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History of the Haunted Mansion | DOCUMENTARY

Alex the Historian

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Disneyland's Haunted Mansion is a groundbreaking attraction that introduced a lot of special effects, both new and old, with a macabre twist. It continues to evolve even to this day, and is considered one of Disneyland's most beloved and classic attractions.

#disneyland #hauntedmansion #disney

Special thanks to ‪@LMGVids‬ for his footage of the ride over the years. See his video of the full queue and ride 2025: Haunted Mansion - Reopens w/ NEW BRIDE Fig...

The Mystery of Brigham Young's Haunted Hearse:
The Mystery of Brigham Young's Haunted Hearse

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Building the Mansion
13:18 Giving It Sound
16:48 The Mansion Opens
17:19 The Queue
24:45 The Ride-Thru
37:30 A Disneyland Classic

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My email: alexthehistorian55@gmail.com
VENMO: @AlexAHistorian

Our free online Queen Mary Encyclopedia, "rmsQMwiki": https://rmsqmwiki.org
rmsQMwiki on Facebook: Facebook: rmsqmwiki

Our merch store, ART DECOrium: https://artdecorium.printful.me/

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 8 years of using it as a stage name for my channel, it would be detrimental to the channel to suddenly change the name.

20 Comments

@TimCollins-bc8yb 11 months ago

I was born in 1959. My father worked for Lockheed, in Burbank, California. Every year, Lockheed would buy out Disneyland for a night. So I was ten years old in 1969, and "Lockheed Night" at Disneyland fell on Halloween that year. No matter how long the line..... I think it took a full hour....... we HAD to see the Haunted Mansion! It was only a month or two after it opened. Thanks for the memory!

@charlesfcopeland9756 1 year ago

Growing up, I dreamt of building my own haunted house attraction. Then, I went to Disney World. I realized I could never compete with the Haunted Mansion. It's still my favorite of all the Disney attractions.

@Tuilelen 11 months ago

I rode this attraction when I was little, and was blown away by the effects because I couldn't fathom how they were doing any of it. But the ballroom scene in particular is one of the top moments in my childhood where I felt like I was seeing real magic, because it looked so impossibly real. Just a pure sense of wonder and awe that I remember to this day.

@rroccanova 1 year ago

My two homes! The Queen Mary (I have my pass again) and the Haunted Mansion (I work there full time Monday-Friday). It's an honor getting to work at my favorite attraction everyday!

@CherriesJubilee 11 months ago

I was six years old in 1969 and we lived in San Francisco. My parents took me to Disneyland and we were one of the first to see this exhibit. I remember my mother being astonished at the special effects. We both loved scary movies so this Haunted Mansion was more fun than scary. It started as my favorite ride and remains so to this day.

@LunasEye927 1 year ago

I’m sure you get tired of hearing this… your Disney history videos are THE BEST!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and giving us this magical video.

@saltymisfit6566 11 months ago

My 2 MUST RIDE when I visited Disney was always Haunted Mansion & Pirates of the Caribbean

@caroleflower8066 5 months ago

I love NOT listening to AI mispronouncing words. Love the narration.

@GravesandGhosts 1 year ago

This will always be my absolute favorite Disney attraction, a timeless classic.

@withonelook1985 1 year ago

Fun fact, Leota Toombs daughter, Kim Irvine, is also an imagineer and provided Mdm. Leota's face acting for the Holiday overlay.

@SplinkProductions 1 year ago

Rode it twice today! One of the greatest rides ever.

@Fezzik2008 1 year ago

We lived in Anaheim, CA, back in the early '70s, and went to Disney Land all the time. The Haunted Mansion was one of my favorite rides. I miss the old Disney Land.

@Mannyrail-blue 1 year ago

This was awesome. Thank you. I have been a big fan of the mansion since it opened in 1969. I rode it that first year…I was 11 years old. I used to get scared in the attic, when the ghosts would pop up! I learned a few more things from this vid.

@ScanFan_Ed 1 year ago

Hope everyone will “like” this video and comment. We need to support Alex with his hard work on this type of content. No doubt this took a lot of time and great editing. Thank you, Alex! 😊

@toddhensley880 1 year ago

It’s amazing that out of that creative chaos came so many iconic scenes, sounds, and music.

@toshibavoodoo 1 year ago

This makes SATURDAY, extra special.

@jetsons101 1 year ago

Alex, I hate to repeat myself BUT your narration is so enjoyable. Three of my favorite rides at Disneyland are The Haunted Mansion, Pirates Of The Caribbean and the Peoplemover...... Oh--- That's right, the Peoplemoves is gone. So my three favorites are Haunted, Pirates and the Matterhorn.....
Thanks to Alex for providing quality videos that help keep history alive and kicking for us and other to enjoy.

@jlasf 1 year ago

I was just at the Disneyland Paris Haunted Mansion - called "Phantom Manor" - and noted the exterior is based on the "Psycho" house and reminiscent of the original design shown at 0:36.

@sco6194 11 months ago

Great show. You gotta love The Haunted Mansion. Thanks for bringing this to us.

@Mermaid-h1u 1 year ago (edited)

This makes the 4th of July weekend very exciting and terrifying at the same time. My friend who was my job coach from an agency that's located in the city LOVES this attraction and it doesn't scare her at all. Every year on August 9, we remember the day that The Haunted Mansion dark ride opened to the public at Disneyland (Anaheim, CA). Viva Disney Imagineering, LOL. Please keep these ride history videos coming.