I’m going to Disney World next week with my husband for our anniversary. I’ve been looking forward to this for almost a whole year. So you can probably imagine how much I don’t want to be at work right now.
We packed our bags last weekend, because we’re such planners. On Monday night, I sat up in bed because I remembered that I needed to pack my Haunted Mansion Minnie Ears. Luis laughed at me like I was delirious, but it’s a good thing I remembered! I’m planning to wear a Haunted Mansion Disney Bound outfit on our anniversary, when we’re in the Magic Kingdom. Green and black striped dress, purple wallpaper leggings, matching Minnie Ears. Anywhere else, I’d be embarrassed to wear such a silly outfit, but not in Disney World.
It’s strange, but now that it’s closer, it feels like it’s not real. I guess it won’t feel real until we’re actually there, walking around and experiencing things. I thought this week would go by like molasses, but it actually hasn’t been that bad. I had to go back to the office for the first time since March 2020, but it’s been pretty relaxed and quiet, thankfully.
I used to hate waiting, but I’m realizing that anticipating things is part of the fun. Maybe being excited is enough to get me through.
When people ask me who my favorite character is from The Haunted Mansion — which has happened — I always struggle a bit. For me, the atmosphere of the ride is what I especially love. I love all of it. None of the specific ghosts really jump out at me as The Best. Sure, I obviously love The Duelists, but I wouldn’t say they’re my favorite considering they can only be seen for a few seconds (unless your doombuggy stops in front of the ballroom, in which case I’m jealous!)
But there is one piece of The Haunted Mansion that I love so much that I’ve got it on my purse, leggings, Minnie Ears, backpack, three face masks, and I’m even planning to permanently ink it onto my body. And that… is the wallpaper.
I love the design of the Haunted Mansion wallpaper! Specifically the purple kind, with the eyes that even sinisterly blink at you as you go past in the Disney World version. To me, it’s a character because it seems to be aware of you as you explore the house. There’s only one other character I can think of that I love more, and that’s the Ghost Host. You can’t even see him!
So, there it is. My favorite Haunted Mansion characters are the wallpaper (I call the main beastly face on it “Wally” for short) and the Ghost Host.
I must confess that, though I’ve been a lifelong fan of The Haunted Mansion, I didn’t do a lot of research about it over the years. The most I learned was from Doombuggies, and I don’t know how much I retained other than facts about the physical ride itself. Recently, within the past year — in large thanks to Disney+ and various Haunted Mansion fan groups on Facebook — I’ve learned much more about the amazing Imagineers behind the attraction.
My favorite is Yale Gracey, and not just because I love his name. He and Claude Coats (also an awesome name) were the heart and soul of the Mansion, and he came up with the spooky tricks that make the ride so fun and memorable. For example, the use of Pepper’s Ghost to fill the ballroom with the rowdy revelers and slow-dancing specters. I first read more about him in The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic by Jason Surrell. Seemingly everyone I know who loves the Mansion has read that book.
But I wanted to know even more about Mr. Gracey, so I found myself on Wikipedia one evening. To my surprise and horror, I read there that he was murdered in his home by a burglar. ☹️ They never caught the person responsible.
Now I definitely have a soft spot for Yale Gracey. He deserved far better than that. I wish to know more about his special effects work so that I can appreciate it like it — and he — deserves.
It should come as no surprise, dear reader, that Halloween is my favorite holiday. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved dressing up in costumes and celebrating all things spooky. I credit the Haunted Mansion for inspiring my passion for the macabre. After all, I was only six when I first experienced the attraction, and before that I’d been all Wizard of Oz and glitter obsessed.
Not that I don’t still love the Wizard of Oz and glitter.
Now that I’m an adult, with a house that I own, my goal is to slowly turn it into the Haunted Mansion year-round, with appropriate decor strewn about. My husband gave me the duelists for my birthday this year, and they’re currently my favorite thing ever.
I’ve named them Snidely and Lemmy.
We’re planning to hit up Memento Mori at Disney World soon, and we’ve budgeted to bring some stuff home. Maybe we’ll even be accompanied back by a Hitchhiking Ghost!
All of this leads us to the Year of Our Lord 2021. The past year was, to put it lightly, no picnic. I started my job in December 2019 and by March 2020, I was working remotely with people I barely knew, if I met them at all. My husband Luis was also working from home, which was great, except working really meant working. Our anniversary came and went with only a nice, delivered dinner. No vacation. I know a lot of people went through the same thing, and I wish it wasn’t that way for any of us.
This year, in late winter-early Spring, Luis announced that instead of waiting another year and going someplace we weren’t all that enthusiastic about, we should just go to Disney World for our anniversary this October. Of course, I freaked out with excitement. October is the kickoff of the big 50th Anniversary in the parks. We’re vaccinated and we’ll wear masks like so many other people who’ve been going to Disney. I got three adorable Haunted Mansion masks just for the occasion. This is going to be our special treat because we couldn’t go anywhere together last year.
Planning this anniversary trip has really kept me going this year. I have something big and fun to look forward to, instead of feeling crushed by mundaneness and fear. I’ve never been to Disney World without my parents, so there’s also that extra step. I feel like I’ve finally come into my own and I’m in control of things, despite everything else.
I will keep you updated on how our big, colorful spreadsheet of Disney plans actually comes into fruition.
I’ve never been on The Haunted Mansion by myself. It used to be because I was little and scared, but it’s mainly because I’ve never been the only one who wants to ride it. And now that I’m married, I don’t foresee ever riding it alone. Unless my husband doesn’t want to ride it more than thrice* in a day.
As I said in my last entry here, being in Disney World with Luis made it all feel even more magical. In the afternoon, we had a FastPass (#neverforget) for The Haunted Mansion and, as usual, it was the ride I was most looking forward to riding. Finally, Luis and I would get to experience the Grim Grinning Ghosts together. The ride had also undergone some major changes since the last time I’d been on it, so it was thrilling indeed. I was practically vibrating as we rushed through the FP line and made our way into the foyer and into the waiting stretching room.
Unlike many, many of the other Haunted Mansion enthusiasts, I do not speak along with the Ghost Host in the stretching room. Call me a curmudgeon, but I find it annoying. I want to hear the dulcet tones of Paul Frees in the ride, not some random people reciting the monologue over him.
But I digress.
It was wonderful to hold Luis’s hand and look at his face while on the ride. It felt almost as if I was enjoying it for the first time, because I was also experiencing it a little through him. He had quite a few little comments as we were riding that made me giggle. One example is that we got temporarily stopped as we were going down — backwards! — into the graveyard. A bunch of ghosts were flying up next to us, presumably on their way to the swinging wake. Luis quipped, “‘I’m a ghost. Are you a ghost?’ ‘Yes, I’m a ghost,’” as each flying phantom rose up past us. I’m definitely going to think of it every time I see that part now.
We got stopped one other time as we rode. As a Haunted Mansion buff (read: huge nerd), I always kind of hope that the ride will be stopped while I’m on it, so I can check out the details more easily and revel in the ambiance a little longer. And this time with Luis, we got stopped in the graveyard, in front of the opera singer! I watched her warbling away and told Luis that I’d always wanted something like that to happen. He leaned over in the dark and gave me a kiss.
And that was, so far, my favorite time I’ve ridden The Haunted Mansion.
*a feat we may never be able to reach again anyway
Like most people, probably, I initially went to Disney World with my parents. It was such an enjoyable experience that I grew up loving the park, so it shouldn’t be surprising that I couldn’t wait to go with my husband, Luis.
It just so happened that my cousin Alex was getting married in November 2018, so my parents hatched a plan to drive down to Florida and go to the Magic Kingdom for one day (!!!) before driving back up the coast to go to the wedding in South Carolina. I was psyched! For Alex and his new wife, of course, but also to be going to Disney World for the first time with my husband!
In typical me fashion, I did all kinds of research in preparation for going to the Magic Kingdom. I watched tons of Defunctland (I also read his book) and binged Disney Fairy Tale weddings like it wasn’t going to make me crazy-antsy about going. By the time November came, I was seeing hidden Mickeys in my sleep.
Oh, I didn’t even mention that our first wedding anniversary was in October. We went to NYC and saw Hamilton on Broadway. No big deal, right?
The end of 2018 was pretty hectic for me…
Anyway, Disney World.
My parents are not the best when it comes to technology, so at what felt like the eleventh hour (but was actually about a month ahead of time,) they asked me to go ahead and book the FastPasses (R.I.P. 😔) and the dinner. Almost all of the table-service restaurants were booked, but I was able to snag a table for four at Tony’s.
We arrived in Orlando the night before our Disney day, so we hung out in Disney Springs, which has obviously changed a lot since I’d been back in the early 2000s. We had dinner at Raglan Road, which was a lot of fun, and then we did our best to not buy everything in World of Disney. Now that we were there in Disney Springs, I was extremely happy and ready to go to rope drop the next morning.
I’d never been to rope drop before. My parents and I were always into sleeping in, at least a little. But Luis and I wanted to maximize our ride time since we were only going to be there one day, so we made a plan and we were there outside of Fantasyland for rope drop. It’s cool — at least to me — to hang out with the cast members (in their various ride-themed costumes) before things officially open. Everyone was smiling and joking, and there were even some bunnies nearby! That definitely sounds like Disney, doesn’t it?
The coveted ride at the time was Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, so that was the ride we were standing there super early for. As soon as the cast members dropped the rope (they literally do that,) we were off, running like we were kids again. We got on SDMT before the crowds came and made the line much, much longer. The ride was so cute and I was so happy to be there with the man I love and chose… I couldn’t help but cry happy, dopey tears.
And if I was this pumped about that ride, just wait until I was back in a Doom Buggy again.
My family first experienced Fastpass when we went to Disney World in 2000 for their Millennium Celebration. Back then, it was a paper pass and if I remember correctly (I was 13 and not exactly paying attention to trip planning) the passes were sort of on a one-at-a-time basis. There were kiosks that would dispense them. I believe the kiosks were gold, at least some of them… And I remember thinking that it was so cool that we got to skip the line on at least a few rides.
I don’t remember my family utilizing Fastpasses as much as we probably should have. Disney World has always meant waiting in long lines. That’s part of the deal. Whenever the lines moved quickly or weren’t that long, it was considered exciting and special. The night when my dad and I went from the Haunted Mansion to Pirates and back again was a truly great memory partially because there were no lines. Bonus, right?
There has been a lot of talk about Fastpass this week, due to Disney’s finally announcing their new Genie system (with Genie+ being the real source of controversy.) Fastpass went away during the Covid pandemic last year, and a lot of people hoped it would return now that the parks are back open and capacities are creeping back to normal. But this new Fastpass comes with a price tag, and a pretty hefty one if you’re traveling with your whole family. Should wealthier people be allowed quicker entry to the attractions? Should I have to pay $30 for me and my husband to skip the line at the Haunted Mansion, or pay $40 for a “more popular” ride?
There’s a lot that I find irksome about Genie+, as I’m sure is the case for many other Disney fans. But I’ve been trying to stay positive and look at the bright side of this new situation as well. I love Disney and going to their parks too much to just call it quits because some people get to go in before me. I don’t like being patient, but I’ve learned to get used to being a little patient. Going to Disney World or Land is and has always been a privilege. Not everyone can afford to go once, let alone every year or seasonally like some lucky ducks. The fact that I can go at all, especially during these crazy times… It’s not lost on me.
I feel grateful. Even to stand in line for an hour in the sun.
As you might be able to glean from this blog, I have always been a planner. I like staying organized — at least with my own system — and a large part of my excitement for trips and other plans is this planning. In that way, I’ve always liked Disney’s Fastpass. I like having structure to my days, so I know what to be ready for. Sure, some spontaneity is fine but I like knowing at least generally what to expect when I’m going somewhere. This is why my husband and I have a Google Doc of all of our plans for our upcoming visit. And this is why I think the core function of Genie will be helpful for me. Maybe. We’ll see.
The main Genie system is an optional add-on to the My Disney Experience app. It’s a free (at least for now) planning tool that will help guests organize their days while they’re in the parks, catered specifically to each guest’s needs. This I am excited about and I hope I have the chance to put it to use when planning our trip this October, even though most of our planning has been carried out because, well, see the paragraph above.
I think there is a lot to be excited about with the new changes coming to Disney this fall. As long as they don’t announce that Jack Skellington is taking over my Haunted Mansion, the Mouse and I can stay friends. 😉
With the Disney World soundtrack in my possession and the lyrics all mostly lodged into my brain, I ventured off into uncharted territory (for me) in 2004. I was seventeen years old and it was ostensibly a trip to, at least in part, celebrate my good behavior in school and stuff. My parents and I drove up the coast — or, I guess it was downthe coast — of California from Anaheim to San Francisco. And that meant going to Disneyland!
I’d never been to California, but the top thing I wanted to do was go to Disney there. If you’ve been reading this blog so far, are you at all surprised? Not only is it the other Disney park in the United States, it’s also the home of the original Haunted Mansion!
Thanks to the awesome website DoomBuggies, I was no stranger to the original mansion’s architecture. I also knew all about how the stretching room is actually an elevator that actually takes guests downstairs. However, it’s no fun just to read about it. I had to experience it for myself!
I would never pick between them. Both Haunted Mansions in the U.S. are my favorite. But, if I had to choose based on the outer architecture, then Disneyland’s wins! It doesn’t hurt that green is my favorite color… The park was not particularly busy on the day we went (Remember when that was a thing?) so my parents and I were actually able to ride it several times. Later in the night, my dad and I alternated between riding the Haunted Mansion and riding the Pirates of the Caribbean several times. It was blissful.
Leaving Disneyland was emotional for me, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to come back any time soon. Disney World is closer to where I live. To this day, I have not been back to Disneyland, but it is something I gravely look forward to…
In 2000, I found myself at Disney World again, for their big Millennium Celebration. Looking back, I can’t help but wonder if my parents always fell for Disney’s marketing… In any case, I certainly benefited!
There are two majorly memorable things about this excursion to Mouseland: 1) it was the first time I went to Animal Kingdom and 2) I convinced my parents to buy the Walt Disney World Resort 2000 Official Album. It was ostensibly bought to go into my dad’s stereo, to be played at random while we ate dinner, however I remember borrowing it so often that he eventually just let me have it.
I played that CD so often that I learned all of the words to the attractions’ songs (that I wanted to learn.) At least… I did my best.
Being deaf in my right ear causes me to mishear things quite often, which for the most part is just annoying and awkward. For example, I have always heard “When the cripnoes creak and the tombstones quake…” and I’ve had to train my brain that they’re saying “When the crypt doors creak.” I know they are saying that. That makes total sense.
Cripnoes aren’t even a thing.
But darn it if my brain doesn’t still sing cripnoes along with Thurl Ravenscroft. Maybe they’re another type of Seuss character. I know he’s familiar with those.
