The Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion is of course one if the most popular rides at Disneyland. In fact in 2003 it would even receive a movie based off of it. It's popularity is well founded it is a fun ride, with a great atmosphere, and as much a joy to look at as it is to ride.

The ride started being made shortly after Walt passed away. The main creators of this ride would be Marc Davis and Claude Coats. Both of these artists had previously worked on various animated Disney films. Marc Davis was an animator who had worked on such films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves  Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmations. His biggest claims to fame were helping design the character of Bambi, as well as being the supervising animator for some of Disney's most popular characters like Tinkerbell, Cinderella, Cruella De Vil and Maleficent. He was also one of Walt's nine old men. Claude Coats was a background artist who worked on such films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Cinderella, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. They both had very different ideas about the ride. Marc Davis wanted a more lighthearted and humorous ride, while Claude Coats wanted a darker more scary ride. The ride would end up being a mixture of both.

For a movie buff like me one of the coolest things about this ride is the organ. This organ was not created for this ride but rather for Disney's brilliant film from 1954, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Also of note is the song Grim Grinning Ghosts, this song was written by X. Atencio, who was an animator fir Disney films such as Fantasia, Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom and The Truth About Mother Goose. He became a song writer because Walt said he would be good at songwriting. The song is sung by Thurl Ravenscroft who performed the song You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch for the classic TV special.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Recourses Used
The Imagineering guide to Disneyland by The Imagineers