As most of us know by now, for the past several months, Disney has walled off the left side of the Haunted Mansion queue line in order to bring a new, interactive one along with a change to the iconic cemetery and its headstones. I have been speaking to managers and cast members for quite a long time, trying to get any information about any major changes to the cemetery, if any. All have basically stated the same thing…Disney has not given out any details to anyone. Some cast members said they heard rumors that there will be some changes, but again, no details.
This rehabbed Queue line is expected to be complete in two or three more months, and the three Hitch-Hiking ghosts (Gus the traveler, Ezra the Skeleton, and Phineas the Traveler) fan favorites seen at the end of the attraction are “Going on Vacation” for a couple of months, as one cast member put it. In their stead, Disney has substituted animation to replace the “Peppers Ghost” effect we see when one of the ghosts sits next to you in your “Doom Buggy” as the Ghost that will follow you home. (This effect was named after John Henry Pepper who invented it in the 1860s.) I was told that the Ghosts will return when the queue line re-opens. I have taken some pics of the new effect so you can see the difference. Enjoy!
Contributed by: Bill I. (NDH #35). Bill is our resident historian.
Bill has been a Disney lover and fanatic since childhood. He moved to Florida to be near Disney and has been a staff writer for Mickey News for five years. Recently, he added writing for WDW Facts, contributing to the Disney Food Blog, and blogging for The Disney Driven Life to his list of activities. All of this was a natural step for Bill, who spends three to four days of every week in Disney Parks either researching or simply taking in the “magic.”
Hoping that things are open and set when we are there in mid-March. Can not wait to hear more about the final interactive queue.