Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: NBC Takes Over The Mansion

No, I’m not referring to the TV network; I’m talking about Nightmare Before Christmas. Changes begin every September to convert the Haunted Mansion into a Tim Burton Festival, with Jack Skellington, Sally, and Zero in tow. Here are some before-hand shots (from 2006), showing what happens behind the fence as the castmembers begin the conversion.







See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: A Swinging Wake!

Just when I thought I was done with the Mansion as far as photographs go, along comes a new low-light lens. Here are a few shots from the cemetery (with no flash!) that I have been unable to get in the past. The first one, although a little blurry, is what you first see as you are exiting the attic area, and provides a nice overview of the swinging wake occurring with the 999.





Next time your mama tells you to wear a helmet, listen to her—or else this could be you.



Here are some of the original vintage publicity shots of the Cemetery:







And the same scene today:









One of my friends shared a photo of his Marc Davis maquette, designed for the graveyard scene. Davis sure had a way with expression and characterization. This figure is funny and creepy all at the same time.



This photo is of one of the pop-up ghosts in the graveyard. Who knew that ghosts wore silk?



Here’s what’s going on behind the tombstone with the pop-up ghost.



And a fittingly final photo for today:



See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: Dying to get out & Ghostly Portraits

This area is one of my faves on the HM: the creepy green hands trying to pry open the coffin in a huge solarium filled with funeral bouquets.



And don’t forget about the glowing-eyed raven:



Down the hall a little ways are these Ghostly Portraits hanging on the walls in the Hallway of Doors. The gentleman with the crown on his head greatly resembles the infamous Hatbox Ghost...he also seems to enjoy multiple spots in the same area.

















This area is also where the eerie Thirteen Hour Clock is located. What a fantastic touch, with its hands rotating backwards!







And how about a sample of the pattern from one of the Mansion’s wallpapers?



See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: Changing Portraits 3

This is the before & after of the 3rd portrait you encounter in the hallway.



See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: Changing Portraits 2

#2 in the series of Changing Portraits in The Hallway. Amazing what a little lightning can do to a seemingly benign painting.



See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: Three Men in Quicksand, Zorro, & Swann Galleries

Here’s the 4th in a series of 4: the stretch-portraits (originals by Marc Davis) from the HM elevator.



And a recent set of photos I took at the mansion showing the unfurling of one of the elevator stretch portraits.







And a few more images from the Zorro Viewmaster set (see yesterday’s post for the first set!):

“Don Diego played his part — a studious dandy.”



“‘Help me!’ said Torres, ‘I am falsely charged with treason!”



“‘Your return is unexpected,’ sneered the Commandante.”



“I fear you return to a troubled land, my son.”



And as if this wasn’t enough, how about some very rare Disney art to kick off your weekend? On November 9, Swann Auction Galleries presents The James B. Parks Collection of Fine Prints tracing the history of Modern Art from the 1700s through the 20th Century. Parks was unusual in his regard for the artistry of Walt Disney and there are three Disney items in the auction, including an original production cel of Snow White and Bashful, circa 1937 ($4,000 to $6,000).

Lot 182: Snow White and Bashful, Walt Disney Studios. Original production cel, the cut-out figures on a watercolor background, circa 1937.



Lot 183: Walt Disney’s Three Caballeros, Walt Disney Studios. Color crayon and oil stick poster maquette on smooth, cream wove paper, circa 1944. (“Three Caballeros” was the seventh animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.)



Lot 184: Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney Studios. Original production cel, late 1950s/early 1960s.



Lot 185: Two concept drawings: Mickey with Coins and Goofy Spitting Coins, Walt Disney Studios. Both pencil and yellow crayon on cream wove paper, 1940s/1950s.





To see more about the auction, visit their website. Thanks to Swann for sharing these AMAZING images with my readers!

See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.