Theme Park Thursdays feature photos from one of our theme park adventures in the past.

Roaming the Netherworld (2007)

During the summer of 2007, the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion was closed for a massive refurbishment. We were camping at Walt Disney World in September of that year, and the Mansion reopened towards the end of our trip. But prior to it coming back online, the construction walls showcased this note from the "Ghost Host." I appreciated how it was written "in theme."

Theme Park Thursdays feature photos from one of our theme park adventures in the past.

The Haunted Mansion from Tom Sawyer's Island (1985)

We return to the Magic Kingdom during our 1985 vacation.  Here, my Dad, sister, and I are sitting on some boxes on Tom Sawyer's Island, looking across to the Haunted Mansion.  Originally, the Mansion didn't have a covered awning, but the hot Florida sun quickly made that a necessity after WDW opened in 1971.  Over the years the awning has changed colors, from white to red to green.  Last year the queue was expanded to include an "interactive graveyard," which in the photo above, would be located on where those trees are on the left side.

And hey, how about those tall socks!

The other day a friend gave me a T-shirt that I just had to write about. The caption says "Freaky Tiki Trio" and it features 3 Polynesian-style characters on the front in odd positions.

Steve enjoys his new shirt!

To the non-Disney theme park fan, this may just seem like some artsy, tiki-inspired shirt. But those of us in the know recognize that this shirt's design is actually a tribute to two iconic theme park attractions… The Enchanted Tiki Room and The Haunted Mansion.

Compare: Hitchhiking Ghosts vs. Freaky Tiki Trio

The 3 tiki statues on this shirt are actually references to the 3 Hitchhiking Ghosts found at the end of The Haunted Mansion, as you can see illustrated above. Thus the description as a "Freaky Tiki Trio." Even the back of the shirt somewhat references The Haunted Mansion by using the phrase "We've been dying to luau!" — this is a callback to the line "We've been dying to meet you!" at the end of the Mansion.

Overall, it's a clever design for a non-official Disney shirt… and it looks sharp too! If you'd like your own, pick one up at Tikified.com. And to the friend that sent it my way… thanks again!