Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney.announce,rec.parks.theme,rec.roller-coaster,alt.disney.disneyland,rec.answers,news.answers

Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney.announce,rec.parks.theme,rec.roller-coaster,alt.disney.disneyland,rec.answers,news.answers
Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!gatech!csulb.edu!news.sgi.com!howland.erols.net!netcom.com!bertino
From: [email protected]
Subject: Disney's Haunted Mansion Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Part 1/1
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Followup-To: rec.arts.disney.parks
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked
Questions (and their answers) about Disney's
Haunted Mansion
Sender: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 1996 23:04:13 GMT
Approved: [email protected]
Expires: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 00:00:00 GMT
Lines: 1057
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.arts.disney.announce:796 rec.parks.theme:8360 rec.roller-coaster:44159 alt.disney.disneyland:15709 rec.answers:26748 news.answers:90777

Archive-name: disney-faq/haunted-mansion
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1996/10/31
Version: 1.4

This document is Copyright (c) 1996, 1997 by Don Bertino, all rights
reserved. It is intended for public use, and may be redistributed
freely printed or electronically in its complete and unaltered form
provided distribution is done at no charge to the receiver. Partial and
other distribution means require the permission of the author.

Send comments, suggestions, corrections to [email protected].

*** SPOILER WARNING ***

I do believe in Santa Claus, Tooth Faire and the Easter Bunny etc..
8(:-) The following document is describing what is done when some of the
999 ghosts go on vacation and some of the effects have to be done with
machines, smoke and mirrors....

Questions answered in this post:
1. Comments from the maintainer, and credits
2. Who is the narrator, Madam Loeta and Little Loeta: Voice and Form?
3. Has anyone transcribed the script?
4. Was text removed from the original script?
5. Is the ride contained in the "Haunted Mansion Building"?
6. Do the ceilings go up or do the floors go down in the stretching
room?
7. Between the stretching room and entering the Doom Buggies: How do
they get the busts to follow you?
8. What is a doom buggy and what is the cap. per hour?
9. How do they do the 5 Busts, Madame Loeta and Little Loeta?
10. How do they do the ballroom? What is the spider web on one of the
columns?
11. Why is there a bride in the attic? (The story theme)
12. Was there ever a hat box in the attic?
13. As you leave the attic and enter the graveyard, Are the trees suppose
to move?
14. Is Walt Disney or Leslie Nielsen one of the singing busts in the
graveyard?
15. How do they project a ghost into your doom buggy to
"follow you home?"
16. What are some of the graveyard tombstone sayings?
17. Was the pet graveyard moved?
18. Did the HM recently celebrates its 25th Anniversary?
19. Was there CM in a suit of armor that walked around the HM?
20. Can I get a copy of the music from the Haunted Mansion and where was it
recorded?
21. What was upgraded during the Sept 1995 rehab?
22. Are their web pages with pictures from all the differant HM's?

The Disney's Haunted Mansion (tm) FAQ

General information
===================
1. Comments from the maintainer, and credits

I just wanted to thank the people below, for without their help, this FAQ
would not have been possible.

Kimberly Dahl
Rev Vandervort ([email protected])
How Bowers ([email protected])
Michael A. Deforest ([email protected])
David C. Cobb ([email protected])
Regan B. Pederson ([email protected])
David Tomita ([email protected])
Mark Keiser ([email protected])
Mark Marcuse ([email protected])
Tim Castro ([email protected])
Russell Brower
Loren Wilton ([email protected])
Steve Ziolkowski ([email protected])

===================

2. Who is the narrator, Madam Loeta and Little Loeta: Voice and Form?

The narrator's name is the Late (and much lamented,) Paul Frees. He was
not only a well know Voice Over artist in the industry, but had also done
several jobs for Glenn Larson (creator of Knight Rider, Battlestar
Galactica, and Buck Rogers.) His distinctive voice can also be heard in
several other Disney attractions such as "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln"
(narrator), and the now defunct "Adventure thru Inner Space" (narrator).
Frees is perhaps best known for providing the voice of Boris Badanov, the
villain of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. You can actually see him in
"The Thing", the original.

Both "Madam Leota" and "Little Leota" use the faces of Disney imagineer
Leota Thomas. Leota Thomas (her maiden name was Leota Toombs) mainly worked
in the model shop and could be seen in the Small World pictorial guide, now
out of print, which showed several "making of" photos. Thomas is the voice
of "Little Leota" at the end of the attraction. Unfortunately, she passed
away two or three years ago. (1992/1993)

Eleanor Audley is the voice of Madam Leota (also Maleficent and Lady Tremain).

Leota Thomas's daughter, Kim Irvine, is also an Imagineer and works in
Show Quality at Disneyland.

===================

3. Has anyone transcribed the script?

Written by Xavier Atencio.

GHOST HOST:
When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening
sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker where
the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present,
practicing their terror with ghoulish delight.

Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host,
your Ghost Host. Kindly step all the way in please, and make room
for everyone. There's no turning back now.

Our tour begins here in this gallery, where you see paintings of
some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal
state.

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? And consider this
dismaying observation: this chamber has no windows, and no doors.
Which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out! Of
course, there's always my way.

Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you prematurely. The real chills
come later. Now, as they say, "look alive," and we'll continue our
little tour. And let's all stay together, please.

There are several prominent ghosts who have retired here from
creepy old crypts all over the world. Actually, we have 999 happy
haunts here, but there's room for a thousand. Any volunteers? If
you insist on lagging behind, you may not need to volunteer.

(The following two paragraphs alternate, depending on which expanding room
you can down in. If you linger and wait for the next expanding room, you
can hear both spiels.)

(Version #1)
The carriage that will carry you into the moldering sanctum of the
spirit world will accommodate you and one or two loved ones. Kindly
watch your step as you board, please. We spirits haunt our best in
gloomy darkness, so remember, no flash pictures, please.

(Version #2)
And now a carriage approaches to take you into the boundless realm
of the supernatural. Take your loved ones by the hand, please, and
kindly watch your step. Oh yes, and no flash pictures, please. We
spirits are frightfully sensitive to bright lights.

Do not pull down on the safety bar, please; I will lower it for you.
And heed this warning: the spirits will materialize only if you
remain quietly seated at all times.

We find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat.
Every room has wall-to-wall creeps and hot and cold running chills.
Sh, listen.

(During the last rehab in Sept 1995, these two paragraphs where added back in)

* All our ghosts have been dying to meet you. This one can hardly
* contain himself. Unfortunately, they all seem to have trouble
* getting through.
*
* Perhaps Madam Leota can establish contact. She has a remarkable
* head for materializing the disembodied.

MADAM LEOTA:
Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat
call in the spirits wherever they're at.
Rap on a table, it's time to respond,
send us a message from somewhere beyond.
Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween
awaken the spirits with your tambourine.
Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond
let there be music from regions beyond.
Wizards and witches wherever you dwell
give us a hint by ringing a bell.

GHOST HOST:
The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are
beginning to materialize. They're assembling for a swinging wake.
And they'll be expecting me. I'll see you all a little later.

GRIM GRINNING GHOSTS:
When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake
Spooks come out for a swinging wake
Happy haunts materialize
And begin to vocalize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize

Now don't close your eyes and don't try to hide
Or a silly spook may sit by your side
Shrouded in a daft disguise
They pretend to terrorize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize

As the moon climbs high over the dead oak tree
Spooks arrive for the midnight spree
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes
Start to shriek and harmonize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize

When you hear the knell of a requiem bell
Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell
Restless bones etherealize
Rises spooks of every size
<villainous laugh>

GHOST HOST:
Ah, there you are. And just in time. There's a little matter I
forgot to mention: beware of hitchhiking ghosts. They have selected
you to fill our quota, and they'll haunt you until you return. Now
I will raise the safety bar, and a ghost will follow you home.

GRIM GRINNING GHOSTS:
If you would like to join our jamboree
There's a simple rule that's compulsory
Mortals pay a token fee
Rest in peace; the haunting's free
So hurry back we would like your company

LITTLE LEOTA:
Hurry back, hurry back. Be sure to bring your death certificate if
you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now. We've been
dying to have you.

===================

4. Was text removed from the original script?

Yes, but during the last rehab it was added back in.

Here's the deleted spiel, in order. It picks up after, "Shh...listen."

"All our guests have been dying to meet you. This one can hardly contain
himself. (Laughter) - [refers to Conservatory coffin]

"Unfortunately, they all seem to have trouble getting through..."
[refers to Chamber of Doors]

"Perhaps Madame Leota can establish contact -- she has a remarkable head
for materializing the disembodied"

Then it continues with Leota's spiel.

===================

5. Is the ride contained in the "Haunted Mansion Building"?

No.

The actual house is right next to the edge of the park. The loading area
and subsequent ride are actually "outside" the park in a big
warehouse-style building.

In CA, you go down so that they can get you under the railroad
tracks that circumscribe the park's perimeter.

===================

6. Do the ceilings go up or do the floors go down in the stretching
room?

Okay, first of all, the stretch room was designed out of necessity. When
the Disneyland's Mansion (just the building, not the ride) was built in
1963 it was still planned to be a walk-through attraction. For many
years the building was just an empty skeleton while it waited for the
Imagineers to finish up with their World's Fair business and start
working on it again. They knew they could never fit the entire
attraction inside the mansion you see, so they dug a very deep "basement"
and then a tunnel from the basement under the berm and the railroad.
When the attraction finally resumed construction in 1967 (I think) it had
changed to become a ride-through. The stretch room takes you to the
bottom of the basement, then you walk down the tunnel (as you pass the
changing pictures and the "windows" with the storm outside. You don't
get on the ride itself until you reach the exterior show building which
is hidden behind the berm from guest view. If you really want to see the
show building, try the monorail.

Anyway, the stretch rooms (there are two of them) serve very nicely the
purpose of getting guests down to the tunnel. The DL Mansion opened in
1969 and was a tremendous success.

Now, Walt Disney World was opened in 1971, two years later. And they did
of course want a Mansion in it. However, this time they were able to
start from scratch. They did not need the stretch room and tunnel
because they were able to design it so guests would never have to go
underground. But the stretch room was such a popular effect at
Disneyland they wanted to keep it. This was accomplished by placing the
entrance door in the hill that the Mansion stands on (this doesn't make
any sense, but they did it anyway) The hill, which you're not supposed
to be able to see behind but can anyway, houses a jutting segment of the
Mansion show building. You walk into the hill into what we have to
assume they meant to be the basement of the Mansion. The Mansion does
have a front door but nobody ever uses it. Instead, you walk into the
basement and the foyer's right there, in the basement. Like at
Disneyland the foyer leads into two stretch rooms. In these, however,
you don't go down at all. The ceiling instead extends up into the
Mansion, and when the exit doors open you don't have to go through the
tunnel, the loading area's right there (because you're already in the
show building).

(Regarding Disneyland: From: [email protected])

The scrim ceiling and the corpse above it and the entrire backdrop is indeed
one piece. But it is attached firmly to the top of the mansion.

The walls are of course two pieces. The lower piece attaches to the elevator
floor and extends up to the lintel with the gargoils on it. It *also*
extends upward directly below each picture to the bottom of the picture,
and extends the width of the picture frame. In fact, the bottom (only)
of the picture frames is attached to the lower wall.

The upper wall appears above and around the pictures, and includes the top
of the picture moulding, and the top attachment points for the sides of
the frame. But here is the trick: when the elevator is up, the upper wall
extends both down behind the lower wall for about 4 feet, *AND* up behind
the cornice moulding, and thus behind the sides of the attic space for a
number of feet.

So how does it work? The elevator starts down. This of course lowers the
bottom part of the wall, since it is attached to the floor of the elevator.
As it lowers, the upper wall behind the lower wall becomes exposed. At the
same time, the vertical parts of the picture moulding (which is flexible
rubber-like stuff) unroll around pullys behind the lower picture frame
corners. I think the pictures likewise unroll, but they may be held flat;
I really can't tell easily. If you are wondering how the upper wall can
be going down behind the lower wall, when the bottom of the picture frame
is attached to the lower wall, look closely at the nice *vertical stripe*
wallpaper right at the outside edges of the picture frames in the distance
between the frame and the lower wall. If you look closely, you will see
that the wall below the pictures is about 1/4" in front of the rest of the
wall. The vertical stripes on the wallpaper hide the split in the teo
pieces of wall, as the split is right on the edge of a stripe.

After about 4 feet of unrolling the pictures, the entire picture is exposed.
And all of the upper wall that was hidden below the lower wall is used up.
But you aren't far enough down to get to the lower floor, so the elevator
has to somehow continue downward. This is the point where people claim the
top starts up, but that isn't what is happening. When happens is that the
lower wall part of the upper wall is used up, and hits stops on the back
of the lower wall. This effectively attaches the upper and lower walls
and makes it one piece. Since the lower wall is still going down, the
upper wall has to follow. And it does! It starts exposing the top several
feet that are hidden up beside the attic.

Eventually the elevator is near the bottom of travel (within several inches.)
The upper wall, which when up would have partially blocked the openings out
of the attic, is now down and clearing them. The crossfade effect occurs
showing the skeleton, lit from the side. As the lights black out and the
scream crossfades, the elevator, when it is in adjustment, reaches the
bottom level and the doors open. (Of late it has been mmuch out of
adjustment, and hunts for the level for several seconds, thus the doors
open late after the lights come up and the sound stops.)

So to redo the ascii art, you have something like this:

(These drawings are a cross-section of the edge of the elevator, not
an elevation picture as Jed drew.)

Top position. Attic dark, minimal picture exposed.

/ <- attic attached at top to building structure
/
|
||
Hidden upper || Attic space
wall -> ||
||
|--------------
+ <- picture frame top
Extra picture || <- upper wall
frame rolled || <- Picture
up -> ||
Pulley -> U|+ <- picture frame bottom (attached to lower wall)
||
|-- <- top lintel of lower elevator wall
Hidden upper ||
wall -> ||
| <- elevator wall
Elevator door -> |
|
-------------- <- elevator floor

Note that the upper wall bottom has to stop above the top of the elevator
door when it is open on the upper level. This is why there is only about
four feet of wall behind the elevator, and the upper wall has to extend
with two different movements. Also note the upper wall extends up past
the sides of the attic a ways.

Partial extension, all of bottom of upper wall exposed:

/ <- attic attached at top to building structure
/
|
||
Hidden upper || Attic space
wall -> ||
||
|--------------
+ <- top of picture frame
| <- upper wall
Picture is now |
unrolled -> |
| <- Picture
|
|
|
Pulley -> U|+ <- picture frame bottom (attached to lower wall)
||
-- <- top lintel of lower elevator wall
|
|
| <- elevator wall
|
|
-------------- <- elevator floor

There is now no upper wall hidden behind the lower wall. The latches
on the bottom of the upper wall engage with the latches on the lower
wall. This causes a slight shock to the upper wall as it begins to move
downward with the lower wall, and is the cause of the quiet "boom" like
sound that is heard at this point. If you close your eyes at this point
and believe your ears, you will find that the elevator does not change
speed, even though there is a slight shock as the upper wall latches.

Full extension. Upper wall is now completely exposed.

/ <- attic attached at top to building structure
/
|
Attic windows |
now open -> | Attic space
|
|
|--------------
Upper wall now |
all exposed -> | <- upper wall
|
|
+ <- top of picture frame
|
Picture is now |
unrolled -> |
| <- Picture
|
|
|
Pulley -> U|+ <- picture frame bottom (attached to lower wall)
|
-- <- top lintel of lower elevator wall
|
|
| <- elevator wall
|
|
-------------- <- elevator floor

The upper wall is now completely exposed. The attic windows are now clear,
and the crossfade can be done to the top of the scrim. The elevator should
be at or nearly at the bottom level, so that the doors can open just after
the scream, but before the lights come back up.

==================

7. Between the stretching room and entering the Doom Buggies: How do
they get the busts to follow you?

The busts are actually inverted. Like they actually took a mold of a
bust, made a thin material that lets light thru.

They sold under the name Living Image. I have only found the small one
(the box being 4 x 5 inches and the bust being 1"x1 1/2". There is a
small mirror in front near the bottom that you need to use to reflect as
much light as you can on the face. There is a male face (Lincoln's) and
a female face (??).

They sell for $7.99 and can be shipped. Their address is:

Dapy
(A division of Spencer)
Downtown Plaza #919
545 Downtown Plaza
Space #2089
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 441-DAPY

They sell this effect in the Toontown Gag Factory around Halloween.

===================

8. What is a doom buggy and what is the cap. per hour?

Doom Buggy is the show name for Disney's OmniMover system. It was
initially developed for the "Adventures in Inner Space" attraction by a
team led by Bob Gurr.

The cars, linked together, move forward via a 12-volt electric drive
train. The vehicles themselves have no means of locomotion. They are
driven by a series of ten motors located throughout the ride. Each car
can also be rotated 180 degrees--from facing forward to facing backward.
This rotation, combined with scalloped design of the car, allows the
designers to control what the guests see at any given time.

Each car is also equipped with 3 speakers. The sound (which is not
stereo, as commonly reported) is transmitted to odd-numbered cars via a
narrow band transmitter. The signal (once received) is then passed on to
the even-numbered car behind it.

They are changing out the old Radio Frequency receivers on the cars to new
digital chips and adding the "missing script" back in. It should be down
to all the cars by now (02/01/96)

Disneyland's Haunted Mansion has 131 cars, with a guest capacity of 2,618
guests per hour, granting 2.25 guests per car, assuming no ride stops
(wheelchairs or slow guests). A typical hour at full capacity is
2000-2400.

WDW's Haunted Mansion has 160 cars, due to its longer track, with a guest
capacity of 3,200 guests per hour.

===================

9. How do they do the 5 Busts, Madame Loeta and Little Loeta?

The 5 Busts, Madam Leota (in the crystal ball) and Little Leota used to
be 16mm film projection from the front onto head statues. A while ago
they were replaced with laser discs and video projection. Little Leota
and the 5 Busts front projection.

Madam Leota's video image is transmitted thru a fiber bundle up inside
the hollow head, then lensed out to cover the face. This allows the
table her crystal ball is on to wobble. The problem was that the
fiber optic cables kept breaking. They slowed up the wobble but to the
point where you couldn't notice it, so now it does wobble at all...

FYI, WDW's are all still done with 16mm projectors. I guess our ghosts
are scared of modern technology. :)

===================

10. How do they do the ballroom? What is the spider web on one of the
columns?

The ghosts in the ballroom is probably the nicest (and simplest) effect
known as "Pepper's Ghost" and has been popular since the
turn-of-the-century.

All you are looking at is a reflection in the clear reflective
"windows" that cover the entire balcony that you are looking through.
(You can see the windows if you look closely enough.) Both above
and below you, there is a reproduction of the space you are looking
forward into; so the actual audioanimatronics are going through their
motions ABOVE, BELOW AND BESIDE you. Since the space you are in is dark,
you can see both what is lit through the window (the ballroom set) and
what is REFLECTED in the window (the audioanimatronics.) To give you an
example: when you walk toward a sliding glass door at night, you see
yourself as well as what is outside. The amount you see of either depends
on how much light is falling on you or what is outside. Disney makes the
ghosts appear to fade in and out by simply dimming and fading the lights
on the actual audioanimatronics above and below your "doom buggy".

As you're going through it look and you'll notice what's supposed to look
like a spider web on one of the sheets of glass. (It's on one of the
last ones you see) The story I heard behind this (from a HM Cast Member
and a good friend of mine) is that one night somebody actually shot
through the glass, leaving a bullet hole.

This was confirmed by Mark Keiser (Retlaw 72-76 Security 77-81) Summer
1974 "The guy that shot there presumably also shot the hole in the last
or second to last window of the Primeval World diorama. Later
investigation determined the hole to be .22 caliber (in both places), and
bullet fragments matched (courtesy of Anaheim PD) the holes in Adventures
in Inner Space (he shot up the snow flakes)."

There is another bullet sized hole beneath the duelist on the right, so
perhaps a deranged guest was shooting at "the man with the gun".

They knew that to replace the glass they'd have to take the roof off the
building first, so they decided to simply disguise it as a spider web.
BTW, there is a spare pane in the back lot.

A bit of trivia: the organ being played by the mad organist in the
ballroom is the actual movie prop organ from 20000 Leagues Under the Sea.

===================

11. Why is there a bride in the attic?

The bride was a character from one of the earliest treatments for the
mansion who "made the cut." At one point, the whole ride was going to
revolve around the bride's story. This idea was revamped for EDL's
Phantom Manor.

Regan B. Pederson ([email protected]) posted about the Phantom Manor:

The Groom (I'll call them the Groom, the Bride and the Phantom because I
don't know what their real names are supposed to be) owns most of
Frontierland. He falls in love with the Bride, and they are engaged.
Before they are married, though, she wants to return back east to visit
with her family. While she is gone the Groom has a lavish, extravagant,
beautiful house built on a hill at the edge of the Rivers of the Far
West. The site overlooked Frontierland and could be seen from all
around.

The house is no sooner built than it is haunted - by the Phantom.
Unfortunately for the Groom, the Phantom has fallen in love with the
Bride as well. The Groom plans a magnificent wedding party for the night
the bride would return. She promised him she would arrive in her wedding
gown, ready to go. The magical night arrives. The Groom dresses up, the
guests arrive, the cake is made, and the Phantom was there. Just before
the Bride arrived the Phantom hung the groom from the tower of the house.

The Bride arrived at the house and couldn't find her fiancee. After
searching the entire place (but never looking up) she sits at the edge of
the ballroom and cries as she watches what should have been her wedding
party go on. Then, she looks behind her, and outside the Phantom is
there laughing. She realizes what he has done but there is nothing she
can do about it, and the Phantom condemns the Bride to live with him for
the rest of their eternal lives in the house.

Okay, well, that's pretty much the story as I know it.

One of the disadvantages of Phantom Manor is that due to budget
constraints the Imagineers had to work the story into scenes that have
existed at the storyless Haunted Mansion for years. Everything has been
updated and improved and worked into the story as much as possible, but
it's obvious that the Imagineers struggled here. Another problem is that
the story had to be made visually apparent so that you could understand
it no matter which language you speak. There is no narration in the
"doom buggies", the Phantom only speaks to you in the foyer and stretch
room. It's in French anyway, so if you don't understand it you're out of
luck. Incidentally, Vincent Price did the original Phantom narration.

THe floor plan of Phantom Manor is almost identical to the Haunted
Mansion. The intercoms, emergency exits, break area, etc.. The vehicles
were modified so that there instead of the front of the "clamshell"
lowering down, there is just a bar. There must be some minor
modifications, though; because there are only 130 vehicles in Phantom
Manor.

===================

12. Was there ever a hat box in the attic?

Yes. More specifically, there was a "Hat Box Ghost." But he didn't last
very long. Here's how the attic scene was to work: after making the right
turn in the attic, the bride would appear on the left. Then you would see
the groom (the Hat Box Ghost) on the right, holding a hat box. (He was
located in the exact position that the bride is now.) The groom's head
would slowly disappear, then reappear inside the hat box. Then the cycle
would reverse. This effect was achieved much the same way as the
ballroom ghosts, using reflective glass. Apparently, the effect didn't
work well in this location, so the figure was removed and the bride
repositioned in its place.

===================

13. As you leave the attic and enter the graveyard, Are the trees suppose
to move?

No.

According to blueprints that are in the Haunted Mansion Office, the trees
as you go down into the graveyard are listed as "Mechanical Trees", but
there is nothing mechanical about them.

These trees were recently gone over with a flashlight and a fine toothed
comb. 8(;-) There was NO mechanisms inside, only steel framework covered
with heavy foil, then painted.

===================

14. Is Walt Disney or Leslie Nielsen one of the singing busts in the
graveyard?

No.

It is NOT Leslie Nielsen or Walt Disney. These images were created in
or before 1969, Nielson was much younger then.

"Grim Grinning Ghosts" is sung by the Mell-O Men, a barbershop-type
Quartet (Max Smith, Bill Cole Stevens, Bill Lee and Thurl Ravenscroft).

The 5 Singing Busts were rumored to be the Mell-O Men also, but are not.
We are not sure who they are... Except for the broken head is
Thurl Ravenscroft, also known as the voice of Tony the Tiger. We will
try to straighten it who is who in future versions.

===================

15. How do they project a ghost into your doom buggy to
"follow you home?"

The mirrors that you are looking into are one-way mirrors or 50% mirrors.
They are the ones security use to check shop lifters or police use in
interrogation rooms (I know I have been watching too much TV :-) The
ghosts are in sync with the doom buggy going by and have a weak light
put on them. This allows you to see both your reflection and the ghosts
thru the mirror.

===================

16. What are some of the graveyard tombstone sayings?

Here is a complete list of WDW's Haunted Mansion tombstones, and in some
cases, which Imagineer they reference to.

RIP GOOD FRIEND GORDON now you've crossed the river jordan

RIP in memorium uncle myall HERE YOU'LL REST FOR QUITE A WHILE
(Chuck Myall - Art Director)

REST IN PEACE COUSIN HUET we all know you didn't do it

HERE RESTS WATHEL R. BENDER he rode to glory on a fender
(Wathel Rodgers - illusionist, mechanical genius)

HERE LIES GOOD OLD FRED a great big rock fell on his head

AT PEACEFUL REST LIES BROTHER CLAUDE planted here beneath this sod
(Claude Coates - Art Director, Master of Paint Effects and Lighting)

RIP MR. SEWELL the victim of a dirty duel
(Ted(?) Sewell - Engineer/Draughtsman(?))

IN MEMORY OF OUR PATRIARCH dear departed grandpa marc
(Marc Davis illustrator, idea man, funniest Imagineer)

REQUIESCAT FRANCIS XAVIER no time off for good behavior RIP
(Xavier Atencio - scriptwriter, and lyricist, Grim Grinning Ghosts

DEAR DEPARTED BROTHER DAVE he chased a bear into a cave

MASTER GRACEY LAID TO REST no mourning please at his request
(Yale Gracey - illusionist)

HERE LIES A MAN NAMED MARTIN the lights went out on this old spartan
(Bill Martin - Art Director)

One other stone has set in the area. After John Sullivan retired as
President of the Magic Kingdom, a tombstone was erected for approximately
two weeks.

Disneyland Haunted Mansion
Pet Cemetery

<bat>
FREDDIE
the Bat
1847
<upside down> We'll Miss You

<frog>
OLD
FLYBAIT
He Croaked
August 9
1869

<pig>
ROSIE
She was a poor little
Pig but she bought
the Farm
1849

<dog>
BUDDY
OUR
FRIEND
UNTIL
THE END

<skunk>
Beloved Lilac
Long on Curiosity...
Short on
Common Scents
1847

There is a cat surrounded by little mouse grave markers.

One that says "Fi Fi"

Those below are found on the red brick wall.

<rat>
In Memory My Rat
Whom I Loved
Now He Resides
in the Realms Up Above

<spider>
Here
lies
Long Legged
Jeb
Got tangled
up in his
very own web

<fish>
October 10
1867

<snake>(long snakey grave marker)
Here lies my snake who's fatal mistake was frightening the gardener who
carried a rake

<eagle?>
July 11
1864

Over on the wall near the railroad:

Theo Later
U.R. Gone
Ray N. Carnation
Dustin T. Dust
Lev Itation
G.I. Miss You
I Trudy Departed
Rust in Peece
I.L. Beback
M.T. Tomb

===================

17. Was the pet graveyard moved?

No, copied!

Actually the old graveyard was not moved or changed, you can still see it
if you take the wheelchair entrance into the Foyer, see for yourself!.
They did pull molds off some of the animals to create a new graveyard out
front. This is just one of many "Show Enhancements" that Show Quality
Imagineers (like Kim Irvine) are continually doing. Like the Little
Mermaid and Aladdin scenes in Storybook, the Apple and Book in front of
Snow White, Music in New Orleans Square, penny pressing elephant and
Shrunken Ned in Adventureland Bazaar.

===================

18. Did the HM recently celebrates its 25th Anniversary?

On a hot Tuesday, August 9, Disneyland celebrated the 25th Anniversary
of the Haunted Mansion opening. The day started with Veteran Imagineers
"X" Atencio, John Hench, Sam McKim, Bill Justice, as well as current
Imagineers Dave Mumford, Russell Brower, and Archivist Dave Smith being
escorted to chairs set up in front of the Mansion gates.

The gates were closed and shrouded in spider webs and drapery. Dead
leaves were scattered in front and several big oval signs declared the
event. The Make-Believe-Brass was costumed in Mansion Host green butler
garb and began to play some dirgefull tunes. An "Undertaker"-looking
M.C. took the podium and proceeded thru some ghoulish pater with 2 cutsie
Mansion Maids. The Undertaker introduced "X" Atencio, who talked
briefly about designing and building the Mansion. The Undertaker then
brought out Mickey in a snappy tux. Mickey and the Undertaker opened the
locked gates and invited all to join them in a ride thru the Mansion.

I sat with "X", Sam and John as they reminisced about the early days,
the changes, the old stories. Moments of pure gold for me!

===================

19. Was there a CM in a suit of armor that walked around the HM?

Yes.

In 1986, a live person walked around the HM. He was in the area between
the coffin and Madam Leota's room. It was a great effect but one, it was
not cost effective and two, people were hitting and doing other things
to the CM and three, guest complaints. The CM had a remote to stop the
ride when this happened and it became such a problem it was discontinued.

===================

20. Can I get a copy of the music from the Haunted Mansion and where was it
recorded?

There are a few Haunted Mansion records out there. The best by far, is
ST3947, an LP w/ 12 page book. It features Thurl Ravenscroft as the narrator
Pete Rendouet as the Ghost Host, and Ron Howard as a teenager who (along with
his girlfriend) are forced to spend a night in the Haunted Mansion. This does
not have an orange cover though, it is blueish, with lots of ghosts and the
mansion on it. One big plus about this album is you get to hear Madame
Leota's complete poem.

The only thing you will find on CD is the Haunted Mansion song "Grim Grinning
Ghosts". It's on various Disney CDs.

DQ1257 Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of a Haunted House
1964 Disneyland Records Format: LP

ST3947 The Haunted Mansion
1969 Disneyland Records Format: LP, gatefold cover, 12 page book
(featuring Thurl Ravenscroft and Ron Howard)

LLP339 Walt Disney presents The Haunted Mansion
19?? Disneyland Records Format: 45 and book

Also, a couple of possibly interesting bits of info: According to Russell
Brower, Buddy Baker told him that the actual pipe organ used for the
recording of the HM music was located at MCA Whitney studios in Glendale,
CA (right around the corner from WED) but the building is now gone. (Russell
remembers seeing it once, but did not know at the time it was THE organ
:( ....) It was a huge theater organ with lots of stops and effects. Buddy
Baker went on to say that the Grand Hall organ solo (ballroom) was an
improvisation, and he told the organist to get wilder and wilder with it
each time he played it.

===================

21. What was upgraded during the Sept 1995 rehab?

Loren Wilton ([email protected]) wrote:

The seance table was changed to float about 2 (or maybe more) years ago
when the head was changed from a front film projection to an internal video
projector. That was the same time Little Leota turned very green, when
they replaced her film projector with a video projector too. However, I
think the table has been broken for at least a year now.

Thankfully they have redone the LL video to change her face back to more
natural colors, which really does play better in that scene. As others
have mentioned, they also added long while hair, that practically forms
a bridal veil for her.

A non-inclusive list of the things I noticed being changed (and NOT changed)
when I went thru once a few days ago:

The new old hearse on the walkway outside. (Which according to
the CM newletter, carried Brigham Young)
The bunny graveyard is the same from the previous refurb.
A missing light fixture by the East door of the house.
Possibly new (and more appropriate!) wallpaper in the foyer.
(Much better than the last wallpaper, but still not as good as the
original custom flocked wallpaper.)
The scrim at the top of the elevator has been repainted. Not as good
as the original scrim; VASTLY better done than the previous attempt.
Newly done streching paintings on the walls.
The obvious sound system improvements.
Possibly a new wig on the corpse?
I did not see any sign that the corpse *physically* starts to fall just
before the lights cut, but since I was right under it I could have
missed this.
The screens for the paintings in the hall have been redone. I wish
though they would go back to the original effect where the paintings
*flashed* from new to old each time the lightning struck outside the
windows!
The path right at the enterance to the loading belt has been redone
slightly to make it wider and possibly easier for people to get on.
The collector rails and brushes for the doombuggy audio have been
refurbished, and the tracks have probably been moved to digital
repeaters from the old carts. I couldn't tell if the amps had been
replaced or not.
Not all of the cars have been sufficiently refurbished; of the three
speakers in the car I had, the right one was dead.
The audio tracks for the first segments up to the ballroom have been
remastered and probably moved to digital repeaters. I suspect that
the speakers in the doors have also been replaced.
There are no substantive changes up to the start of the ballroom.
Everything you see in those sequences was there before from the last
refurb; it has just been made to work again.
The audio in the seance room has been rebalanced slightly in favor of
some of the instruments. Probably new speakers and remastered tracks.
The first major change is the audio in the ballroom. I don't know if
the low voices at the start of the scene were there before, and have
now been turned up to the place where thay can be heard; or if they
have been added. Certainly I never remember hearing them before, and
many of the tracks have been rebalanced.
I don't recall any changed animation in the ballroom other than the
outfit on the organist.
Most of the attic animation is the same as it was. Added is the piano
(or is it a harpsichord? I forget) with the phantom player, and the
bride is finally an impressive and appropriate character. (I had
always before felt that she was totally inapproprate and out of place,
ever since they added her in 15 years back or so).
The popups have been redressed slightly, as has much of the attic itself.
The attic audio has been completely redone. *Very* *well*.
Nothing changed on the exit to the graveyard.
The dog still doesn't shivver like it used to, nor did I hear it whining.
The gravedigger's knees are knocking again. I don't recall if he was
following the cars with a startled expression as he originally did.
Only one owl on the branch over the jazz group.
More wigs; more veils.
Rebalanced (possibly *un*balanced) audio on the quartet.
Many audio levels changed and the sound cleaned up. I couldn't recall
if there were any added or changed tracks.
Nothing different on the playoff.
Little Leota now has long white hair and isn't green anymore!

From: [email protected] (Steve Ziolkowski)

Just returned from a routine trip to Disneyland and I was amazed
by what I saw. It's only been two weeks since the last time
I was there, and the folks at Disney have truly outdone
themselves.
There is an old hearse out front which has a harness that appears to
be on a horse, but you can't see the horse. Neat.
In the gallery, (the stretching room) they have put up a new ceiling
that looks really great. It doesn't sag, or bunch like it
used to, and the paintjob on it is really convincing. (A tad
light in value, compared to the rest of the ceiling, but hey.
it's ok!) They also replaced the sound system, and used the
descent dialog from the Mansion in Florida. When the lightning
and thunder go off, you can feel it in your guts, and the
falling body screams so she gets louder as she falls. WOW!
The queue has been expanded where you walk on to the moving platform to
board your vehicles, there is now enough space for two to walk
abreast, instead of one, like it was before. This is great
as well.
They now use the *entire* recorded dialogue, instead of the abridged
version, including the quip about Madame Leota having a
remarkable head for materialising the disembodied... COOL!
But the best thing, better than anything else, is the attic scene.
They got rid of all those annoying and cheesey heads and
bodies popping out of various bric-a-brac in there (don't worry,
there are some left) and replaced it with an amazing scene
of a shadow playing a depressing wedding march on an old,
semi-destroyed piano. Unlike the shadows in Phantom Manor
and Florida, however, which uses a silly looking cardboard cutout
placed directly over the piano, they used what appears to be
a video projector that shows a live action person dressed up
who actually hits the notes correctly! It's a three quarter
view which adds to the realism! UNBELIEVABLE! AND that's
not all! The bride now looks really scarey. Her hair is white
and she looks really unhappy and dead, and there is
wind blowing and every now and then this voice intones...
"I DO".

===================

22. Are their web pages with pictures from all the differant HM's?

Yes! Steve Ziolkowski has put together two great web pages at:

http://www.rhythm.com/~stevez/hauntedMansion.html
http://www.rhythm.com/~stevez/phantomManor.html

And Kevin Anderson has:

http://www.erinet.com/nitebrdr/parks/attractions/mansion/haunted.html