Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
youngsters build a lot of anxiety concerning what they think they will see. The actual at-
traction scares almost nobody. Though this mansion is the original, the ride is somewhat
shorter and lacks the high-tech interactive upgrades of the Walt Disney World version.
The Haunted Mansion is one of veteran Unofficial Guide writer Eve Zibart's favorite
attractions. She warns:
Don't let the childishness of the old-fashioned Haunted Mansion put you off:
thisisoneofthebestattractions[inthepark].It'sjam-packedwithvisualpuns,
special effects, hiddenMickeys, andreally lovely Victorian-spooky sets.It'snot
scary, except in the sweetest of ways, but it will remind you of the days before
ghost stories gave way to slasher flicks.
Each September, The Haunted Mansion substitutes a special holiday version of the
attraction that runsthroughearly January.Inspired byTim Burton's1993stop-motion mu-
sical
The Nightmare Before Christmas,
the overlay features characters such as Jack Skel-
lington and Oogie Boogie cavorting among the familiar mansion haunts to songs from
Danny Elfman's classic score. Though The Haunted Mansion is not normally a Fastpass
attraction, the holiday version is usually included in the Fastpass lineup. Be aware that the
attraction will be closed for several weeks before and after the holiday season to install
and remove the overlay.
TOURING TIPS
This attraction would be more at home in Fantasyland, but no matter—it's
Disney at its best: another not-to-be-missed attraction. Because The Haunted Mansion is
in an especially high-traffic corridor (between Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Moun-
tain), it stays busy all day. Try to see The Haunted Mansion before 11:30 a.m., after 6:30
p.m., or during a parade. In the evening, crowds for
Fantasmic!
gather in front of The
Haunted Mansion, making it very difficult to access.
Pirates of the Caribbean
What it is
A Disney indoor-adventure boat ride.
Scope and scale
Major attraction.
When to
go
Before 11:30 a.m. or after 4:30 p.m.
Special comments
Frightens some small children; our
pick as one of Disneyland's very best.
Duration of ride
Approximately 14 minutes.
Average
wait in line per 100 people ahead of you
3 minutes.
Assumes
42 boats operating.
Loading
speed
Fast.
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS
Another boat ride, this time indoors, takes you through a
series of sets depicting a pirate raid on an island settlement, from the bombardment of the
fortress to the debauchery that follows the victory. Pirates of the Caribbean was the tar-
