Welcome, Foolish Mortals, as we tell you a spooky story about the scariest ride in Magic Kingdom — the Haunted Mansion, of course!
This ride debuted on Magic Kingdom’s opening day and continues to be one of the most-loved attractions at Disney World. But, have you ever paid attention when you’ve been stuck in line for this ride? Well, now we know what you’ll be doing the next time you’re in line for Haunted Mansion!
Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion opened with the park on October 1st, 1971. The English Tudor-inspired estate is located atop a hill overlooking Liberty Square, and of course, is home to 999 happy haunts — but there’s always room for one more!
Themed after the English Tudor style found in the lower Hudson River Valley in New York, the stately Haunted Mansion looks down on Liberty Square. This omni-mover dark ride takes guests on a tour of the Haunted Mansion in a “Doom Buggy” ride vehicle, all while 999 ghosts cause chaos throughout the home.
The queue was redesigned in early 2011 to become more interactive. As you enter the courtyard of the Haunted Mansion, you can see, touch, hear, and play with several interactive elements that Disney added to the queue experience.
Pay close attention to the first set of grave markers you pass in the queue — the epitaphs tell a murder mystery story of the Dread Family! Can you solve it?
The Decomposing Composer’s Crypt was another 2011 addition that we think is pretty cool. As you walk up to the crypt, there is an underlying track of the “Grim Grinning Ghosts” song. When you touch the instruments on the sides of the crypt, that particular instrument plays the song along with the underlying track. The more instruments are touched, the more harmonies are added to the song!
There is a ring embedded in the pavement of the queue as well — the Bride’s wedding ring. It was originally just the remnant of a metal pole that was removed, but the urban legend grew and Disney eventually replaced the ring with a real one!
You’ll also come upon the crypt of Captain Culpepper Clyne, the same Mariner character you see in a portrait later in the ride, and the crypt of Poetess Prudence Pock. She communicates through a Spectrecom, an invention of R.H. Goff — a nod to Imagineer Harper Goff.
One of Prodence’s poems reads, “In the swamp, poor Sally Slater was eaten by an alligator,” which is a reference to the tightrope walker in the ride. There are SO many details to take in when you’re in this line!
You’re then directed into an octagonal room with unusual paintings encircling the walls. Before your eyes, the paintings change — they seem to grow longer and longer, even though the floor and ceiling aren’t moving, and as they stretch, you realize they are not as they seemed.
From this room, you’ll exit to a dark passageway, where you’ll go to your “Doom Buggy” ride vehicle to tour the mansion. Synchronized speakers inside each doom buggy allow your Ghost Host to explain the supernatural events unfolding around you.
Your ride vehicle glides silently through the library, conservatory, hallways, ballroom, attic, and even graveyards. Guests ride past a seance being held by Madame Leota, a disembodied head projected from a crystal ball. She calls the spirits to materialize before you!
That’s when you enter the ballroom and experience quite the ghostly dance — before taking a tour of the attic. Here you’ll see the story of the Bride Constance — who gets married five times, but her husbands keep mysteriously disappearing. Weird, right?
And then, you’re off to the graveyard finale which is a real smash if you ask us. Just beware of hitchhiking ghosts!
There are plenty of reasons why the Haunted Mansion remains a long-standing favorite ride, and a lot of them can be found in the queue — so make sure you pay attention the next time you ride!
And, if you’re still bored in line, here’s our handy list of posts with TONS of interesting information about Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction:
- Disney Attractions Around the Globe: Haunted Mansion History
- 13 Details in Disney’s Haunted Mansion Ride That You Won’t See Unless You Look Closely
- 13 New Things We Learned About The Haunted Mansion Ride When Watching Behind the Attraction on Disney+
- Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion vs. Disney World’s Haunted Mansion
If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!
In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for the latest Disney World tips, tricks, and news you can use, so stay tuned to AllEars for more!
I Know Exactly What You’re Doing the Next Time You’re in Line for Jungle Cruise at Disney World
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When was the last time you rode Haunted Mansion? Tell us in the comments.
