upstop

Interesting that you mention that. The concept originally was supposed to use the same system as Demon Drop. They actually went to an elevator company, I think Otis Elevator for a demonstration of how to get belly drops from an elevator, and the company was shocked because they had spent their entire careers perfecting elevators that wouldn't cause that sensation. That is when they started looking at the ride that looks like an elevator instead of trying to turn an elevator into a ride. The ride doesn't drop but is actually pulled down and pulled upwards. The lobby of the hotel is modeled after the Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA. The library sequence is based on the Twilight Zone episode of "It's a Good Life". Items in the library room and in the store room at the end of the ride refer to different episodes of the show. And much much more!!!

"Mike was intrigued by the way you are held into the Diamondaback....It's like a really fast Hoveround" LMAO!!! I just pictured a trainload of senior citizens riding the ride.

The sad part about Halloween Haunt is the fact that community standards seems to come into play. When KI tried to push the envelope, they were pushed into changing a display. Granted, it was under different leadership, the same standards aren't being pushed with the Haunts outside of KI. I go to laugh and have fun, and the displays are a part of that. One thing that could use improvement is the use of all of the side paths in the park...there are so many ways to get around that scare zones are hard to place. I would think the park could shut down some of the side paths to herd people into a circular path around the park and it would be necessary to walk through a scare zone to get to and from a section. (I don't like the idea of waiting in line for a scare zone, it doesn't make sense.)

You might be a KI addict if you park at the mall and you refer to the spot you are parking in as "Pebbles Overflow"

In fact.....why not have a ride similar to the defunct Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter converted to a haunted mansion ride!!! That ride was beyond cool and totally out of place in the Magic Kingdom. (now I'm quoting myself...yay....stop me please!!!)

ok, I'll bite....what is Trailer Tower?

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I want my Phantom Theatre Mr. Ouimet!!!

PART of the WDW and DL Mansion story NOW revolves around an ill-fated love... but when they opened, that wasn't a focus of the attractions - rather just a minor part. The storyline of the Bride in the mansion has evolved over time, mostly since the opening of Euro Disney which built the entire Phantom Manor attraction around the storyline. Actually, where the Bride figure exists now in the DL version is where the Hatbox Ghost was originally placed. (I believe.) Oh, and the ring you mentioned at the WDW version - gone. It was removed/paved over years ago. Many argue that it was actually not a ring - rather the remnant from a former gate post. Who knows. Anyways, here's a pic of the former "ring." It kind of looks like it could be part of an old gate post bolt....but you know, lots of HM Legends were started by cast members....and I think that is so cool...It gives life to ride to have so many back stories. BTW has anybody heard any information on the Guilmermo Del Toro reboot of the HM movie? It was announced a couple of years ago, but I can't find any information on the net about it...I hope it hasn't been dropped.

I LOVE that ride....Mr. Ouimet....If you are listening....Kings Island needs a Haunted Mansion...(not a shoot-em up type ride either.) and it can go into the old Crypt building spot and beyond to the edge of the woods...anyone else agree?

I was there at Halloween one year and during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, the Haunted Mansion was a blast...The crew was really getting into their jobs that night! I remember we were some of the first to ride the ride and when we got to the loading platform there were "dead" cast members in some of the doombuggies....what a hoot! If I were working at MK, that would be the ride I'd want to work.

Unfortunately they wont turn the lights on (trade secrets/and I was told that the structure could be dangerous with the catwalks etc, so we discussed the Haunted Mansion ride and rode it.....most likely a liability issue) but we did get to go into the utiladors below the park, to the trash collection area where you could hear the trash vacuuming through the pipes to the bins, and we went just off to the right of Main Street USA to see part of a parking lot completely hidden from view. We also were being taught about the forced perspective of the main street buildings when....a giant maintenance worker appeared on the roof to demonstrate (accidental but it proved the point of forced perspective...) it was a great time! Also...above ground a character is NEVER to remove their heads in public, and males and females could wear either sex costumes above ground...in the utilidor it is ok to remove their head. We walked past a break room and in (1998) smoking was still ok.....Minnie Mouse was on break in the room...and there she was, a hairy Italian guy smoking a cigar with her legs crossed and those huge foam high heel shoes....the crowd I was with lost it....

Well where do you want me to begin...LOL. The ride is a three part story...there was a fight between the three divisions of imagineers. Some wanted an atmospheric ride, some wanted a scary ride, some wanted a funny ride. They looked to Walt for a decision and he died. So the decision was made to make the first part of the story an atmospheric ride, the middle is scary and the ending is funny. Originally a Raven was to tell the story and if you ride now you will find a raven hiding throughout the ride. The ghost host was a veteran radio announcer who also was a voiceover for the Burgermeister Meisterburger in Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Rankin/Bass) and many other cartoon characters including Ludwig Von Drake for the Disney Company. The talking busts at the end of the ride are actually the Disney Barbershop Quartet members and Thurl Ravescroft (voice of Tony the Tiger...they're great!) and namesake for the Mansion itself. There is much much more!!!!

To tell you the truth it might be now....In 1998 it was in the Haunted Mansion... I took one of the guided tours and it was told that when you walk into the loading room of the mansion and turn back towards the two picture galleries you were standing on the largest hidden Mickey's face.

Do you know where the largest hidden mickey is in all of Disney parks? It is in a Haunted Mansion.

Excellent fun video!!!! BTW I'm about 5 rows behind you with my hands up...(You just can't see me....LOL)

There are hundreds of things within the Mansion to see....every ride is slightly different. I've ridden it hundreds of times (in fl.) and see new things every time....It is very atmospheric....We waited for it during a thunderstorm...a real setup for what was ahead....LOL

My guess is that there will be between 1 and 500,000 people at the park.....that should cover all bases...LOL

Hip Hip Hooray!!!

AMEN!!! I lost a tray full of food to a stray basketball during a full court press in the middle of the mid-way (the front office heard about it but as you can see they are still give out basketballs....by the way I also saw a basketball being bounced off the walls back to the car inside of the Phantom Theater ride years ago.....from a car three cars ahead of us! The ride stopped and the man not a child was escorted away. Busch Gardens, Williamsburg also, unfortunately, has/had (not sure now) a basketball prize...it was an deflated basketball, just the way it should be.

Wow...they are moving fast on this one.....Maybe they will have it assembled before Halloween Haunt this year!.....(not).

Aren't the Cranses neighbors to the Ricardos and the Mertzs?

If only they had included a burrowing of the eyebrows and smirking smile too...It would have been a little more frightening.

Why does this goddess have a mans voice?

Obviously folks have dropped ashes there before or they would'nt have that policy... yikes! My final arrangements will be elsewhere, ( but ill still be haunting the mansion.......bwahahahaha!)

This is great news! I hope Disney continues to add more ghosts to the mansion....someday I hope to haunt there myself! lol!