Gravestones at the Haunted Mansion
Just before you enter the Haunted Mansion in DisneyWorld, you will see a fictional graveyard.
In the graveyard are 13 regular headstones. (How appropriate!) There are two honorable mention gravestones.
The graveyard starts over by the interactive waiting queue and finishes right up to you get inside the Mansion. The best view of the graveyard is to be on the left of the line.
Epithets List
Here's a list of all the epithets that you can see, in the order that they appear:
- Dear Departed Brother Dave - He Chased a Bear into a Cave
- In Memorium Uncle Myall - Here you'll lie for quite a while
- Good Friend Gordon - Now you've cross the river Jordon
- The Lady of the Opera Our Haunting Harriet - Searched for a tune but never could carry it
- Here Lies a Man Names Martin - The lights went out on this old spartan
- Dearest Dorothea
- Master Gracy Laid to Rest - No mourning Please at his request - Farewell
- Rest in Peace Cousin Huet - We all know you didn't do it
- Here rests Wathel R. Bender - He rode to glory on a fender Peaceful rest
- Here Lies Good Old Fred - A great big rock fell on his head R.I.P
- At Peaceful Rest Lies Bother Claude - Planted here beneath this sod
- RIP Mister Swell - The Victim of a dirty duel Peaceful Rest
- Dear Sweet Leota. Beloved by all in regions beyond now, but having a ball
Many of the original tombstones we a tribute to some of the architect and designers of the Haunted Manions. Check out WDWRadio.com for additional details.
Interactive Gravestone
The "Dear Sweet Leota" gravestone has some motion. About every sixty seconds the head will slightly pop out and the eyes will open for five seconds and then close and the head goes back to normal position.
This happens rain or shine. I have stood in line during some serious downpour and have seen the motion from the tombstone.
Honorable Mention
If you were a major contributor to the Haunted Mansion creation, you may get your own gravestone. Kind of like a Hall of Fame:
- In Memory of Our Patriarch Dear Departed Grandpa Marc
- Requiescat Francis Xavier - No Time off for good behavior R.I.P.
Wikipedia description of Marc Davis - "as a prominent American artist and animator for Walt Disney Studios. He was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, the famed core animators of Disney animated films, and was revered for his knowledge and understanding of visual aesthetics." He did a lot of the design work for the Haunted Manion. Marc Died January 12, 2000.
Legendary Imagineer Francis Xavier "X" Atencio helped develop the Haunted Mansion story line, wrote the theme song's lyrics, and helped come up with the tombstone inscriptions. Still alive!
Memorable Tombs
The "Dear Old Fred" is easy to remember because it's an easy rhyme. It's also the grave you most likely see while waiting for the doors to open.
The "Sweet Leota" is memorable because it's the only headstone that has any interaction.
Future Gravestone?
Maynard at the Haunted Mansion in 2000.
Will Maynard be memorialized with gravestones at the Haunted Mansion?
Many fans at Haunted Mansion in Disneyland feel Maynard makes the ride special. In the early days of the Internet, many Haunted Mansion sites talked about him and some sites posted his working schedule.
I wasn't able to find any new information about the whereabouts of Maynard the famous Ghost Host of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland.
Also surprised that there isn't anything for Thurl Ravenscroft, who's voice you hear as you travel along the Haunted Mansion ride.