image © Disney & Long Forgotten
I mentioned this blog in another post, but it’s worthy of a post all its own. If you’re a big fan of the Disney Haunted Mansion rides, like I am, you really should check out the Long Forgotten Blog on Blogger.com.
What sets this blog apart is the fact that each post is a scholarly research project. These are deep dives, folks, and not for the faint hearted reader. The author, whose name I couldn’t locate on the site, gets very serious about the origins of each and every element in some of the best dark rides of all time.
It also helps that these articles are well written and the “facts” are offered with a grain of salt. This level of excavation is similar to archeology in that we don’t have all the facts from all the different people who were involved. We often have conflicting accounts of things that may or may not have even happened.
Our host also shares a plethora of wonderful images to support his arguments and to illustrate just how creative the ride designers were. There’s concept art here that you simply won’t find anywhere else unless you plan to spend days digging for them.
If you’re interested in the origins of the Haunted Mansion rides and are willing to not touch the safety bar, I can think of no better Ghost Host to act as your guide. Very highly recommended.