As I walk towards Liberty Square, suddenly out of the blue, I hear the epic overture from Star Wars. Hmmmm....How very strange. I know I am a huge Star Wars fanatic, but to be hearing its soundtrack clearly in my head at this moment was a little disconcerting. Had my years of collecting thousands of Star Wars figures finally pushed me off and over the edge? Was I finally going insane over Star Wars as my sister predicted long ago?!
For a split second I check my suroundings to see if I was really at the MK and not DHS. I reassure myself that I wasn't anywhere close to Star Tours - that was for sure.
Well, where would that be coming from then?!
I realize that it was coming from me!
More specifically, it was my I-phone that was ringing! I forgot that I had changed my ringtone before I left Texas (DUH). I take it out of my bag, and I see the boys are calling me from home.
As soon as I pick-up, they make an important and happy announcement:
"Mom, we're going to Disneyworld!"
I hear the great joy and excitement in Jake and Sam's voices as they enumerate all the rides they want to get on when they get here. I realize how much I've missed them.
And although I was really having a fabulous time solo-tripping, it was time for them to join me.
DH instructs me to call DME to finalize their reservation with their flight and arrival time. I realize that with this latest development, I now have a bunch of ADR's to confirm, cancel and make!
I tell the boys I love them, remind them to get to the airport early (their flight was leaving at 7pm), and hang up the phone.
It now dawns upon me that I have less than 12 hours to do everything I planned to do solo.
But I promised myself I was going into this with only a positive frame of mind. So, with a G.I. Joe-esque resolve written all over me, I get into full commando mode (dum-da-da-dum)!
I reach my destination. And with no wait at all, I, along with a few other guests enter:
To me, the Haunted Mansion is the ultimate dark ride. I do not have to launch into more superlatives - I think you know what I mean.
It gives me chills right now as I recall my ride experience.....
I remember being ushered into the octagonal room, and encouraged to stand in the "dead center". The door we entered through becomes a wall, and the chilling voice of Paul Frees introduces himself as our "Ghost Host":
"Welcome! Foolish Mortals, to the Haunted Mansion!
I am your host, your Ghost Host. Hmmmm.
Our tour begins here, in this gallery.
Here where you see paintings of some of our guests,
as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal state.
Kindly step all the way in please, and make room for everyone.
There's no turning back now... {room is now stretching}
Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding,
almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis.
Is this haunted room actually stretching?
Or is it your imagination, hmmm??
And consider this dismaying observation:
this chamber had no windows and no doors.
Which offers you this chilling challenge --
to find A WAY OUT! HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!
Of course, there's always my way....
{clap of thunder and lightning}"
My favorite part of the ride is when the doombuggies turn 180 degrees and transport you as you face backwards, almost laying down. I love the dark leafless tree limbs that look like they're ready to grab at your throat! Yikes!
When I was younger, my favorite part of the ride used to be the end when a ghost hitch-hiked its way into your buggy!
It is worth noting that this is the boys'
least favorite Disney ride. I think the fright factor has plenty to do with it. Last year during
MNSSHP, I rode this alone, abandoned by the boys who opted to go trick or treating with DH instead!
I decide to ride it again, and with the permission of the butler at the end of the ride, I do not disembark, and keep on riding.
I pass thru a short but spooky tunnel full of empty doombuggies on the way to the ride's beginning, and for a fraction of a second I feel like freaking out!! Imagine yourself all alone in total darkness inside the bowels of the Haunted Mansion, with empty doombuggies as your only companions!
Fortunately it didn't take long, and I am back where the ride starts. The ghostly maid walking on the moving walkway waves at me, and I set off to explore my mysterious eerie mansion once more.
I get out of my doombuggy after riding twice. I decide I had had enough of the dark.
One piece of trivia I was going to share: Did you know that in DL, the stretching room stretches downwards (you go down in an elevator), while at WDW, the stretching rooms have ascending ceilings.
At the attraction in DL, the room is in fact, an elevator with no ceiling that is being lowered slowly to give the illusion that the room itself is stretching; this brings the guests down to where the ride begins, below ground level. This elevator effect was necessary to lower the guests below the level of the park-circling railroad at DL.
As I was exiting the Haunted Mansion, up high on the hill (on the left side) in the pet cemetery, I saw the old Mr. Toad statue that used to sit above the Mr. Toad attraction:
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was once an attraction at the Magic Kingdom park in WDW (it is still at DL). Despite a long protest against its closure, Mr. Toad's was put to an end in 1998 and the ride was replaced the following year with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I suppose, he is now laid to rest up there on the HM hill.
I see a member of the Dream Team chatting with some folks about Mr. Toad. I stop to listen in.
I sit by a bench close to:
When plans were being made for a Young Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Disney bought a hearse for the show, but when those plans were scrapped due to budget costs, the hearse was given an invisible phantom horse and placed outside the DL mansion. It was such a hit that the black one above was purchased and sent to Florida.
Unfortunately, the Dream Team CM walked away
, and I headed off in the opposite direction. My next ride was going to be a bright, cheery, and wet one:
That is up next.
Please stay tuned. 
I left the kids for 2 weeks to go on a cruise with my mom a couple of years ago, and although it was wonderful and relaxing, I missed them terribly and couldn't do it again, well, until they're grown that is, and they will be invited always 
That's funny about the CM thinking you were serious about wanting to wake up Tink. Get a sense of humour! 
My reasoning behind this is that the drop is a lot less intimidating when it is concealed by the darkness! I told y'all before, I am a big ole fraidy cat when it comes to big, sudden drops. 
