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Can someone explain the appeal of the haunted mansion to me?

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Can someone explain the appeal of the haunted mansion to me?
AgentOfAnarchy

AgentOfAnarchy

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Hi guys, I have been noticing a lot of love towards the haunted mansion and I don't get it. I loved the film and I visited the attraction in Paris but where are all these characters coming from? I don't remember any hitch hiking ghosts and is there a story line that was released ? Maybe I missed something as it broke down on us. I think I've caught snipits of a more in depth storyline and if there is more to learn I would love to hear it.
 
Thankyou! I look forward to reading it ^^
Hopefully I will like it.. but not fall in love with because then I would be required to collect the pins xD
 
I thought you were going to make the Haunted Mansion enthusiasts' head explode when you said you liked the movie! I get a lot of venom from them about the Eddie Murphy movie (they're not fans...).
 
i JUST watched the movie last night---funny or hauntingly strange??? It has to be the best ride in WDW as far as detail and song and feel, right up there with splash mountain
 
The Hitchhiking Ghosts arn't in Phantom Manor. Phantom Manor has a different story and characters to the Haunted Mansion. They are similar attractions but still very different. I adore both the Mansion and the Manor. They are great rides.

Wish the Hitchhikers had more scenes in the movie...
 
I heard they keep the Haunted Mansion at a chilly 59 degrees, so it's a good ride on those hot days. Plus, during Halloween Time, it smells like gingerbread!

*At least the Disneyland Mansion has this stuff. Don't know about the others.
 
unibear said:
I thought you were going to make the Haunted Mansion enthusiasts' head explode when you said you liked the movie! I get a lot of venom from them about the Eddie Murphy movie (they're not fans...).
Click to expand...

I decidedly gritted my teeth in silence and didn't say anything.
 
the movie sucked. lol

I dont collect Hm, but I enjoy the ride.

It did not smell like gingerbread when we rode it this last week, even though it is done up for the holidays.

I think only parts of it are kept colder, because at 59 I would be freezing on that ride and it is comfortable, not freezing. (I feel it is jacket weather if its under 75)
 
I'm actually a Mansion fan that is okay with the movie, I consider it more of a reference film. And I still think Ezra (the tall Hitchhiker for those who don't know) looked really cute in it... I hope he has lots of scenes in the new movie.
 
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I love the Haunted Mansion just for the memories I have with it. Crying the whole time in the queue line because I WAS so scared to go on it for the first time when I was young. (It didn't help that we just got done at the alien encounter, before it was re-done with stitch's great escape. I had NIGHTMARES for the next few months over that dang thing. Ironically enough the Alien series is now one of my favorites...) Having random people re assuring me that the ride was not that scary... haha! I was attached to my dad's side the whole ride. I ended up liking it afterwards. Now it's my favorite ride. It's mandatory I go on it every trip to magic kingdom.
 
I've never seen the movie (the previews made me cringe!), but the Haunted Mansion has always been one of my favorite rides at Disneyland. I guess it has a certain allure to any Disney fan who enjoys spooky things like ghosts and things that go bump in the night.

My mother (who really believes in ghosts, by the way) has always loved this Disney ride most of all, especially the dancing spirits and the busts with the eyes that follow you. My favorite part has always been always the stretching portraits.

I've never been to Disneyland Paris, so I've never been on the Manor ride, but on the ride at Disneyland, visitors are warned not to pick up any hitchhiking ghosts. At the end of the ride, you come face to face with a magic mirror that shows you sitting side by side with a hitchhiking ghost... who is then said to follow you home!

Ooooooohhhhhh....

:anxious:
 
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I do not know where to begin.

*cough* *clearing my throat*

The Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride in Disneyland for many reasons, but here are just a few. There are not man rides that are both whimsical and also scary. The first half of the ride is much darker than most things Disney, but as soon as you fall out of the attic window you enter a pretty swingin' wake! It is a ride with lots of memorable and unique characters that stick with you after you leave the Mansion. It was a ride that was ahead of it's time, one that uses simple special effects that can be replicated at home (though most think the ride is full of holograms!). While there is no definitive backstory to the ride (the official backstory is that Walt Disney opened up a mansion and went around the world collecting ghosts and ghouls to fill it up), there are many little and intricate story lines running through the ride. There's the story of Captain Gore, which has little nods here and there (weather vane), Constance the ghost bride (wedding ring on the floor at WDW), the ghost host (ever notice whenever he talks theres usually a raven nearby?), and so many more. And who can forget the infamous Hatbox ghost?! There's so much lore behind the ride, and it's amazing how it mixes and meshes with that of Pirates of the Caribbean and New Orleans Square in Disneyland. Then there's the question, is the ride really haunted? There were those ghosts videos a few years ago from Disneyland, but who knows how real those are. However, people have scattered ashes in many of the mansions, and there have been reports and interesting photos taken in the rides.

Now if you're interested in learning more about the ride, here's a good list of sites to visit:

www.doombuggies.com (great forums and you'll get a lot of information on the ride)
http://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/ (lots of behind the scenes and origins of the Haunted Mansion)
http://www.oitc.com/Disney/Disneyland/secrets/Square/Mansion.html (slightly out of date, but some fun facts of the ride)

If you are looking for a good book to read on the subject, might I suggest "Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies" by Jason Surrell. There is a first edition and an updated 40th anniversary edition that includes the updates to the Florida Haunted Mansion. It also gives you a peek at the Haunted Mansion Holiday (which is up right now!). One thing the book does is take you on a tour of all 3 versions of the Haunted Mansion and gives you some backstory as to why things were changed and made different for each version.

And while the Haunted Mansion movie may not have been very good, at least the DVD came with this short but very cool documentary about the ride.
[video=youtube;gVoIFX97Nfs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVoIFX97Nfs[/video]


There is even a Haunted Mansion group here on DPF! Go take a look, and feel free to comment on the posts! I'd love it if we could make it more "lively" over there:
http://disneypinforum.com/group.php?groupid=3
 
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Oh, and in case you were curious as to who the Hatbox Ghost was, here's a short video on him, along with the only known footage of him in the ride.

[video=youtube;VnERBLhd5ac]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnERBLhd5ac[/video]
 
Yeah at Phantom Manor instead of a Hitchhiking Ghost in the mirrors at the end there is the Phantom (the antagonist of the ride).

Haunted Mansion and Phantom Manor are just genius. They're definitely the best dark rides in the world.
 
My feeling is that for the most part collectors feel more of a connection to a certain ride/attraction or Disney movie character for a variety of reasons, some relating to a cherished childhood memory, or a fond connection. Some find the attraction just simply unexplainable. Wouldn't the world be a duller place if we all liked and connected the same thing?
 
In France, there is a true madness with Phantom Manor ! A lot of DLP fans really love this ride and the Merchandise team understood that this ride was very important. So they released a lot of Phantom Manor limited pins !

I had a lot of memories about this ride, and that was my dream to work as a maid here. My dream came true last year, during summer.
Just after working there, i've been to WDW and of course, I fell in love with the Haunted Mansion^^
The story is really different than Phantom Manor's one, some scenes and effects are not the same, but I fell in love with these 2 amazing and strong rides !
Love the music, the atmosphere... Everything !

Phantom Manor was also the first design of the Hitchcock's Psycho house, and there is a great story for this ride...

Well if someone has answers about Phantom Manor, come on and ask me, I know everything about it (And all about Disneyland Paris too) ;)
 
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