Haunted Mansion's interactive queue - Disney's Magic Kingdom

Haunted Mansion has always been one of my very favorite rides.  The first time we took the girls to Disney, my youngest decided that since Haunted Mansion was my favorite - well, it would be her favorite too.  So after a walk down Main Street USA with a pause in front of Cinderella's Castle, we marched off to Liberty Square with chants of "Haun-ted Man-shun, Haun-ted Man-shun" for the girls to have their very first ride in a Disney park.  Probably not what most 5 year old children would choose.

The Haunted Mansion has actually changed quite a bit since that first visit in September of 2006.  Shortly after that, the Haunted Mansion closed for long refurbishment.  And we were lucky enough to be there again in September of 2007 - on the day they did soft openings just for annual pass holders (what a score!!).  And then just last year, the mansion got a new interactive queue.

As you go through the Haunted mansion line, you'll come to a cross road.  You can choose the short way or the long way - with the long way taking you to the cemetery.  We always take the long way.

You can find busts of some of the happy haunts that "live" inside of the Haunted Mansion.

We particularly like the twins, Wellington and Forsythia.

 

 You can play a haunting tune on the piano - and you can touch several other instruments that are "etched" onto the sides that will play along with the tune.

 There is also a library where the books come out at random - just push them back onto the shelf.

And naturally, there are the graves.  There are the ones up on the hill.

The captain's mausoleum that also blows bubbles

And of course, Master Gracey.

 

The tombstones are pretty funny.  As a kid, I remember loving the one for Good ol' Fred - a great big rock fell on his head - because Fred was my dad's name.

 

When you exit the ride, there are more mausoleums - and the last time we were there, we found a great photo-op (but a few days later, this wasn't there at all!)

Be sure when you are leaving, that you look to the left as you face Liberty Square and the Columbia Harbor House restaurant - you'll find the pet cemetery there (I forgot to take pictures!).

I love that Disney is adding these interactive elements to so many of the queues - it makes the time pass much faster - and with the Haunted Mansion, we always take the opportunity to wait in the longer line as we soak up all the amazing details that are the Disney difference.

So...what about you?  Do you have a favorite interactive queue?  What is your first ride when you go to the Magic Kingdom?