Tuesday, August 9, 2016

The Haunted Mansion Game - 1975


In honor of the 47th anniversary of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, today we have the Haunted Mansion Game. Lakeside Industries began manufacturing this game in 1975. I'm not sure when they stopped production, but I remember buying mine in 1978 (at a majorly discounted price) from a local drug store that was going out of business .


Even though "Walt Disney World" is above the name, it's Disneyland's Haunted Mansion that is depicted on the front of the box. However, both Disneyland's and Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansions are represented on the sides of the box....


....as well as the sides of the game "board".



Disneyland's Haunted Mansion is used again on the back of the game board backdrop.




Here's the other side of the backdrop, which features several scenes from the famous attraction.



The Stretching Room:



The Ballroom:


The Attic:


The Graveyard:


And the Dungeon. Wait, I don't remember THAT scene from the ride!


Game play on the board proceeds through various other scenes from the attraction.


The "Endless" Hallway:


The Corridor of Doors, the Seance Room and the Conservatory:


More of the Graveyard:




A player's direction on the board can change very suddenly. When someone lands on a space marked "spin", they must move one of the interlocking wheels a quarter turn, which ends up rotating all of the wheels, as well as the pathways.


Rotating the wheels will also move all of the Mansion's "characters" on the board. If the ballroom dancers, opera singers, or hitchhiking ghosts end up touching or knocking over a game piece on one of the paths next to the rotating wheels, then that player must go to The Dungeon where they must stay until they roll a 1 or a 6 on the dice.





When approaching the caretaker, if his lantern is red, a player must make a left turn.


If the lantern is green, a player may proceed in any direction.


The playing pieces are in the shape of Doombuggies! This blue one however, reminds me of an Atomobile from Adventure thru Inner Space!


Here are the full game instructions in case anyone is interested in reading them.


Lakeside also manufactured the "Walt Disney World's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" game around the same time as the Haunted Mansion game. I have that game as well and will post photos of it in the future. To see a pic of it now, plus additional pics of the Haunted Mansion Game from a 1975 & 1976 Lakeside Sales Guide, click here for a post from the blog, "And Everything Else Too": Lakeside Sales Guides.

Happy 47th anniversary to a true Disneyland classic!

22 comments:

Chuck said...

Oh, man - I've been waiting for this post for eight months! I never had this game, but a Haunted Mansion-mad friend of mine did, and we spent hours playing it. I remember when he first got it, we spent a lot of time just admiring the artwork. I'm doing the same this morning.

I had forgotten the game mechanics, especially the turntables, but now I can see how that added to the fun of the game. Your copy is in immaculate condition. Is this the one you played with as a kid?

Major Pepperidge said...

Very nice - if only you had known just how crazy the mania for Haunted Mansion stuff would become in the 2000's! You could have purchased several of those "reduced price" games. I've never seen such detailed photos of it before, thanks!

TokyoMagic! said...

Chuck, Eight months? Sorry, for making you wait so long! I'm trying to remember, did I mention that I had the game, but was waiting until August for the Mansion's anniversary? And yes, this is the one that I played with as a kid. Actually, I was in junior high when I bought this, but hey, the box does say "Ages 5 AND UP"! Even the games that I have going back further than this are in pretty good shape. I guess I wasn't a very destructive kid!

Major, I should have bought every single one of them on the shelf! Actually, I haven't thought to check and see what these are going for......not that I would part with it!

Chuck said...

TM!, you first mentioned this in the comments discussion on a post last October about the WDW board game...and you did tell me at the time I'd probably have to wait until August. Trust me - it's been worth the wait.

Speaking of Disney games from the 70's, you wouldn't happen to have the Mickey Mouse Rickety Bridge Game, would you? That's another fun memory that I didn't have to go over to a friend's house to play.

Chuck said...

Because the Internet has everything (and I have far too much time on my hands), I stumbled upon a 3D CG fly-around of this game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX02j5dN4vc. Enjoy!

TokyoMagic! said...

Chuck, now I remember! The discussion was familiar to me, but it was the "eight" months that was throwing me off. Thank you for that link.....that was pretty cool! And I do have the Mickey Mouse Rickety Bridge Game. I loved that game! I have already photographed it and was planning to do a post at some point in the future, but I'm not sure when that will be. I can just send you the photos now if you want.....I don't mind. I would need to get your email address though. If you feel comfortable leaving it here in a comment, I would delete the comment as soon as I receive it, but if you don't want to do that, maybe we can think up another way.

Chuck said...

Does Maj P have your e-mail? I could have him send mine to you.

Chuck said...

Or rather, ask him to send mine to you (he's not under my command). :-)

TokyoMagic! said...

Chuck, Major does have my email address. That was actually the "another way" that I was thinking of. Yes, let's not force him! Do you want to ask him?

TokyoMagic! said...

Oh Chuck, if you are on Facebook you could also send it to me in a message at the name "Tokyo Magico" (two words, an "o" on Magic, and no exclamation point at the end). Let me know here if you are going to do it that way, because I don't check that F.B. account everyday.

Chuck said...

Just sent you a message via FB...

Guy Selga said...

That Doom Buggy game piece is so great!

TokyoMagic! said...

Guy, I have to agree with you! They even went to the extra effort of giving the little person in the car an eye and an eyebrow, and also the outline of a leg. They could have just designed it with the silhouette of a head sticking out of the car and been done with it. They did things right back then (most of the time)!

Snow White Archive said...

What an terrific-looking game! A clever design too. The "spin" space and the interlocking wheels are genius.

Looks like you've kept it in good shape, Tokyo. I'm telling you, Disney needs to hire you to work as an archivist.

TokyoMagic! said...

SWA, Thank you! That would be a super cool job! I wonder how many people work in the Disney Archives?

Unknown said...

I am looking for a "Doom Buggy" game piece - any color. Anyone know where I can get one...besides Ebay where they want $50 for 1 game piece?
Joyce

TokyoMagic! said...

Joyce, WOW! If they want $50 for just the game piece, I wonder what the entire game sells for? Maybe someone out there will see your comment here and contact you. Good luck!

Unknown said...

TokyoMagic! They sell from $150 - $350 on Ebay and most are not complete.

TokyoMagic! said...

Joyce, thanks for that information. I had no idea!!!

Unknown said...

TokyoMagic - You're welcome. Do you know of anyone selling a doom buggy game piece or even borrow one? I could make a cast of it and send it back to them.

TokyoMagic! said...

Joyce, I don't, but if I see or hear of one for sale (for less than $50!), I'll post the info here in a comment!

Anonymous said...

If I only had TWENTY copies still sealed. They could be sold for AT LEAST $10,000 EACH.