out I still always look for the crow and kind of imagine him telling me the story. I also love the jumping heads in the attic saying I DO!

 

[Rescue Pooh]

It's been a long time since I've been to DL and I'm looking forward to our trip in December, but I love the ballroom, the hallway with the candle and doorknockers. I also love the woman at the end.

 

[DangerMouse]

Thurl's bust at the end of the ride is definitely my favorite detail.

 

[fairycat]

"Wizards and Witches where ever you dwell give us a hint by ringing a bell"

I love the Girl with the Parasol!!

The best effect is the simpliest, the busts at the end of the first hallway that follow you. That effect creeped me out so bad as a child. It still weirds me out a bit even now

I love the coffin in the conservatory, I had weird dreams of it as a kid. Not nightmares more kid versions in my head of it being a real room!

I love one of the pictures in the hallway of doors (the guy with an ax at his side) for some reason he reminds me of David Bowie

The clock with the shadow hand always reminds me of the clock in the movie Last Unicorn.

I love the guys having a duel at the top of the ballroom.


Check out the guy walling himself in at the end of the cemetary, its creepy and cool!

I do miss a few things, while I like the theme of the new attic, I miss the old bride. I really don't like the effect of the face on the new bride. It seems to cheapy.

I also miss the old cemetary headstones above the que line. They were so much fun to read while you were in line. I miss fred!!

I also miss the old ending speal of the lady when she used to tell you "Farewell, Farewell". Also I miss the old hallway portraits. I don't like the new ones.

I am way obssessed with the HM. I also love HMH! In the first two years (one year with over hour lines and no AP) I rode HMH over 100 times. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have ridden it since, regular or HMH. I think its my favorite thing at DL.

I even spent 1 hour at WDW MK just to go on HM (ok at CBJ) on our way to the water parks.

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Currently- love the Bride and her disappearing grooms. That is so much better than it was several years ago. I grin with delight every time we pass the clock with the hands going backward and the shadow passing across it. It's such a neat thing. I love it too when you get a CM who is really in character and more than a little creepy!

As a kid- the ghost that popped up in the attic always freaked me out, I used to grip the safety bar so hard and wince when I knew it was coming! I don't like to be surprised like that and it got me every time! And as a kid I LOVED the hallway portraits. The new ones, not so much. The doorknockers always freaked me out as a kid. In a good scary way.

But Haunted Mansion Holiday?? LOVE IT!!! We never miss a trip to the HM.

 

[DoomBugger]

I agree with fairycat and Silly Pixie that the hallway portraits are not nearly as neat as the old version. I used to spend a few minutes watching each image change but now I don't spend nearly as much time with them now.

It really can be fun when the host is really in character too!

The best is when you ride the HM and it is nearly empty... you can get extra into it when you imagine it is really abandoned!

I love WDW's version too and have ridden it on Christmas eve with nobody else in the que or ride, it was epic!

Since I was a child the ghost in the Doombuggy effect has always made me giddy... I've never grown bored of seeing which ghost hitchhiker we get!