Some (Most Likely Unintentional) Creepy Things at Disney World

Being the Happiest Place on Earth, you might think there’s nothing creepy about it. But there are a few things!!

Obviously, attractions like The Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror are intentionally creepy. But even within those rides, there are extra creepy items. I can give myself nightmares if I hear “Hurry Back” at the end of the Haunted Mansion too late at night. After exiting the Tower of Terror, you just might notice this ventriloquist’s dummy.

Disney’s Boardwalk resort has a couple of creepy things that aren’t supposed to be creepy at all. These chairs sit on either side of the Boardwalk lobby’s fireplace. Referred to as “Nanny Chairs,” they were historically found on carousels and gave adults a place to sit while the children rode the horses. I’ll just stand, thanks.

The other fun but creepy touch at the Boardwalk is the huge clown slide at the pool. I don’t have a clown phobia but this guy looks a bit too much like the clown from It to me. At least it spits you out - if you had to enter the slide through his head, there would probably be a lot fewer kids enjoying this slide!

Here’s something that should give you the creeps. While it is COMPLETELY AGAINST THE RULES, some guests still think it’s okay to sprinkle their deceased relative’s ashes at Disney World. The most common attempts are to sprinkle them outside of their Doom Buggy on the Haunted Mansion or outside of their boat on Pirates of the Caribbean. If caught, the ride must be stopped and cleaned. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us! *Side note - I’d want to be sprinkled in the water surrounding the Castle, but that’s just me…

Speaking of Pirates, it’s not necessarily a creepy ride. With the song that makes me bob my head and sing along, it actually seems pretty cheerful to me. But did you know that one of the skulls is an actual human skull? Yikes!

And lastly, not many people think of “it’s a small world” in a creepy way. Some find the song annoying but that’s about it. Well, if you’d like to keep it that way, don’t read the novel Kingdom Keepers! It’s a fun book, but the dolls come to life and attack some kids. Think about that the next time you have a delay in the ride and your boat floats in one room for a while…

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Five Fun Secrets of the Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion was one of the original rides at Magic Kingdom’s opening day on October 1, 1971. It’s the home of “999 happy haunts” - but of course there’s always room for one more!!

Poor Ryan thought he was going to become the 1000th resident ghost in the Haunted Mansion.

The Imagineers certainly had fun creating this attraction, and snuck in a few fun details. Watch for these on your next trip…

A Missing Engagement Ring

The Imagineers didn’t go overboard in telling the story of the Haunted Mansion - they left it fairly vague which adds to the mystery. The legend you’ll hear most often is of the engagement ring. Supposedly the attic bride threw it off of the balcony after murdering one of her husbands. The reality is that it was a scrap of metal left over from an old gate removal. At one point, the attraction received a refurbishment and the metal was removed. Guests were so furious that when the queue was redone in 2011, the Imagineers added a real engagement ring. Look for it as you weave through the entrance line – it’s in the part of the line where you’ve wrapped around and the “head” statues are on the other side of the fence. It’s tucked in between a wall and a nearby trash can. If you can’t find it just ask a Mansion Maid or Butler. They’re always DYING to help out guests.

Madame Leota’s Tombstone

If you get the feeling you’re being watched while in line, you just might be right. Right before you enter the building, look to the graveyard on your left. Watch Madame Leota’s tombstone for a moment and she might spring to life. And yep, this is the same Madame Leota from the seance room inside the Mansion!

A Haunted Game Piece

Look up to the rooftop of the Mansion. Notice anything? The cement ornaments on top are chess pieces! Marc Davis, an Imagineer that designed the Mansion was a fan of the game. While working on the attraction design, he often left chess pieces laying around the model and one night left them on top of the model. They must have liked the look of it since they made it onto the actual attraction! Be sure when you leave the attraction to ask the PhotoPass photographer for the “Magic Shot” with the hitchhiking ghost!!

Meet Your Host, Your Ghost Host

Most people love the chilling voice of the Ghost Host (and many will recite the stretch room speech by heart). But guess what? You can actually get a glimpse of the Ghost Host on the ride! His portrait hangs in the Mansion. Look for it after you pass the casket with the hand coming out of it as your doom buggy has turned backwards. It’s hanging on the right just before you swivel back around and see the grandfather clock.

Mr. Toad in the Graveyard

One of the attractions that people miss most from Disney World is Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. I was lucky enough to get to go to Disneyland recently where the attraction still exists and rode it there. Not quite as terrifying as I remember it being when I first rode it at the age of 10, but still fun!! It was replaced at Disney World with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (there’s a nod to Mr. Toad in that ride also). The Haunted Mansion Imagineers included poor Mr. Toad in the special pet cemetery at the graveyard. Look to the left as you’re exiting the attraction (he’s at the far back left).

Do you have other attractions you’d love to know the secrets of? Or do you have secrets of your own to share? Put it in the comments!

And one thing to not keep secret - if you let me help you book and plan your Disney vacation, you’ll be getting my expert service FREE OF CHARGE!! Give me a call!

Haunted Mansion

This is one of my favorite videos of Luke at The Magic Kingdom.  We had just ridden The Haunted Mansion and he loved it.  If you're considering taking toddlers or preschoolers to Disney and think they're too young - think again!  While Luke may not have specific memories of this trip, the rest of us do and enjoy reminiscing.  Luke loves to watch these and laugh at how silly he was.

This might need a translation...  At the end, he says, "It was boo and scared me - just like a ghost!"