Haunted Mansion

Like Eric said this is my favorite ride in Disneyland as well. The moment you step on the property of the Haunted Mansion it is an adventure. From the horseless carriage to the many tombstones, you realize what you are getting yourself into. Once inside the Haunted Mansion you are shuffled into an elevator, where a "friendly" voice announces exactly what is happening in the Haunted Mansion. I won't spoil any of this for you.

Now you are finally to the ride, which they call the buggy. You are then whisked away into the haunted mansion, where the effects are so real, you might believe you are really with a ghost. A ride this entertaining could only come from the imagination of Disney.

Starting in November now they change the ride theme into "The Nightmare before Christmas", based upon the movie. This is actually very cool and is basically a whole new ride. There are many more neon colors and it seems all a little more friendly than the regular Haunted Mansion.

The Haunted Mansion is by far the coolest ride and attraction at Disneyland. I remember being amazed by it as a kid, and I was worried that seeing it a second-time around as a jaded, world-weary traveler would dispel the magic of my childhood memory. Fortunately, the Haunted Mansion is so well done, and the special effects are so amazing, that these fears were erased.

I really don't know how they achieve all the effects, but the Haunted Mansion looks like you'd imagine a Haunted Mansion should look. There are pictures whose eyes follow you as you walk around, thunder and rain crackling outside the windows, and translucent ghost-like beings that float around ethereally. If you allow yourself to suspend disbelief for one moment, you might even believe it's real.

My dream is to walk around the Haunted House alone, with no other group or people around. I think that that would be a sufficiently bone-chilling experience.