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At Disney World, Cast Members can apply for Magic Backstage opportunities. The different types of events update almost weekly, and it's basically a lottery. There are backstage tours of rides such as Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, Dinosaur, etc. They also have chances to win "Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween" or "Mickeys Very Merry Christmas" tickets for you and your family/friends. During my College Program, I was lucky enough to win the Haunted Mansion one right before Halloween!
The meeting time was at 6am before the Magic Kingdom opened. We met at the underground Utilidors. We were handed badges, light vests, and told not to take any pictures or videos. We got to walk through the Magic Kingdom while it was pitch black. There were only a couple of lights that they have on in the streets- which is why I think they gave us these light vests. Then we started the tour.
First, we looked at the doom buggies and found out that the loading dock is on the 2nd floor of the entire building. The Haunted Mansion is 3 stories (specifically because of the ballroom scene because of the ghosts that are at the top). And the bottom floor is where they have the basement and animatronics- that illuminate the ghost affect at the dinner table. Then, we had a walkthrough through every single area at the Haunted Mansion. We got to walk on the ballroom floor, through the long hallway that has the floating candle, and outside in the graveyard.
Facts that we learned :
In the beginning of the ride, you pass a staircase that has portraits on the wall. The wife in the painting is actually the one who the ride focuses on. The story is that she killed the husband in the photo.
The reason why were are turning in a circle (with the lady floating in a ball) is because the lady is summoning a chant, and for people who do those rituals- members sit in a circle.
When the ride turns you around and you are going backwards, it's actually because we are being "thrown out of the window" because we are going through all of the wife's possessions that she has gathered over the years from every husband that she has killed. She realizes we are there and that is why she throws us out because we weren't supposed to see it. That's why we end up in the graveyard.
The wallpaper for the hallway-with the floating light at the end- is super expensive because it's made with velvet. And there's actually a screen in front of the light which gives it that "ghostly" affect.
They change the cobwebs throughout the Haunted Mansion every 6 months.
The grandma who knits in the ballroom scene is the original grandma animatronic from "The Carousel of Progress" that appeared during the fair that Walt Disney show cased it.
In the ballroom scene, cast members keep a photo of an imagineer that worked on the Haunted Mansion- underneath a plate because she died with the wish that she could be "apart" of the ride.
Outside in the graveyard, there is a wedding ring that can be found on the ground because the wife throws it out the window. (It's in the corner, on the right side of the tombstone with the guy in the bathtub)
They never clean the mirrors in the Haunted Mansion because then it would be too clean and guests would be able to tell that they're mirrors.
All of the imagineers that worked on the Haunted Mansion have their initials on the organ in the ballroom scene.
After park hours, the music is stopped on the ride, but all of the animatronics keep moving.
For the room stretching scene, the ceiling is actually moving up. (I always thought it was the walls!) We also got to stay in the room (after the guests are typically kicked out to move to the doom buggies), and we watched the ceiling shrink back and it was the most terrifying/most claustrophobic feeling ever.
The faces that appear to be following you are actually con-caved faces
There are many recognizable books that can be found in the library.
I seriously loved this tour and am so grateful that I got to be apart of it! Imagineers are incredible.
Sincerely, Megan