3. Tales from the crypt

If you've ever walked past The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, you may have seen a bricked-up crypt in front of the ride with "1764" engraved in stone above it. But what's the story behind this mysterious feature? Rumors have circulated about the crypt for years, with some people thinking it was meant to tie the ride to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and explain that the mansion's owner was Jean Laffite (also spelled "Lafitte"), who was a pirate and privateer in the New Orleans area. (The year was supposedly determined by subtracting 200 years off the birth year of an Imagineer who worked on the project.)

But that's not all — some eagle-eyed fans have seen many more Jean references in the park besides the "Laffite's Landing" sign in Pirates and "Lafitte's Anchor" artifact (shown above) in New Orleans Square, pointing perhaps to a "super theme" that crosses multiple areas of the park. Some props for each of the rides are even pretty similar, so you're left wondering: Were all of these Lafitte mentions deliberate or were they coincidences? Lots more on this "lost imagineering" idea is pondered here at a blog called Long-Forgotten.

4. An even-spookier story?

The overall storyline of The Haunted Mansion is pretty straightforward (your ghost host takes you on a tour), but some fans have wondered if there might be even more to the story beyond its simplistic premise. According to one idea, you commit suicide (or are killed) and become a ghost at the end of the ride. Now how would anyone arrive at such a dark idea?

Consider the following: at the attraction's beginning, your host says the only way to escape the mansion is by dying (as a hanged man dangles above), and during the initial two thirds of the ride, the ghosts only appear in the slightest of ways (thanks to the Pepper's Ghost effect). However, two-thirds of the way into the ride, guests' doom buggies turn backward and descend backwards into in the "graveyard" portion of the ride, where the ghosts are now easily visible, singing happily ("Grim Grinning Ghosts") and inviting you to join them. Some believe that the backwards motion indicated a fall (or a jump) out of the window, and the now-visible ghosts appear clearer because you have actually joined them! Though Disney has never confirmed this version of the story, some fans can't help but wonder if they've stumbled on this attraction's dark secret. 

Do you have your own theories on these burning questions? Or do you have your own Disney questions that have been bugging you for years? Leave us a comment below!