It was a hot summer day in 1969, and it had seemed like decades waiting for the Haunted Mansion to open at Disneyland. The line twisted and turned all over the various gardens of the mansion and took a good 2 to 3 hours to get in... but it was well worth it!

My first impression was one of awe when the stretch paintings stopped and I saw that skeleton hanging in the rafters. But, nothing captured me more than the ballroom scene. Being a lover of all special effects, I was flummoxed as a young 14-year old. How did they do that!? When I finally discovered the secret, I would make little dioramas to recreate the effect.  Decades later, my own son would follow in my footsteps, only he had the advantage of Legos to make his.