Explore Disney’s Haunted Mansion online

The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland (and its spin-offs at other Disney theme parks) may not be the scariest haunted house. In fact, it’s not scary at all. I was possibly the world’s most easily frightened kid until I was about fourteen, and I don’t think even I would have wet myself while relaxing in one of Disney’s custom-designed Doom Buggies as I was shuttled comfortably around this twilight-realm version of “It’s a Small World.” But still, it really does have something magical about it.

Library of the Haunted MansionMaybe it’s just my childhood nostalgia acting up (I really should rub some cream on that), because one of my first albums was a Disney long-playing record about Halloween, and it had excerpts from this ride, so that the voices of the House’s Tour Guide and Leota the Psychic Head are as dear to me as Burl Ives’ stop-motion snowman or Boris Karloff’s narrator for the Grinch cartoon. But it’s also fascinating for how it mixes old-world showmanship and craftsmanship with 20th century American Hollywood style entertainment. Oh, and it’s got that peculiar Disney toothlessness that’s disturbing on an entirely different level.

And I still want to design my home to match the Haunted Mansion aesthetic. At least on my optimistic days.

Dining hall at the Haunted MansionSadly–after all that outpouring of overthinking it–I have never been! I am a fraud! (How Disney of me!) But DoomBuggies.com has an amazingly detailed overview and history of the making of the Haunted Mansion, including details of the artists and cartoonists (who are also artists, but I’m drawing a distinction to single them out) responsible for this crazy, sugar-coated, spooky “dark ride” confection.


Book - Secrets of Disney’s Haunted Mansion
P.S. While you’re at it, you should buy a printed copy of the DoomBuggies book, “The Secrets of Disney’s Haunted Mansion“–only $14.95! We’ve printed and ordered books from Lulu.com before and can vouch for the quality. (And no, we don’t get any profit from this; we just want to thank DoomBuggies.com for their terrific work.)

October 26, 2006 | Filed Under Arts & Entertainment, History, Places | View Comments 

Neurotoxins for kids

Now if you ever get bitten or stung by one of these animals, at least you will know what is happening to your nervous system!!

That’s what’s printed on the page in bright blue letters. We guess that’s how it’s “for kids”? It’s an educational death, made more jovial with exclamation marks? Whatever their reasoning, this chart is a great reference tool for victims of any age. It lists the name of the toxin, the animal where you’ll find it, and what it does to your nervous system.

It probably doesn’t work like this, but we like to think you can pair up deadly creatures to counteract their toxins. For instance, the maculotoxin of the blue ringed octopus blocks sodium channels, while the robustotoxin of the funnel web spider opens sodium channels… do you see what we’re getting at here?

Maybe this is exactly why this page is not for kids.

Toxin Chart for kids

[Neurotoxins for kids]

October 15, 2006 | Filed Under Strange But True | View Comments