Rotten Apple 907 presents The Haunted Manor: 2020 Review
Rotten Apple 907, Burbank, CA
2020 was supposed to be the 30th year of Rotten Apple 907 doing Halloween mazes. 30 years of a brand new theme every year, designed and built from scratch. Three decades of epic home haunting that has earned Rotten Apple the title of arguably the best home haunt around.
The Haunted Manor by Rotten Apple 907… before the reveal (or at the end of the night).
And then the Coronavirus pandemic struck. And as the case numbers mounted, and the country failed to truly flatten the curve, and a spring surge subsided but gave way to a summer surge, it became apparent that this Halloween season would not be operating as normal. And so, Diane and Preston Meyer and their Rotten Apple team decided to pivot, going a direction most home haunts with mazes have gone this year, and produce a “simple” yard display instead.
This wouldn’t just be any yard display, though. It would be an homage to one of their favorite attractions, the Haunted Mansion. And it wouldn’t just be the classic Disneyland version. The Meyers also adore the sinister, spooky Disneyland Paris version. So it would be a tribute to that iteration as well. A combination that featured both classic and new, their yard display would recreated the dramatic Phantom Manor on their front yard. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, they’d incorporate a haunted show element as well. Like I said… “simple.”
The result of their labors is this year’s Rotten Apple 907 haunt offering: The Haunted Manor, the Meyers’ jaw-dropping love letter to one of the truly iconic theme park attraction franchises.
The right panel contains the study and a coffin with a body trying to escape.
A bold and imposing facade greets visitors as they arrive. For those who come before 7:00pm, it looks like a house in front of the Meyer residence, tall and sprawling, pushing up against the large tree that grows in the Meyers’ front yard. Gothic and ominous, it mimics the notorious Psycho House aesthetic of the Parisian E-Ticket. But a magical thing happens when the show gets going. The three portions of the bottom floor open up, revealing certain iconic scenes from the ride recreated in individual chambers!
To the left, there’s the famous Madame Leota, with Leota played by Preston Meyer himself (and thus continuing Preston’s streak of playing women in Rotten Apple’s haunts). Lip synching Leota’s iconic seance words, the scene is mysterious and moody. In the center, an organize plays a haunting tune next to a man-eating plant—not the one from Haunted Mansion Holiday, but rather, an early concept that never quite made it into the rides. And on the right, the study, with a coffin barely containing a wannabe escapee corpse flanked by several busts on either side and a window into the menacing landscape beyond. Sharper eyes will notice that two of the busts are more than they appear—they’re actually live actors, played by Galen and Martin, two of the core Rotten Apple members!
The middle panel features a skeletal organist and a carnivorous and devouring plant.
The crown of the display comes on the second floor. Centered in the middle of the display the old black widow bride (before she became Constance Hatchaway) perches with her red beating heart, gazing down upon the spectators with cold, lifeless eyes. Played by Diane’s daughter, Melissa, the OG Mansion bride moves with calculated precision, and it’s not exactly easy to tell that she’s played by a live actress! It’s an eerie and chilling frame and one that classic Haunted Mansion fans will love.
From time to time, different show scenes trigger—some centered on one of the panels, and one featuring everyone together. It is this “showstopping number” that might be the most memorable—and the one that injects some fun and silliness into the production. It starts off with familar refrains from the Haunted Mansion ballroom scene before quieting at the hush of the Ghost Host, who whispers for all to “listen…” Unexpectedly, a full on dance party breaks out, with an EDM remix of the “Grim Grinning Ghosts” theme breaking out with colorful party lights and strobes, engaging everyone into the fervor. It lasts for barely a minute, and then the unnerving pallor sets over the scene once more, and the cycle repeats itself.
The left panel features Madame Leota, disembodied head and all!
The scale and scope of this ambitious project is mind-boggling, both in the physical scale and the details incorporated into the display. The facade doors revealing and concealing each scene are genius enough—allowing the display to close up for protection and take on a different character when not operating. The moody study, the phantom’s organ, and drapery and floating props around Madame Leota was incredibly evocative of the beloved Mansion. The architectural features are thorough and realistic, and the overall sound, light, effects and show programming (courtesy of Melissa’s husband, Jason Thompson, and Preston) well matches the level of professionals. It’s incredible to see this all come together.
Rotten Apple 907 continues to demonstrate why they’re one of the best in the game, and this year, they’ve turned a lemon of a circumstance into gold for all fans of Halloween and Disney (and both). The Meyers and their team have done an extraordinary job recreating a delightful amount of spooky magic and revelry that lifts the spirit and brings joy for this memorable time of year. They continue to perform an extraordinary community service by providing something that will be implanted into treasured memories for years to come. An amazing hats off goes to the Rotten Apple 907 crew for their Haunted Manor production!
Things are spooky, with a dark ambiance most of the time, except for the somewhat absurdist but refreshingly addictive dance party that breaks out every few minutes!
Rotten Apple 907 is located at 907 N California St, Burbank, CA 91505 and continues its operation this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from the strict hours of 7:00 - 10:00pm. Be careful as you drive through the area due to pedestrians and traffic. Be sure to wear a mask if visiting and keep social distance as much as possible. And allot a bit of time to cruise the neighborhood afterwards and check out some of the fun home haunt yard displays nearby. They’re pretty cool!
Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.
