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River Belle
04-28-2008, 12:22 PM
Haunted Mansion, "swinging wake" scene (long, straight ballroom section [dancing ghosts, ghost blowing out candles, etc.] before you enter the attic)...

If you turn and look behind your doom buggy, you'll see a wheelchair. It's ALWAYS there. Someone once told me some creepy story about this wheelchair, which I think is totally FALSE. BUT--does anyone know why it's there?

I'm thinking it's for practical purposes, like if the ride breaks down and a guest needs assistance exiting the attraction. Does anyone know for sure?

tHeDiSnEyKiD
04-28-2008, 12:41 PM
Idk, but I was on it yesterday and you're starting to scare me...

Bolivar
04-28-2008, 01:25 PM
I don't know about the wheelchair, but you know about the huge sheet of glass, the bullet hole and the fake spider right? (OK BB gun hole -- bullet hole just sounds so much more dramatic)

Boo's Mommy
04-28-2008, 01:31 PM
Ok Bolivar, you're pulling our leg, right? If not, please.... do tell! I love these kinds of stories!

My dh was chatting with a lady who is a CM for the Haunted Mansion ride and she told him about stories from there. That was cool, but I don't recall him mentioning any of these! The story he did relay to me was about the cursed table in Madame Liota's room that no CM dares to touch or move!

The Evil Queen
04-28-2008, 01:35 PM
What stories? Wheelchairs? Bullet Holes? Cursed Tables? Tell me, tell me! I want to know, too! :eek:

Bytebear
04-28-2008, 01:52 PM
There is a bb gun hole in the glass. It is disguised as a spiderweb because it would cost too much to replace the glass.

The wheelchair is simply there in case of emergencies.

Now, don't even ask me about the Hatbox Ghost.

hapyg0luky
04-28-2008, 02:40 PM
OK you all
You can't just mention these little tidbits with out telling the whole story people. :p Need more info. Hatbox Ghost?!? More more more!

odnamraortsac
04-28-2008, 03:07 PM
Look for the BB gun hole in the second pane of glass of the Grand Canyon Diorama. I recall it being there since the late 1960's.

DisneyFanKat
04-28-2008, 03:09 PM
I've seen the bullet hole / spider.... Never seen the wheel chair.

I wanna hear about this Hatbox ghost and cursed table!!??

Someone told me a long time ago that there is a gold ring somewhere on the ground as you exit that is supposed to be the bride's (I soooo know her name but of course it escapes me at this moment) lost wedding ring? Anyone ever heard or know anything about that?

Tan Da Man
04-28-2008, 03:32 PM
All Ive heard of is the bullet hole..

Mark Mywords
04-28-2008, 03:42 PM
Look for the BB gun hole in the second pane of glass of the Grand Canyon Diorama. I recall it being there since the late 1960's.

The story goes that both the Diorama hole and the Haunted Mansion hole were made on the same day by a kid who managed to smuggle in a bb gun.

Back on topic... I've heard the wheelchair story (probably in a really old thread). Something to do with the original owner dying in the attraction...the usual urban legend stuff. If memory serves, it's really just there in case of the need for evacuation.

Malcon10t
04-28-2008, 03:45 PM
I don't know about the wheelchair, but you know about the huge sheet of glass, the bullet hole and the fake spider right? (OK BB gun hole -- bullet hole just sounds so much more dramatic)I believe it was a .22. The same guy shot the hole in the diorama and killed snowflakes (in Adventures into Inner Space.)

Bytebear
04-28-2008, 03:46 PM
Here is what Wikipedia says about the Hatbox Ghost:


The Hatbox Ghost is the most seen and most bizaare ghost. The ghost had a skull face with popping eyes that was hunched over and held a cane, and sported a top hat. In his left hand was a hatbox that was shrouded in fog. With every beat of the bride's heart, his head would disappear and reappear in the box. After two weeks of the attraction's run the ghost was removed without a trace. No records of it exist, nobody knows where it is or where it went. Only pictures remain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Haunted_Mansion_characters


From the same article as above:


An interesting urban legend is that the bride's "ring" is embedded in the ground outside the Magic Kingdom version of the ride down the exit pathway. In reality, this is from a crowd-control stanchion that was cut down.

Here is a drawing of the Hatbox Ghost:

http://www.invinciblestudios.com/hatbox.html

Now when you enter the Seance room, look toward the wall near the entrance of the room. It is behind you as you enter, so you can only see it as you travel around the room. You will see a feint image of a face appear on the wall. That is the last remnant of the Hatbox Ghost.

Cnjp
04-28-2008, 06:24 PM
For more information and actual pictures of the Hatbox Ghost, including one of him in the Haunted Mansion, just follow the link below. It is a page from the DoomBuggies website, which is devoted to the Haunted Mansion attractions.

http://www.doombuggies.com/myths2.php

DisneyFanKat
04-28-2008, 09:54 PM
Here is what Wikipedia says about the Hatbox Ghost:



From the same article as above:



Here is a drawing of the Hatbox Ghost:

http://www.invinciblestudios.com/hatbox.html

Now when you enter the Seance room, look toward the wall near the entrance of the room. It is behind you as you enter, so you can only see it as you travel around the room. You will see a feint image of a face appear on the wall. That is the last remnant of the Hatbox Ghost.



That image in the seance room freaks me out!!! Has it always been there? I've only really noticed it the past year or so. Maybe I just never happened to look that way before.

I don't ever remember seeing the hatbox ghost either!!?? And this is one of my favorite rides! I'm obviously not terribly observant! haha

Thanks for sharing everyone - gonna check those sites out again! :)

ralfrick
04-29-2008, 06:58 AM
The hatbox ghost was removed within a few months of the Mansion's opening because the effect didn't work properly. There are photos in "The E Ticket" #32 if you can find a copy.

Cheers.

TTFN92
04-29-2008, 07:03 AM
Now when you enter the Seance room, look toward the wall near the entrance of the room. It is behind you as you enter, so you can only see it as you travel around the room. You will see a feint image of a face appear on the wall. That is the last remnant of the Hatbox Ghost.

I'll definitely be looking for that this weekend. :eek:

newhdplayer
04-29-2008, 08:38 AM
Neat stuff. Where else would you get this but on MP?

ralfrick
04-29-2008, 02:14 PM
Neat stuff. Where else would you get this but on MP?

http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Secrets.html

You'll need a lot of time. Don't know how much this has been updated recently, so some may be out of date, but lot's of good stuff here as far as secrets and fun facts. And I've never even bothered with the hidden Mickeys sections of the site.

If you like this stuff, you should read the David Koening books (Mouse Tales, More MT, Realityland), and any back-copy you can find of the E Ticket magazine

Cheers.

newhdplayer
04-29-2008, 02:20 PM
That was more of a rhetorical question. I've got the Koenig books, and go on Mickey quests with my daughter every time we go. but thanks for the reminder about that web-site. totally slipped my mind. Thanks.

ralfrick
04-30-2008, 10:10 AM
Thought as much newhdplayer, but like to toss those out every now and then. Especially the Hidden Mickey website, since even those that find it may not realize that there is a lot of non-HM stuff there. It's where I first found out about:

The apple outside Snow White.
The roaring leopard in Tarzan's Treehouse.
The well rope and pole (now gone) in the Indy queue.
One can ask to ride in the Mark Twain wheelhouse.
One can ask to ride in the DLRR tender right behind the cab.

And much, much more.

Cheers.

piglet 05
05-03-2008, 08:50 AM
I've seen the bullet hole / spider.... Never seen the wheel chair.

I wanna hear about this Hatbox ghost and cursed table!!??

Someone told me a long time ago that there is a gold ring somewhere on the ground as you exit that is supposed to be the bride's (I soooo know her name but of course it escapes me at this moment) lost wedding ring? Anyone ever heard or know anything about that?

yes altho i think it was in wdw. i have pictures of it somewhere. it was right outside the exit to the HM. after you get out from under the awning when you exit the bldg, and right after you see the grave markings for all the husband/wives on the left, its on the floor. it does look like a worn-away ring or circular piece of brass. the story is supposedly the bride threw it out the window and there it landed. for the life of me i of course cant find the photo :P

Bolivar
05-04-2008, 07:56 AM
So I posted the tidbit about the bb gun hole and haven't been around to follow-up.

The way the room with the dancing ghosts works is that you are in the doom buggy above rooms with animatronic dancers. Between you and the ballroom is a huge sheet of glass the goes wall to wall ceiling to where ever it goes at the bottom. It is angled so that it reflects the animatronic people under you. So you see them reflected in the glass, but you also see the room through the glass, making them look like ghosts. The lights are turned out on the animatrons and you don't see them anymore, they disappear.

That glass is so big that is was installed during the construction of the building. Shortly after the attraction opened some kid brought in a BB gun (that is what I heard) and shot a hole in the glass. To replace it they would have to remove the roof from the building. So, they glued a fake spider over the hole and had someone from the art department paint a spider web on the glass to make the spider look like it should be there.

piglet 05
05-04-2008, 08:46 AM
So I posted the tidbit about the bb gun hole and haven't been around to follow-up.

The way the room with the dancing ghosts works is that you are in the doom buggy above rooms with animatronic dancers. Between you and the ballroom is a huge sheet of glass the goes wall to wall ceiling to where ever it goes at the bottom. It is angled so that it reflects the animatronic people under you. So you see them reflected in the glass, but you also see the room through the glass, making them look like ghosts. The lights are turned out on the animatrons and you don't see them anymore, they disappear.

That glass is so big that is was installed during the construction of the building. Shortly after the attraction opened some kid brought in a BB gun (that is what I heard) and shot a hole in the glass. To replace it they would have to remove the roof from the building. So, they glued a fake spider over the hole and had someone from the art department paint a spider web on the glass to make the spider look like it should be there.

discussing the glass reflections, that is why the animitronic dancers are actually incorrect. the ladies are leading because the reflection is then backwards and the imagineers forgot that it would be shown to the audience "backwards". so the women are leading the men in dl and wdw. they havent corrected the "problem" here in the states. hubby thinks in france they did it correctly when they built that park. but here in the states the men arent leading. oops :) just a tidbit...

piglet 05
05-04-2008, 08:54 AM
as for the hatbox ghost, in the recent past 2 years, even tho they dont include the ghost in the attractions, they have started making products with him at disneyshopping.com and other official sites. currently there is nothing there with him but there have been pins and even a 2-3ft statue (that the hubby wanted but we have no room for or a lawn to put it on haha). true diehard HM fans know/knew what he was/is but most folks dont.

if you want to really learn a lot more about the HM's around the world, get the book by jason surrill who's an imagineer. it tells us a lot of stories about the attractions for each park (asia and europe also). some of the backstories are more in a speculation mode but most people follow those stories anyway because its the closest glimpse for fans to know why things are the way they are or happened the way they did... this author also did a pirates of the caribbean book also. so you can pick up both and learn about both attractions :) they are great resources...