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The Haunted Mansion

388 bytes added, 01:07, 28 January 2012
/* Attraction Plot */
{{Quotation|"When hinges creak in doorless chambers. When strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker when the air is deathly still... That is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight."}}
To hear the Ghost Host speak to guests in the Foyer click play below:
<flashmp3>Foyer.mp3</flashmp3>
===The Stretching Room===
After the Ghost Host introduces guests to the Haunted Mansion, guests are ushered into an octagonal gallery known as The Stretching Room. The room features verticly stripped wallpaper and menacing green gargoyles. The room also features has four seemingly normal portraits of a unknown people. The Inside the room the Ghost Host once again speaks to the guests saying:
===The Loading Area===
After leaving the stretching room the guests enter the loading area. Here guests they board their "Doom Buggies" and begin to ride through the mansionMansion. Having guests ride through the attraction in Doom Buggies, allowed Disney Imagineers to control what scenes guest guests would see at a particular time.
On the walls inside the loading area are nine eight of the eleven "Sinister Pictures". The Sinister Pictures are the portraits who's eyes seem to follow guests as they move, however since relocating to the loading area this effect has not been in use.
The Ghost Host gives riders instructions in the Loading Area saying:
{{Quotation|"Do not pull down on the safety bar please, I will lower it for you. Heed this warning, the spirits will materialize ONLY if you remain quietly seated, at all times. Oh yes, and no flash pictures please, we spirits are frighfully sensitive, to bright lights."}}
To hear the Loading Area loading area narration click play below:
<flashmp3>Load.mp3</flashmp3>
Now in their Doom Buggies, guests exit the loading area, go up a stairwell and enter a landing. Here two more of the sinister portraits can be found, and various "changing pictures" can be seen. The changing pictures appear to normal enough at first, but when lightning strikes the pictures become much more ghoulish (an example of this: A portrait of a young lady changes in a portrait of Medusa when the lightning strikes). Guests also can see a floating candelabrum in the room, a sign of things to come.
The first room that guests tour in the mansion is the libraryLibrary. In the library , books seem to be flying about by themselves. Ghosts are also present in the room as unseen ghosts who stand on rocking ladders to reach and move books to and from the shelves. Another ghost is seemingly reading on a rocking chair in the corner of the room. The Ghost host introduces the library to the guests saying:
{{Quotation| "Our library is well stocked with priceless first editions, only ghost stories of course, hmhmh. And marble busts, of the greatest ghost writers, the literary world has even known."}}
The music parlor is a small room located after the library. In it, a rundown piano plays a somber version of Grim Grinning Ghosts (the attractions theme song). Although guests cannot see the ghostly piano player, his shadow can be seen on the floor. Outside the window, a storm is brewing and guests can see what appears to be a forest outside.
To hear the narration in the Library library click play below:
<flashmp3 id="2">Ghosthostlibrary.mp3</flashmp3>
===The Staircases & Endless Hallway===
When the Haunted Mansion was renovated in 2007, a new scene was added to the attraction. Known as the staircase scene, it is seen after guests leave the music parlor and before they see the endless hallwayEndless Hallway. The staircase scene is a space with various staircases and doorways to other dimensions in it. The staircases look like a maze, and some even seem to defy gravity. Some of the staircases twist and turn, and others even go upside down. On the staircases ghostly, glowing footprints appear going up or down the stairs and then fade before fading away.
When leaving the music room and entering the staircase scene, the Ghost Hosts makes an offer to guests:
{{Quotation|"They have all, retired here to the Haunted Mansion, actually we have 999 happy haunts here, but there's room for one thousand. Any volunteers?? If you should decide to join us, final arrangements, may be made at the end of the tour."}}
After seeing the staircase scene, the Doom Buggies move past the endless hallwayEndless Hallway. The hallway seems to go on forever, and only a floating single candelabrum populates the hall. Next to the halls entrance is a moving suit of armor, which used to house a cast member who would jump out and scare guests.
To hear the Staircase narration click play below:
===Conservatory===
As the Doom Buggies move onward, the guests are spun to face backwards. The room guests they find themselves in is the middle of a conservatory. At one time the room may have housed live plants and flowers, but now the plants are all dead and the flowers have rotted. In the middle of the room a wooden coffin is laid with a banner that says "farewell".A large raven settles on the coffin and squawks as the corpse inside begins to push its way out! The corpse inside begins to yell "let me outta here!", but the Doom Buggies continue on.
[[Image:Mansioncoffin.jpg|thumb|The corpse trying to get out of his coffin in the conservatory]]
===The Corridor of Doors===
After leaving the conservatory, guests find themselves in the mysterious Corridor of Doors. The wallpaper in the Corridor corridor is filled with demon eyes, who seem to be watching the Doom Buggies as they pass. Also on the walls, are various ghoulish family portraits which show different skeletons, ghosts and corpses. A sign next to the portraits reads "Tomb Sweet Tomb". A portrait of note fatures a man (possibly the features The Ghost Host) wearing a noose around his neck as ''his shadow'' lifts a hatchet.
As the Doom Buggies moved down the hall guests will notice they are surrounded by various doors. The doors seem to be holding something inside, and some of the door nobs begin to turn. Knocking, moaning, pounding and even begging can be heard coming from behind the different doors. Even , and some of the doors themselves seem to be breathing! The last door guests see has two skeletal hands coming out from behind it, and a strange green light immerses illuminates the doorway.
The Ghost Host once again speaks to guests in the Corridor of Doors saying:
{{Quotation|We find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat, every room has wall-to-wall creeps, and hot and cold, running chills! Ssshhhh, listen..."}}
The final thing that guests see before leaving the scene is a glowing grandfather clock. The hour hand of the clock reads 13, and the minute hand is seen spinning out of control. The clock has bones for hands, and a demonic tail as its pendulum. The head of the clock looks like it has horns, and fangs that engulf the face. As guests pass the clock, a shadow of a large claw swings over the face of the clock, giving the allusion that a large beast is swooping over the Doom Buggie.
To hear the Corridor of Doors narration click below:
===The Séance Room===
After escaping the Corridor of Doors, guests find themselves in quiet parlor and the . The Doom Buggies encircle a lone table sitting in the middle of the room. Floating above the table is crystal ball holding the disembodied head of Madam Leota. Madam Leota chants from inside the ball, trying to make a connection with the various ghosts in the mansion (One of her chants goes "Rap on a table, it's time to respond, send is us a message from far beyond!). As Madame Leota chants her incarnations, glowing objects and other items begin to fly around the room. If guests look closely at Madame Leota's table, they will notice her spell book is open to page 1313. The page shows the Grim Reaper, while page 1312 shows that Hatbox Ghost and one of the Hitchhiker Hitchhiking Ghosts.
The Ghost Host then tells guests:
After leaving the Séance Room, guests enter perhaps the most famous scene in the Haunted Mansion, The Grand Hall (also known as the Ballroom). Here ghosts have begun to gather for a "swinging wake" (apparently arriving by hearse). The Doom Buggies actually look down into the Ballroom where guests can see ghostly couples waltzing as they disappear and reappear. An organist plays a crazed version of the attractions theme "Grim Grinning Ghosts", on a large pipe organ. When the organist strikes a note, ghostly banshees come flying out of the pipes and then disappear.
On the right side of the room, various ghosts have gathered around a table to celebrate a birthday party. The cake has 13 candles, and various ghosts are seen celebrating. One of at the ghost sits a at the end of the table, is apparently the ghost of honor. Directly across from him sits the ghost of Ceaser himself. Two drunk ghosts (an Egyptian and a solider) are seen swinging on the chandelier, while another ghost ghoul lays under the table. Another ghost can be seen hanging on the chandelier by his cane. Various other ghosts specters pepper the room, including one ghost sitting on the mantle of the fireplace, who shoots flames out his mouth and an elderly ghost sitting in the corner of the room knitting. If guests look up above the Ballroom they will see two portraits of duelists. The ghosts of these duelists emerge from their paintings from time to time and shoot pistols at each other. After passing the Ballroom the Doom Buggies head upstairs to the attic.
===The Attic===
Following the Ballroom scene, the Doom Buggies go up one floor to the attic. Here guests see a crammed, dusty room full of wedding gifts and furniture. As the Buggies progress, guests see various five wedding portraits of Constance Hatchaway and her various different husbands. Next to each portrait are wedding gifts, which seem to increase in quality after every marriage. The portraits include:
*Ambrose Harper & Constance Hatchaway (1869)
*Frank Barks & Constance Hatchaway (1872) (If guests look closely at the cabinet near this portrait, they will see a pofemale porcelain French aristocrat looking down on a fallen porcelain man, whose head has been removed.)
*Marquis de Doom & Constance Hatchaway (1874)
*George Hightower & Constance (1877)-- (This may be the same George who's tombstone we see in one of the stretching room pictures. In the stretching room a widow sits atop a gravestone reading Beloved George, with a hatchet in it.)
When the Doom Buggies pass each portrait the head of the grooms disappear. The story goesthat, the Constance married and killed her husbands in order to gain money and social status. In fact, if guests look closely at Constance in the portraits they will notice that she gains a string of pearls after each husband. After passing all 5 portraits, guests come face to face with Constance herself, who is wearing a wedding dress and standing near the window. When the Buggies go by her, she says ominous phrases (Such as: "Tell DEATH do us part"). After passing Constance the Doom Buggies "escape" from the attic and fall below into the graveyard.A melancholy version of Wagner's Bridal Chorus can be heard in the attic. The only song besides Grim Grinning Ghosts heard in the attraction.
A melancholy version of Wagner's Bridal Chorus can be heard in the attic. The only song besides Grim Grinning Ghosts heard in the attraction. It has been suggested by some, that guests actually "die" after falling out of the attic, thus allowing them to see the ghosts celebrating in the graveyard. This has neither been confirmed or denied by the Disney company however.  To hear Constance 's ominous vows click play below:
<flashmp3>Bride.mp3</flashmp3>
===The Graveyard===
Following the close encounter with Constance, the Doom Buggies "fall" out the window and turn backwards. When they land on the ground, ghosts appear to be flying all around. Guests now find themselves at the gates to a graveyard located near the mansion. Outside the gates, a caretaker named Dick O’Dell quivers in fear as his dog "Boney" whimpers. After passing some scary looking trees, guests enter the graveyard where the ghosts seem to be having a party. A ghost band known as the Phantom Five is playing a jazzy version of "Grim Grinning Ghosts", as various other paranormal beings partyenjoy themselves. The band is made up of a drummer (banging on headstones), a flutist, a harpist, a bagpipe player, and a horn player. Various cats and owls harmonize with the band, and demon dogs can be heard howling in the distance. Near the band, a king and queen teeter on see-saw, while a duchess sips tea behind them.
As they the Doom Buggies move through the Graveyard, the Doom Buggies they pass the "Phantom Five", a group of singing marble busts. Located on the guests right hand side, these duchess marble busts sing and express the song "Grim Grinning Ghosts". All around the graveyard, ghosts pop up and try to scare guests, while other specters simply enjoy the party. Those enjoying the party include, a mummy who is drinking tea, and Renascence era oracle, and various ghosts riding bicycles around tombstones. Ghosts that can be seen in the Graveyard include an executioner and his victim (a headless knight) and the prisoner hitchhiking ghost. Standing next to the executioner are two opera singers, the female is overweight with pig tales and is wearing a viking helmet, while the mail is thin and wears a mustache. Near the opera singers, a skeleton is seeing paving a crypt, entrapping himself. After traveling through the graveyard guests come across an old crypt, leading to the attractions fianl scene.
Further down the graveyard an executioner and his victim (a headless knight) and the prisoner hitchhiking ghost stand singing. Standing next to the executioner are two opera singers. The female is overweight with pig tales and is wearing a viking helmet, while the male is thin and wears a mustache. Near the opera singers, a skeleton is seeing paving a crypt, entrapping himself. After traveling through the graveyard guests come across another crypt, leading to the attractions fianl scene. To hear the Phantom Five marble busts singing in Graveyard click below:
<flashmp3>Graveyard.mp3</flashmp3>
{{Quotation|"Aaahh, there you are! And just in time, theres a little matter I forgot to mention, beware of hitchhiking ghosts! They have seleced you to fill our quota, and they'll haunt you until you return! hahahaha"}}.
[[Image:Hitchiking.jpg|thumb|The Three Hitchhiking Ghosts: The Prisoner (left), The Skeleton (center) and the Traveler (right)]]
While hearing this warning guests pass by the three hitchhiking ghosts (the prisoner, the skeleton, and the traveler,) before venturing further into the crypt and encountering a mirror. When guests look into the mirror, they will notice that they are not alone! One of the three hitchhiking ghosts will be seen inside the Doom Buggies, and will interact with the guests (Eg. The ghost will switch two of the riders heads!).  Fan names given to the Hitchhiking Ghosts are Gus (left), Ezra (skeleton), and Phineas (traveler). During And during the 2010 refurb of the Haunted Mansion queue, headstones with these names were added.  After exiting the crypt, guests reach the unloading area where a ghostess says she can make "final arrangements for you". Following her speech the Ghost Host tells guests one final thing:
{{Quotation| Now, I will raise the safety bar, and a ghost will follow you home!}}