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Credit: DisneyThe Haunted Mansion is one of the most prolific and iconic attractions at the Disney Parks. From Disneyland and Walt Disney World across the Atlantic to Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney, the haunted halls of Gracey Manor have given Guests thrills and chills for generations. However, not all the ghosts have been so friendly.
The idea that a project from Disney would be 100% genuinely scary is a bit farfetched, but there was a time when the Haunted Mansion had a few tricks that truly had Guests quaking in their Doom Buggies.
Spiders and Screamers at the Haunted Mansion
An old urban legend about Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion says that the original version of the attraction was supposedly way scarier than the ride we know now. Some say it even resulted in one of the Disney staff having a heart attack after he disembarked. While that’s essentially just hearsay from very passionate fans, the ride was much scarier at one point.
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Many Haunted Mansion buffs are familiar with the Candle Man, Captain Gore, and the infamous One-Eyed Cat that never made it into the ride, but some fully-installed features made it to completion. However, they were reportedly deemed too scary for Gracey Manor’s Guests.
@fastpassfacts Disney Removed this Effect because it was too Scary #disneyparkstiktok #thehauntedmansion #disneyanimatronics #waltdisneyworldparks
@fastpassfacts is a behind-the-scenes Disney fan channel that goes into great detail on many iconic rides, especially the Haunted Mansion in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The post above about the removed spider animatronics might not be the most frightening addition to the attraction, but arachnophobes everywhere would disagree.
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Additionally, animatronics weren’t the only eerie element removed from the ride. At one time, Disney employed scare actors to portray an axe-wielding suit of armor to jumpscare Guests that rode through the endless hallway.
Costumed characters hired to jump out at Guests sounds more like something out of Halloween Horror Nights at Unviersal Studios, not the happiest place on earth. In the ride’s early days, the Haunted Mansion had a costumed performer as the living suit of armor that would jump out and “startle” riders that went by.
What was once something of a legend in the Disney ether was confirmed to be true, and DisneyRecordGuy on YouTube posted an interview with one of the Living Knight’s of the Haunted Mansion, confirming the legend to be 100% true. While the feature was dropped due to safety issues, it certainly made for an unforgettable experience.
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While the attraction is definitely more spooky than outright scream-worthy, it’s interesting to see how far the manor has come since it’s opening dates. Spiders and suits of armor aside, the Haunted Mansion still has more than a few happy haunts to keep Guests coming back for more.
Were you spooked by these special effects? Tell Inside the Magic about it in the comments below!