“Grim grinning ghosts, come out to socialize,” commands the lyric, and the ghosts obey, coming from all points in history and all walks of afterlife. The graveyard jamboree is full of Marc Davis’ vignettes. A typical example: a befuddled mutt sniffs warily at the foot of a spilled sarcophagus, from which a mummy has emerged to engage in a spot of tea with a Victorian-era English woman. Each character is dressed in translucent clothing, which adds to the ethereal nature of the scenery and gives each character a transparent, skeletal effect. In fact, many of the characters were left without bodies placed over their robotics, and if a patron were to look carefully through the clear costuming, he or she might be able to see the metal armature of the bare audioanimatronic figure beneath. Each character also sings along with the jangling tune, in his or her own particular dialect.

Return to the Living
Finally, the Doom Buggies head toward a crypt to exit the cacophony of the cemetery, and pass a trio of glowing, hitchhiking ghosts (another Davis creation.) Just as the Ghost Host warns that “they may try to follow you home,” the Doom Buggies pass in front of a series of mirrors, in which it appears that one of the hitchhikers has found his way into your carriage! A cute gag, the mirrors are ‘two-way’ and hide the fluorescent ghost props, which are lit with UV (black) lights. This crypt area represents the final leg of the patron’s journey, but as they are leaving, a small projected mannequin beckons to the departing guests. While commonly thought to be a miniature version of Madame Leota, this last spook is actually officially known (at least in the original Haunted Mansion film lists) as the “Ghost Hostess.” Her voice, as recorded by Leota Toombs, is heard to call out “Hurry back, hurry back! Be sure you bring your death certificate, if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now. We’ve been dying to have you!” The patron’s carriage comes to a moving walkway that will carry them out of the crypt and back, squinting, into a Magic Kingdom of light and popcorn.

Author Jeff Baham is the creator of DoomBuggies.com, the internet’s definitive unofficial tribute to Disney’s Haunted Mansion attractions. He is also a long-time haunted house creator and promoter. This article was used with permission.

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