One of the Hilarious Benefits of Being in the Parks Late!

The most hilarious time we have ever spent at the Haunted Mansion tonight bar none! We were there super late as it was open late, but on those nights, the crowd usually thins earlier. So we were in a group of us plus about 7 other people to go into the Haunted Mansion late at night. Becky was scared. Chris was energized. We were excited! We were reassuring Becky right outside the door so I think the guy inside heard us. So the doors open and cast member Nick is completely in character. He looks grim and almost dead. He gestures with his hand for us to go in and then follows closely behind us. We go into the first room where the picture turns into a skeleton and then into the "stretching" room. We're already kind of creeped out. Then he does something unusual in here that we have never seen before. Instead of telling us to drag our bodies into the "dead" center of the room like they always do, he tells us to walk towards him as close as we can. So we were already a little weirded out. He then starts to stare at Becky in the eyes and does not blink or break his gaze at all. She is starting to get really freaked out and kind of smiling at the same time. Then Wyatt gets his attention and the same creepy stare. At the end of what happens in this room, the lights go out and you can only see things by the lightening from above. Somehow, and I have absolutely no idea of how, unless he really is supernatural, Nick managed to be there when the lights went out and in 1 millisecond when the first lightening lit up, he vanished. I was so freaked out that he was able to be gone that quickly that I actually said, "Oh my G-d" out loud and I stood and cringed for the rest of the time the lights were out just waiting for what he was going to do next. Somehow, in the dark, in that millisecond, without making a sound, and without tripping over anyone, he ended up right behind me, silently, and I was not that close to him to start with. When the lights came on, I looked for him and he was gone. Then I turned and he was right over my shoulder. I screamed so loud! I think they could have heard me in Illinois! The whole room of people could not stop laughing all the way through the ride and afterwards, us included. I was so freaked out, but also had the best time ever! It was truly hilarious and he was just spectacular and stayed in character the whole time-even when I screamed. He did not break character. After the ride, I went to guest relations and told them that he was wonderful and we were so impressed and how much fun we had with Nick. I half expected when I walked up to the counter that they would say that they had no Nick working at the HM and that the ride had been closed for an hour. Eerie!

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