Happy Halloween

It's October 31, 1939. Tonight, Halloween parties and costume balls are being held throughout Hollywood, but none are more exclusive than those hosted here at the Hollywood Tower Hotel. From the private record company party at the Tip Top Club to the Gala Halloween Extravaganza in the main ballroom, all the biggest names in Tinseltown will be in attendance.

Guests of the hotel who are less-than-prepared for the evening's festivities can find everything they need from Tower Gifts, the Apparel Shop and the Tower Gallery.

It's sure to be a spectacular evening of entertainment and revelry, celebrating the holiday in true Hollywood style. That is, as long as nothing out of the ordinary happens...

Madame Leota: Small Medium at Large

"Rap on a table, it's time to respond. Send us a message from somewhere beyond."

Lovely Madame Leota was a traveling Psychic and Astrologist in these parts, taking her colorful gypsy wagon from town to town and peddling her parlor tricks to the unsuspecting locals.

"Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with your tambourine."

Like a medicine man or witch doctor, Leota would drum up business by offering to conduct seances, read palms or gaze into her crystal ball.

"Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond, let there be music from regions beyond."

For a price, Leota could even be convinced to cast a spell, cook up a potion or part with one of her treasures acquired from the furthest corners of the globe.

"Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat, call in the spirits wherever they're at."

No one quite knows what happened to Leota. One day, she pulled her wagon up to ol' Gracey Manor and stepped inside, never to be seen again... at least not in human form. Her disembodied head now floats within her very own crystal ball, eternally reciting incantations, calling forth the spirits to join the afterlife celebration within the Haunted Mansion.

As for Leota's wagon... it's been commandeered by opportunistic entrepreneurs, selling assorted paraphernalia to curious passersby.

Pet Cemetary

Human spirits aren't the only ones spending eternity in the Haunted Mansion. Many of their pets have joined them here as well. Inspired by a similar detail adjacent to the Disneyland attraction, the pet cemetery was added to the Walt Disney World version about a decade ago.

Everything from dogs and cats to birds and snakes can be found here, along with more humorous epitaphs. For example, the monument to Waddle the duck (below) reads, "Beloved Waddle - Little Waddle Saw the Truck - But Little Waddle Didn't Duck."

There's also a statuesque tribute here to a certain amphibian by the name of J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq. Some time after the 1998 closure of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Fantasyland, this statue of Toad mysteriously appeared in the back corner of the Pet Cemetery. It's a fun bit of Hidden Disney, even if no one claims to know where it came from or how it got there (I'm lookin' at you, Alex Caruthers! wink-wink).

Room for a Thousand

As the brooding voice of our Ghost Host says, "We have 999 happy haunts here, but there's room for a thousand." The spirits of those grim, grinning ghosts float all through the house, but their earthly husks must reside somewhere. Many are interred in the vast graveyard out behind the Mansion, while others can be found in the mausoleums along the side wall of the property.

Bluebeard refers to a literary character from a story by Charles Perrault. The epitaph describes "Seven winsome wives, some fat some thin. Six of them were faithful, but the seventh did him in." In the story, Bluebeard is a nobleman who remarries several times over. Each time, his wife mysteriously "disappears." Bluebeard's seventh wife figures out his horrible secret and turns the tables on him. (In some ways, the story of Bluebeard is similar to that of Constance, the black widow bride in the Mansion's attic.)

Some of the rest of the names here are further examples of the humor found throughout the Mansion. The attraction covers macabre subject matter to be sure, but lightens it with a bit of funny business. The word play here is fantastically creative: Asher T. Ashes, Dustin T. Dust, Hal Lusinashun, Manny Festation, Clare Voince and others.

Not all the spots in the mausoleums are filled. There's always room for one more, after all.

"Hurry back. Don't forget to bring your death certificate. Should you decide to join us, make final arrangements now."

Where the Tombstones Quake

More well-known and easily-discoverable Hidden Disney references are found in the small cemetery at the side entrance to Gracey Manor. The humorous epitaphs keep Guests entertained as they await an opening of the doors. Each of the names on these tombstones is actually a tribute to one of the individuals from WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) who helped create the Haunted Mansion.

MASTER GRACEY - Yale Gracey was a Special Effects Designer who created many of the illusions used throughout the attraction. Over time, Gracey has come to be attributed as the owner of the mansion, although that was not the original intent.

GOOD FRIEND GORDON - Gordon Williams was responsible for creating sound effects for the show.

GRANDPA MARC - Marc Davis was a legendary character animator who moved to Imagineering in the 1960s. He contributed character designs and some of the Mansion's signature humor.

FRANCIS XAVIER - Francis Xavier "X" Atensio was the Show Writer on the Mansion project. He helped develop the story, wrote the script for the Ghost Host, and penned the lyrics to "Grim Grinning Ghosts."

A MAN NAMED MARTIN - Bud Martin was head of the Special Effects Department at WED.

MISTER SEWELL - Bob Sewell worked in the Model Shop at WED.

BROTHER CLAUDE - Claude Coats painted backgrounds for many of the Disney animated features. For the Haunted Mansion, Coats helped create the settings throughout the attraction. Coats' moody sets combined with Davis' humorous characters set just the right tone for the Mansion.

GOOD OLD FRED - Fred Joerger was an Art Director credited with much of the plaster work and character paint (simulated age and weather effects on surfaces) throughout the attraction.

BROTHER DAVE - Dave Burkhart built several of the key models for the Mansion's construction.

WATHEL R. BENDER - Wathel Rogers has been called the "father" of Audio-Animatronics. He programmed the movements of many of the figures in the show.

UNCLE MYALL - Chuck Myall was a planner who helped lay out the Mansion along with much of the Magic Kingdom.

COUSIN HUET - Cliff Huet was an Architect and Interior Designer on the project.

DEAR SWEET LEOTA - Leota Toombs was an artist at WED who also served as the model for the disembodied medium Madame Leota in the Seance Circle scene of the Haunted Mansion. Leota's tombstone was added as an enhancement in 2001 and comes with a little surprise. Keep your eyes on her visage long enough... and she'll open her eyes on you!

When Hinges Creak in Doorless Chambers

Ever since Gracey Manor became a "retirement home for ghosts," most Guests daring to pay the place a visit have chosen to avoid using the front doors, taking the more discreet side entrance instead. Sure, it's near the graveyard, but it leads straight to the Foyer.

Of course, the ghosts aren't the only ones here. Among the remaining living residents are the butlers and maids who continue to tend to the place. They come and go via the service entrance at the back of the house.

This door leads to an area few visitors ever see, a mysterious corridor opening into even more mysterious chambers. The space is furnished with antiques and illuminated by wall sconces that would look odd just about anywhere but here. (Note the sculpted arms holding out the torches.)

On one wall of the Servants Quarters is a board on which are hung keys used to access (or secure) various rooms in the Mansion: The Stretching Room, Endless Hallway, Conservatory, Foyer, Grand Hall, Corridor of Doors, Picture Gallery, Seance Circle, Attic, Music Room, Library and Grand Stairs.

Also nearby is a row of bells, each connected by wire to a bedroom of one of the Mansion's residents. When the home was occupied by the living, a tug on the wire would ring the appropriate bell here in the Servants Quarters, letting the staff know who needed their assistance. Although pretty much everyone in the house has crossed over, the bells still ring occasionally. It seems there's never any rest for the help.

Those who pause to read the labels above the bells are rewarded with the discovery of previously unseen rooms in the Mansion, not to mention a bit of Hidden Disney. Each of the residents named here is actually an Imagineer who worked on the original development of the Haunted Mansion. There's Master Gracey's Bedchamber (special effects designer Yale Gracey), Ambassador Xavier's Lounging Lodge (writer Xavier Atencio), Madame Leota's Boudoir (the face of the disembodied medium, Leota Toombs), Grandfather McKim's Resting Room (artist Sam McKim), Uncle Davis' Sleeping Salon (animator and designer Marc Davis), Colonel Coats' Bivouac Berth (background painter and designer Claude Coats) and Professor Wathel's Reposing Lounge ("father" of Audio-Animatronics Wathel Rogers).

Welcome Foolish Mortals

Our earlier travels in Liberty Square were cut short before making it back to Gracey Manor, saving this spooky corner of the Magic Kingdom for the week of All Hallow's Eve. The Dutch Gothic edifice on the hill is home to none other than the Haunted Mansion.

For the most complete look at the Haunted Mansion, be sure to pick up Jason Surrell's book The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies. For us this week, however, let's focus on some of the details less covered.

The first structure Guests pass on their way up to the Mansion is a clapboard carriage house. Added in the early part of this decade as a Fastpass distribution location (since removed), the carriage house lives on as part of the extended queue for the attraction... and as a part of the Mansion's story.

The weather vane atop the carriage house is in the shape of a horse, and bridles and stirrups are hung just inside the building. There's also a supply of horseshoes here. Of course, any superstitious soul worth his salt would tell you that horseshoes must always be hung with the opening facing up, lest all the luck run out of them. Here at the Haunted Mansion's carriage house, all horseshoes point down.

From the carriage house, a driveway leads through the gates and past a crumbling fountain to the main building. Look down, and you'll notice horse and carriage tracks forged through the "soil."

Ahead is the dark hearse that has apparently made those tracks, pulled up to the Mansion to deliver another resident. Interestingly, the carriage can be seen but the horse can not. The hearse's equine companion exists merely as a ghostly presence and a harbinger of the experience awaiting visitors inside the home.

Fall Festival

It's October, which means it's time for Halloween in the Magic Kingdom, and nowhere is that more evident than on Main Street, U.S.A. Halloween decor has been a seasonal feature in the park for years, but things were taken up a notch in 2007 with the addition of the Main Street Fall Festival.

The citizens of Main Street, U.S.A. are hosting an autumn celebration, and the entire town has gotten into the act. Nearly every building is dressed in leaves, gourds, and orange and yellow bunting. In the Town Square, the results of a Scarecrow Decorating Contest are on display. Participants have found inspiration for their scarecrows in some of Main Street's most prominent residents. There are depictions of colorful characters like Mayor Weaver and Miss Hildegard Olivia Harding:

Some of the scarecrows are tributes to the town's (and America's) favorite pastime and the musician's of the Main Street Philharmonic:

Still others draw inspiration from the outfits worn by the town's chefs, candy makers and merchants. For those who truly appreciate detail, notice the sugar streaming out of a hole in the baker's sack and the tiny Mouse Ears on the doll held by the Emporium shopkeeper:

Apart from the scarecrows, pumpkin carving is all the rage this season. It seems everywhere you look, you find a smiling (or scowling) jack-o-lantern looking back at you. In some places, though, folks have gotten creative. At the firehouse, for example, pumpkins are carved with the faces and spots of Dalmatians:

A personal favorite (although one that hasn't reappeared in recent years) is this one directing visitors to the nearest public restrooms:

Business owners along Main Street have even taken to using the jack-o-lanterns to promote their establishments. Those on the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor display ice cream cones or "waffle" grins. Across the way at Casey's Corner, hot dogs and baseball are the carvings of choice:

Of course, the Halloween fun isn't limited solely to Main Street. Extra holiday touches can be found throughout the park, from the Central Plaza to Mickey's Toontown Fair.

And in Liberty Square, where the Haunted Mansion keeps the Halloween spirit alive all year long, Sleepy Hollow Refreshments steps things up with a unique holiday display featuring tributes to none other than Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.