There’s something comforting about hearing the phrase “Welcome, foolish mortals”, and if you’re anything like us at Steps To Magic…you have a piece of clothing that shows your admiration for the classic Walt Disney World attraction, the Haunted Mansion!
If you’ve always wanted to know a little bit more about the land of the Doombuggies, then look alive…and scroll down (if you dare)
GENERAL STATS
Area – Liberty Square
Opening Date – October 1st, 1971
Attraction – Omnimover Dark Ride
Vehicle Type – Doom Buggy
Duration – 5:50 – 8:20 minutes
Lightning Lane: Available
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THE PET CEMETERY’S FAMOUS AMPHIBIAN
As you leave mansion, look to your left and you’ll notice a small pet cemetery. There are a number of tombstones and one interesting nod to the former inhabitant to the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh…Mr Toad!
GRIM GRINNING GHOSTS
The creepy (yet recognizable) organ music you hear in the stretching room is just “Grim Grinning Ghosts” slowed way down. You are hearing one song on the whole attraction, starting very slow and increasing in tempo as the ride goes on.
MULTI-PURPOSED AUDIO-ANIMATRONIC
In the ballroom scene, there is an elderly woman sitting in a rocking chair. This audio-animatronic figure is a duplicate made from the Grandmother in one of the side scenes of the Carousel of Progress.
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FAMILIAR VOICES
There are a few Disney Legends who are heard among the happy haunts in the Mansion:
Paul Frees, who voices the Ghost Host, is also the actor who brings to life Ludwig Von Drake, Boris Badenov, the Phillsbury Doughboy and the Auctioneer in Pirates of the Caribbean!
Eleanor Audley, who you may know from her infamous roles in classic Disney films (Cinderella’s Stepmother and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty) also lends her voice as Madame Leota.
But one of my favorite hidden gems is the voice of the man, the myth, the legend…Thurl Ravenscroft! Ok, so you may not know the name BUT you definitely know his work. Thurl is best known as being Tony the Tiger and the bass singer behind ‘You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch’. He’s actually one of the quartet that’s singing ‘Grim Grinning Ghosts’ in the cemetery.
STRETCHING (KINDA)
When you walk into the Stretching Room in the Magic Kingdom, you’re actually getting a different experience than the West Coast version at Disneyland. This is because the bulk of the attraction at DL is underground, so the stretching room is actually an elevator! In Orlando, the roof just goes up as there’s no need to transfer guests from one floor to the other.
You can look on the wall and find a few wallpaper crinkles, which will allow you to follow the roof as it moves up.
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FEATURED ON THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM TOUR
When you’re going through the Magic Kingdom on the 4-hour Keys to the Kingdom Tour, one of the destinations is the Haunted Mansion. Not only does the tour guide share information about the backstory, but they also provide insights into the “backstage” elements of the attraction!
Related Article – Best Things for an Adult Only Trip
There are so many amazing facts and stories surrounding the Haunted Mansion and it’s rich history of how it was brought from a basic concept into the attraction that we see today.
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