Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Making of Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion


I'm not into scary horror attractions at amusement parks. I'm much too squeamish for them. One attraction I have enjoyed, however, is The Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World. My family went there in April 2011, and my daughter wanted to go into the Mansion. I decided to go with her, as I figured, "It's Disney, how scary can it be?" And while it was cleverly creepy, it was by no means intimidating or horrific, but instead a lot of fun. I'm glad we went in--and came out alive!

Here is a short but interesting look at the early development of the attraction. It's obvious Disney and his Imagineers put a lot of care into their work.






One of the most enjoyable aspects of the ride is the voiceover narration by one of the greatest voice actors of all time, the late Paul Frees. Here are some outtakes of his Haunted Mansion recording sessions.



Finally, a discussion of the Mansion wouldn't be complete without a round of the hauntingly awesome song that plays throughout the ride, "Grim Grinning Ghosts."



Thanks for visiting. Next time, be sure to bring your death certificate!

2 comments:

The Artful Gypsy aka Wendy the Very Good Witch said...

Being a 3rd generation Florida Cracker, and a BIG Disney fan, I can say how much I too love the Haunted Mansion. Admittedly, I was rather scared of it when I was a young, skittish child...but I grew up to LOVE it! Long live the Hitchhiking Ghosts! :o)

Phillyradiogeek said...

Thanks Wendy. "Now don't close your eyes and don't try to hide, or a silly spook may sit by your side..."