This blog was created partly to showcase how rides are made. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at parts of Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion. These original photos have never been posted online until now.

It's been over a year since we started this blog and I'm shocked that this is the first post entirely about The Haunted we've ever done. Shocker because the Mansion has been #2 on my "Favorite Attractions" list since childhood-- right between Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise with Carousel of Progress, Tom Sawyer Island, PeopleMover, Country Bear Jamboree, Tiki Room, and Matterhorn following closely behind. Also to add to the shock of there never being a Haunted Mansion post is the fact that a couple of us here at the blog have spent many many quality hours in every corner of the Mansion. And what a dream that was.

Ballroom Organist head. Every few years animatronic head-skins wear out, become covered in fingerprints of engineers, or fade-- or all three. Every few decades (it may seem) they get fixed. The colors need to be bright for the ghostly illusion to work- I'll say no more.

Nice hands, buddy.

Nice neck, Lady.

Butyrate (clear plastic) makes up the outer shell of most every Disney animatronic figure- although the shell is almost never seen by guests except in the Mansion where it remains visible to give the illusion of transparent spirits. You'll notice it turns very yellow with time.



The howling sounds you hear outside in the queue area are those of this dog. A skeleton dog with a streak of hair on it's back moves forward and back with a bit of head movement. You may have never noticed him there on the back hill of the cemetery across the singing busts unless he has clean layer of white paint.

(Above right) The backside of a pop-up head and tombstones.



(Above Right) The underside of the bat-covered moving walkway at unload.

The now extinct spider and web. The Mansion spiders were identical to the ones you see in the Jungle Cruise temple. (And no, that ain't a freekin' hidden Mickey).

Guess who's who. Junk piles collecting dust in a space behind the Grand Ballroom. A portion of a projector- one of Madame Leota's projectors perhaps? You can see bits of film still inside.

Broken fiberglass torch-holding hand you'll see above the unload walkway. I'm sure you recognize the blue guy on the right.

This was not meant to unveil any special Mansion secrets- there are plenty of sites dedicated to that.

Related posts:

ABANDONED DISNEY: Country Bear Max (old animatronic dear head found under Haunted Mansion Track)

ABANDONED DISNEY Series Announced (with old Horizons animatronics found under Carousel of Progress)

I Miss Paul Frees

Hidden Mickey Controversy [Part 2]