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I was fortunate enough (and had $2,000 laying around) to be one of the 30 guests who attended the Disneyland Haunted Mansion Dinner Event on October 25, 2000. For those who thought the price was too much, you were wrong. At first I had reservations about the price, but ultimately it was worth it.

Guests checked in at the Disneyland Pacific Hotel for the event at 7 pm. There was a nice variety of people standing in the lobby as we were given a nametag and our itineraries for the next 2 days. I was told there would be no photos allowed in the attraction and so I reluctantly put my video camera back in my room.

Around 7:45, the woman coordinating the event, Martha, told us our special transportation had arrived to take us to the park. Outside, three limousines awaited with their drivers-each with their faces painted like ghastly ghouls! As the limos escorted us over to the Park, we really didn't know where we were going to enter the park or where we would be dropped off. Everyone was confused as we drove around to the back entrance behind the Park.

As we passed backstage areas, we saw the giant Christmas tree being decorated, as well a variety of extra props and floats from parades. We paused for a moment and then a gate was opened and we continued through. It was now when we realized we were entering the Park down by Critter Country. The limos drove us through Bear Country and up and around Splash Mountain! None of us could believe it!!! Not only were we in the park after closing, but we were cruising through the park in limos!!!

As we approached the Haunted Mansion, the excitement grew. The mansion was lit up with different colored spotlights and looked better than I have ever seen it. The limos dropped us off right in front of the entrance gate. There were about a dozen people standing near the entrance dressed as ghouls that welcomed us. Some were cast members in their Haunted Mansion costumes, others were Donna & Henry, the Disneyland Ambassadors of the Park, as well as a 3-piece band that played songs upon our arrival. Everyone was wearing ghoulish face makeup and looked great.

On the lawn to our left, were tombstones with each one of our names on it. The tombstones featured our names, our birth dates and our "death date", plus a saying like the original tombstones. Each saying was customized to our lifestyle or profession. For example, I work for Williams-Sonoma, the kitchen retailer, so my tombstone said "In life he worked with a pan and pot, Now he rests in this very spot."

It was an awesome touch!!! (NOTE: John Hohol did bring his camera and was allowed to take a few pictures before we went in the actual attraction. It is his pictures that are presented here, thank you John).

As we approached the front stairs, we were greeted by a cast member playing Jack Skelington, The Nightmare Before Christmas character. He looked perfect! He told us we would be "dying tonight" and that was why there were tombstones for each of us. We were welcomed into the mansion's foyer and were greeted with glasses of champagne. As we stood around mingling, imagaineer Rolly Crump was introduced to us. He would be our special guest of honor for the evening. Also introduced was Alice Davis, the late Marc Davis' wife. She would be an additional special guest.

After a few minutes, we stepped into the Stretching Room and descended downward. When the doors opened up we were greeted with giant dining table that stretched the length of the Changing Portrait Hall. The table was decorated with bouquets of dead roses, faux candles, skulls, plus a variety of other scary props. There were spiderwebs strewn everywhere. As we sat down, cast members from the mansion and Club 33 came out and took our empty champagne glasses.

A woman dressed as Sally (from Nightmare Before Christmas) played the harp in the corner (she even played Stairway to Heaven!). Many of the chain ropes with the bat figures were removed to allow more area around the table. On one side of the table, near the raining windows, there was a coffin with a candelabra atop it. At the end of our table a silver knight sat still in a giant wooden chair. Jack spoke of the evening and introduced the evening's entertainment before dinner. It was then when the coffin opened and a CM dressed as Dracula came out, then the Knight at the end of the table stood up. They were joined by a third CM dressed up as the ball and chain hitchhiking ghost and a fourth who was dressed as a Club 33 waiter. It turns out these gentlemen were the barbershop quartet that performs around the park, but I don't think they were the Dapper Dans..? But I did see them the next day singing inside the Market House.

Dinner was absolutely fabulous! A Gazpacho Soup with Lobster Medallions was the first course, followed by a Potato Crusted Duck Breast, then followed up with dessert, perfectly titled "Death by Chocolate". This was a large plate with about seven different bite-size chocolate desserts, each richer than the next!! In the center of the plate was small candy bat with blood dripping out of its mouth!! The attention to detail was incredible! During each course we were also treated to a different Robert Mondavi wine.

After dinner we were each presented a death certificate with our name written (printed) in blood! Next we were led down to the loading area and given a ride through the mansion. There were people scattered throughout the attraction scaring you as you rode through (a nice touch, even though the guy in the graveyard almost gave me a heart attack!) As we approached the exiting area, a cat member told us to stay on, and ride around to the front.

Now for me, this small extra stretch was icing on the cake. I am one of those super curious types that just needs to know what is behind that door or around that corner. So imagine my joy as we continued past the exit and back around toward the loading area. In that small stretch of track, you pass a black curtain that hides the control room and the infra-red camera monitors. When we came around to the loading area, we stepped off and were asked to wait near the side. When everyone was accounted for, they said they were going to take us on a special tour. They broke us up into groups of 5-6 people and we got a walking tour through the Mansion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost fainted from excitement! (This is what us junkies are praying for!)

The doombuggies were stopped, the lights were turned on and we were led up the ramp to the Conservatory. Imagine us walking through, and being able to touch everything and closely inspect everything, and having people explain how everything worked! This was by far the ultimate! Do you know the wallpaper in there is the original, and because no more exists, the have to patch in the holes when some falls off?

We got to walk down the long hallway with the floating candelabra and see it up close (suspending strings and all!) but the ultimate was still ahead. We approached the Grand Ballroom, and stood in front of the glass looking down into the room (I actually bumped my head on it, forgetting it was there).

Then, directly behind us, was a door that led us downstairs and underneath the tracks. It was here where we got to see the life-size figures that appear to dance and sit inside the Grand Ballroom. To see these figures up close was amazing. They are painted in ways to accentuate the features and have a glow to them. Then we led around to the back of the actual ballroom and escorted down the stairs into the actual ballroom!!! I kept saying to myself, this is unbelievable!!! From inside, you really understand how big those glass panels are. They appear black from inside the ballroom and the famous bullet hole is more noticeable. (Did you know they are 30 feet tall and they would have to remove the roof if they ever needed to change on of them?)

As we traveled backstage, you saw all kinds of interesting things. There were lockers that stored clothing and costumes for all of the figures in the attraction nearby, even the natives from the Jungle Cruise! Each locker was marked on the front with its contents. Also back there, was a metal cage containing a dozen life preservers for the Mark Twain!

We eventually walked through the graveyard, past the hitchhiking ghosts, and toward the exit, only to be re-routed past the exit again and into the control room. They showed us the various monitors and such. When we arrived back at the loading area (again), I met Maynard and he showed me the control box at the load area and he explained how things worked (It was nice to finally meet this Disneyland legend.)

Once everyone was accounted for, they turned on the doombuggies and we rode one final time. It was great to put into perspective all we had just seen. As we exited the ride, there was woman hiding near little Leota who scared us as we left. Outside the exit, standing in two lines, were all of the CM's, all of the people who were dressed up inside the attraction as well as the Disneyland ambassadors, and Jack. We were all thanked and escorted to the awaiting limousines.

The limos took us out the back way we had originally arrived, but we stopped near the gate by It's A Small World. They opened the gate and we drove in. All of the holiday lighting was turned on as the music played and we drove down through the park, following the usual parade route! We cruised past the Matterhorn, around the Hub, down Main Street and exited near the Mad Hatter the way the usual parades end.

When we got back to the hotel, our tombstones were waiting for us in our rooms with an additional gift - a handpainted plate for us to remember the evening by. There were 5 different versions, Leota, Medusa, the Clock, the Haunted Mansion itself, and one more I can't remember. There were only 6 of each plate made for a total of 30. Each came with a certificate of authenticity.

The following day we had admission to the park, lunch at Club 33, and the Disney Diva Event Dinner Show with VIP seating! Overall, it was simply the best evening of my life - and I heard it might become a regular event. If so, start saving your money now!!!! It is a once in a lifetime thing, so don't think about it and go for it.

Thanks for reading!

It's with great pleasure MousePlanet presents this wonderful event report by Scott Davis. He submitted it not too long after the dinner happened, but it took us a bit to get it properly put together and to find a home for it on the site.

Thank you Scott for sharing this wonderful evening with the MousePlanet readers, and also thank you for your patience while we got it up on line.

- Al Lutz

If you have any questions, write Scott at:

scottdisney33@yahoo.com