I haven't done any research into exactly what this is, but I'm posting it on the blog in hopes that someone reading can educate me.
There's a sign by Splash Mountain with directions to a few places around the Magic Kingdom.
Let's take a closer look at the bottom.
What did it say before it was crossed out in favor of "Haunted Mansion"? I'm not familiar with any backstory that would explain it and neither is anyone else I've talked with. I can't quite make out the previous name of the Mansion. It clearly doesn't say Gracey which would be the only other thing that would make sense to me.
Curious-er and curious-er.
[Note from Hockey Cop: This is the second entry for today. Be sure to look at the photos of Animal Kingdom's Jammin' Jungle Parade as well.]
That is a really good observation, and question, about the Haunted Mansion sign.It almost looks like "Gastley".
ReplyDeleteI've seen that sign so many times but I've never "looked" at it. Great find!
ReplyDeleteAfter some Googling on the subject, I haven't found much of anything other than blog and forum posts asking about it with no real answers.
Now, Gracey Manor was never an "official" name for the Mansion. The tombstone for Master Gracey is a tribute to Imagineer Yale Gracey, just like all of the other tombstones are Imagineer tributes. Gastley Mansion could very well be backstory given to the Mansion by the Imagineers.
One other thing to mention is a post I found on the Doombuggies.com forums about a Dr. E. Everett Gastley who owned a stately mansion in the Hudson River Valley of upstate New York, which is now believed to be haunted. What's interesting about this is the design influence for the Florida Mansion was architecture of the Hudson River Valley.