Walt was a stickler for authenticity...

...and Liberty Square is the best example of this.

M.K. - Liberty Square

The Haunted Mansion

            I love Disney World (I've mentioned that, right?), but this used to be my least favorite area in Magic Kingdom.  However, there are many interesting hidden secrets in this area that many people don’t realize, which really add interest to Walt’s vision.  For instance, have you ever noticed that the doors all have two-digit numbers posted on them in this area?  If you add an “18” to the front of that number, you are suddenly given a date, corresponding to when this style of house would have been popular.

            Another weird, but interesting fact about this area: there are no restrooms in this area, except in the restaurants where it is required by law.  Because there were no indoor toilets in colonial times, Walt Disney’s desire was for this area to be authentic.

Of course I like the Haunted Mansion (we’ll get back to this in a minute), but I think the Hall of Presidents is boring.  Yes, the animatronics are amazing in the Hall of Presidents and the show itself is classic Disney-nostalgia.  But, unless you need a twenty minute break from the heat and sun, I try to avoid the Hall, unless my husband makes me go in (although, I have seen ladies use this attraction as a remote place to breastfeed babies, so its got that going for it).  *Note: Remember the numbers on the door?  The number on the Hall’s door corresponds to when the United States Constitution was ratified.

The Liberty Square Riverboat takes you around the lake in between Frontierland and Liberty Square, going past Tom Sawyer’s Island.  But the real attraction in this area is, of course, the Haunted Mansion.  999 ghosts live here and they have no problem making that number a nice even 1,000 with the addition of you!  In fact, when you enter the graveyard section of the ride, note the Caretaker’s face.  He’s looking directly at you and he is scared because you have become the 1,000th ghost.

For all of my Big-Bellied fans, the Riverboat and Haunted Mansion both have turnstiles.  Also, the Doom Buggy bar has to click in place inside of the Haunted Mansion, so you may have to suck that belly in!

As for shopping in this area, it is limited.  There is a small cart outside of the Haunted Mansion selling Nightmare before Christmas paraphernalia, but the only store is the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe.  As you can imagine, it sells Christmas items.  It’s a fun store to stop in, but it is one of the pricier souvenir locations.  Outside of the Shoppe is another cart, selling parasols for little girls (or big girls, if its particularly sunny!).