Sunday, July 30, 2006

...and rise as Fruits of every size!

Greetings!

This week we are going to take a look at something very unordinary. Ghost Fruit. Yes, Ghost Fruit. Where better for ghost fruit to appear than the Disneyland Haunted Mansion's Ballroom.

In the ballroom that we see from riding in our doombuggies across the balcony, there are ghosts having a great time. In the center of the ballroom table, there is a stand with fruit inside. On the ghost side of the ballroom beneath the doombuggies, there is a black post in the same location of the table with fruit sitting atop. Now, why would there be such a thing?

The answer isn't about appearing or disappearing fruit, it's about the ghosts sitting at the table themselves. For you see, without the fruit on top of the black post, as we go by in our doombuggies, some of the ghosts would appear to overlap the stand in the middle of the table, therefor, ruining the peppers ghost illusion. It is for this reason that the man on the mantle has his arm over a black painted bust, why the granny is sitting in a black rocking chair, and why the ballroom table has black painted chairs.

However, depending on the lighting levels, sometimes you can actually see the post itself if you try hard enough.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

What in the World is a Wild Wall?

Greetings!

After a week of looking into computer problems, I have finally bought a new computer which is better than my previous one. So now, on to this weeks post!

"Wild Wall," A term that sounds unfamiliar to most. When this statement is used in conjunction with the Haunted Mansion, it sounds like it could be quite an interesting effect, especially if its in the Corridor of Doors where the spirits are having trouble getting through.

Yes, at one time, it would seem as though perhaps an entire wall of the demon eye wallpaper were coming to life and bulging through with the rest of the spirits. However, as grand as this may seem, a "Wild Wall" is nothing more than a movie making term.

A Wild Wall, is a wall that can be removed so that it can be given access for the addition or removal of props, as well as allowing more camera angles not previously possible. The Haunted Mansion has 3 walls that are movable. The first two are in the Corridor of Doors. One is to the left of the emergency exit, another across the hall from it, possibly accessing Ballroom storage. The other wild wall is to the right of the Ballroom fireplace. This wall is great because in the event of Haunted Mansion Holiday, large props such as the Gingerbread house or even the Ballroom tree can be brought in.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

No Post this week

Dear Readers,

It is with great remorse that I will not be posting a topic this week. On Friday evening, lightening fried the Ethernet card on my computer. I have purchased another computer and I am now working on transferring the hard drives.

Sorry for the inconvenience. However, for some added fun, be sure to check our some of our links!

- Ghost Relations Dept.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

The Man in the Web

Greetings!

Everyone knows the stories of Disneyland's Haunted Mansions, Hatbox Ghost. It's a 37 year old mystery, but at least we know of his existence and have even seen pictures of him. However, Walt Disney World also has a mystery, something a little more elusive than a hatbox ghost.

At Disney World, guests board their buggies and head through some added scenes not at Disneyland. They finally get to a staircase where the ride is nearly identical. At this stair however are some gargantuan webs filled with massive spiders. However, did you know that at one time, a ghost was caught in the first web on the left? This web is now VERY dimly lit and is barely visible. The Man in Web existed long ago, but it was removed shortly after the opening of the attraction. There is much speculation as to why it was removed and there are stories of the body being hidden in storage to scare new cast members. Some people have considered this body to be just a myth, a legend, nothing more. However, we have discovered some proof.

These are croppings from a WDW maintenance manual. One page is a table of contents listing, the other shows where the item was located. As of this far, no one seems to have pictures of this man in the web. But who knows, maybe someday the man will come back to rest in his arachnid abode.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

When the Addams Met the Graceys

Greetings Mortals!

This week while I was gathering new topics for future blog posts, I decided to take a break and watch one of my all time favorite movies, The Addams Family. While I was going through the movie, I tried paying attention to various details within the scenes. In an opening scene, Gomez is jousting with his lawyer, Tully. There is much discussion about money and different accounts, which, would not be discussed until, "Next Quarter." Gomez then flips through the pages of his date book (at lightening speed) and comes to the page marked, "Next Quarter." This "Next Quarter" is listed as August 9, 1991. August 9 is the anniversary of the opening date of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Talk about obscure huh.

Coming Next Week: Something not nearly as obscure as this!