Haunted Mansion’s Ghost Post Month 3 (REVIEW)

Last week, I once again gathered with my DisKingdom colleague Kristen to review the third (and what we thought final) of the Haunted Mansion Ghost Post subscription box. For those of you not in the know, the subscription was limited to 999 sets, at a cost of $199. One of the kickers was that it needed an iPhone to unlock all of the secrets of the boxes. There was a mystery to solve using the Phantom Radio app from the iPhone store (this app can also be used inside Disneyland in Anaheim, CA to unlock even more fun details about the Haunted Mansion and the fog or mystery surrounding it). Since Kristen got the subscription but didn’t have an iPhone, we teamed up for these reviews since I missed out on the subscription box.

You can view our previous reviews of Ghost Post #1 and Ghost Post #2 at the links provided. I suggest you do, as all three boxes tell an elaborate story.

Before we opened up the final box, Kristen and I enjoyed seeing that the three subscription boxes were not designed the same. Similar in design, each had subtle differences. Each were arranged by a different ghost, and when stack, the design on the back of the box revealed a drawing of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland.

As with the previous months’ boxes, this month came with a selection of items directly from the Haunted Mansion’s Ghost Relations Department, along with a letter which, when made damp, revealed more writing from the ghosts.

Now for the contents of the box itself.

Included in this month’s box was:

• The newest edition of the Grim Gazette

• A saucer, which goes along with the tea cup from the first month’s box.

Now, when the tea cup was placed on the back on the Gazette, the newest tea leaf reading was discovered.

Looks like we will be completing an incantation.

• A thaumatrope

• A spirit board from Madame Leota

• More cards from Madame Leota’s Divination Deck… these magically resemble a full deck of playing cards, including a Joker card (Foolish Mortal). The Kings, Queens, and Jacks were replaced with numerical versions of 13, 12, and 11 respectively. Madame Leota appears on the Ace of Spades.

• A Ghost Portal… some assembly required.

Now, where we last left off in the storyline, with our assistance as human mediums, the ghosts found the Forgotten Room. Now they they have opened the room, some things are coming back to them, but the fog is still very much affecting their memories. Using the spirit board, the Phantom Radio app, and the Brass Bat piece from Month #1 (which is calibrated to iPhones), we were instructed to search both the saucer and the thaumatrope from parts of an secret incantation. From the saucer we get “Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize”… which is part of the famous song from the ride. The thaumatrope brought us another part of the incantation, which is not part of the original song, but is written in that rhyme: “Ghost and Mortals mobilize, to restore what all Ghosts prize.”

NOTE: This process took a long time, as you had to spell out all of the words letter by letter with the spirit board. I do not have pictures of this process, as it required me to have my camera (on my phone) down on the spirit board at all times. After about 15 minutes, we were able to continue.

After we unlocked the full incantation, the Haunted Mansion lifted the fog, allowing the ghosts to travel again. This made it so we could use the iPhone and Ghost Portal to perform the Pepper’s Ghost trick (how a lot of the Haunted Mansion ghosts are done in the ride). For this trick, three of the singing busts come through the portal, appear on the busts, and sing a couple versus of “Grim Grinning Ghosts”. Here is a snapshot of the video.

NOTE: Again, with my phone camera being used, I could not get images of the actual trick happening. However, it was pretty cool.

Madame Leota then had one more trick up her sleeve. In a very long card trick involving ALL of the cards we got in the three boxes, and using the special part of the Gazette, this elabotate trick carefully made it so we flipped over the Ace of Spades (her card) at the end of the trick. We tried it twice and both times her card came up.

Apparently, this proved once and for all that we were worthy… and that in thanks for our help, a thank you gift was on its’ way….

…

WAIT

…

a THANK YOU GIFT?!?!?!?!

Yup! Kristen’s online subscription confirmed that a FOURTH box is in process to being sent to her. Since we have both agreed all along that the $199 cost of the box did not maintain its’ value with these contents, this final gift must be what the cost was really for. It’s awesome for Kristen and others who actually took the time to take part in the mystery. However, online MULTIPLE people have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on sets of these boxes second had… which only guarantee the THREE subscription boxes. So, if they don’t know any better, the individuals selling these boxes can make out like bandits… because this LE 999 collectible (which will most likely be pretty awesome) can fetch a pretty penny on their own. Oh well… like they always say: Buyer Beware…. such Foolish Mortals.

So, with all of that, I was initially going to sign off with these subscription reviews. However, with the fourth box in processing, I guess we have one more review ahead of us. So, stay tuned for the next edition… which will be pretty awesome, I’m sure.