The Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride in all of Disney World. All of Disneyland for that matter. It may not have big drops or jump scares, but the history of the Haunted Mansion is one of the most storied in Disney lore. Here are some Haunted Mansion secrets you probably haven’t heard before!
The Bride’s Wedding Ring
Disney legend has it that embedded in the cement of the Disney World Haunted Mansion’s queue was a wedding ring thrown by Constance Hatchaway, the murderous bride in the attic scene of the ride. The truth is that the “ring” was actually the remains of a pole that had been taken down and left a circular metal ring flush with the street. Disney loved the fan’s theories so much that when they revamped the ride’s queue, they added in an actual wedding ring in the cement!
There Are No Holograms on This Ride
That’s right – there is not one single holographic ghost on the Haunted Mansion. The haunts are created by a phenomenon knows as Pepper’s Ghost Illusion, but if you want to preserve the mystery of the ride, don’t look it up.
The Stretching Room Does More Than Just Stretch
In Disneyland, the stretching room not only serves the purpose of creeping you out, but it actually delivers you to the mansion. The stretching room is a working elevator that takes you down to the ride due to southern California’s hilly landscape. The stretching room in Disney World isn’t an elevator, but they kept it due to its popularity. However, both Haunted Mansion facades are purely decoration and don’t house the buildings that are home to the ride.
You Can Solve A Murder
Disney World’s interactive queue offers guests things to touch, phantom music notes to hear, and the Dread family mystery to solve. Near the entrance of to the ride are five busts. Uncle Jacob’s epitaph reads “Greed was the poison he had swallowed. He went first, the others followed. His killer’s face he surely knew. Now try to discover who killed who.” Look around the other busts and epitaphs to unravel the chain of events that resulted in the death of each family member.
The Legend of the Hatbox Ghost
The Hatbox Ghost is Disney legend. At the end of the attic scene, the Hatbox Ghost’s head would disappear from his body and appear in a hatbox he was holding. After realizing that the effect didn’t work as well has they had hoped, imagineers removed him from the attraction. After a long hiatus, the Hatbox Ghost returned to Disneyland in 2015 where he remains to this day.
If you’re a die-hard Haunted Mansion fan like me, you might like the Marceline Tour at Disney World where you can get up close and personal with the 999 happy haunts!
