One of the reasons that Disney sets itself apart from the other Theme Parks is because of its attention to detail. Even the little figure in the popcorn cart outside the mansion is themed. What a freaky little dude!
As you are waiting to enter the Mansion, there is plenty to see! This night shot shows the queue as you wind around the side of the house, taking you by the Pet Cemetery. Some of the tombstones are especially amusing, such as this one of poor ol’ Flybait. He croaked on August 9, 1869, just 100 years before the Mansion opened.
And one for FiFi the poodle:
Poor Little Lilac; lacked common scents. I can only imagine what happened to her...fortunately she won’t be spraying guests anytime soon.
This ol’ bird watches over the guests as they wind around the queue; included is a closeup of the sculptor’s sig:
These little birds are just taunting poor little putty. I’m sure at night when the spooks come out, they don’t stand a chance.
Here’s a nice juicy closeup of the brick wall directly behind the Pet Cemetery:
And a few random views to round out this post:
See more Haunted Mansion (both recent and vintage) photos at my website.
More from the Disney Family Museum: Here’s a preview of the next Gallery:
Gallery 8 - Walt and The Natural World:
Walt—who had a love of nature since his youth in Marceline—also ventured into live-action documentaries during the ‘40s and early ‘50s. The first of these was a nature documentary, Seal Island, a 27-minute account of the seasonal habits of seals that won the 1949 Academy Award™ for best two-reel documentary. Later documentaries in the series, “TrueLife Adventures” continued to focus on nature, while “People and Places” highlighted peoples and destinations around the world.
Exhibits in the gallery include some of the specialized equipment used in the production of the “True-Life Adventures” series.
Download a factsheet on the museum here.
6 comments:
Most of the statues seen in the pet cemetary can be purchased as garden statuary from your local hardware store. A good source is Roger's Gardens just a short trip to Newport Beach. While at Roger's you can see the original Disneyland gazebo.
Talk about a buzzkill! Had no idea they used off-the-shelf for that. How disappointing.
Wow, that's an amazing factoid, Matterhorn!
I wonder what came first, the opening credits for "Frankenweenie" (1984), or the pet cemetery?
I remember the old pet cemetary, behind the mansion just to the left of the exit door. I forgot to check to see if it was still there last week, as we were being briskly escorted out of the ride as it was malfunctioning and EVERYONE had to leave! Quite a sight to see that many people leaving out the FRONT door...
Matt - stay tuned for next week's Haunted Mansion post and you will see photos of the "hidden" Pet Cemetery.
Haunted Mansion could be my favorite attraction overall - especially when the holiday-themed Nightmare Before Christmas additions are in place.
"If you would like to join our jamboree,
There's a simple rule that's compulsory.
Mortals pay a token fee.
Rest in peace, the haunting's free.
So hurry back, we would like your company!"
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