Hatbox Ghost Returns

Over 45 years after its short stay and removal, the Hatbox Ghost has made its return to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion to rejoin the other spirited inhabitants. The Rumor Mill said that there might be a soft opening of the Mansion on May 8, giving diehard fans a chance to see "Hattie" before the masses. On the positive side, I had the pleasure of meeting Peter and Atomic Redhead at the gate; sadly, the sign stated that the Mansion was not open.



Attempting to squeeze out a little lemonade, I took a few Mansion shots sans guests through the fence.



Throughout the day, I continued to check back, hoping that the situation would change. All I got was a little more lemonade.



Lemonade from a different view…



and another. While taking shots from this angle, I noticed some cast members entering the Mansion through the exit area. I got excited thinking maybe…but alas, they were entering for a cast member only preview. Regular mortals were not invited.



The next day brought new hope, and I was able to meet some fellow Mansion enthusiasts, including Gavin of gavinottesonart (holding Javier's head), Hayzen from Podketeers, and the legendary Jeff Baham of doombuggies.com.



Finally, the rope was dropped and a large number of peeps walked very quickly towards the Mansion gates.



The line curved around to New Orleans Square.



Wow.



And then it was time to enter!



One of the cast members motioning us into the Mansion.



It seemed like an eternity before hopping onto my doombuggy in the queue.



The anticipation built until I approached the end of the attic and saw…THE HATBOX GHOST!



The effect worked like a charm, and the motion of the figure was fluid.





What I like best about the Hatbox Ghost is that he fits into the original look and feel of the Mansion. He doesn't stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, unlike his female counterpart across the way. If you haven't seen him yet, get yourself over to the Mansion. Now.

For more Hatbox Ghost photos visit my main website.

The Haunted Mansion's Biggest Fan

When the Hatbox Ghost was unveiled on May 9, 2015, I had the pleasure of meeting the Haunted Mansion's biggest fan, Carter, who (not surprisingly) was also standing in line awaiting the debut of "Hattie." He very kindly agreed to answer a number of questions I sent to him about his love for one of Disneyland's most popular attractions.

When did you first ride the Haunted Mansion?

I believe I was around five years old when my parents first felt I was fit to handle it. As preparation, they had shown me the Grim Grinning Ghosts sing-along video with the dancing trees, and I loved it.


Photo credit: instagram.com/Roby_999_

Were your parents fans of the HM?

They have always enjoyed the attraction, but never to the extent that I ended up obsessing over it.



How many different Mansions have you been to?

I have been to California’s and Florida’s Haunted Mansion. I prefer California’s, probably because I’m used to it. It’s my Alma Mansion.

What is your favorite scene?

The ballroom scene is certainly where I feel that the brilliance of the of the ride’s effects materializes the strongest. Using Pepper’s Ghost Effect at that scale and level of precision created such a convincing way to fake ghostly apparitions. It’s so convincing, in fact, that many, many riders falsely assume that Disney is using futuristic, holographic technology.

What is your least favorite scene?

I had to choose between the attic and the seance circle, and I went with the more-popular opinion: the attic. The attic does not contain one effect that I find convincing or impressive. First of all, the wedding portraits with the disappearing heads almost never seem to be working properly. Even when they are, although the effect is a lot more complex, I doubt that the average rider could tell them apart from those store-bought, lenticular changing portraits. The shadowy piano player usually works fine, but I just find it unimpressive. Constance Hatchaway simply looks like a flat image on a mannequin, which is basically what she is, although I like her storyline. By the way, I don’t count the new Hatbox Ghost’s outdoor balcony as being part of the attic, and I have no complaints about him.



What would YOU like to add to the mansion if it were up to you?

This is actually something I think about a lot. I hope to be a Disney Imagineer in the future, and I’m always fantasizing about being in charge of a far-in-the-future Mansion refurbishment. If I were to only add one thing, though, it would be the floating Doombuggy. With trackless ride technology rapidly improving, in twenty or so years, I have hope that I’ll be able to help develop a trackless, magnetic omnimover system for Haunted Mansion that would allow each individual Doombuggy to float on its own at various points in the ride.



Do you collect Mansion memorabilia? If so, what is your favorite piece?

I have plenty of Mansion collectibles, but I don’t actively collect them. I’d have to say that my most treasured piece is not something you can buy. On my tenth birthday, I was evacuated on Haunted Mansion and got to walk through half of the ride. The re-entry pass they gave me as reconciliation for the technical difficulties is something I now hold dear to my heart.



Which Mansion is your favorite? Regular or Jack Skellington version and why?

Haunted Mansion Holiday, which I call “Jacked-Up” Mansion (JUM), is very enjoyable to me when it’s in-season. Of course, JUM is just a clever reinterpretation of classic Haunted Mansion that shows what it would be like if Jack Skellington decorated it for Christmas. You just can’t beat regular Haunted Mansion. In the end, though, I like them both.

When the Mansion is closed, what’s your next favorite attraction to ride?

Pirates of the Caribbean, of course. Mansion and Pirates are the two attractions that make me feel the greatest sense of Disneyland history. They’re both old classics that still manage to amaze new audiences.

What is your most cherished Haunted Mansion experience?

I would have to say my favorite experience at Haunted Mansion was when I met my goal on Disneyland’s 59th anniversary. My goal was to ride my favorite ride 59 times that day, and I did. The best part was that I made some great friends there that day: Laura, Kassy, and Serena. Laura and Kassy came back to visit me at the end of the night to see me reach my goal, and Serena later helped me start my Mansion Mayhem show. Although I had a great time riding it 71 times in a row this May, I didn’t get the same sense of accomplishment, since I didn’t reach my goal of 100 rides.


Photo credit: instagram.com/Roby_999_

More Haunted Mansion stories and photos at my main website.

60th Anniversary Trip, Pt. 14: The Haunted Mansion

Today's journey to Disneyland takes us on an in-depth tour of the Haunted Mansion, probably one of the most famous attractions at the Park. Feast your eyes on the panoramic view of the entrance. With all of the anticipated traffic for the Hatbox Ghost, the Fast Pass area was open again.





See no evil.



Lovely Charmaine was working the Fast Pass area.



The queue has lots of details to keep my camera busy:





It didn't take long to get to the foyer, where it appeared that some of the cobwebs had been cleaned off.



How many Mansion fans have purchased this Victorian pattern for their own home?



For all of you Stretch-Portrait fans, here is a shot of each one, beginning with Alexander Nitrokoff:



The Tightrope Girl:



The Widow Patecleaver:



and the poor gents sinking into the quicksand:



Finally, we reach the end of the journey:



EVERYONE has skeletons in their attic…so to speak:



A few animated gifs of the Changing Portraits:





As well as the dimensional bust in the loading queue hallway:



I am in light fixture heaven...



What? How did Charmaine get here so quickly?



The ghostly green effect in the loading queue area:



This Rolly Crump chair is one of the few items from his Museum of the Weird that made it into the final Mansion:



Dying to get out of the Conservatory:



The 13 Hour Clock. Who couldn't use an extra hour each day?



Madame Leota; somebody needs to fasten her back to that table.



A windy Ballroom:



One of these days I'll get a decent shot OVER the railing:



Let's hope that chandelier continues to hold this trio of revelers:



The Shooting Portraits:





The duel that goes on forever:





The Ghostly Organist



And then we enter the attic, which has photos of all of Constance's (dead) hubbies:









This shadow effect of the pianist is one of my favorite things to see in the attic:



Constance herself, who has just been upstaged by...



the Hatbox Ghost:













Instead of a hat, the Cemetery Caretaker is holding a lantern:



A panoramic view of the Grim Grinning Ghosts so that you can see all of them at once:



A few shots of the very difficult-to-shoot Cemetery:













The appearance of the Hitchhiking Ghosts signals that yet another tour of the Mansion is almost over.



The creepy Hand Sconce that I can't get enough of!



And Little Leota:



Let's zoom in on her so that we can enjoy her beautiful face up close:



MANY more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my main website.