Madame Leota: A hovering Icon

As many of you may or may not know. My favorite ride is The Haunted Manson in Disneyworld:

It has been my favorite ride ever since I remember going to the park. This is the first ride that I vividly remember going on when I was six years old and have been infatuated ever since! I even enjoy waiting in line for this ride that is how much I love this ride! One of my forever icons from the ride is Madame Leota.

Here are some interesting facts that you may or may not know about this icon from the Haunted Mansion:

Madame Leota head design was based on a Imagineer named Leota Tombs:

She had a hand in creating a lot of the rides in the Disneyworld and Disneyland parks. For example she created the people in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disneyland:

And also the Haunted Mansion. While creating the ride another Imgineer named Yale Gracey who was also working on the ride. Asked Leota Tombs if she would sit in to post for the head of the lady in the crystal ball.

They decided to keep it and then decided to use another voice actor (Eleanor Audley who also did the voice of Lady Tremaine in the animated version of Cinderella and was the voice of Maleficent in the animated version of Sleeping Beauty) and to do the voice of the head of the hovering head in the crystal ball.

So you hear this voice while circling the seance room:

There is a gift shop outside of the Haunted Mansion called Memento Mori:

Which was Madame Leota’s former home when she was alive. During her lifespan before she became part of the Haunted Mansion. It was believe that she was a witch that was ran out of Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600’s. If you happen to go inside the store you can see some of her items that she had while was alive. There is also a portrait of her when she was alive:

This is Madame Leota’s tombstone outside of the Haunted Mansion and the description on her tombstone is a prediction of what you are about to witness inside.

Until Next time!