Pushing Castmembers Buttons

Greetings Ghost Fans,

The Mansions across the world are abound with tiny details, most of which people will never see. This is part of Imagineering Magic.

However, there is one close detail that people see every day at the Mansion but few may recognize it. The buttons on the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion Butler's vests have the Walt Disney World castle on them. Other incarnations of the button feature the castle, the old Disney World Logo and text, and some feature other icons of Walt Disney World past.

The Horseman's True Identity

With all of the lore surrounding the Haunted Mansion, both official and fan based, characters get named and renamed. Some get renamed out of fan enjoyment, others get named because thus far, they have no name. Many characters in the Ghostly Gallery series were the first time characters have ever been given a name.

However, what about characters that were missing? The best way to describe them is by what we see. For instance, the man on horseback who gets stuck by lightning may be called The Horseman or The Knight. However, he has an official name.

Thats right, the man on the horse's official name is: The Black Prince.

WEEKLY NOTE: All images in the blog can be viewed at a larger size by clicking on them. I also encourage you to comment or send me an e-mail if you wish.

Pounding the Keys and Ramming the Organ

Greetings Ghost Fans,

This week we will take a gander at a small detail overlooked by many.

Everyone knows that the Ballroom organ from the Disneyland Mansion was from the movie 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was from this organ which molds were taken to create organs for the more current mansions. However, did you know that there is more to the organ than meets the eye? The side supports to the left and right of the center of the organ feature a not-so-nautical animal, a ram!

Lightning Up

Greetings Ghost Fans,

Perhaps one of the most disappointing scenes in the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion is the Music Room. Guests have complained for years as to the cheesiness of the cutout of a ghost that slams down on the keys of the piano. However, this is not how the scene originally worked.

Many years ago, the only way that you saw the Phantom Pianist wasn't from the moonlight, but rather lightning from outside the window which would show his shadow temporarily. With the removal of many bright strobe flashes in the attraction, this scene was soon changed as well to not feature lightning.

Madame Leota Meets The Hitch-hiker

In 1960, The Twilight Zone was just getting started. During its run, it has over five seasons and is still popular today. Another staple of the series was that it featured many famous actors and actresses, large parts and cameos. In the episode, The Hitch-hiker, a girl traveling from New York to California is haunted by a ghostly Hitch-hiker. She finally stops at a payphone to call home to hear her mothers voice. What she gets instead is a shock. The woman who answers tells her that her mother is in shock as her daughter died in an automobile accident. The woman delivering this news is none other than Eleanor Audley, the voice of Madame Leota.