999 Ghosts...There’s Always Room For One More At Haunted Mansion!
Written: Feb 24 '03 (Updated Feb 24 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: overall good theme, good way of showing "spookiness"
Cons: little kids may be frightened
The Bottom Line: An attraction with ghosts, goblins, and creepy music. But hey! It was good!
|
|
|
| jetbluefan1's Full Review: The Haunted Mansion |
Fun, fun, fun and more fun is all you hear when you go to Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Kissimmee. It’s nice to see Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck walking around and entertaining the crowds, but have you ever thought that there is another side to Disney? An evil side - ghosts, dead people dancing, spooky graveyards - it’s all at the Haunted Mansion!
Line
The line is all outdoors and to tell the truth, it’s not a very friendly place to stand in line. First off all, there is an old cobblestone path with many cracks in between (made intentionally to make the atmosphere more spooky). This coblestone path is below a long canopy that has small lights in red glass flickering on and off. Out of the line is a garden which also acts as a graveyard. Tombstones say funny things such as “Jack Ronaldo, born 1842, died 1926 after being dropped on his head”...or, “Lili Goluptom, born 1897, died 1976 after hearing Michael Jackson’s first song.” Some tombstones are hidden inside the garden and are hard to see. Other tombstones are right next to the line which has rails showing up to how far you can go.
To top off the creepiness, there are ghost sounds, or perhaps wolf sounds....feel the scream tension coming on yet?
Now, The Feature Presentation....
The workers of the ride really help make the atmosphere spooky. They walk really slowly and always have that glint in the eye that makes them look evil. They talk really slowly and loudly while herding the crowd into the main entrance. The main entrance is in a room is the shape of a hexagon. A voice up top tells everyone to try to move into the “dead center.” Next, the doors close and you are there all alone...unless you want to count everyone else who is in there with you. Next, the “ghost” comes on the speakers and tells everyone to look up. The pictures on the walls are really images and make it look like the ceiling is rising since the images stretch. Now, it is time to enter the vehicles...
The vehicles seat two, but sometimes if there is a smaller child with you, the vehicles can hold up to three. These vehicles are like small semi-circles that follow the continuous line of vehicles. Each vehicle is attached to each other, also. The vehicle is a large circular seat with a large handle-bar to hold onto if needed. Then, the speakers in your ears will come on and tell you that the ghosts will lower the bar for you!
First we went into a room full of floating instruments. These instruments weren’t exactly everyday instruments - they were more like organ-type instruments. They were played with no one except ghosts who appeared out of nowhere!
Next, you go into a cemetery with sounds of ghosts moaning and pleading to come out of their graves. Others ask for you to come down with them! Some tombstones actually move and make sound effects. The cemetery looks old an creepy, and of course, as all the rooms in the beautiful mansion, it is dark.
Next, you go into the ball room. Lucky you! You’re right in time for the ball. There, ghosts appear and reappear right before your eyes! There’s spooky music on the organ and ghosts siting and enjoying their ghost and goblin soup. There are 999 ghosts here - there’s always room for one more!
The next room is the last stage of the attraction. Here, you go in front of a mirror and a ghost appears to be sitting in the vehicle with you! If you look directly into the mirror, you’ll see a ghost sitting between your own body and the person next to you. This is just an image on the mirror, however. In between the mirrors are green faces that keep changing from frowning faces to screaming faces!
The ride finally comes to an end and the ghosts lift your bar up for you...just remember to come back and visit once again!
Conclusion
So who would like this? I can tell you that my seven year old cousin enjoyed it yet was a bit spooked out during some parts. My five year old cousin was crying after we got out, and I loved it - but I’m not a kid. Perhaps younger kids won’t enjoy the ride as much due to the fact that there is a lot of spooky music and the images of ghosts may spook them out. They may also be frightened by the dark atmosphere, but it really depends on the personality of the child.
Overall, I would definitely recommend it for whoever is willing to try it. I liked how the atmosphere was made so spooky - the ghosts, music, images appearing then disappearing. I also liked how you were immediately transformed from a fun and delightful atmosphere in the park - to a spooky and scary atmosphere when first stepping into line for the Haunted Mansion. If you have the guts, go ahead, but just remember...999 Ghosts...There’s Always Room For One More At Haunted Mansion!
Visit my Disney World review at:
http://www.epinions.com/content_89126309508
Visit my Magic Kingdom review at:
http://www.epinions.com/content_85089226372
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.