I haven't seen it written anywhere in this website. And perhaps it was
only done in 2003 as a precursor to the Haunted Mansion film release, or maybe it was only my specific trainer that led us through the park before visiting
hours that included so much of the mansion in the tour. But, my crew of brand new cast members was taken to the cue of the Haunted Mansion and taught about
the precision and perfection necessary when an employee of WDW, using the gardening as an example of how important every detail of the park is and how the only
color we will ever find in the vegetation surrounding the structure is in the carefully selected blood red of the roses.
Then it was story time. Our trainer chilled us all with a bit of good old fashioned story telling. He spun the tale from his memory and imagination, using no written literature or cue cards. Obviously passionate about what he was sharing, our trainer explained that our ghost host was known as Master Gracey in his corruptible mortal state and that in his woe he had hung himself from the rafters of the mansion. I wish so greatly that I would have written down the story when I returned to my new home in "Vista Way" College Intern accommodations, but I didn't.... so I have to turn to my own faulty memory for the rest of the story. When the film came out I noticed that the plot did not follow that of the legend I'd been told, and I questioned whether the trainer had made it all up himself based on the scenes from the ride. However it is abundantly clear as I read through this website that he based his interpretation on an incredible history only a true fan with an avid interest in researching the ride's growth from conceptual art to modern attraction can understand.
Master Gracey was a great tradesman and merchant from a respectable, well-known family and the owner of a gorgeous mansion thought to be haunted by an ancient cemetery on the monstrous estate. He was incredibly wealthy and the owner of a fleet of trade ships, but secretly a bit of a pirate at heart. He was engaged to be married to the love of his life and the household was preparing for the wedding and the new edition to their family.
On the eve of the wedding when the household was in an uproar and being turned upside down with cooks and florists and decorators, all planning for the festivities of the following day... the beautiful bride was upstairs with the dressmaker trying on her lovely white gown and veil and trying her best be still for the pinning of the final alterations. The reflection in the looking glass quite took her breath away.
In town, her groom was in a wonderfully good mood ordering the finishing touches for the wedding feast to be held in the great dining hall and ballroom of his home. He was absolutely beaming with joy and elated with excitement and unusually warm and generous, sparing no expense for the sake of his bride and sharing more than a few drinks to his health in the local saloon. The sun was beginning to set though and he returned to his waiting carriage to journey home to his beloved. As he traveled, he noticed three men in the distance: ragamuffins it seemed, hitchhiking on the main road. Out of character, he stepped outside of his normally careful and conservative mindset and told his driver to stop for the men. They behaved so gratefully to Master Gracey for halting his carriage to their aid, bowing and kissing his hand, that he immediately not only offered them a ride, but also invited them to the manor for supper. Little did he know that these were evil men, who began to plot against him as soon as they perceived his obvious wealth, the smell of alcohol on his breath, and his extreme distractability with his mind on his love only as gushed about the wedding the following day.
Master Gracey asked them about their own sad circumstances, but the hitchhikers insisted that on an evening such as this, they must speak only of happy things and give praise for their host's wonderful good fortune. The men inquired about Gracey's business and were thrilled to learn that he had a ship scheduled to leave the port just outside his estate that very night, loaded with goods for trade. The hitchhikers eyed each other greedily, silently deciding that Master Gracey's ship would be their ticket out of town, but not before they robbed him blind.
It was all surprisingly simple for the hitchhikers. Upon arriving at the mansion, they saw how busy all of the household was, bustling about in a sweat about the wedding, uncrating the unused wedding china that Master Gracey himself had specially ordered, carrying in hundreds of beautiful deep red roses selected by the bride for the ceremony, and of course everything must be cleaned and polished down to the last door knocker. Not only were all of Master Gracey's servants hard at work, but many outside workers had been commissioned to help as well, so that when the hitchhikers entered the mansion with their host, they were scarcely noticed. Master Gracey showed his guests to an upstairs bedroom to get washed up, while he had ignored their friendlessness in inviting them to his home, he hadn't failed to notice the dreadful state they were in.
Admiring herself in the mirrors of the adjoining room and still breathing lightly at the sight of the lovely white gown, the bride to be leapt with joy at the sound of her fiancee's voice nearby and nearly forgot in her elation that it is bad luck for the groom to see her in her wedding dress. She quickly darted into the hallway and fled up the stairs into the attic to hide................
TO BE CONTINUED
Then it was story time. Our trainer chilled us all with a bit of good old fashioned story telling. He spun the tale from his memory and imagination, using no written literature or cue cards. Obviously passionate about what he was sharing, our trainer explained that our ghost host was known as Master Gracey in his corruptible mortal state and that in his woe he had hung himself from the rafters of the mansion. I wish so greatly that I would have written down the story when I returned to my new home in "Vista Way" College Intern accommodations, but I didn't.... so I have to turn to my own faulty memory for the rest of the story. When the film came out I noticed that the plot did not follow that of the legend I'd been told, and I questioned whether the trainer had made it all up himself based on the scenes from the ride. However it is abundantly clear as I read through this website that he based his interpretation on an incredible history only a true fan with an avid interest in researching the ride's growth from conceptual art to modern attraction can understand.
Master Gracey was a great tradesman and merchant from a respectable, well-known family and the owner of a gorgeous mansion thought to be haunted by an ancient cemetery on the monstrous estate. He was incredibly wealthy and the owner of a fleet of trade ships, but secretly a bit of a pirate at heart. He was engaged to be married to the love of his life and the household was preparing for the wedding and the new edition to their family.
On the eve of the wedding when the household was in an uproar and being turned upside down with cooks and florists and decorators, all planning for the festivities of the following day... the beautiful bride was upstairs with the dressmaker trying on her lovely white gown and veil and trying her best be still for the pinning of the final alterations. The reflection in the looking glass quite took her breath away.
In town, her groom was in a wonderfully good mood ordering the finishing touches for the wedding feast to be held in the great dining hall and ballroom of his home. He was absolutely beaming with joy and elated with excitement and unusually warm and generous, sparing no expense for the sake of his bride and sharing more than a few drinks to his health in the local saloon. The sun was beginning to set though and he returned to his waiting carriage to journey home to his beloved. As he traveled, he noticed three men in the distance: ragamuffins it seemed, hitchhiking on the main road. Out of character, he stepped outside of his normally careful and conservative mindset and told his driver to stop for the men. They behaved so gratefully to Master Gracey for halting his carriage to their aid, bowing and kissing his hand, that he immediately not only offered them a ride, but also invited them to the manor for supper. Little did he know that these were evil men, who began to plot against him as soon as they perceived his obvious wealth, the smell of alcohol on his breath, and his extreme distractability with his mind on his love only as gushed about the wedding the following day.
Master Gracey asked them about their own sad circumstances, but the hitchhikers insisted that on an evening such as this, they must speak only of happy things and give praise for their host's wonderful good fortune. The men inquired about Gracey's business and were thrilled to learn that he had a ship scheduled to leave the port just outside his estate that very night, loaded with goods for trade. The hitchhikers eyed each other greedily, silently deciding that Master Gracey's ship would be their ticket out of town, but not before they robbed him blind.
It was all surprisingly simple for the hitchhikers. Upon arriving at the mansion, they saw how busy all of the household was, bustling about in a sweat about the wedding, uncrating the unused wedding china that Master Gracey himself had specially ordered, carrying in hundreds of beautiful deep red roses selected by the bride for the ceremony, and of course everything must be cleaned and polished down to the last door knocker. Not only were all of Master Gracey's servants hard at work, but many outside workers had been commissioned to help as well, so that when the hitchhikers entered the mansion with their host, they were scarcely noticed. Master Gracey showed his guests to an upstairs bedroom to get washed up, while he had ignored their friendlessness in inviting them to his home, he hadn't failed to notice the dreadful state they were in.
Admiring herself in the mirrors of the adjoining room and still breathing lightly at the sight of the lovely white gown, the bride to be leapt with joy at the sound of her fiancee's voice nearby and nearly forgot in her elation that it is bad luck for the groom to see her in her wedding dress. She quickly darted into the hallway and fled up the stairs into the attic to hide................
TO BE CONTINUED
