1. Haunted Mansion - If you're by the Haunted Mansion at night, look up at the top story right above the front door. If you watch it for a while you'll notice a light pass by and some shadows. It looks like 2 people are walking by with a lantern.
2. Haunted Mansion - The turrets of the Haunted Mansion are chess peices. The rooks, bishops, pawns, and the king and queen.
3. Haunted Mansion - If you miss Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Fantasyland, never fear! You can find dear departed Mr. Toad in the back cornor of the Haunted Mansion's Pet Cemetery! Mr. Toad's ride was replaced by the Winnie the Pooh ride. Mr. Toad's tombstone reads, "Here Lies Mr. Toad, It's Sad But True, Not as Profitable as Good Ole Pooh!" Disney decided they could sell more stuffed Poohs than Mr. Toads so.....good bye ride!
4. Haunted Mansion - As you exit look on the ground to find a mysterious round object. Legend has it that it's the wedding ring of the Bride in the Attic. She supposedly flung it out the window in her despair before she died, and there it lies to this day. (Some people will say that it's nothing more than the remains of a post that was removed at some point. But why let the facts get in the way of a good story...!)
5. Haunted Mansion - How do they do the dancing ballroom ghosts? It is a simple and very old trick called "Peppers Ghost". There is a large pane of glass between you and the ballroom below. The ghosts are actually located above and below the track you ride on. The ghosts are lit and it is their reflection you see in the glass! Notice that the ladies appear to be leading the men. It seems that someone forgot that reflections are mirror images!
6. Haunted Mansion - In the stretching room, is the ceiling rising or the floor lowering? At WDW the ceiling rises, at Disneyland the floor lowers! At Disneyland, you are going down an elevator to a "basement". The actual ride is on the other side of the railroad tracks so you go underground and walk under the tracks! WDW had enough room so the ride is built inside the railroad tracks!
7. Haunted Mansion - A rose is often on the tomb of Master Gracey at the entrance. This recognizes the work of Yale Gracey who led the special effects design team for the attraction.
8. Haunted Mansion - The tombstones honor individuals who worked on the ride. One tombstone says, "Dear Departed Brother Dave, He Chased a Bear into a Cave." This stone is named for Dave Burkhart the model builder for the ride. Another stone reads, "At Peaceful Rest Lies Brother Claude, Planted Here Beneath the Sod." This is for Claude Coats who developed the layout for the ride track. Yet another says, "Here lies good old Fred, A great big rock fell on his head. RIP" This is for Fred Joerger, an art director who created many of the plaster effects for the ride.
9. Liberty Square Window Shutters - Notice that the shutters are hanging at an angle. This is because during colonial times the metal from shutters was used to make bullets. The shutters were hung with straps of leather that stretched with time resulting in dangling shutters.
10. Liberty Square House and Store Addresses - The changing styles of the buildings mark a progression through time. Add a "18" in front of each number to get the year of the building's style (i.e.g 1826).
11. Liberty Belle - If you ask a cast member on the Liberty Belle's dock nicely, you can go up to the wheel house and ring the bell, toot the horn and drive the boat. You even get a certificate.
12. Liberty Tree - There are 13 lanterns hanging in the Liberty Tree. They represent the 13 original colonies.
13. Hall of Presidents - The 1787 date above the door of the Hall of Presidents is the date that the Constitution was radified.
14. Hall of Presidents - Check out the lantern in the second story side window of the Hall of Presidents (facing toward the Haunted Mansion). You will see the two lanterns of Paul Revere. One if by land, two if by sea!
15. Hall of Presidents - The carpet in the rotunda is the only place in the World other than the White House that is allowed to use the Presidential Seal.
