Its been 40 years since the Grim Grinning Ghosts first opened their doors and invited guests into the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Take a look back to the beginning with Walt and the Imagineers who created the beloved attraction. From stretching rooms to hitch hiking ghosts the 999 Happy Haunts never disappoint and always invite guests to hurry back!
According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:
The Sutton family survived an overnight’s stay in the room with no windows or doors at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. But they didn’t get much sleep.
The mansion’s occupants simply wouldn’t let them: They stuffed the family with chocolate and soda. They groaned, screamed and cackled. Hitchhiking ghosts and a butler serenaded the visitors. A video camera was on the four family members all night.
And when the Suttons finally dozed off, the butler startled them awake.
But the family didn’t mind.
“Sleeping is for rookies,” said Jessica Sutton, 12.
The Sutton family of Santa Clarita won a night’s stay inside the classic attraction in a 95.5 KLOS radio station promotion for the Haunted Mansion’s 40th anniversary. (Read a story about the Haunted Mansion celebration HERE)
Daughters Jessica and Stephanie, 10, got the most votes among kids in a talent contest for singing “Happy Birthday” with a dog singing in the background. The girls brought their parents, Tim and Cyndi Sutton.
The family moved in at midnight after the park closed Sunday and left at 6 a.m. this morning.
The parents prepared their youngest daughter, who can be frightened sometimes, for a scary experience by playing spooky sounds and turning out the lights before bedtime at home. On Sunday afternoon, the family took a two-and-a-half hour nap at the Disneyland Hotel.
Although they were tired this morning, the Suttons were still thrilled after admittedly one of the best night’s they’ve ever had.
The family, who visit Disneyland about once a month, started the night with a tour of the mansion while Disney employees set up three twin beds and a coffin in the chamber at the beginning of the ride. That’s the elevator that stretches as guests first enter.
After the tour, Disney treated the family to a dessert banquet, including tomb-shaped coffins, brains with raspberry sauce and cheesecake eyeballs.
“That was just to keep us up all night,” Jessica said.
Then the family was led into the suite, where they got visits from hitchhiking ghosts. A Web cam from KLOS was on them as viewers from around the world watched. Tim Sutton wrote on a specially created blog, disneyjoe.wordpress.com, which got messages from as far away as Singapore and Isreal. The family spent time playing cards, but their stay was frequently interrupted by creepy noises or warnings of critters on the loose.
Jessica chose the coffin for a bed. But both girls ended up in beds with their parents.
At the end of the night, each family member was given a key to return — in the afterlife.
I’d like to remind everyone about our upcoming fan meets at the Disneyland Resort on Saturday August 1st and Sunday August 2nd. First up on Saturday:
Come enjoy an evening of fun on Saturday, August 1st, with the WDWNT Network and Disneyland News Today staff at Disney’s California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort. Among the fun and surprises, here is a schedule of group gatherings that will be a part of the unofficial fan meet:
4:00 PM – Meet outside the Blue Sky Cellar for distribution of “free gift” Group walk through the Blue Sky Cellar
4:30 PM – Meet directly in front of the Blue Sky Cellar to watch the Pixar Play Parade
5:30 PM – Group meet n’ mingle (and possibly some eating) at Bountiful Valley Farmer’s Market
6:30 PM – Meet for group photo and showing of MuppetVision 3-D in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot
7:15 PM – Meet for group ride on Mickey’s Fun Wheel in Paradise Pier
8:00 PM – Meet in front the former Orange Stinger attraction (Silly Symphony Swings construction walls) to watch Disney’s Electrical Parade
Then on Sunday:
Come enjoy an afternoon of fun on Sunday, 8/2/09 with the WDWNT Network and Disneyland News Today staff at Disneyland Park. Among the fun and surprises, here is a schedule of group gatherings that will be a part of the fan meet:
3:00 PM – Meet n’ mingle and group photo at Carnation Gardens on Main Street U.S.A.
3:30 PM – Meet for group showing of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland
4:15 PM – Meet for group ride on the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland
5:00 PM – Meet for group ride on Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square
5:45 PM – Meet for group ride through the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square
6:30 PM – Group meet n’ mingle (and possibly some eating) at the Hungry Bear Restaurant
7:30 PM – Meet for group ride on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Critter Country
8:00 PM – Meet in the hub on Main Street U.S.A. to view “Magical – Disney’s New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical Celebrations In the Stars”
You can R.S.V.P. (although not necessary to attend) and get more information on Facebook about the Saturday meet at this link or our forums at this link and the Sunday meet at this link or our forums at this link. These will be the first fan meets the WDWNT Network has done at the Disneyland Resort, and we hope you come by and enjoy the fun with us!
Our very own Chris Lastrapes is currently on location at the Disneyland Resort and reports to us with the news that The Haunted Mansion has re-opened early from its refurbishment. According to Chris, nothing much is new, except for some fresh coats of paint.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as I will be visiting the Resort tomorrow, and will bring back plenty of pictures of The Haunted Mansion.
According to the OC Register:
Disney fans snapped up several hundred hotel-and-park packages — for as much as $475 each — within minutes of their going on sale to celebrate Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion’s 40th anniversary.
“I think this just speaks to the legacy of the Haunted Mansion and the appeal it has to our guests,” said Mary Murray, director of merchandise for Disneyland.
Four packages for Sept. 9 went on sale earlier this week, some of which included exclusive seminars discussing the Mansion’s history with top Imagineers like Tony Baxter and Kim Irvine, hotel stays, food and merchandise.
The first two tour packages – titled “Grinning Ghosts” and “Foolish Mortals” — cost $475 and $430, respectively. They sold out within five minutes of going on sale online Tuesday morning, Murray said.
The Dearly Departed and Hitchhikers packages were $250 and $85, respectively, and sold out within two hours after going on sale Wednesday morning, Murray said.
She said that Disney wouldn’t comment on exactly how many tickets were available for the packages, but said several hundred had been up for sale.
The packages follow the Haunted Mansion’s back story of the Black Widow Bride — “Has she found her soul mate or will another groom meet his doom?” reads the Haunted Mansion anniversary site.
Below is a synopsis of what each package includes, or you can find out by clicking here:
Grinning Ghosts, $475: A dinner, a seminar with top Imagineers Tony Baxter and Kim Irvine, a night in the Grand Californian Hotel, a meal and desert, admission in the evening to both Disneyland and California Adventure, photo opportunities, rides and merchandise.
Foolish Mortals, $430: The same benefits as the Grinning Ghosts, but includes a night at the Disneyland Hotel instead of the Grand Californian.
Dearly Departed, $250: Same as the above, but includes fewer parting gifts and no hotel stay.
Hitchhikers, $85: This includes admission to Disneyland, but not California Adventure, no dinner or hotel stay, and only one gift.
Our sources are reporting that the planned repaving of the New Orleans Square Railroad Station, although removed off of the Disneyland.com calender, will still be happening as planned from September 2nd to October 16th. During this time, the train will not stop at the NOS Station, & will continue on to Toontown Station.
We’ve also heard talk that the area outside Star Tours may also be getting repaved. This will mean that the outside portion of the Star Tours queue will not be in use, & guests will enter on the other side of the Star Tours entrance marque. Hopefully the line doesn’t get too big, for there’s not a lot of space on that side, thanks to the Astro Orbitor! The tentative time for this to happen September 2nd through the 21st.
Also don’t forget that the area surrounding the Haunted Mansion will be repaved while the attraction is closed for it’s conversion to Haunted Mansion Holiday from September 2nd to the 25th.
We have a few updates to the attractions refurbishment list for you today. First up, the Haunted Mansion refurbishment has been pushed forward to start on September 2nd, as opposed to the 8th. It will still end as originally planned on September 25th.
The removal of McDonalds from Burger Invasion, Harbor Galley, & the Conostoga Wagon was originally supposed to last from September 2nd, to September 26th, but they have seem to of been extended all the way through the end of November. However we have no concrete date for when they will re-open.
The Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries will end on September 1st, which means no more performances of both the Secret of the Stone Tiger & Random Acts of Indy. There is currently no word when or if Aladdin’s Oasis will return.
Finally, it seems that the planned refurbishments of the New Orleans Square Railroad Station & Flik’s Flyers have been completely removed off of the list. So no word on if the repaving of the pavement around the NOS station will happen.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for updates on all attraction refurbishments. And for up-to-the-minute information on the various refurbishments, be sure to check our Attraction Refurbishments page!
A whole load of new refurbishments during September & October have been announced. There’s so many, that I’m just gonna bullet them bellow:
It’s interesting to note that all 3 McDonalds locations in the Resort (Conostoga Wagon, Harbour Galley, & Burger Invasion) will be closed starting September 2nd, for an undetermined amount of time. Could this be the end for McDonalds at the Disneyland Resort?
Also, the Hyperion Theater refurbishment has been pushed back to start on September 29th, instead of September 2nd. We still have no information on when it will end, but it should be in time for the Christmas season.
Finally, I just want to remind everyone of the already announced refurbs:
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for updates on all attraction refurbishments. And for up-to-the-minute information on the various refurbishments, be sure to check our Attraction Refurbishments page!
We have quite a few new refurbishments to add to the Attractions Refurbishments list. First off, the French Market will be closed for one day on June 24th. The Mark Twain Riverboat will be closed from August 25th to the 27th. And the Haunted Mansion will be closed for it’s conversion to Haunted Mansion Holiday from September 8th to the 25th.
There’s also a couple of refurbs that we know when they’ll start, but not when they’ll finish. Gadget’s Go-Coaster’s refurbishment will start on September 8th, & the Hyperion Theater’s refurbishment will start on September 2nd, perhaps for a new show?
As always, stay tuned to our Attractions Refurbishments page for the latest attraction refurb info!
John Rick of the Central Jersey Disney Pin Traders & The Disney Pincast attended the Pin Trading University event at Epcot in Walt Disney World this past weekend, & took a couple of pictures of some interesting upcoming pins at the Disneyland Resort. Let’s take a look at them:
Pins for the 15th anniversary of Nightmare Before Christmas, which are being released sometime this month.
Very nice pins for Sleeping Beauty’s 50th anniversary, that I’ll definitely be picking up when they’re released on September 20th.
And some even better pins being released next March for the 20th anniversary of my favorite animated movie, The Little Mermaid.
It was announced at the event that next year’s Summer Pin Festival will be themed to the Haunted Mansion, for its 40th anniversary.
Concept for some of those Haunted Mansion 40th anniversary pins.
Be sure to check out this post on WDW News Today for plenty more pictures from the Pin Trading University event, as well as many more from Walt Disney World this past weekend.
