The Haunted Mansion has been a beloved staple of the Disney theme parks for fifty years now. The creepy Antebellum manor house has some of the most dedicated aficionados in all of Disney fandom. And over the years, they have shown their dedication to the mansion in lots of interesting ways. We’ve seen some incredible cosplay, not to mention all kids of fan art. But now, one Haunted Mansion superfan has found a way to bring the spooky joy of the beloved attraction into your home for hours at a time. Ten whole hours at a time in fact!
A YouTuber by the name of Disney Dan has taken the world famous organ music from the Haunted Mansion, and combined it with the soothing sounds of a rainstorm. With a proper dash of thunder and lightning thrown in of course. As fans who journey into the mansion frequently are aware, it’s always perpetual bad weather outside the spooky manor’s walls. The background for this video is the supremely creepy hall of portraits, featuring the infamous Medusa woman and the cat lady perching in her chair, among others.
This video goes on a full ten hour loop, so if you want to bring some of the mansion’s atmosphere into your own abode, you can just cast it to your television and have it run all day! And of course, it’s the perfect background for any Halloween party. Although this Mansion fan would have it on any old time of year.
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Although the Mansion’s narration by the late great actor Paul Frees is missing, there are other elements that pop up from the attraction besides the organ music and the sounds of rain and thunder. Portions of the speech from Madame Leota occasionally can be heard, an one can sometimes see her floating head inside a crystal ball. The bride from the attic also makes an appearance, warning any and all prospective grooms. And the singing busts from the graveyard make a quick cameo too, faintly singing about those “grim, grinning ghosts” who love to come out to socialize.
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The Haunted Mansion is one the Disney theme park’s most popular attractions, and one of the last attractions that Walt Disney himself personally oversaw before his death in 1966. It’s currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, as the first version of the mansion opened in New Orleans Square at Disneyland on August 9th, 1969 (fascinatingly enough, the same day as the infamous Manson murders shocked the world). Another version opened up in Walt Disney World in 1971, although its facade was more New England style than the one in the Anaheim park.
Since its opening, the 999 Happy Haunts who inhabit the mansion have attracted a fandom larger than almost any other single Disney attraction. The mansion is currently celebrating it’s “Big Five-Oh” with a special gingerbread house made especially for the grand occasion. The house is on display in the Disneyland version of the ride, which is currently in the midst of its annual Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay featuring characters from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Images: Disney Parks