Disneyland, Haunted Mansion.
Written: Dec 25 '05
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: A classic that is always entertaining.
Cons: Not too thrilling, can be spooky for young children.
The Bottom Line: A classic.
|
|
|
| yakkowarner's Full Review: Haunted Mansion - Disneyland |
This is another ride at Disneyland I like because I get another chance to sit down and relax. It is basically a tour of a haunted mansion.
The queue line.
This is one of the better queue lines in the park. There is nothing moving around but there are plenty of comedic tombstones to read and statues to look at. During the Christmas season they have “spooky carols” posted along the cue line too. To enter you wind around the front of the house. Then there is a typical queue line on the side of the house before it takes you to the front porch of the house. Here you meet up with the fast pass guests and enter the house.
The ride.
The ride begins right when you enter the house. You walk into a circular room with a bunch of pictures on the top of the walls. They are pretty normal looking portraits, at least until the doors close. When they do the room begins stretching and the pictures reveal how those people died. There is also a narration the sets the mood.
By the way, if you feel like your in a heard of cattle in the first part of this ride then don’t worry, everyone feels that way.
Once you get out of the first room you then head down a hallway. To your right in the hallway is a thunderstorm and to the left is a bunch of morphing pictures. It used to be a slow transition but for the 50th anniversary they changed it to flash the two scenes of each picture rather quickly. It is a really cool effect. You then turn a corner and enter a bigger room where you first see your ride.
Once you free yourself from the herd, you get into a “Doom Buggy”. This is a small car that you can pretty much only see forward since it does surround you. It can fit 3 but 2 is preferable in my opinion. Now you get a tour of the 999 ghouls and ghosts.
There are several rooms along the way, each with a scary theme. One is a dining room, another is the attic, etc. And they are all well done, especially the back yard.
Some changes for the 50th celebration.
They have made numerous upgrades in the past year. The timing for the photos after the elevator ride has changed to a more intense effect. There are also a couple of simple lighting changes throughout the ride. One of the neat things about this ride is they always do some upgrades every year.
Changes for October to Christmas
The mansion is now a Hunted Mansion Holiday. The outside is decorated in a spooky Halloween & Christmas theme. It actually looks pretty neat. Even the pet’s graves have black and white bows (instead of the typical red/white/green colors.) In addition there are different Christmas carols being played along the cue line. All of the songs (as far as I know) are all Christmas carols but the words have been changed. Some examples are the 13 days of Christmas, wreck the halls (with bones and spiders), we wish you a scary X-Mas, scary bells, etc.
The elevator has different pictures that make use of black lights and Jack makes an entrance in there also. The pictures along the hallway are also changed and cobwebs are even more prevalent. There are a lot of character and theme changes along the ride. A few characters from a nightmare before Christmas make an appearance, but you still know it’s Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Well worth a look if you happen to make a visit during the late fall.
Height restrictions.
None.
Fast pass?
It does have fast pass. This is one of the best fast passes in the park because you get to walk straight up to the ride unlike other fast passes in the park. This is mainly for crowded days and during the holiday season when this house is all dressed up. The fast pass station is located to the left of the entrance near the train station.
One difference between the Disney and Florida version.
I am sure there are several differences but it was so long ago that I can’t remember anything specific. But there was one difference that really stood out for me both time that I visited Walt Disney World. When the lights went out in the elevator in Ca. everyone screams. It happens every time and as long as I can remember. It is some sort of weird tradition. In Florida no one screamed. It was a let down when I was there.
Location
Disneyland, Anaheim California. This is located at the far end of New Orleans Square between the train station and Splash Mountain.
Trivia.
At the dinner scene, take a look at one of the cobwebs on the glass about 10 feet from the Doom buggy. It is on the left side of the dining room scene. That is actually cracked glass courtesy of a guest. They just decorated it to look like a cobweb instead of fixing it.
At the endless hallway there is a chair with a “hidden Donald”. It is a little difficult to see.
Two I have not visually confirmed are…The wallpaper at the godfather clock is supposedly a bunch of hidden Goofy’s, and at the end of the graveyard, look at a shadow of a bird and you will see a hidden Pluto.
For a chuckle, right after that point in the elevator when you hear the “object” crash, say “ouch”.
Hidden Mickey’s I’ve confirmed.
There is an obvious on in the dining room, just look at the plates.
During the Christmas season, take a look at the cobwebs right before you get on the Doom buggy.
Disneyland Attractions.
Indiana Jones Adventure.
Space Mountain.
Tower of Terror.
Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin.
Shootin Exhibition.
Main street cinema
Main street horse drawn carriage
Goofys Bounce House.
Tarzans Treehouse
California Adventure attractions
Soar’in over California.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.
Boudin Bakery.
Mission Tortilla Factory.
Golden Dreams
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.