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| The Haunted Mansion in Florida |
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I remember walking up to The Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World in Orlando when I was very young, probably 4 or 5 years old.
As I approached the menacing estate, I recall hearing the echoes of a dog or wolf, howling. That was enough for me. I didn't want to go inside.
I was often a stubborn kid. When I didn't want to do something, there really was no way to force me do it, lest I throw a tantrum. In this case,
I didn't want to enter The Haunted Mansion. However, my dad knew something that I didn't. He knew that I would enjoy the attraction, despite my
feelings from outside the exterior of the manor. He quickly told me there was nothing to fear as it wasn't a Haunted Mansion after all, but rather
Cinderella's Castle. Through a young child's eyes, the brick-construction Mansion in Florida could resemble a castle, so, after some reassurances,
I reluctantly approached the entrance.
We waited briefly before the large closed double-doors, giving me just enough time to take in the sight of the nearby freshly tended-to graveyard.
Suddenly, the doors flew open and the next sight that I saw was that of a grim butler emerging from inside. He quickly exclaimed,
"We only want live bodies, not dead bodies," or at least that's how my dad and I remembered hearing it.
From that moment on, the entire experience of entering The Haunted Mansion for the first time is a bit of a blur. I remember being absolutely
fascinated by the happy haunts and playful spooks that reside there. I also recall being startled by the ghosts popping up in the attic near the
ominous bride with her obvious red, beating heart. One thing I don't remember is being scared. I thoroughly enjoyed The Haunted Mansion and from
that moment on, its imagery, sounds, and even smells became ingrained into my psyche.
Years went by and The Haunted Mansion became more and more a part of my life. My dad would often joke at night, "We want live bodies..." Every
Halloween, I tried, even at a young age, to entertain trick-or-treaters with interesting and original creations.
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| Haunted Mansion room in our house |
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Today, my fascination with the Haunted Mansion has grown to the point where my wife and I have dedicated a room in our house to the Haunted Mansion.
It is complete with wall-to wall creeps and hot and cold running chills... as well as countless pieces of Haunted Mansion art and collectibles.
Thus I find it both ironic and inevitable that a mere couple of weeks after finishing the decorations in our Haunted Mansion room, I read of a contest
where I could actually get the chance to become that butler I witnessed so many years ago. Better yet, I could be a butler in the original Haunted Mansion
at Disneyland in Anaheim. Not only could I get a chance to create Disney magic, but I could possibly do so in Walt's own footsteps.
It was clear to me that everything I had experienced since I was 4 or 5 years old was leading up to this opportunity and I had to seize it.
Utilizing my newly finished Haunted Mansion room as a set, I dressed up in my only coat and pants and quickly scripted out some lines that would hopefully
demonstrate how much I wanted to be a butler at the Haunted Mansion. My wife suggested that perhaps Madame Leota could lend a hand... or at least a head.
We completed the audition video in a matter of a couple hours and sent it off to be judged.
A couple of weeks after submitting the video, I received an email from Career Builder letting me know that I was a finalist. I had to fill out some eligibilty paperwork and upon their receipt of that, I'd officially have made it into the
top 20 (out of well over 100) Haunted Mansion submissions.
Shortly thereafter, the voting process began. It was not unlike American Idol in that any individual could sit and vote as many times as he/she could handle. Unlike American Idol, the voting period was nearly a month long. My wife estimates her
total vote count for me at over 25,000! There was a lot of campaigning going on amongst most of the finalists and we knew we had to do everything we could to get votes. I enlisted the help of the listeners of my podcast.
Weeks later, thanks to the help of thousands of voters across the globe, I was chosen as one of 25 lucky winners to live out their dream at Disneyland. I
was to be one of five Honorary Haunted Mansion Butlers for a weekend.
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