Haunted Mansion Backstage Tour

(This post took me 3 days to write—I’m sorry if I got a little carried away!)

This is my favorite backstage moment to date: Taking a tour of the Haunted Mansion ride in the Magic Kingdom.

Most of you know I’m a Disney nerd, but did you know that I wrote a 55 page paper on Disneyland and its counterparts? Did you know about 15 pages of that paper was devoted to the Haunted Mansion ride in particular? Let’s just say, I’m a fan. If you’re a fan too, check out this site: www.doombuggies.com!

I thought I knew a lot about the ride going into it, but upon leaving, things make a little more sense, and I was blown away by some of the effects—especially when I got to walk right up to them and see how the illusions were created.

The tour took place at 7:00am, in order to get us out of the ride before the park opened at 9:00am. The lights were all turned on and the animatronics were active, but during our walk-through, the tour was devoid of sound—creepy.

Where to begin? Well, probably with a little background knowledge. The Haunted Mansion is the only ride that is present in all five Disney parks, it has gone through numerous re-imaginings as well as displacements, since the story is different in each park it has traveled to. Here in Walt Disney World, our haunted mansion is modeled after the Victorian Gothic style. The original, in Disneyland, went through 15 years of construction—marred by Walt’s death, which came at a time that left the ride without much direction, and a fractured storyline to boot. Eventually the “people-eating,” continuously loading ride, cycles the guests through a series of tableaus, in which something spooky or funny or both occurs. Here’s Disney’s version of the summary: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/attractions/haunted-mansion/

Since the plot was unfinished, the Cast Members who became near and dear to the ride began creating stories that would flesh out some of the haunts, and answer a few of the guests’ questions. I like the mystery of the ride—it has its own goofy but surprisingly eerie feel.

I want to tell you everything, but I’m sure you’d get bored, so I’ll just glance over some of the highlights.

We started our tour in the stretch room—if you’ve ridden the Haunted Mansion before, you’ll know it. It’s a circular room with no windows or doors which is the area in which the Ghost Host introduces you to the Haunted Mansion. Halfway through the narration, the pictures on the walls begin to stretch, revealing what you thought was a mildly interesting portrait, to be the last ever image of some residents directly before their demise! Well, we listened to it once just as a Guest would, but then we listened to it again, and this time, we laid down on the ground and watched the ceiling rise—it gives you a strange sense of vertigo—especially when the ceiling comes back down in preparation for the next group of guests. Additionally, at the end of the narration, when the Ghost Host has ushered the Guests into the queue, if you linger in the room, you can hear the gargoyles on the wall whispering to you things like, “stay together,” “move quickly,” and finally, “get out!”

Our tour continued through the loading area, in which the doom buggies were spookily still. We passed by the library, in which our two servant guides, Ginger and Judy, showed us the first of six instances in which Tim Burton’s, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has been incorporated into the ride—a book on the floor with Jack Skellington’s likeness on the cover.

In the greenhouse where a dearly departed, and also nearly reanimated, family member has been laid to rest, the original narrator of the ride, before the Ghost Host’s disembodied voice overtook the role, made his first appearance—Lucifer the Raven. We got to pet him!

A few of the more haunting illusions were debunked for us. For those of you who have ridden the ride before, do you remember the floating candelabra in a long, endless hallway? Well, the hallway is pretty long, but it isn’t endless. From the forced perspective of the doom buggy, you may believe that the hallway goes on forever, but actually, about 30 feet down, there is a mirror, covered by a scrim that reflects the hallway back at the eyes of the viewers—similar to the effect some restaurants use when they put mirrors on their walls to make it look like there’s twice as many tables as there really are.

A lot of the effects in the Haunted Mansion really do rely on smoke and mirrors! For instance, in the Ballroom, where you see ghosts coming in and out of existence, you are looking down on the ballroom itself, right? Well, underneath your doom buggy, there really is a swinging wake going on. The animatronic figures are all very real, but what you’re seeing as you lean out to catch a glimpse of the deathday party is a reflection created by very specific lighting that is thrown upon an enormous plexiglass wall. Incredible, really! It’s called Pepper’s Ghost Effect if you wanted to read more about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper%27s_ghost. The funny thing is though, since it’s a reflection and everything is reversed, there is one tiny boo-boo. When you look at the dancing couples, the girls are leading the guys!

We were able to view the ballroom from all three sides—from the doom buggies, as a witness to the animatronics feasting and dancing from underneath the buggies, and finally we got to walk out into the ballroom itself! The detail in there is amazing. I saw the Hidden Mickey up close which is made by the cast members by rearranging the plates on the dinner table, and the cobwebs that were so finely constructed that now that the original maker is dead, even the Imagineers can’t figure out how he did it. The organ’s stops are engraved with names of some of the Imagineers that were integral in the making of the entire ride. And the funniest thing I saw was a book open on a table near a comfortable armchair that turned out to be a very old tome on taxes, and it was open to the page that concerned family casualty clauses.

The graveyard scene was a cacophony of effects, that even when I was walking through it slowly, I wasn’t able to see everything. The ghosts here are different than those in the ballroom—they are animatronic figures wearing what looks like a clear raincoat that when lighted properly gives their outline a very eerie effect.

If you’re a connoisseur of Hidden Mickeys (http://www.hiddenmickeysguide.com/) like me, then you might be interested to note that there’s a very prominent one right as you’re about to leave the graveyard. When you see the opera singing ghost, look to your right, and there should be a painting of a phantom, in his hand is a traditional tri-circle h=Hidden Mickey.

Oh, and I just want to point out one more thing about the graveyard. You know that dog with the man holding the lantern at the beginning of the cemetery by the gates? He looks so sad and hungry and scared that it makes me sad every time I see him. Well! He has a pile of treats in front of him, so once he looks down, he’ll be a much happier, healthier pooch.

The final scene in which the hitchhiking ghosts follow you home was very entertaining to figure out. This scene takes advantage of the fact that people can see their reflection on a mirror as well as see through plexiglass at the same time. The hitchhiking ghosts (Phineas, Ezra, and Gus, respectively—apparently Ezra (the tallest) is bad luck according to our guides) are actually on a turntable, and they follow the guests along as you watch that figure as well as yourself continue to the exit of the ride.

You may be interested in the actual story of the Mansion. Well, Disney’s official take is that whatever the Guests make up is the real story, but the Cast Members who hold out on their own version will tell you that Master Gracey, the owner of the Mansion bought it with his young fiancée and got the house for very cheap—not that they knew, but it’s discounted price was because of the few unwanted extra residents—the ghosts! On their wedding day, the husband found the bride with an unfortunate salesman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time—Master Gracey hung the young man (the man in the stretching room) and killed his bride in a jealous rage and threw her engagement ring out the window. You could see her ring at the exit to the ride up until a few years ago when the story was redone and the ring was covered over. The real curse of the mansion came though, because Madame Leota was infatuated with Master Gracey, and since he didn’t return her affections, she bewitched the entire house.

Now, the story of the bride in the attic actually has somewhat of a plotline. The Doom Buggies follow her through 5 different marriages, in all of the scenes, there is a picture of the groom and bride, their wedding certificate, and two ceramic figurines of the pair—the groom’s is always beheaded. She goes from peasantry to practically royalty, and gains a strand of pearls for each husband in the pictures in which she is displayed.

Fun things to know about the Haunted Mansion:

-There are chess pieces on the top of the house, but it’s missing one piece: a Knight, since there is a suit of armor inside which it’s supposed to represent.
-There is a spare Madame Leota head in the back room!
-Whenever you see sheet music on near a piano or an organ, it’s always a rendition of “Grim Grinning Ghosts” the song sung by the busts in the graveyard (Thurl Ravenscroft, the broken bust, is the voice who sings “You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch—though many claim he’s supposed to look like Walt Disney, it’s not true, they just DID look like each other in real life!)
-One of the Cast Member stories concerns the lady who is blowing out the candles in the ballroom—apparently she always had parties which upset Madame Leota during her séances. The psychic then cursed the woman to die in 13 years, hence the 13 candles on the birthday (oops, deathday cake).
-There is a pet cemetery on the way out of the haunted mansion which includes a duck, a snake, a poodle, and… Mr. Toad! He’s hidden in the back left corner, and was put there to commemorate Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride which is no longer in Fantasyland. He was replaced by the Winnie the Pooh ride.
-Some of the faces of the ghosts are recycled. Ceasar, seated opposite of the ghost blowing out the candles, has the same face as an old lady who is arriving from the hearse.
-The hearse at the front of the park is a real antique, and has been used in a few Western films to boot!
-The candles seem to flicker because they are made of tiny pieces of flexible plastic that are blown about by fans.
-There has been a recent addition of staircases that lead to nowhere (right before Madame Leota), which is inspired by Sarah Winchester’s Mystery House in San Jose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Mystery_House)
-The girls in the ballroom are wearing dresses that were originally used for the Disney Princesses! Originally, the princesses were able to walk around and move freely through the Guests, so the Imagineers wanted something that could be easily laundered, but now, with the viewing opportunities so much more controlled, the dresses have become more elaborate and the older versions have become obsolete—so they found their way to the Haunted Mansion!

Question/Answer time!

Katy: I went to a few classes of a class called Marketing Me and it was… well, stupid and kinda a waste of time. So I’ve dropped it, in preference of doing my own thing, but most people don’t take classes in the summer anyway, and I’ll probably sign up for a theatre course in the Fall when my hours won’t be so horrendously crazy!

Sonja: No, actually! We don’t have to, though of course I have. I know a few Cast Members who haven’t ridden either Rockin’ Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror because they’re not fans of those kind of attractions. Though, in the break room, there is a poster that has a very detailed description of the ride, so we’re at least supposed to be familiar with it, so we can answer questions like: does Rockin’ Roller Coaster go upside down? (Yes, it has one loop and two corkscrews).

Mom: Check the clocks next time you’re there! But the date is October 31, 1939. I don’t usually get to interact with people from other areas—even the break rooms have places where certain “areas” sit. Kinda highschool-ish. I do have costume envy. Especially for those who work in the countries in EPCOT, anyone at Animal Kingdom, and particularly those who work at the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique. And, yes! They really, really do, do my laundry for me—and for the thousands of other cast members working there.

One Disney “secret” I’ve learned so far? Nowhere on Disney property will you find a stick of gum for sale. It’s a cleanliness thing. You’ll find plenty of mints, but no gum!

Bringing Home the Magical Bacon

Hello, peeps!

Well, just a quick update before I head off to work. I’m really settling in, and things are always happening here, but I’m so busy all the time that it’s hard to keep up!

I’m usually starting work in the afternoon and working ‘til midnight or later. I’m learning so much about my park too. Guests ask the craziest, random questions, and since I’m wearing a nametag, I’m supposed to know everything—so I’m always keeping my eyes and ears open for trivia. Know exactly the time and date that lightning struck the Hollywood Tower Hotel? I do. Oh, and word to the wise? Wherever you’re stationed, make sure you know where the nearest bathroom is, because you’re guaranteed to be asked that at least once.

Rockin’ Roller Coaster is a fun place to work. I work both the gift, cart, and photo registers, stock both the store and the cart, and help out at “preview” where people get to look at their ride pictures. Not my favorite part. People are veeeeeeeery serious about their ride pictures. Criminy. I had one lady buy a $20 8x10 photo because she was sitting next to a guy who was part of the single riders line and it just happened to look like they were together on purpose. She wanted to buy it and put it on facebook so that her ex-husband would be jealous. Wowser.

Tower of Terror has less things to do, but it’s still a great place to interact with guests—by far the best part of the job. We ask themed questions here. Like, instead of saying “how was the ride?” you’d say “did you enjoy your stay at the Hollywood Tower Hotel?” And then when they’re leaving, “Doooooo drop in again (evil chuckle).” You know me. The theatre major really gets a kick out of staying in character like that.

Fantasmic is still my favorite part of my job. I give out “high fours” when I wear a Mickey Mitt to all the kids that walk by. I get to demonstrate and show off some of the coolest toys in the park, and have the option of decking myself out in any kind of glow stuff I want. And yet, I haven’t been to the show since I got here 

I’ve started counting out the registers at night with my coordinators and making drops at the safe. It’s a fun way to end the night.

It’s been a good ride so far. I’m having a lot of fun (but I can’t wait for Jordan to get here!). I’ll keep you guys updated. Any questions so far? I know I’m kinda talking about routine stuff—but there are sooooo many “trade secrets” that can’t end up on the internet. If you want to know anything though, just ask and I’ll try to answer!

Hahahaha, and yes, Mom, people have bought the bathrobes, and that t-shirt was with Mickey and Goofy that said “I suggest you take the stairs.”

Love ya! This is Kelsey Ingle, signing off.

Training

Hey, all!

WELL, they don't lie, they work you hard here. Today is my first day off since I began work, yeesh!

Training has been a lot of information crammed in to a short amount of time. There have been the general orientations-- like Traditions class that I talked about in my last post, but more recently, training has gotten concentrated, honing in on exactly what my job will be.

I'll be working in Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) in the area called "Hollywood Hills" which includes Rockin' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Fantasmic. I'm part of what Disney calls their "Merchantainment" Cast Members, which is a combination of Merchandise + Entertainment.

Training has ranged from being quizzed on where the nearest bathrooms and smoking areas are, to learning the tips and tricks of how to "magic" a guest's day. I might get the opportunity to call Goofy up and have him wish one of the guest's a very special birthday over the phone, trade Disney pins with another collector, or I could point out the Hidden Mickey's in my area.

That's the fun part though-- learning the registers is rough, since we only had one day of practice, and didn't even get into the particulars of our area before we were put on the floor with the full force of the summer crush of people bearing down on us, yipe! I did fine though, phew!

I work in the gift shops at both Tower and Coaster, but I also may be put on "photo" helping guests select and purchase the ride photos that they like. It's fun because they're always laughing at themselves and ready to have a good time.

But my absolute favorite part of the job is working on Fantasmic, the water/fireworks/and special effects show just down the hill from the Tower of Terror. Last night, I wore an apron with... I don't know how many pockets that I could stuff with light-up glow toys. I had so much fun just talking to guests and the kids. Some of the smaller fry were simply mesmerized by this glowing, walking, talking girl-- adorable. By the time I got back to the stock room, I had $500 dollars on me, thank goodness I learned how to count back change the Disney way and quickly. Twice I was given a $100 dollar bill for a $7 purchase-- whoa.

I'm excited to get back out there, but I have tomorrow off too. Hoping to get to the parks again sometime soon! We went out to Toy Story 3 a few days ago, which was FANNNNtastic. Then, stopped by House of Blues on Sunday since it's free to get in for CPs and on top of that it was ladies drink free night! With paid-for bus transportation on top of that... I didn't pay for a thing. Score.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Love ya. Please comment and stay in touch!!

First Days

Hey guys,

So, as you may have suspected, the past few days have been extremely eventful. I’ve checked in, gotten my room and work assignments, been through a LOT of orientation, and taken a few privileged tours onstage and offstage.

Oh, for those of you who don’t know: We speak “Disney-ese” here. That means that customers are our Guests, the staff are Cast Members, and taking a break means Going to a Tea Party and other assorted niceties. Everything here is just like a show, and it’s all geared towards keeping the magic and entertainment alive. Look at me, already forwarding the brand.

I’m getting ahead of myself—but SO much has happened. Anyway, I’m living in Vista Way, one of three apartment complexes I could have been in. It’s the “happening” place to be I’m told. I’m living with five other fun girls in a three bedroom apartment with two bathrooms, a kitchen, and laundry machines (and the pool!) right around the corner. But I’m only one room in one building out of 38 buildings just in Vista Way alone! The Disney College Program (DCP) is BIG, almost 3,000 students are here, as opposed to when it first started 30 years ago, when about 30 students worked as interns during the first program.

Vista Way

Our first day (Monday, 6/14) was spent going to “Casting” where a lot of paperwork was filled out, but instead of shuffling it in front of us—we were lead on a maze of a journey through the entire building (courteously directed the entire way, of course). I was given so many packets and folders and informational booklets—I even got my fingerprints taken!

Yesterday (Tuesday, 6/15), we sat through the Housing Welcome Session which took considerably shorter time than Casting and left us a bunch of space in the day to finish moving in, socialize, and go to a pool party at Patterson, one of the other apartment complexes. It’s so nice to have a car here. The 22 hour/3 day drive was definitely worth it (Shout out to all the people in Indianapolis I got to see on my way down! Missed you guys like crazy!)

And today was my official first day of work. I woke up at 5:30, put on my “Disney Look” approved outfit, got on a bus, and I just got back as a brand, sparkly new Cast Member myself!

Today, I attended what is called “Traditions” which is mandatory for all new Cast Members. I learned a lot about the Disney Difference, what my role is in creating it, and a few extra tidbits that make me feel a little closer to the magic. I could go on and on, but I’ll just give you the highlights.

Today I learned:

· Disney’s Motto: “We

create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages everywhere.”

· The History of the Company

· The four key values: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency

· Some more Disney-ese: Like, an area is either “bad show” if it’s messy, “good show” if it’s clean, and “show ready” if it’s prepared for Guests to view

o And, if you know someone who’s playing a character like Mickey or Cinderella, you say that she’s “best friends with Cinderella”

· Plus, so many individual testimonies and stories from both Cast Members and Guests. They really made me smile, to think that I’ll be on the other side now, helping to make the magic.

o I got to share my favorite Disney story: Goofy proposed to me one time I visited! He got right down on one knee while I was at a character breakfast, and since we were affianced, he invited my family and I to ride on a float during the Animal Kingdom’s “Jammin’ in the Jungle Parade.”

§ Since I shared, I also got a figurine of Goofy—the kind that you can ONLY get at “Traditions” class

· We even got some sneak peaks at what Disney has in store for the future

o Fantasyland is due for a renovation, and they’re working on it right now, apparently, all the Princesses are going to have their own meet and greet area. Plus, we should watch for a ride called Dueling Dumbos?

On top of all of that, we got to take a tour behind the scenes at The Magic Kingdom. You know those tunnels under the parks everyone’s always talking about? I got to walk through them! They’re called the utilidors, but that’s about all I can say—you know, keeping the magic alive and all. I CAN tell you that I know where a few secret doors are though, and if you come visit me, I may just point them out to you!

When we got back from the tour, Mickey Mouse, the big cheese himself, was waiting to give us our name tags. Mine says “Kelsey” with “Knox College” underneath it. The rumor is that tomorrow at training I’ll get a pin to attach to it that says “I’m Earning My Ears” which means I’m in training.

I do think the favorite thing I learned today was to use the Disney Point. It’s a two-fingered or open-handed point which makes giving directions a bit friendlier. I practiced it out in the parks when we were walking around on a tour with Ben, our orientation leader. In order to go “undercover” we were all given very official looking earpieces and battery packs to clip to our waistbands through which Ben was able to communicate with us. In other words, I felt ridiculously cool.

I’m just so excited to be here, and I can’t thank all of you enough for all your well wishes and encouragement. The most common reaction that I got when I told people that I was going to work at Disney this summer was: WOW, followed by a slew of questions… the second most common reaction was “Well, duh!” and that was from those who know me best.

I can’t wait to get started with my training tomorrow and Friday. I’ve also decided to take a class called “Marketing You” which I signed up for yesterday. But, since I just got my Company ID today, I think I’m going to go take advantage of that—we want to get back to the Magic Kingdom in time to see their revamped Main Street Electrical Parade tonight.

So, I’ll leave you all with this: KEEP IN TOUCH!!!

Kelsey Ingle

13501 Meadow Creek Drive

Apt. 603

Orlando, FL 32821

Email: kelsey.ingle@gmail.com

Phone: 262-951-0168 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              262-951-0168      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 262-951-0168 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (I have unlimited texting)

Oh, and, please comment!

Tomorrow's the BIG day!

Hey, everyone!

Welp! Tomorrow's the day I move into my new apartment, meet a bunch of people I'll live and work with, and start a summer filled with loads of adventures. Back in February, I was accepted into the Disney College Program in which I'll be working Merchandise as well as living and taking classes at the Disney Resort... and I simply can't wait to get started.

A bit about me:

I'm a senior at Knox College in Galesburg, IL where I'm studying Theatre and English Literature. I call Waukesha, WI my home, which is 20 minutes outside of Milwaukee. I am a member of the Beta-Delta chapter of Pi Beta Phi, I have studied abroad in Dublin for a semester, and I've always, always been a Disney fan.

I've been to the parks... oh... upwards of 15 times, but this is the first time I'll see it from the other side-- working and living there! I'll be here until the beginning of January and between now and then I'm hoping to have done a ton of things to write home about-- hence, this blog.

What I'd like to accomplish with this blog:

I hope to answer some of your questions about what the Disney College Program is and does, keep my friends and family updated on my life (instead of telling the story a hundred times, you know how it goes), and to record my time here in a more personal fashion than mass-emails. Thanks for taking the time to check in-- please leave a comment!

I hope to start a FAQ kind of deal sometime soon, but for now, I'm gonna grab some shut-eye before waking up at 5:30am tomorrow for check-in. Haven't seen that side of 6 o'clock in a long time! Hahaha, night, all :)