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Makenna Mattal

Salena Parker

ENGL 1301.MB2

9/18/21

Grim Grinning Ghosts: A Travel Memoir

Returning somewhere that your fondest childhood memories are forever encapsulated is

one of the absolute best feelings there is. In March of 2019, my mom, sister, and I took a girl's

trip to visit family in my home state. A trip to California meant I got to go back to my happy

place after yearning for it for 5 years: The Haunted Manion ride at Disneyland.

As soon as we entered the park on our “Disney Day”, I felt my legs take me into the exact

direction of it, almost like muscle memory. The Haunted Mansion was just how I remembered.

The huge ivory mansion with the “pet cemetery” along the entrance walkway and white

horseless carriage right out front was all still there, waiting for me. I was excited and hungry for

more. 

The thick, comforting, musty smell of the ride engulfed me, and the effect was

immediate. Hearing the instrumental to “Grim Grinning Ghosts” was almost like a lullaby to me.

From the very second the doors of the stretching room close and the ride’s narrator begins to

speak, every detail is so seamless that you become a part of the attraction. The absolute

impeccable attention to detail throughout the “stairs to nowhere” scene was and will always be

my favorite. The stairs are strategically lit so you can see the extreme contrast of the luminescent

ghostly footprints appearing and disappearing as well as the mass of cobwebs connecting them

all. The last scene is in the cemetery where all 999 of the mansion’s phantom residents are

together and singing the earworm-like lyrics to “Grim Grinning Ghosts” at full volume. There
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are holograms of different ghosts doing all sorts of things everywhere you look. As you near the

end of this room, you can see the famous singing busts belting out the song in great gusto.

During the very last stretch of The Haunted Mansion, you pass different mirrors where you can

see the three hitchhiking ghosts try to stowaway in your “doom buggy” as you prepare to get off

the ride. Upon exiting my little nostalgia trip and heading back to the entrance, I remember

thinking to myself (as I do every time), ‘I’m not sure I’ve seen everything I could see. I should

probably ride again just to be sure.’.

The Disney Imagineers that created the ride wanted the story of The Haunted Mansion to

be self-interpreted rather than a solid story like a lot of the other rides at the park. However, if

you are very attentive or ride enough times, you can tell there is a clear plot line. Once you enter

the attic scene, you will see a ghost bride surrounded by wedding gifts and several pictures of old

husbands. As you delve further into the attic, you will observe the husbands’ heads begin to

disappear from the photos. Pay attention because you might miss seeing the ghost bride,

Constance, has an axe hidden behind her back. My personal favorite theory is, as you go through

the ride, you are alive, and the ghosts of the mansion pay no attention to you. Once you enter the

attic, Constance kills you. Then as you slowly journey down into the cemetery, the ghosts

acknowledge and celebrate you as a new happy haunt.

Throughout my whole life, this ride has been much more than just a theme park

attraction. It is the reason my family goes all out decorating for Halloween every year. After our

first trip to Disney, I remember wanting to decorate our yard exactly like the cemetery scene in

the ride. Our Halloween display didn’t look anything like it, of course, but I sure tried to mimic

the same level of awe I felt, and that has never changed. The Haunted Mansion will always be

something I hold very near and dear to my heart. I was lucky enough to be able to visit Disney
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and experience it from a young age up into my adulthood and I hope to eventually provide my

future children the same memories. No matter how old I am, I can’t bring myself to stay away

for very long. As Madam Leota said, “Hurry baack, hurry baaack...”.