The queue for the Haunted Mansion was always fun, but the new interactive queue is wonderful. You approach the mansion through wonderfully Gothic gates, adorned with bats. A horse-drawn hearse, with an invisible horse, has been parked in front of the Mansion, as if waiting for a funeral. As you near the entrance to the Mansion, you have a choice of paths. One leads directly to the Mansion, a good idea if you're in a hurry. The other leads to the cemetery, full of crypts and headstones to play with. I know it sounds kind of morbid, but I love the cemetery! All of the headstones from the old cemetery have been moved to this new area, including the Madame Leota stone. The old headstones, including Leota, are all references to the original Disney Imagineers who created the Haunted Mansion. When you find Leota, be sure to watch her face closely for a slightly creepy surprise.
There
are several new busts in the cemetery, each alluding to the death of a
member of the family who lived in the Mansion. As you continue on,
you'll pass a giant crypt covered in stone instruments. Be sure to touch
them as each one changes the music coming from the crypt. At the end of
the crypt is an organ keyboard, a Ravenscroft. Thurl Ravenscroft, the
voice of Tony the Tiger, is the main singer of the classic Disney song
"Grim, Grinning Ghosts." Play a few notes on the organ for a soggy
surprise. On the other side of the crypt, the instruments have been
warped. Touching them will make the music sound strange and off-key. Next up is the grave of Master Gracey, one of the
original ghosts. As you round the corner, you will see the massive watery tomb of Captain Culpepper
Clyne. Beware touching his dismal grave! The final tomb is that of a poetess who's tomb says "Her plaintive pleas can still be
heard 'O Muse, provide the perfect word!'" You can hear her trying out different words as she attempts to complete her final poem. Both sides of her tomb are
covered in books that pop in and out and can be pushed. As you pass the
back of Captain Clyne's tomb, be sure to peak over the fence and see if
you can spot the Bride's ring in the pavement. The ring used to be a fun Disney myth, but when they built the new cemetery section, they added a real ring to the concrete. |
| The Bride's ring can be difficult to spot. |
As you exit the Stretching Room, you will enter a very crowded area that funnels down to single file as you enter your Doombuggy. Be sure to keep hold of your party as it is easy to become separated in this room. Each Doombuggy can holdup to two adults and one child comfortably. Once safely inside, sit back and enjoy the ride, and be sure to turn off your camera as bright lights frighten the ghosts.
 |
| The evil Bride herself |
After you exit the Ballroom, you'll enter the Attic, home of Constance, the black-widow Bride. This is probably the creepiest part of the ride as Constance seems truly evil with her smirking comments, glowing heart, and magically appearing hatchet. The last room is the most fun: the Cemetery. Here the music changes to "Grim Grinning Ghosts" and the mood is lighter. Keep an eye out for the groundskeeper Dick O'Dell and his frightened dog, and the singing busts. the broken bust is Thurl Ravenscroft. As you exit the cemetery, your Ghost Host will warn you to "Beware of hitchhiking ghosts." There are new hitchhiking ghost effects with several different possibilities. These include a ghost that swaps the heads of the passengers in your Doombuggy. That one is Bean's favorite. Once you've acquired a ghost, you'll see a mini Leota waving and calling out "Hurry Back! Be sure to bring your Death Certificate!"
 |
| Miss Carlotta at MNSSHP |
The Haunted Mansion is a great not-too-spooky ride. With the new interactive queue, it's a great place for a little ghostly fun. And remember, the Haunted Mansion is home to 999 Happy Haunts, but there's always room for one more...
