backstory
Myall was an art director and designer at W.E.D. Enterprises (the predecessor to Walt Disney Imagineering) who aided in the overall planning work for the Magic Kingdom.
Collin Campbell
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“Campbell”
backstory
Collin Campbell worked on concept art for various projects in Walt Disney World, including beautiful artistic renderings for Main Street, U.S.A. and many of the World Showcase Pavilions in Epcot.
Cliff Huett
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“Rest In Peace Cousin Huet. We All Know You Didn’t Do It.”
backstory
Cliff Huett was the lead interior designer on the Haunted Mansion.
Robert Sewell
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“R.I.P. Mister Sewell. The Victim Of A Dirty Duel. Peaceful Rest.”
backstory
Robert Sewell worked on models for the Haunted Mansion and other Disney attractions.
Bud Martin
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“Here Lies A Man Named Martin. The Lights Went Out On This Old Spartan.”
backstory
Bud Martin’s epithet is appropriate, as he designed the lighting for the Haunted Mansion.
Gordon Williams
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“RIP Good Friend Gordon. Now You’ve Crossed The River Jordan.”
backstory
Gordon Williams made substantial contributions to the sound effects for the Haunted Mansion.
The Internal Queue
THE FOYER
Once the doors to the Haunted Mansion open, you enter a dimly lit foyer with dark wood walls, a large, cobweb-covered chandelier, and an old fireplace. It is here where you first hear the voice of the Ghost Host, a spooky narrator voiced by “the man of a thousand voices” Paul Frees. The Ghost Host provides the following welcome:
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!
Take a close look at the fireplace grate. It appears to be an arrow-tongued demon.
The portrait above the fireplace eerily transforms from a handsome, distinguished gentlemen to an old man and then into a skeleton. The Picture of Dorian Gray, an 1890 novel by Oscar Wilde in which Gray makes a deal with devil, inspired this Imagineering effect. Gray trades his soul in return for eternal youth…except for a portrait that displays his true age and appearance. If you wait in the foyer long enough, you will see the skeleton once again transform back into the handsome young man.
A large wooden panel on one of the Foyer walls opens to allow access to the Portrait Chamber.
THE PORTRAIT CHAMBER (STRETCHING ROOM) AND THE PORTRAIT CORRIDOR
You next enter the Portrait Chamber, better known as the Stretching Room, an octagonal room featuring four portraits of previous residents of the Haunted Mansion. The panel that opened to allow you to enter the chamber now closes…seemingly trapping you therein. The Ghost Host narrates:
Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host, your...Ghost Host.
Our tour begins here, in this gallery 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.
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, hmm? And consider this dismaying observation: This chamber has no windows and no doors, which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out! Hahahahaha!
Of course, there’s always my way.
The candles that illuminate the Portrait Chamber are held in place by spooky gargoyles. They flicker, creating an ominous atmosphere. The floor grates appear to be demonic faces.
The Gallery features four distinct portraits. Initially, guests see the innocent three-feet tall versions, but then the ceiling of the room actually “stretches,” revealing the full eight-foot tall portraits and the sinister fate of those depicted therein:
A widow sits atop the tombstone of her deceased husband. The tombstone reads “REST IN PEACE, DEAR BELOVED GEORGE.” At the base of the tombstone is a marble bust with an axe driven through its head.
A beautiful young woman is shown holding an umbrella. As the portrait stretches, you see that she is actually standing on a tightrope with an open-mouth crocodile anxiously awaiting her fall.
A distinguished gentleman with a heavy beard and formal suit holds an important document. The full portrait reveals that this businessman is actually not wearing pants. He stands on a barrel labeled “DYNAMITE” as a candle at the base of the barrel lights a fuse.
A smirking man with a bowler hat sits with his hands crossed. The full portrait reveals that he is standing on the shoulders of two other men who are sinking in “QUICK SAND.”
When lightning strikes during the Ghost Host’s narration and the room goes dark, be sure to look up. You will see a figure literally “hanging” from the rafters. This is presumably our Ghost Host, as he notes “there’s always my way.”
Unlike the Disneyland version of the Portrait Chamber, which actually lowers to a sub-level area, Walt Disney World’s version of the chamber does not lower. Instead, its ceiling slowly rises.
A secret passageway is now revealed, and you’re funneled into a Portrait Corridor (not good for those who are claustrophobic) that leads to the attraction’s boarding area. The Ghost Host provides a few spooky instructions:
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.
You will hear an unseen wolf howling in the background. A variety of skulls are incorporated into the doors and frames in the boarding area, and bats sit atop stanchions.
Pay close attention to the seven portraits that adorn the walls in the loading area:
A spooky sea captain is depicted holding a harpoon. We know from Disney Imagineers that this sea captain is Captain Culpepper Clyne, whose crypt we saw earlier in the outdoor queue.
Another portrait depicts a tall, slender man holding a hatchet with a noose around his neck.
A heavyset individual is portrayed with a grin on his face, a top hat on his head, and, not surprisingly, a knife in his hand.
Another portrait displays a sinister man with a heavy beard and wide glowing eyes.
A witch is pictured holding a black cat with two skulls sitting close beside her and numerous black bats flying in the background.
A grinning Dracula is portrayed holding a lantern.
Another eerie individual is displayed wearing a large top hat in front of a burning building.
Finally you board the Haunted Mansion’s constantly moving ride vehicles, named “Doom Buggies.”
“Grim Grinning Ghosts”
The Haunted Mansion features one of the most popular attraction theme songs in all of Walt Disney World: “Grim Grinning Ghosts” written by Imagineer X. Atencio. The lyrics were set to music by Buddy Baker, who also scored classic Disney films like The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) and The Fox and the Hound (1981).
While guests may think they are hearing different songs throughout the attraction, in reality it is the same song being played in eight different arrangements, including a funeral dirge in the Foyer, a sophisticated waltz in the Grand Hall, and an upbeat jamboree in the graveyard scene. Each of these different styles helps to convey the tone and atmospheres of the particular scene in which the song is played. As a whole, however, “Grim Grinning Ghosts” is a light-hearted song emphasizing the humorous side of the Haunted Mansion epitomized by Imagineer Marc Davis.
The only other song played during the Haunted Mansion is in the attic scene, where Wagner’s �
��Bridal Chorus” is played in an ominous dirge, adding to the theme of a murderous bride.
The Attraction
Once you board your Doom Buggy, the Ghost Host instructs:
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.
THE PORTRAIT HALL
When the attraction begins, you enter a long corridor—the Portrait Hall. To the left of the Doom Buggies are a series of windows, each of which flashes and flickers to show numerous lighting strikes outside of the mansion. The walls to the right side of the Doom Buggies are adorned with paintings, all of which eerily transform with each new lightning strike:
A woman laying on a couch and holding a rose transforms into a white tiger holding a bone.
An immaculate sailing ship transforms into a ghoulish boat upon heavy seas.
A knight in armor atop a horse transforms into a skeleton (as does his horse).
A portrait of a beautiful Medusa with bushy hair transforms into a hideous Gorgon, with her hair changing into snakes. Medusa’s face shows numerous snakebites.
THE LIBRARY, MUSIC ROOM, AND ENDLESS STAIRCASES
At the end of the Portrait Hall, the Doom Buggies enter the Library, which the Ghost Host describes as:
Our library is well-stocked with priceless first editions. Only ghost stories, of course. And marble busts of the greatest ghost writers the literary world has ever known. They have all retired here, to the Haunted Mansion.
Actually, we have 999 happy haunts here, but there’s room for 1000. Any volunteers, hmmm? If you should decide to join us, final arrangements may be made at the end of the tour.
The “ghost writer” marble busts eerily follow guests as the Doom Buggies slowly pass, while books mysteriously move in and out of the bookshelves. A ladder leading to the upper shelves of the bookcase shifts back and forth.
After the Library comes the Music Room. Lightning flashes outside a window to illuminate the room and indicates that the storm seen earlier in the Portrait Hall is still raging. Coffins sit on either side of the window frame.
A piano in the middle of the Music Room seemingly plays itself, though if you look on the ground, you’ll see the shadowy silhouette of the otherwise unseen ghostly musician. The sheet music being played by the unseen pianist appears to be covered in blood.
From there the Doom Buggies climb an endless staircase, with numerous staircases rising and falling in all directions. Observant guests will see ghoulish green footprints climbing the countless steps. Lighting for the area is provided by floating candelabras, which are periodically blown-out by mysterious ghouls.
When exiting the endless staircase area, take note of the Haunted Mansion’s signature purple-and-black wallpaper, which includes the faces of demons that seemingly hiss at guests. The eyes of these demons blink in the darkness, further creating a sense of foreboding.
THE ENDLESS HALLWAY, CONSERVATORY, AND CORRIDOR OF DOORS
Your Doom Buggy proceeds past an “endless hallway” where a candelabra with three flickering candles floats in the distance. Cackles and screams can be heard down the hallway. A stately suit of armor is covered in cobwebs and holds a shield and an axe that eerily move back and forth. A stately velvet chair includes the face of a monster imprinted on the seat.
Following the Endless Hallway, the Doom Buggies enter a glass conservatory that includes a coffin. The body inside the coffin is not ready to be buried, as it shouts, “Lemme outta here!” Disney Imagineer X. Atencio voices the un-dead occupant. The body pushes the coffin lid open, with nails that formerly held it shut dangling from the wood. Look closely and you’ll see that the handles of the coffin are in the shape of bats. An ominous raven with glowing red eyes stares at guests from atop a decaying wreath. In addition to the wreath, the Conservatory is filled with numerous other flowers and plants that are in a state of rot and decay.
Next is the ominous Corridor of Doors, with numerous screams, moans, and desperate calls for help echoing through the hallway (which is decorated with the familiar purple-and-black “demon” wallpaper). Doorknockers are in the shape of medieval battle maces and mysteriously bang themselves on the doors. The doorknobs, in the shape of snakes, seem to turn themselves, and the doors appear to breath and swell as though they will blow off of their hinges. Their intricately carved surfaces form monstrous faces. Pay close attention to the last doors on the left and right of the corridor, as an unsettling green light shines from within both.
Numerous family photos of skeletons decorate the walls. The grandfather clock is actually a demon. (Look for the clock “face” and the pendulum “tail.”) The hands on the clock spin backwards, and indicate that the hour is “13” as the shadow of a large, monstrous hand passes over the clock. A nearby sign hanging on the wall reads “Tomb Sweet Tomb.”
This area is much more sinister than other rooms in the Haunted Mansion, and clearly reflects the influence of Imagineer Claude Coats.
The Ghost Host provides additional narration as you pass through the Conservatory and the Corridor of Doors:
We find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat. Every room has wall-to-wall creeps, and hot and cold running chills. Shhh, listen!
THE SÉANCE ROOM
You next enter a captivating séance scene led by Madame Leota, whose head is hauntingly encased in a crystal ball. Thanks to a 2007 refurbishment, the crystal ball now levitates above the table, as Madame Leota chants:
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.
After each incantation, a musical instrument rings out to acknowledge that the spirits have heard her call. These musical instruments include a trumpet, a tambourine, and a harp.
Candles and tarot cards sit on the table above which the crystal ball levitates. A large spell book, Necromicon: Book of the Dead, sits close by, and a velvet chair is positioned behind the table with a sinister black raven perched atop it.
Eleanor Audley masterfully provides the voice of Madame Leota. Her other voice credits include Lady Tremaine in Cinderella (1950) and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty.(1959), as well as various roles on The Beverley Hillbillies, Green Acres, My Three Sons, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Leota’s face is actually that of Leota Toombs, a former model builder for Disney Imagineering who is honored with a tombstone in the attraction’s exterior queue.
THE GRAND HALL / BALLROOM SCENE
After leaving Madame Leota’s séance, the Doom Buggies enter a balcony overlooking perhaps the most famous scene in any Walt Disney World attraction: the Grand Hall (known by many as simply the “Ballroom”). The Ghost Host informs you that:
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.
The scene is filled with numerous ghosts dancing, dueling, flying, and generally having a haunting good time across an enormous multi-level ballroom. Notably, this is the first time in the attraction that you actually see ghosts, indicating that Madame Leota’s séance was indeed successful.
The scene is filled with an almost countless number of amazing sights, including:
Numerous ghouls appear in and out of sight.
An old woman sits in a rocking chair, knitting. In front of her, ghoulish green fire burns in the fireplace.
Perched high atop the mantle of the fireplace is an apparition wearing a top hat with his arm around a stone bust.
A hearse has backed into the ballroom spilling a casket from which several ghosts escape.
A large di
ning table has a series of ghostly guests, including one apparently celebrating a “death day” as she is blowing out candles on a cake. Not surprisingly, the cake has thirteen candles.
As the death day girl blows out the candles, all of the ghosts disappear.
Other ghosts at the table are a pirate, Julius Caesar (who sits at the opposite end of the grand table), a skeleton wearing a crown, and a ghost who has had too much to drink and lies underneath the table.
A large chandelier hangs above the ballroom. Cleopatra and Marc Anthony sit atop the chandelier, while Mr. Pickwick swings from it (as identified by Imagineering show documentation). Mr. Pickwick is a character from the 1836 Charles Dickens novel The Pickwick Papers.
Several couples are seen dancing in the ballroom. If you look closely, you will see that the women are leading the men. This is due to the Pepper’s Ghost effect, through which guests see a mirror image of the dancing couples.
A ghostly musician plays a massive replica of Captain Nemo’s organ from the 1954 Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Demons eerily pour out of the massive pipes of the organ.
The back wall of the ballroom features two separate portraits of gentlemen holding pistols with their backs to each other. Suddenly, the portraits transform into ghosts, who turn and shoot at each other in a ghostly duel.
No matter how many times I ride the Haunted Mansion, I always discover something new in this amazing scene.
Although many guests believe that the breathtaking visual effects in the Grand Hall are computer-generated holograms, they are in fact produced by a Victorian-era magician’s trick known as Pepper’s Ghost. In the Grand Hall, the Pepper’s Ghost effect utilizes two separate rooms. One room is the Grand Hall that guests actually see. The second room is above and below the tracks that the Doom Buggies travel upon, completely out of view. Objects that are present in the hidden room are then displayed in the first room by virtue of a large curved mirror and lights turning on and off. The result is a magical effect where people and objects magically appear and disappear in the visible ballroom scene. This simple effect was proposed by Imagineer Yale Gracey in the early development of Disneyland’s version of the Haunted Mansion, and continues to captivate guests today.
The Backstories and Magical Secrets of Walt Disney World Page 12