9. You get to ride in a Doom Buggy – the carts that take guests to the otherly world – were first dubbed Omnimovers and created at the 1964 World’s Fair. The new technology allowed storytellers to control what guests see and allows for a controlled line of sight similar to a movie experience. The Omnimover technology was originally used for Adventures through Inner Space, but continues to be used for attractions like The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure in Disney California Adventure and Spaceship Earth at EPCOT in Walt Disney World.
10.After you pass the floating candelabra, look for the grandfather clock that strikes 13 and then a shadow of a claw that slowly reaches for you.
11. Look for the Hidden Mickey in the ballroom scene. The Hidden Mickey moves, but it can almost always be seen in the plates.
12.The images of the ghosts in the ballroom scene are created by an old magician's trick called Pepper’s Ghost. The animatronics are actually above and below the doom buggies. Their reflections are seen in three story pane glass that had to be put in before the room was finished.
13. There is a real bullet hole in the Haunted Mansion. Near the end of the ballroom scene, two portraits are shooting at each other. Several years ago someone shot at the portraits and put a bullet hole in the glass. Look closely and you can see it, even though it is covered by a spider. Almost everyone misses it because the human eye is trained to look past the glass and focus on the action in the dining room.
14. The organ is a movie prop from the Disney film, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It can be seen on the far left side of the dining room.
15. The bride found in the attic is named Constance Hatchaway. The attic scene has changed over the years, but has always featured a bride. Hatchaway appears twice on the ride; once in the stretching room when she is sitting on the tombstone that reads “Rest in Peace – Dear Beloved George.” She is also seen in the attic when she raises her ax on many of her past relationships… and the connections continue. The owner of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, aka, the Tower of Terror, is George Hightower, aka, poor Beloved George…
16. The Hatbox Ghost has reappeared. Although he was present during Haunted Mansion’s opening months, the trick did not work so well, so Imagineers made him disappear. The Hatbox Ghost made his return in 2015 as part of the 60th Anniversary celebration. Check out a short video of how the Hatbox Ghost’s head switches places from the ghost’s shoulders to the hat box.
17. Pick up a hitchhiking ghost. After traveling through the cemetery with many hidden secrets, your ride comes to an end after hitchhiking ghosts catch a ride with you in your Doom Buggy! Their unofficial names are Phineas (Traveler), Ezra (Skelton), and Gus (Prisoner).
18. Leota haunts you twice! Little Leota, named after Madame Leota from the séance room, invites you to come back with your death certificate. There are 999 happy haunts and always room for one more!
19. The Haunted Mansion transforms with a Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas overlay between Halloween Time and Christmas time each year. Haunted Mansion Holiday has been delighting guests since October of 2001. As part of the Nightmare Before Christmas décor, every Haunted Mansion fan is excited about the unveiling of the haunted Gingerbread House that appears each Halloween on the Haunted Mansion’s dining room table.
20. Bonus: Walt Disney World features a Haunted Mansion of its own and has unique things to see… The attraction features an interactive queuing line. Complete with a ghostly organ that interacts with the player.
