The Not-So-Secret Secret Elevators of the Haunted Mansion

[@TechnologyConnections]

For those who have never seen this attraction, there's an excellent ride-through with a great low-light camera. This is probably the best way to see it aside from experiencing the attraction firsthand: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iImyaaWqbpd1f6M (I replaced this link with an older version--the last version was much brighter than the attraction is in person)

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

Technology Connections KZbin is going to screw you and demonitize or limit your videos for no reason. So when that day comes (not if) I hope you are ready.

[@TechnologyConnections]

Personally I find all the doom and gloom about KZbin to be a little overblown, but in any case it's Patreon that's making this happen, not Adsense.

[@JesusisJesus]

They could REALLY enhance the stretching effect by pumping Sulfur Hexafluoride into the room, or pre-filling the destination room with it so that there is a controlled amount and people's voices go deeper, slower, STRETCHIER the moment they exit the Stretching Room. It's a shame that there are people who have thought about every way possible to protect everyone from the future, and cool things like this are not possible.

[@MostlyPennyCat]

I have, in Florida. Is that the cool one or not?

[@MostlyPennyCat]

My favourite rides in all the Florida parks were: Back to the future Muppets 3d. The scary house with the stretchy room.

[@thatmcgamer3106]

I personally think that when I know the behind the scenes it doesn’t ruin the magic. The technology and illusion is the magic for me. It’s really impressive.

[@karamellcreme]

Exactly.

[@SpiderTNT.]

I agree! I think ill like it even more now that i know how it was made

[@ligametis]

For me, it ruins immersion. When I know how it works, no illusion and awe are left.

[@paytonanthony9251]

ThatMCGamer I find it quite interesting like how the ball room scene is achieved.

[@keiyakins]

It maybe decreases one aspect of enjoyment, but increases another at least as much.

[@eaglescout1984]

I never got the impression I was moving. "The Magic Kingdom in Orlando... In these version the ceiling simply moves up and away from you." Ah, that explains it. I wasn't moving.

[@MyFictionalChaos]

Oh i JUST got to that part. Makes me sad. I'll probably never go to anaheim 😂

[@SteveCarras]

@@MyFictionalChaosI've been there, as it's in my state, and f course, I feel the room going up & down. I was at Disney WORLD, n 1995, went on that version..and noticed no going down..

[@jeremiahshelden5090]

I’ve been to Disneyland many times and when your staring at the stretching painting and listening to the spooky ghost host you don’t really notice it

[@theoverseer393]

that's fine, it was pretty cool

[@erikhendrickson59]

Quite ingenious engineering, actually!

[@supergimp2000]

As a kid in a wheelchair I always got to ride the stretching room back up after the ride, as there were steps (escalator) at the exit. I always got excited that I got to see inside the "magician's trick." Even today, at 51, when I go to Disneyland with my friends they always love the reveal of the secret. BTW, it goes up much faster than it goes down.

[@HashbrownEmotions]

Steve Thompson yeah my cousin has a wheelchair and we were excited to stay on the cars as they go back to where we started. So crazy!

[@heidi3963]

That is so cool!

[@spare7230]

Steve Thompson That's cool. Does make sense that it would rise fairly fast, if they don't expect people to ride it up.

[@radicalvenus]

I felt like it went up slower! Maybe sans voice it felt slow to me lol

[@thecraftycyborg9024]

I just got home from WDW and this was my first trip since I became disabled. My little brother was disabled and used a wheelchair, but he passed away 20 years ago and didn’t care for some rides (plus many didn’t exist yet), so we were a bit startled by some of the tricks we got to see thanks to my wheelchair. In fact, the best thing we encountered was the Toy Story ride/arcade game. You go through the same line, but the accessible cars actually pull off the main track and you load at your own speed, then they can finagle the track to put us back on the main track. We also had buttons instead of pull cords on our game “cannons”m which were way easier to use! Also, can I just say how fucking *normal* I feel there? Like half the people are in a chair or use rollators or canes. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration , but that’s how it feels.) I even saw 4 other forearm crutch users!! One even had his crutches strapped to his wheelchair the exact same way we’d attached mine.

[@christopherherrera9764]

“Lowering guests into the group. Just like you would a casket” yup I love this ride even more now

[@richardpike8748]

Friend: "Name the world's largest elevator" Me: "When going up or going down?"

[@lohphat]

Richard Pike It carries the ride operator back to the top. So...both ways.

[@delca1188]

lohphat Check again at 11:28 it can only bring 12 people up

[@lohphat]

@@delca1188 I know that as it's the only way guests in wheelchairs can access the loading platforms. (I used to work at the park too).

[@JackVermicelli]

It's a descender when going down, and only an elevator when elevating.

[@Maniac536]

Pretty sure the world’s largest elevator are the elevators in the Eiffel Tower. If they’re not the biggest they’re certainly bigger than the stretching room’s.

[@shark180]

I remember as a kid, my dad telling me that the "stretching room" was just a slow moving elevator. I told him, I didn't believe him, as I figured you'd feel movement of the elevator, all these years later, I find out he was right.

[@revenevan11]

Smart man lol

[@Milesco]

"Father Knows Best" 😁

[@MrTracknut]

@@Milesco dad's are always right

[@LandNfan]

There is a similar, if smaller, effect at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Chicago. For many years, they have had a simulated underground coal mine. You ride down the mine elevator “hundreds of feet”, actually two stories, to enter the mine. The effect is achieved by using a VERY slow elevator, with the sides of the mine shaft printed on vertically scrolling endless panels. You go down slowly, the panels scroll up rapidly, leading to the impression of descending to great depths. I’m not sure exactly when it was built, but I am 72 and first saw it when I was 9.

[@marktiedemann2218]

Norman Morgan I remember that as a kid, I wonder if it’s still there?

[@maxmaxwell3243]

The mine was still there as of 2010 or 2011 if I recall correctly. Haven't been back there since.

[@jacebeleren2621]

If this is true it the first time I've seen someone this old on youtube. Like damn, 72.

[@LandNfan]

1119diamondlord 171, yep 72, and a great grandfather too. USAF veteran, retired programmer/systems analyst/ I.T. Manager. Former Ferris wheel operator, radio announcer, news announcer, radio talk show host, steam locomotive engineer, and licensed private pilot. All those years give us old farts time to become multi-faceted. 😀

[@emilymyint5344]

Mark Tiedemann yes it's still there!

[@frankhooper7871]

I remember the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland standing 'empty' with signs outside indicating the ghosts were moving in! (I visited Disneyland every year from its opening in 1955 until 1973 when I left California.)

[@SOffenbach]

Your lucky you got the F out.

[@revenevan11]

Haha, love the sense of humor with the "ghosts moving in" sign 🤣

[@enmunate]

@@SOffenbach no way, California is paradise. Lowest in the nation in per capita covid deaths.

[@marcusborderlands6177]

@@enmunate covid deaths are not a valid way to determine if somewhere is a good place to live lmfao. Yes some parts are nice, and also yes this place is a shithole.

[@paulreed1142]

I was both a trainer and a lead on the Mansion. We referred to them as "expanding rooms" or ER's. During slow periods, only one ER was needed, however, when the queue extended to a certain point, the second ER was added. It was critical that only one ER arrived at the top to preserve the illusion, so a system of small, flashing lights near the intercom box were employed to let the ride operator know when it was safe to ascend.

[@ascotberks2018]

Paul Reed The ERs are not elevators but Gantry Lifts. They can only carry guests down, there is an 8 person limit to go up the lift. Former cast member.

[@kensalaman3951]

I worked for Universal in Orlando as well. We had that set of lights what cued us when things were ready (or not, in which we'd have to have 10 minutes of memorized script in our minds to keep going) or not, until the next 'show' was ready.

[@elianna838]

Lol I most definitely knew there were two (but that’s cause I would go to Disneyland often) since the entrances were in different places

[@tankmaster1018]

This is one of the cases where knowing how it really works adds to the experience in my opinion. The technical achievements and brilliance that went into creating this ride are just staggering, even all these years later. The most amazing part to me is how they manage to completely hide all of the ride buildings and structures by designing the landscaping in a way that blocks your perspective of any of the areas where the ride actually happens. Waiting in line and riding the haunted mansion, followed by looking at helicopter shots of the actual structure and backlot is one of the trippiest things ever. There is literally a whole world just right outside your view that you are never aware of unless you have to evacuate a ride for whatever reason...

[@alex0589]

Not to be captain obvious but the imagineers were so damn clever.

[@TheProteanGeek]

Are clever. The ones the old days had some very difficult magic but the new guy are really clever still with their new magic.

[@Quandry1]

Not just the visitors. Some of their feats are revolutionary but because it would ruin the illusion they rarely get credit for them with the world at large.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I think the sculptures that have those eyes that follow the guests is much more impressive. And not something most people figure out on their own.

[@jackman12359]

thanks captain obvious 😉

[@AlexLikesToons]

Well, it's true. Thunder sound to disguise the sound of the elevator stopping? Fucking genius!

[@SicilianoFilms]

As someone who has ridden the elevator back up, it is really cool watching the room reset itself.

[@ColinHuth]

I mean, *I* for one would have no complaints if the channel went on a Disney tech bender. It’s all fascinating, and you could make a video of dry rot entertaining.

[@JordyValentine]

I agree and I don't even like Disney stuff, but themepark tech is cool as

[@davidmurphy563]

I'm not so sure - he's up against some pretty stiff competition: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2rEqoKLiqibbdE

[@Duhya]

I dont understand the disney cult, but totally agreed theme park tech would be awesome to get a closer look at.

[@megelizabeth9492]

If you've ever heard of the Great Moments of Mr. Lincoln, or Carousel of Progress, they are actually rather astounding feats of engineering. In 1963, Disneyland just debuted the Enchanted Tiki Room. This was the first true use of Audio Animatronic technology (and not a completely mechanical precursor used in Jungle Cruise), and had relatively simple animation of the singing birds. Both of these only debuted for the World's Fair in 1964, only a year later, and featured, human AA figures, who were able to talk and move in incredibly lifelike ways. In Lincoln's case, he actually stood up! The Tiki Room was created because having a human AA was too complex, but only a year later, they made so many!

[@jzdude01]

The stretching room, and entire interior waiting portion of the ride, also serves another purpose that isn’t that obvious. It slowly darkens the light levels, letting your eyes adjust to the dark without thinking about it. I found this out bc I am in a wheelchair/on crutches and the Orlando rides accessibility entrance skips the room and most of the dark waiting. When I first went on the ride I was so confused at how different it seemed. I asked when the ride ended and they said it’s cause my eyes weren’t adjusted to the dark. They let me ride again immediately and told me to squeeze my eyes shut for a few minutes, and it was a completely different ride.

[@twothreebravo]

Additionally the lighting creates upwards shadows of the picture frames somewhat hiding the unrolling portraits and frame sides, truly an excellent use of camouflage, if you're not looking for it your brain will ignore it.

[@AnarchistMetalhead]

could only be improved if the frame were rolling out separately, further ahead from the raised edges, with slightly convex profiles similar to rollable rulers

[@whossoul]

I feel like recently the portraits unrolling has become a lot more visible. It's something that I used to never notice, but not it seems glaring. I wonder if they have changed something around the base recently? Or maybe it's just one of those once you have seen it now I can't unsee it things.

[@karleeweeg4998]

twothreebravo I choose not to try and figure out how they do things because even though I know it’s not real magic it takes away from the magic haha

[@ethanrichardson5139]

After u said that... I spotted the rolling.

[@3bydacreekside]

I still don't believe they roll

[@paradisiak]

So much of this video blew my mind 🤯 when I was a kid, I didn’t even question that huge ride being in that small building lmao

[@karenkramer3760]

Same and I've been going for 25 yrs. And I knew it was an elevator. Never thought about it

[@cryptidofoz]

It never occurred to me that there's no way the ride could actually be inside the mansion itself. Not once. This is rather amazing.

[@RavynGuiliani]

The best time I ever had at Disney World was when I had to go in my wheelchair. They let me in through the employees entrance in the Haunted Mansion and i got to roll behind the walls! I was waiting for the elevator room behind the door when it opened and some guy had been leaning on the door and ended up in my lap! I did a quick fake scream and you never saw so many people panic! It was hilarious! Then I looked at the guy in my lap and said in an eerie voice said "I WALKED in here!!!!!" The employee who was pushing my chair made me promise to come back and do it again before she finished her shift!

[@DanielE-wl9yd]

Wow. Just wow.

[@magiccheeseball]

its not an elevator room at Disney world its just a room the floor doesn't move

[@immrlysol9279]

Well ill tell you that there are no elevators in Disney World in Florida

[@magiccheeseball]

@@immrlysol9279 there are tons of elevators at Disney World but if you mean the Magic Kingdom Park there's an elevator in Tomorrowland that's a stage and there's an elevator in the Cinderella Castle

[@Miss_Camel]

lol that’s such a cute story! When I was at Disney world Orlando, I was sitting on the floor in a dark room with dozens of other ppl (The one at Epcot that had dory, I’m not sure, never made it to the ride) and a disney employee wheeled someone in a chair into my lower back (Metal foot rests) so hard that I lost my breath and was black and blue for weeks. The Disney employee said “Well, you shouldn’t have been sitting there.” Thanks, bro.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Really enjoyed your thorough presentation!

[@stein1385]

"What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes." -Harry Houdini

[@morphman86]

First he had us transfixed watching traffic lights, now it's elevators. Next he'll make paint drying into something interesting and watchable!

[@Meepswonder]

a Toaster, heater, cooling systems, laser-disc etc. I would watch him to do a video of a cat

[@morphman86]

@@Meepswonder It has to have a technology connection, so it would probably either be the cyborg cat or the cat drone then.

[@stephenkostiak5769]

FYI: during the Halloween through Christmas season at Disneyland Park in California, the stretching portraits at the Haunted Mansion were not replaced, but have new stretching portraits placed on top of them.

[@MechMK1]

The fact that you add all those metric conversions really helps a ton. Thank you very much for that!

[@Alexander_Sannikov]

a metric ton or imperial ton? please, specify

[@MechMK1]

@@Alexander_Sannikov Metric of course

[@scottb721]

Current Dreamworld dramas aside, they have a ride called the Bermuda Triangle that I just had to know how a section of it worked. I wrote to them and got an invite. The setup - you see a large UFO in a side room during a boat ride. Its lights start whizzing around and it vanishes right before your eyes. I got to go into that room and the UFO was actually there, so wasn't just a projection. The trick - the front of the room has a large glass panel set at 45degs (like a heads-up display). Above the glass panel is a copy of the room, sans UFO, facing down and not visible from the boat ride. During the trick the lighting for both rooms crossfades so the glass becomes a mirror making the UFO appear to disappear.

[@etootle2934]

Scott Brownlie That’s called Pepper’s Ghost effect! It’s super interesting and crazy cool to see it in action!

[@marcg210]

@@etootle2934 iirc Pepper's ghost is used in the haunted mansion as well...

[@Xiox321]

Werid, I knew from the moment the room started "stretching" that I was in an elevator, I didnt even realise that it wasn't meant to be an obvious elevator.

[@karenkramer3760]

Same, I just didn't realize there was a room in the back.

[@JosephDavies]

The cool thing is that even if you know it's an elevator it still works at being disquieting. A gallery in an antebellum mansion shouldn't be an elevator, making the whole thing eerie and wrong in a different way.

[@SteveCarras]

Only at the ORIGINAL park, at D;world, the CEILING moves away (since only at Disneyland was wthere a need for a descending elevator)

[@munkeybutt]

Steve Carras - the original Disney park is Disneyland in Anaheim. That is the one he is speaking of.

[@thetheatreorgan168]

@@SteveCarras in Paris, the stretching room is a lift, i don’t get why it is one since the railroad doesn’t go behind it. The only reason is probably for the Phantom Manor’s exterior being visible on all sides

[@HardwareLust]

I remember my first trip into that room as a small child. It was a great effect and I was really spooked! One of the things that made me love Disneyland as a kid.

[@pumbaaco1]

HardwareLust I was 5 the first time I went on it and cried the whole time. Now I can't get enough of the ride 😊

[@soakingbook]

It scared the shit out of me as child as well.

[@Pit1993x]

I already realized those rooms being elevators as a child and also guessed their purpose correctly. It was pretty much my favorite part of the 'ride'. XD

[@barbarusbloodshed6347]

I was a little smart-ass, too. But it's kinda funny. My mother said "Oh, look! The room is stretching!" and I (10 years old) was like: "Mother! The room isn't stretching! We're in an elevator moving downwards!" People around me looked annoyed. At least that's what my mother says. I didn't notice. I was too occupied with my analysis of all the tricks :D

[@jaydeleon8094]

Pit1993x what about when you died in it?

[@flander747]

Also, please Disney out as much as you want. Combining tech and Disney is about as good as it gets!

[@leamarie1974]

flander747 I agree!

[@ijnyamato643]

I remember getting on this thing. I was so perplexed, because I thought, "there's no building in this park that has a roof this tall to house this thing. How are they doing this?" Now I know lol.

[@kayteebaker]

When the Stretching Room is going up it travels at a faster rate than going down, and the lights are on so you can really see the difference in the effects. That may be why they have the capacity/weight difference between the two so they can have a quicker return to get more guests. Thanks for the great history on this! I won't complain if you have more Disneyland videos. The Imagineering behind the attractions fascinates me, and my boyfiend is always complimenting the engineering and workmanship he sees when we are at the parks.

[@karenkramer3760]

Agree, I would love to see more too

[@havocproltd]

"When hinges creek..." wow! A flashback to my youth! I had an LP with this and other stuff from the Haunted Mansion.

[@pault5557]

Me too! The CD of the album is available OR there’s a KZbin video of the whole thing!

[@havocproltd]

@@pault5557 Wow! Thanks! ( and it's halloween! )

[@SuperEnthused]

I always notice when the wallpaper or the portraits are bubbling or damaged in any way at WDW, although I know that our Florida version does not descend. This was a fascinating and excellent video!!!! (Huge Disney nerd here & Haunted Mansion is my favorite attraction!)

[@MuddyBootz]

Also stand below the portrait holding the umbrella ........this is where the exit door is to join the doom buggies 😀👍

[@davidroddick91]

I've never been to Disneyland, but I was in the Haunted Mansion in Orlando in 1976. When the room started stretching, that really freaked me out. To my 10-year-old brain that seemed impossible, and I never knew how they did it … until now. I'm still impressed with it, and there are a lot of illusions in the mansion that I still can't explain; so my enjoyment of the ride has not been diminished.

[@cky1088]

"And now for something completely different." Ahhh, Monty Python fan I see.

[@caljones]

Ice Ice Booey huzzah! A man of quality!

[@crazyeyez1502]

Shrubbery??

[@seanwilkinson8696]

A man with three buttocks.

[@ayporos]

- Video starts with "And now for something completely different" - I press Like I applaud in your general direction, sir.

[@tangywangyJade]

Actually, the “body” that hangs during the thunder and lightning scene isn’t the ghost host. It’s actually the woman the ride is base off of. The “story” of the ride is about that woman back during the civil war. Her husband built that mansion for her before they got married. But then when the war happened, he had to leave. Years later, she still lived in the mansion, she receives a letter that her husband/ fiancé died in battle. Heart broken, she ascends the stairs in her wedding dress (I think) and hangs herself. After a couple days to a month, the man comes back (not dead at all) and finds her dead. So in the ride, as it goes up and through the house, it’s like the woman going up to the roof. And when we “fall” down to the cemetery or yard, it’s referring to her fall and being with the dead. That is what I read from a Disney blog that researched the history of the ride. (No hate please!)

[@allthingskarlita]

tangywangyJade hate to break it to you but you’re wrong.. the haunted mansion ‭was built august 1969. and the civil war started from 1861 to 1865. not only that, Walt Disney was inspired to build the haunted mansion after he visited the winchester mystery house. :)

[@TheRealColBosch]

@@allthingskarlita ...what? Do you not understand the concept of "fiction"?

[@markraymond3886]

There is a close up photo of the hanging person on-line. The figure wears the same butler outfit as the male CMs. According to some stories, the Ghost Host isn't the owner but the head butler.

[@Beetlejuice_Sam]

That’s the story for the ride at Disneyland Paris!

[@ryansucksatlife9141]

But it is the guy hanging, when he says “now I’ll offer this chilling challenge, to find a way out! Although there’s always my way.” Que lightning, dead body hanging, and then Robert Frost (the guy who voices the ghost host) laughing. So the hanging body is not a woman’s.

[@williamamely7038]

Thank you for sharing.The Disney Imagineers deserve kudos for the Ingenious design of the stretching room. It is most definitely one of the best illusions at almost any attraction here, or abroad.

[@MostlyPennyCat]

NINETY IS BIGGER THAN EIGHTY!!! *runs screaming*

[@ethanpoole3443]

James Neave Tell my insurance company! The other day they turned down a prescription preauthorization on the premise that 60mg twice a day was greater than the 90mg three times a day that they allowed for! Math is clearly not their strong suit, but they excel at bureaucracy and useless paperwork.

[@kensalaman3951]

in inches?

[@Bexks]

Went on the haunted mansion when I was 7 & again when I was 19 and ALWAYS wondered how the elevator (and I did 'know' it was one, I could feel it) trick was done. At 19 I was scrutinizing it closely but could not come up with any way the room seemed to be stretching but not really changing size (that's how I interpreted it) . What a trick of the mind! Amazing engineering!

[@ohdogwow2]

Great video. You could make some more. You could go into the different propulsion system technologies like asynchronous linear induction motors used for launching, trackless systems, turbulence generators on water rides etc... Even some of how the illusions work using classic magic tricks like mirrors. The portable hole effect on Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin is a classic use of mirrors for illusion.

[@funzosupport6922]

even the phase of power used, single, three phase amps etc. this guy is so intelligent

[@webkinzlover2001]

when i was little my grandma was in a wheel chair so we couldn’t leave the haunted mansion the traditional way so the way we had to leave was going back up the elevator when going up it’s fully lit it’s really interesting and fun i highly recommend trying it for any big disney fans

[@theoverseer393]

my favorite part of the song is sung as a slow, haunting choir tune: If you would like to join our jamboree There's a simple rule that's compulsory Mortals pay a token fee Rest in peace, the haunting's free So hurry back, we would like your company

[@deniselovesglitter]

“Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding ... almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis.” It starts with that voice. I’ve loved that soliloquy and this ride since I first heard it decades ago, and I love it even more now.

[@campaug]

Could you do a video describing and diving deep into the engineering of the omnimover ride system? And a deeper dive into the technical aspect of how modern animatronics work? With Hall effect sensors etc?

[@JosephDavies]

I would love to see this!

[@hellokyle123]

Man this effect needs some love. I feel like this scene is begging for some projection mapping tech upgrades.

[@jackman12359]

This ride has to be at least 2 to 3 years old right? *looks up ride* *sees that it was opened on August 12, 1969*

[@HauntedVenturesFX]

I can confirm that the Haunted Mansion actually opened on August 9, 1969. It was also my birthday and my first visit to Disneyland.

[@jackdonohue7893]

Wait you thought it was only 2 or 3 years? 😂

[@jerryorg1]

"at least 2 to 3 years old" So you're right, it's just more than 2 or 3 by about an order of magnitude.

[@SteveCarras]

August NINE

[@caljones]

Yeah, you weren’t wrong; it is, indeed, at least 2 or 3 years old😁

[@Xorthis]

As someone who visited Disney land when I was about 5 and was more interested in how the dumbo ride goes up and down than enjoying the ride itself, I love this video. I'm glad to know I'm not the only nerd who appreciates how Disney does things,

[@JuxtaposedStars]

Wouldn't it technically be the world's largest passenger deelevator?

[@Gazdatronik]

Passenger Decender

[@jauxro]

Descendevator

[@vonwhitsett913]

how anticlimbattic

[@3bydacreekside]

Descentomatic

[@-book]

😂😂😂 these comments lol

[@fad23]

Wow, I've been in the Anaheim mansion so many times over decades and understood I was in an elevator but never realized I was being funneled into another structure entirely. That's incredible!

[@mikeschaefer9516]

Pirates does the same thing.. Space mountain too, but it's a bit easier to see the back buildings that it's housed in.

[@inkandpaintdept5612]

4:23 Wait.....so the whole mansion is empty then?? What else is in the actual mansion other than elevator loading?? Theres at least a floor above that. I have so many questions.

[@losguz17]

InkAndPaint 1928 there is a break room for cast members and the ladder leading to the top of the elevators

[@HollywoodF1]

The foyer and the expanding rooms take up almost all of the volume of the on-stage Mansion. The rest is mainly a small break room like John said, but it's smaller than the foyer.

[@TequilaMockingBird91]

One of the secret bathrooms are in there too.

[@karenkramer3760]

I would love to go on a tour of the real mansion, just to see what's all in there

[@ensignphil]

@@losguz17 without knowing I was going to suggest this.

[@TheLugiaSong]

Ah I love the stretching room, so delightfully morbid. I gathered it was an elevator, but I never knew the complexity of it! Disney is fascinating in all its design, there's so much thought that's gone in to everything. I could listen about it endlessly.

[@Pyrolonn]

I went to the Haunted Mansion in Florida as a kid about 40 years ago. The only thing that was memorable to me (beside the great quality of the exhibit) was how the reflections in the mirrors put ghosts inside your car with you. I don't remember the stretch room at all.

[@robroy4452]

Pyrolonn Florida has the stretch room, just isn’t used as an elevator.

[@Pyrolonn]

I'm sure it is there, I just don't remember it. I'd like to go back to Disney someday. I don't have kids so doubtful I will.

[@robroy4452]

Looks like you have to visit again soon! I wasn’t trying to sound like I was being a know it all haha. I worked in Disney back in 2016 for the College Program. Lost count on how many times I rode Mansion lol.

[@mackrac]

Don't need to have kids to go to Disneyland! You just need friends who want to go with

[@SteveCarras]

@@mackrac Or even alone, but you now have to wait since a year later, the COVID19 has been here since this was posted a year ago.

[@andreapatane4204]

I hate to spoil the magic and the fantasy for you, but I heard that a special access route will be available to people who have disabilities may feel free to use at the mausoleum which will be rumored to appear at the queue for The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. It's so nice that the portraits from the Stretching Room will reappear in that area that Fresh Baked talked about on his KZbin channel in November 2023 which was last year if my memory serves me correctly.

[@hornetscales8274]

Rather clever. Well made really. Then again, no surprise given who made it. Heard a third-hand statement that Disney's Imagineers are among the world's highest paid, and this gives good clues as to why they could be.

[@ThePhantomSafetyPin]

I have never been to the DisneyLAND version, but I have been on the Disney WORLD version, and the feeling of the stretching room there is every bit as fun, campy, and sinisterly weird. This ride was seriously one of my main draws to visiting WDW to the point I even have a cast member only pin of one of the hitch-hiking ghosts from pin-trading.

[@doubledarefan]

I visited this attraction once. Upon entering the room, I immediately recognized the metal strips on the floor as the same as those in elevators. So I knew I was entering a very large elevator.

[@pyroshayniac1090]

Wow, you're SO smart!

[@doubledarefan]

Yup! It's the nature of the beast that is me.

[@Razzy1312]

Even as 10 year old first time at Disneyland I knew what was going on. Of course, this is the same child who at 3 years old told Santa "You aren't real." while sitting on his lap at the mall. I was/am impressed at the techniques used for these things though.

[@JEMHull-gf9el]

I've been in the stretching room going up (I'm in a wheelchair) and I can say it is just as weird as going down even though while going up all the lights are on and there is no narrator.

[@jesternario]

A year ago I watched this video, and then began watching the rest of your stuff. I am glad I found this video.

[@RichyCreations]

I think it’s better if they leave the wallpaper damaged, because it’ll show how old the mansion is, after all, haunted houses or mansions are very old.

[@luckywilliamson]

I have always said I wanted to see blue prints of the rides and behind the scene - as our family calls it, “the backside of Disneyland” - I love this. Thanks.

[@ccccha]

Are we sure that the portraits are being rolled out with each trip? It seems more likely they are mounted firmly to the wall, and only the lower border of the picture frame moves to reveal more of it as you descend. I would suspect constant rolling and unrolling would add up to a fair amount of wear and tear.

[@MariaThePotterNut]

Mansion is my favorite ride at the parks, I absolutely love it in all of its forms. If you really want to amp up the disorientation factor, there is a cool thing you can do. On less busy days, if you manage to get an elevator that's mostly empty (your small party or less than 10 people, less the better), and you have the right Cast Member, you can ask to sit or lay down on the ride down. Laying down with your head as close to the center of the room as possible is really an experience. Watching it streach away from you, with all the atmosphere, it's... to die for....

[@compu85]

I'll always remember the first time I went on this ride.... the effect is very convincing ! I felt like I was falling while my head got bigger!

[@TheCatBilbo]

Takes me back to 1980-ish in Florida. I loved the Haunted Mansion as an 8 year old - it was amazing! I vividly remember the stretching room and then the main hall with all the ghosts, they were 3D, real...how did they do it?!

[@LyricNear]

I know it's been four years but I never turn down the opportunity to talk about the Pepper's Ghost Illusion! Those are real 3D animatronics reflected on the glass between you and the scene.

[@Wkterr]

Don't you dare to suggest theme park tech doesn't belong on Technology Connections! This stuff is super fascinating.

[@jackwittenbrink1354]

Congratulations man! This is a great full time job! Well done!

[@altuber99_athlete]

I do appreciate the conversion in SI units!

[@socialmoth4974]

The stretching room was one of the most memorable parts of my first trip to Disney at 9 years old. It's part of the "magic" that made me fall in love with the parks.

[@philrabe910]

Ha! Yes, I watched the video on roller coaster safety blocks! Cool. I'm a big Haunted Mansion fan. As a theatre tech student I always hopped off the omnimover inside both park mansions at some point in decades past. I used to exit one of the Graveyard fire exits or slip into the exit queue. I was never able to explore the facade buildings, always a disappointment, but I can confirm that when you leave the Anaheim graveyard and walk around the side of the building, the road ramps up about 10' after passing under the railroad bridge. Naturally they have tight security nowadays. Guests are fingerprinted upon entry, so they can actually expel you from all Disney parks for life if they catch you doing this sort of self guided tour. I was hoping for a job but went into film, where I eventually built scenery in the film 'Bicentennial Man' for Disney.

[@vickiechandler3112]

its not a finger print.....ita a biometric scan that assigns you a special code by a grid/point pattern in laymens terms . They also only stay in the system for a set amount of time , which is why you have to basically reset it if you come back years later or if for some reason it wont read your finger. I have had that happen on the same trip with the same ticket . If it was my finger print it would have been able to read it at guest services ....i just got a whole new ticket and scan.

[@AlextheHistorian]

I used to be a Cast Member at Disneyland and everything you said sounds untrue. First, the mansion has always had pressure sensitive mat floors along both sides of the doom buggies which means when you step off the doom buggy in a place your not supposed to, the pressure sensitive mat stops the ride and automatically turns on the flood lights, its been this way for decades, so somebody would have noticed you leaving the ride. Also what road ramps up 10 feet? The road behind the mansion is on flat ground and behind the mansion there is NO road that passes underneath the Disneyland railroad. Lastly guests are not fingerprinted, they simply have their picture taken.

[@MCOlangotang]

Fun fact: Space Mountain in Disney World IS on the other side of the railroad tracks, so the star tunnel queue DOES ramp down, before ramping up to the loading platform on the other side of the mountain.

[@mmwosu]

MCOlangotang Always noticed the awkward up/down in the space mountain queue but never thought about why. Thanks for the info 👍

[@ZCherish]

Alex the Historian guests are absolutely fingerprinted upon entry to a park.

[@TheDeadPirateBob]

Disney has two distinct worlds. The world of its illusion and the world of the engineering behind the illusion. Both are absolutely mind-boggling. Huge props (no pun intended) to Weta and ilm and all the other fantastic businesses behind the parks.

[@kristinastone7838]

I'm glad someone else noticed how un-Disney the hanging part is. I remember one of the first times I was old enough to understand that joke I thought that was such an "edgy" thing for Disney to have in a ride haha.

[@amasterofone]

The Haunted Mansion is always a must see for me when I go to Disneyland. I won't even book the trip if there is scheduled maintenance. The stretching room freaked me out as a kid and my Mom must have done a good job of distracting me from the grisly ending in the ceiling as I only noticed that as an adult.

[@vwestlife]

You need a video camera with NightShot -- which would make a great subject for a future video. ;-)

[@Kalvinjj]

Sony NightShot IR filming reminds me of someone selling on a local on-line commerce site a modded old Video8 Sony camera with NightShot, in which he reversed a few key modifications that Sony had to do to supposedly avoid the camera filming through clothes, so basically, he reverse engineered it into a pervert camera, and hence was charging for an old Video8 analog camera the equivalent to a current nice 4K HDD enabled handheld video camera. Dunno how far that was true, but I can't find it anymore, so it either got sold or reported

[@ethanpoole3443]

Kalvinjj The only "mod" so far as I am aware is disabling the ability to use Nightshot mode when in daylight (in essence, it's a built-in lockout at short exposures and/or narrow apertures that prevents using Nightshot mode during the day).

[@Clay3613]

Hey, its you! Love your stuff too!

[@Nexfero]

What about Cat's Eye?

[@coastroads]

My ex-GF had a Sony 8mm camcorder with night shot, so of course we took it on the Haunted Mansion. Three times a cast member came over the loudspeaker inside the ride saying to turn it off before we realized they were talking to her. Our best guess is that she had the IR light on to film, and it was blinding the IR cameras Disney has in the ride. This was around 2001.

[@FuncleChuck]

I absolutely love Disney World. I know it’s literally built for this, but of the few memories I have that I really treasure as a mid-30s dude, my few trips to Disney are all VIVID and I cannot wait time go again

[@smacksmashen]

"I highly encourage poking around there if you're interested" Best chat up line EVER.

[@nomukun1138]

The slight sensation of movement when you believe you're standing still almost certainly adds a feeling of unease, a very nice effect for a haunted house attraction. I went on the ride as a teenager but I had no idea I was moving down... but I also didn't notice the ride was bigger than the facade, or at least I don't remember it now. If I was a little more observant the ride would have been more interesting and mysterious.

[@AirborneSurfer]

Paul Frees did originally voice the Ghost Host, but as the attraction has changed slightly over the years since his death, he is now voiced by the Official Disney Paul Frees Sound-Alike, one Corey Burton (AKA the voice of the Mickey & Friends Tram).

[@jamie1602]

Paul Frees' voice is still present in the ride, but if you want to test yourself on if you can spot the difference... well... It is admittedly fun going "THAT WAS PAUL! AND NOW THAT'S COREY!" This is next level Disney nerding and I don't suggest anyone do it unless they're trying to provoke eyerolling from their vacation party.

[@AirborneSurfer]

Jamie I believe the Nightmare Before Christmas facelift is entirely Burton, though. Right? Ditto on the eye roll.

[@megelizabeth9492]

Yep, it's a completely new recording by Corey Burton.

[@MickeyMousePark]

Another voice Paul Frees is famous for is Tony The Tiger of Sugar Frosted Flakes Fame...They're GREAT!

[@megelizabeth9492]

that's Thurl Ravenscroft, actually. (He is in the ride though, as the lead singing bust.)

[@marcoscastaneda2567]

Right when I thought I understood exactly how this works, you make me notice that the entrance door "disappears" or "becomes the wallpaper". I'm even more impressed now

[@TheBetterRyanKelly]

I love your content, If you ever want/need 3D mock-ups of something you're trying to describe let me know (DM), I would be happy to contribute!

[@funzosupport6922]

very very nice of you

[@EnglishLaw]

I like this idea

[@ATrustInThrust]

What a huge treat to hear your reading of the haunted mansion script. I really enjoyed it!

[@WhizWoz]

This was fascinating! I’ve grown up with Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris (FYI - the stretching room is a lot spookier in French when you have no idea what’s going on) and I always wanted to know how it worked. It must have been modelled on the California version, as there will have been space constraints at Paris too! Thanks for the info!

[@markraymond3886]

Paris doesn't have the space constraints but it does have the elevator. The Manor is on top of a hill and the elevator brings you back down to ground level, the attraction hides behind the mansion. Paris wanted the elevator illusion.

[@WhizWoz]

Mark Raymond ah, v interesting!

[@KLGChaos]

Going to Disney for the first time in my life next year... really can't wait. This will be one of my first attractions.

[@falldog9]

Such a great video - well done!

[@savethebees2574]

I remember visiting the Orlando park when I was much younger. The _only_ part of that trip I remember was the stretching room since it mesmerized me at the time.

[@dadoctah]

I've got a question on a small piece of Disneyland tech that I've always wondered about. On the outside face of It's a Small World there's a dial with a stylized face that rocks back and forth like a pendulum, and on the inside of the ride there's an elephant rocking its head back and forth the same way. Are these two front and back of the same piece of mechanism, or connected in any way?

[@HollywoodF1]

They are in different buildings, on opposite sides of the railroad track, about 350 feet apart. The two mechanisms are similar.

[@RealLatinGeek]

The thunderclap and skeleton syncing with the elevator stopping is genius. Great use of misdirection. I wonder if the elevator's descent somehow feels, subconsciously, more "magical" or "spooky" than the copies that just raise the ceiling.

[@elextricunicorn456]

The dancing scene/birthday scene where all the ghosts are around a table is all done by mirrors and lights. There are real plastic figures sitting below the tracks and there are several mirrors that show the ghosts sitting at the now ghost table. That’s how the lights can go on and off and the ghosts can appear and reappear. Or this is how it is in Disneyworld at least.

[@royalblue4189]

My favorite ride in Disney is the haunted mansion and how it works will never kill the magic. The stretching room is easily my favorite part of it.

[@bryede]

Congrats on going full-time!

[@TheGeekMonster]

Such creative genius! You just don't see creativity and inventiveness like this anymore.

[@ABaumstumpf]

It is the biggest elevator - unless you want to go upwards and elevate people :P

[@Ktulu789]

ABaumstumpf then it is a "lowerator" xD

[@stevethepocket]

The world's biggest descender.

[@ZeroHourProductions407]

What a *downer*. 😜

[@Stoney3K]

That may actually be different between Anaheim and Paris. If the lift in Anaheim is a hydraulic platform, lowering it would take a lot less power than raising it with a full load of 90 people. However, I have been to Paris and I noticed that the lift there was not acting as a hydraulic platform would, I could feel the rumble of a geared set of motors underneath the platform (which you can also hear if you pay attention). This means at least in Paris, the lift is on a set of spindle jacks or Spiralifts which move it up and down, making it a lot easier to construct and cheaper to maintain than a hydraulic setup. Also, if it has a geared motor setup, it would have the same lifting capacity going either up or down.

[@ABaumstumpf]

"Also, if it has a geared motor setup, it would have the same lifting capacity going either up or down." Not necessarily. With corkscrews you can easily control the descent of a way heavier weight than what it can lift. So it really depends on the specific construction.

[@kolonarulez5222]

The fact that they want the house not look like the haunted mansion on the outside is how my parents tricked me into going on when I was 8. I cried in the stretching room!

[@alec4672]

I love learning about the engineering in these Disney attractions. It's like a Rob Plays video but more technical.

[@MsBrynnElizabeth]

Love it. I’m an Orlando local AP & a major Disney/Attractions guru....for some reason I never knew how the “magic” behind the walls worked. :) now I do. So thank you :) Also. Epic kudos on the Monty python intro

[@skavossis5377]

OH man (adds another fantasy to YT Island matchups). Man plz do more of these and maybe a collab with OffHand Disney. I love looking behind the curtain.

[@cadence4527]

Actually you’ve only made it more magical for a room/elevator I’ve never been in and probably never will be. I like this video.

[@limabeanqueen9042]

Such a cool video!!! Thank you so much, you explained it really well! :)) (and thank you for writing the sizes in meters too!!)

[@hexyoutubeaccount]

I just came from the rollercoaster video. Both videos are so incredible and in depth! It's so visible that you have such passion for both engineering AND the magic of Disney, which I think makes you fully qualified to be an imagineer!