Is there a real story behind the Pirates of the Caribbean and the HM?

[lazyboy97O]

Don't forget that at one time the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean were linked. I believe that this was back when both attractions were more like wax museums.

[SteamboatUter]

When i went through "once Upon a Time is NOW" training at The Magic Kingdom in WDW, they told us a story about how The Mansion is a real building, it was found on the property when Walt bought it. He saw it, and liked it, and wanted it for his park. So he went to the county and got all the records and newpaper articles he could about this fabulous creepy old building. He found it belonged to a man named Gracey, a rather wealthy man. He fell in love with a peasant girl that worked for him. They loved each other madly, and they decided to get married, against the wishes of his family. Gracey's butler killed his soon to be bride in the attic. Gracey was devastated, and hung himself in the highest tower, in order to get to his beloved as quickly as possible.

this story may sound a lot like the movie, and that is because, i was told, that writers went to established HM CM to ask them if they had any stories... i dont know if that last part is true, but that is what i was told... hope you enjoyed it

[Jessicalover]

There indeed was a story for the Haunted Mansion. Here it is (this is take from the Disneyland Detective book):

In 1810, a wealthy sailor, Captain Bartholomew Gore, built this Southern-style house for his young bride, Priscilla. Just before the wedding ceremony, the groom left to sail the sea and asked his bride to move into the mansion and wait for him. His one request was that she never enter the attic.
Many months passed . Fearing that her lover had died, Priscilla decided to learn his secret. She entered the attic and opened some old trunks. There she discovered that he was a bloodthirsty pirate. Just as she closed the trunks, Bartholomew appeared behind her. In a rage, he hacked his fiance's head off with an ax. Realizing that he had just killed the woman he loved, he hanged himself from the rafter's in the attic. Priscilla's ghost still haunts the mansion, her glowing heart a symbol of her enduring love. Over the years, other ghost have come to stay at the mansion, some taunting the bride by poping out of unexpected places and screaming "I DO". Eventually many other spirits have come to "live" in the house: "999 Happy Haunts... But there's room for one more".

So there is the small conection to POTC as well. Like I said this came directly out of the Disneland Detective book. It is written by Kendra Trahan. It is an excelent book to find all kinds of DL little known facts and other trivia things as well as some of the many hidden Mickeys at DL.

[MasterGracey]

Originally Posted by Jessicalover

There indeed was a story for the Haunted Mansion. Here it is (this is take from the Disneyland Detective book):

In 1810, a wealthy sailor, Captain Bartholomew Gore, built this Southern-style house for his young bride, Priscilla. Just before the wedding ceremony, the groom left to sail the sea and asked his bride to move into the mansion and wait for him. His one request was that she never enter the attic.
Many months passed . Fearing that her lover had died, Priscilla decided to learn his secret. She entered the attic and opened some old trunks. There she discovered that he was a bloodthirsty pirate. Just as she closed the trunks, Bartholomew appeared behind her. In a rage, he hacked his fiance's head off with an ax. Realizing that he had just killed the woman he loved, he hanged himself from the rafter's in the attic. Priscilla's ghost still haunts the mansion, her glowing heart a symbol of her enduring love. Over the years, other ghost have come to stay at the mansion, some taunting the bride by poping out of unexpected places and screaming "I DO". Eventually many other spirits have come to "live" in the house: "999 Happy Haunts... But there's room for one more".

So there is the small conection to POTC as well. Like I said this came directly out of the Disneland Detective book. It is written by Kendra Trahan. It is an excelent book to find all kinds of DL little known facts and other trivia things as well as some of the many hidden Mickeys at DL.

The "Captain Gore" storyline (in its original format) is explained in Jason Surrell's book "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies" and is one of the MANY story treatments that the Haunted Mansion went through. I would post the original Captain Gore storyline that Surrell's very thorough book, but I can't because I'm not at home.

Nevertheless, its not the story of the ride as it is today. The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland as we know it right this minute has no real storyline.

SteamboatUter's story is interesting, and may be a story told to Cast Members at WDW just so they can answer guest questions... But DL's HM honestly doesn't have a storyline. That's why the Haunted Mansion movie had to rely HEAVILY on the use of stories created by fans and CMs and work it into a storyline that would work for the film. They didn't really do too great of a job as we all know, but that's a different story for a different thread.

[aerinpegadrak]

Not officially. The popular Master Gracey storyline, especially the variant that linked the Mansion to PotC and (less credibly) the Columbia, was a fan legend quietly adopted by WDI, that is now being quietly abandoned with the "fleshing out," so to speak, of the Bride's backstory.

[Redsix]

There is a story here to tell!!!
A sailing vessel found its way up the dark waters of the River of America. A horde of hungry pirates disembark the wicked ship looking for a Long John Silvers. Only to find an empty churro cart, the pirates attack the cart in anger. Finding no booty in the cart they march to the center of NOS. The Captain of the ship a ruthless pirate captured many other galleons, killing over five-hundred men in cold blood. He would tear the captains’ hearts out and swallow them whole. Often forcing his victims to eat their own lips, he was caught and imprisoned... for tax evasion. After his release he got his crew back together to bring down the town that imprisoned him. The Captain knew he was moments away from getting his revenge as he stood outside Club 33. Inside Club 33 the over privileged country club snobs wait in terror. The Captain’s crew burst through the door and began looting and taking down the establishment. Finding the mayor George Bush hiding under a table, they pulled him by his ankles towards the street. Taking the mayor through the streets of NOS, before slam dunking him like Shaq playing one on one on Kobe in the wishing well, they set fire to NOS and end up taking all booty from the town. The Captain tells his crew to march out of the city with all the gold. On the way out of the city the Captain meets a run away bride, which she in turns tells them about an old house that was well kept. The whole crew ends up moving into this house and lives a long happy life until the Captain hangs himself due to his bride charging up all the credit cards and would not let him watch Monday night football on ESPN. Some how the house became haunted, but that is another story…

Disney changed the story (just a little) for POTC and they found they had another story for HM also.

[ah schucks]

There is some truth to a rumor that the original inspiration for the two stories was derived from a french tale that was applied to New Orleans about a captain that left his bride and went to see never to return, she locked herself in the house and died---thats about where the similarity ends...the ghosts and pirates are motifications as far as I have heard.

[Hilsbro]

well it is always great to think the stories are connected....