The History of the Haunted Mansion PART 1

The spirits have materialized to bring you the history of their beloved Haunted Mansion. Part one of this two-part series covers the origins of the idea, and the struggle to bring Walt's dream to reality. Part two finishes the story, and takes you on a scene-by-scene tour of the attraction, showing you the changes made over the years! (You'll LOVE Part 2)
Watch Part 2 here:
• The History of the Hau...
#Disneyland #HauntedMansion #WaltDisney
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introducing The Haunted Mansion
1:00 A Haunted House in New Orleans Square
4:03 The Early Years of Development
8:01 New Technology from the World's Fair
9:56 Losing Walt's Guiding Hand
12:32 Bob Gurr's Doom Buggies
14:36 "Where do we go from here?"
CREDITS:
4k footage of the Haunted Mansion attraction is provided by the incredible LMG Vids channel:
• [2021] Haunted Mansion...
Special thanks to the Interactive Realm KZbin channel for Jason's wonderful support over the years. He creates all kinds of Disney crafts and signs, truly awesome stuff:
/ interactiverealm
MUSIC:
"Tim Beek - Ghost" is under a Free To Use on KZbin license
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: bit.ly/tim-beek-ghost
"Keys Of Moon - Way To Dream" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license
/ keysofmoonm. .
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: bit.ly/bc-way-to-dream
"Scott Buckley - Horizons" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license.
/ musicbyscottb
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 🏞️ Ambient & Classical...
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Music Info: Corporate Motivational Upbeat Inspiring by RomanSenykMusic.
Music Link: • Corporate Motivational...
"Eternity" by Whitesand
• Whitesand - Eternity (...
"Keys Of Moon - Warm Memories" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license
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DISCLAIMER: I am not a University-educated historian, Alex the Historian was a nickname I got while working at Disneyland as a tour guide. After 5 years of using it as a stage name for my channel, it would be detrimental to the channel to suddenly change the name.

[@Ron_Rhodes]

I remember seeing a preview on the Wonderful World of Disney (or was it of Color?) and I built a Pepper's Ghost demo out of a shoebox while waiting for the Mansion to open. For me, half the magic was the technology.

[@merriemisfit8406]

I was in third grade when that program aired. After, when we were going to bed, my sister wondered how they made all those transparent, moving ghosts in the party scene. I answered that the "ghosts" were somewhere else where it was light and reflecting on glass. Don't ask me how I could visualize that so matter-of-factly.

[@alexgeorge501]

"Welcome foolish mortals...to a place where hinges creak in doorless chambers and strangly frighting sounds echo through it's halls"

[@BrancyCDA]

Living near Disneyland my whole life and visiting it countless times, one my most vivid memories is going year after year as a kid, running to the Haunted Mansion in hopes that it was finally open, only to find that crummy sign still there, lol! It's fascinating to finally find out the reason for what seemed to a kid like an endless amount of time, for it taking so long to open!

[@jetsons101]

At 4:14 when you said "Walt saw Yale as a out-of-the-BOX thinker" while he holding the hat BOX ghost, priceless... Alex you are "The right man in the right place at the right time." This was another GEM, just as your Disneyland Railroad series was. Can you image how much fun it would be to work for WED if that special DeLorean was available Thanks again for all your hours of work.....

[@jetsons101]

Long overdue, your work is great. Just got a pay raise.....

[@Blatsen]

Thank you for explaining how the audio begins playing right on time in the Haunted Mansion’s doom buggies. I have always wondered how that worked. The solution behind this was ingenious.

[@jaya8897]

Alex, your videos always makes me feel emotional, either happy, sad or delightful, just like the rides at Disneyland it’s always a joy to watch your videos.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you, I always strive to have the videos make an emotional connection to the viewer!

[@TalkingMickeyProject]

Oh my gosh! Awesome! I’m doing #HauntedMansionMonth on my trivia shows this month. I’ll point people to your video series too!

[@tavonfenwick-yb5xv]

I’ve always been a fun of smoky stuff and I love haunted house attractions!! I’ve always thought the more « normal »-looking haunted attractions to be waaaaaaaaaay more creepy than the run down-looking ones…

[@changkwangoh]

Haunted Mansion is the best! Beware of hitchhiking ghosts!

[@ericpanissidi6761]

Memories, I'm 53now but I went Disney at 11with my mom and dad when they had tickets, at 14 grade school holding hands with a girl I was crushing on, high school, in my 20s with my son, and finally last time California adventure I think in my 30s.only been on Indiana Jones ride once.

[@ronaldmiller2740]

HI ALEX , I LOVED THE HAUNTED MANSION AND MY GIRLFRIEND ALSO, MY SON MAX WAS VERY YOUNG AT THAT TIME ,HE CRYED.. NOW HE LOVES IT !!! 2 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT.. THANKS,,

[@Creedon22]

Great video! You have the best historical info, so interesting. You’re a great storyteller

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks!

[@alexblatchford4147]

I tell you this ride scared the crap out of me when I was a little boy! I love it now as a 31 year old man!

[@DanielGomez-gw4kt]

Alex the Historian after when your documentary series about the Haunted Mansion is completed, after that can you do a three-part documentary series about the Country Bear jamboree please ? I'm hoping that part one will talk about of how the Country Bear jamboree started, and that part one will be all about the original show of the Country Bear jamboree. From its origins originally planned for a ski resort, that Walt Disney wanted. To its opening at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and how a copy of the show was built for Disneyland when critter country used to be called Bear Country. I'm really hoping that part one will be all about the original Country Bear jamboree show. I'm also hoping that part 2 will be about the Country Bear show getting its first new change during the holiday season as the Country Bear Christmas celebration, I'm hoping if you can do a part two video about the Country Bear Christmas celebration show. And then finally I hope you can do a part 3 video that will talk about my personal favorite the country bear vacation hoedown, I'm really hoping that part 3 will be about the third change of the Country Bear show the country bear vacation hoedown. and even during the part 3 video, where you can explain of how splash mountain came into Bear Country and changed the area as critter country, and even in the same video where the country bear vacation hoedown continued from 1986 or 1987 until it's closure in 2001 at Disneyland. I hope the part 3 video about the country bear vacation hoedown show will come to an end with those in mind as well, where splash mountain comes in and changes the name of the area from Bear Country to critter country. And that country bear vacation hoedown still at Disneyland, until it's closure in 2001. I hope you can do your best to do a three-part series about the Country Bear shows that used to be at Disneyland. Because I'm also waiting for a documentary series about the Country Bear shows, and I think it's a good idea that it should be a three-part series. Where part one talks about the history of the Country Bear jamboree, part two talks about the history of the Country Bear Christmas celebration and finally part 3 talks about the history of the country verification hoedown👍😉

[@lauri-jeancarlson8476]

haunted mansion is my favorite ride at Disneyland and great movie

[@DanielGomez-gw4kt]

Alex the Historian I guess you're going to start on another documentary series, and it will be the history about the Haunted Mansion. I don't know how many videos will be posted of the documentary series, but I think the Haunted Mansion is one of the best that you will post as a documentary series as well. Because the Haunted Mansion is definitely a Disneyland classic

[@AlextheHistorian]

It's a two-part series.

[@DanielGomez-gw4kt]

@@AlextheHistorian cool. I also hope you read about my suggestion and idea of a three-part video series about the history of the Country Bear shows that used to be at Disneyland, I hope you read my other comment about the suggestions and ideas that I wrote for this video for you as well. Because I hope part one will be about the history of the Country Bear jamboree, I hope for part two to be about the history of the Country Bear Christmas celebration and finally I hope for part three to be about the country bear vacation hoedown. Those shows that change the attraction three times at Disneyland are definitely Disneyland reprogramming changing classics for the Country Bear show, and of course the characters of the country bear show are Disneyland and Disney theme park fan favorites. As well as classic Disney theme park characters, especially for Disneyland. So I hope to see a three-part series about the history of the country bear shows and the characters for upcoming videos on your KZbin channel, because those shows were really entertaining in the old days of Disneyland or should I say old school days of Disneyland. And the characters were fascinating audio animatronic figures. And above all those shows and characters are definite classics for Disneyland as well 👍😉

[@AlextheHistorian]

Yes I did read it, but I won't likely make a Country Bear Jamboree video for a very very long time, if ever. I really dislike that show and it's not easy for me to make videos about things I don't like.

[@DanielGomez-gw4kt]

@@AlextheHistorian I can understand, maybe you'll find some detail about how the show change three times at the Magic Kingdom from Walt Disney world, Disneyland and of course how it also still remains at Tokyo Disneyland as well. I'm sure you'll find details about it from the internet very soon or someday. I'm sorry that you don't like the show either, but I love it a lot. Especially the characters, because they are no doubt about it classic characters for the Disney theme parks. And I know other Disney theme park fans will be hoping for videos like that, so even if you don't like it. Of course I've been like the first one to ask you for an idea like that and a suggestion, but who knows maybe several other Disney theme park fans and Disneyland fans will probably ask you as well. And if you do it someday, I believe the fans will be very pleased and happy. Especially me. Because as you know Disneyland and even Disney California Adventure and the whole Disneyland Resort in general make people of all ages very happy, because that's why the Disneyland Resort is called the happiest place on earth. When it originally started with Disneyland. And since you were a former cast member from the Disneyland Resort, I know with your KZbin channel. You will always make a lot of people of all ages happy at the same time, even when they watch your Disneyland attraction documentary videos. And I know that some of the fans out there would ask you for the Country Bear shows as well, and who knows maybe someday you will do a three-part series of videos of those three shows. And if it ever gets completed, the fans, myself and your subscribers will be very happy to watch a possible country bear three-part documentary series from your KZbin channel. Because I do believe that's what your KZbin channel is also about, just like the Disneyland Resort is the happiest place on earth. I believe your KZbin channel is not only about all of that, but also to make it like the happiest KZbin channel in the internet. I know there are other KZbin channels, where Disneyland and Disney theme park fans talk about the history of the attractions and so forth. But none of them are compared with your KZbin channel, that I should say is the number one happiest KZbin channel on the internet. Because you were a former Disneyland Resort cast member

[@KLGChaos]

The Swiss Family Robinson house is still in Walt Disney World. Got to visit it last year on my first ever trip to Disney. It was nice after waiting 3 hours for Avatar.

[@shiekahfan01]

it's crazy to me that the Haunted Mansion's external shell is as old as my mom! It also just made me realize that my mom, her siblings, and close family friends most likely got to see Walt in the park. My godparents have a family member who helped make and place the bricks in main street so Disneyland is very near and dear to mine and my family's hearts

[@pearsooo6972]

I never been on the Haunted Mansion I can see I'm going to enjoy it when and if I ever get back down to Walt Disney World

[@jillliankp]

I BEEN WAITING ON THIS ONE. TURN IT UP!!!

[@chrisjeffries2322]

Thank you Alex.

[@julienelson6025]

This is my favorite ride ever. I wish i could have met the voice behind thr ghost host-paul frees

[@Bobbybillybillbob]

Would be kinda cool with new technology, at night, they can get a ghostly projection of a horse in the buggy and animate its head and legs Bummer they replaced the original wallpaper picked out by Walt... such a beautiful little touch from the man himself.

[@lydnut]

Excellent job producing these videos!!! 🙌🏼

[@philrabe910]

I grew up near Tampa after we left the Mouse in Southern California- so for about 5 agonizing years we knew the park was coming. There was a pop up visitor center on the I-4 outside sleepy little Orlando. But it was the Haunted Mansion that got me into show business (special effects)

[@JoseLHernandezJ]

Good Work Alex i always look for your narrations to guide my friends through the parks.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@UncleSalem-th2oq]

You're a wonderful communicator and I really like the Haunted Mansion and Haunted Disney videos. Any chance of a new Halloween video this season?

[@AlextheHistorian]

I have at least two of them planned, but neither are related to Disneyland.

[@UncleSalem-th2oq]

@@AlextheHistorian Yay! New Halloween stuff is good!

[@daniellanglois89]

Love the video, Alex!! Very detailed. Well done!

[@lespangen]

Disneyland Paris has a variation: Phantom Manor more visually in keeping with its location in Frontierland uses similar interior illusions but different back story

[@lespangen]

There is no New Orleans Square in Paris so I guess they decided to augment Frontierland there

[@doncoletta2091]

Another great video. Thanks Alex.

[@moniquemc4553]

Another great one. I love your videos Alex. Haunted Mansion is one of my favorite rides.

[@waxifari5528]

Man you have been churning out the quality content 👌

[@AlextheHistorian]

lol thanks, I've practically been chained to my desk the past month lol

[@viviennemorgan7217]

i love your history of the haunted mansion.

[@vejproductions]

Great work on this as always, Alex!! I enjoyed it immensely and can’t wait for part 2! (Also, you have such a great, friendly voice - your narration work is so good!)

[@vejproductions]

I love the ride as it currently is, but if only a walk-through attraction could have been feasible! It wouldn’t have ever practically worked, and given how many people visit now it would have certainly been removed by now anyway, but the thought of being able to slowly walk through and maybe interact with the haunted house is so cool.

[@oliversherman2414]

I love your channel keep up the great stuff

[@Tryingtohaveityall]

Wonderful work on part one and two. This is a protect at all costs attraction.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks! Yeah I agree!

[@jenzelwashingtoncasarez2646]

So good, can’t wait for part 2!

[@JaimeExploring]

Thank You Alex for sharing the history, Great Details

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks Jaime!

[@JaimeExploring]

@@AlextheHistorian Welcome!

[@mickeynoodles5285]

Amazing amount of info Alex!

[@cliffl2406]

Great story. Looking forward to part 2.

[@theduchessofessex6418]

Perfectly splendid.

[@anthonycalbillo9376]

Another great video.

[@angela1la3guera]

Alex love ❤️ your videos and the history you give us❤️👍🏻😊

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@MsDisneylandlover]

I love Mansion this is my favorite freaking ride. I can ride it all day lol ❤❤❤❤ #DisneyDiva. I was sad on birthday vacation back in March when it wasn't available i hope by Oct it will be bc I will be back in Oct. ❤

[@bunnymomjulie6719]

Alex, you did a wonderful job. This is your thing. xoxo

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@tavareswalker1123]

Yes sir been here too😊👍💫

[@drh3b]

Maybe you covered this and I missed it, but I remember the graveyard ghosts popping up and screaming(and I think being lit up) and then that stopped. I googled that, and it was apparently from 1976-1983. The Wiki says for unknown reasons. I was told that it was because it was too scary. Whether that was a guess of a parental unit, or the actual reason, I don't know, but it makes sense. I missed it, personally, but I would have been 13 at the time, not a small child. Haunted Mansion was by far my favorite dark ride. I liked Pirates well enough, but I thought the Mansion was a step above. Alice was probably my 2nd favorite, then Pirates. Strangely enough, I don't remember Toad's Wild Ride, even though that would have been to my taste. I also don't remember Snow White, but I do remember Peter Pan.

[@AlextheHistorian]

The reason I didn't discuss it is because the graveyard ghosts still pop up on the ride to this very day. You can watch this video and you'll see them in the graveyard scene: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIfPomamppqBhKc

[@drh3b]

@@AlextheHistorian They never stopped popping up, but they stopped screaming, and weren't lit up for a while. It was weird the 2nd time I went to Haunted Mansion, and they popped up silently and unlit as you went by. That was apparently for a few years in the late Seventies early Eighties. Just a little memory fragment that struck me at the time, and I still remember it.

[@oliversherman2414]

I'm not someone who believes in ghosts but I'm a bit of a coward. Even though I know the ghosts in the mansion are actually light illusions and animatronics, I'd still be scared of going on the ride

[@anthonycalbillo9376]

Is there anything actually in the Haunted Mansion building? The part that you enter in through? Is part of it office and storage?

[@AlextheHistorian]

There is only room for the two stretching rooms, the foyer you enter, and above the foyer is an old break room the same size as the foyer (because it sits directly above it).

[@MsDisneylandlover]

Rip to all of them ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤..

[@paulfabre6058]

Hitch hiking ghosts take up that much real estate?!?! The ballroom looks smaller.

[@kathrynodom9587]

Haunted mansion history. Ghost. 999. Happy Hauns

[@megelizabeth9492]

Technically, the idea for a haunted house of some sort, can be traced all the way back to the pre-Disneyland plans for “Mickey Mouse Park”, next to the studio.

[@jetsons101]

Just became a member....

[@AlextheHistorian]

Welcome!

[@chrismetzger8875]

Welcome Foolish Mortals, to The Haunted Mansion.

[@UncleChud]

Smoked weed on the haunted mansion, pirates,people mover, molecule ride, sky tram .

[@riparianlife97701]

Museum of the Weird=Pirates of the Pancreas.

[@theenlightenedexchange4817]

That's us amen

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

Walk through or ride? Well, after walking all day around the park, most people will want to sit down and rest a bit on a ride through. No brainer.

[@happymaskedguy1943]

I miss Disney World so much. Sucks that it’s so prohibitively expensive. You shouldn’t need to be rich to ride Haunted Mansion.

[@kathrynodom9587]

How many ghosts are in the haunted mansion

[@kathrynodom9587]

What happened in the Haunted Mansion.

[@kathrynodom9587]

Ghost they. Living. In. Haunted mansion. Disney world

[@riparianlife97701]

Alex the (best) Historian.