The Haunted Mansion at the El Capitan
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The Haunted Mansion - Hollywood

Videos
There are seven video clips available from various sections of The Haunted Mansion - Hollywood. All are in 352 X 240 pixels in MPEG format and are linked here only.

• Clip 1: The Crypt Coffin (12 seconds, 1.9 Megs)
• Clip 2: The Ghost Band (32 seconds, 5.3 Megs)
• Clip 3: Hostess Explains the "Iron" (31 seconds, 5.1 Megs)
• Clip 4: Madame Leota (19 seconds, 3.1 Megs)
• Clip 5: The Library (22 seconds, 3.5 Megs)
• Clip 6: Special Effects Presentation (26 seconds, 4.3 Megs)
• Clip 7: Rick Baker's Zombies (22 seconds, 3.7 Megs)

The El Capitan Theater in Hollywood is clearly the best place to see any big, new Disney release. The extra shows and exhibits, which the theater hosts, never fail to heighten our appreciation of Disney’s cinematic endeavors. The Haunted Mansion is no exception. This time the geniuses at Disney publicity have summoned forth a treat guaranteed to thrill Disney fans and movie buffs alike. How many times can you watch a movie and then immediately afterwards step onto the very sets where it was shot? Not often. But you can at Haunted Mansion Hollywood.

The experience really starts as you approach the theater box office and pass the theater’s Disney Store. The window displays are filled with props and costumes from the movie. Items ranging from an elaborately carved dining room chair to the suit worn by Eddie Murphy set the stage for the main event.

Now, if you bring your camera, and I highly suggest that you do, you will have to check it at the theater entrance. But don’t worry; you’ll be able to pick it up directly after the movie.

The portrait of Edward Gracey
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Inside the theater, two portraits from the movie occupy the box seats on the right and left, one of Edward Gracey and the other of his lost love, Elizabeth. On the stage, the El Capitan organist provides the usual pre-show Disney medley. But somehow, with those portraits staring down at you, the organ music seems a little unsettling.

It’s always a pleasure to watch a movie unfold in that palatial theater and when it ended I almost regretted leaving. But curiosity overpowered regret and I headed out back to explore the giant tent Disney erected behind the theater.

As you leave the theater, a ghost band plays in the alleyway. This is where you pick up your camera if you checked one at the theater entrance. A huge Haunted Mansion Holiday marquee hangs next to a cupola and marks the entrance to the event. As you pass through the portals a crowd of zombies lurch around and provide an appropriate transition to the eerie atmosphere inside.

The Ghost Band
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