Strange Disney Dream

I had a most peculiar dream this morning about Walt Disney World and rather than forgetting it I’ve run right to my computer to write it down.

The dream began with my daughter and me exiting some cloud themed attraction located in what had to be the Future World area of Epcot. As we walked along I noticed construction was everywhere. Most notable was that the concrete walkways where being replaced with bricks so as to give them an aged cobblestone look. In fact much of future world now had a Victorian age look about it. This struck me as very strange. I did notice a construction sign which I read but at present I do not recall precisely what it said. Something about remodeling being done by the new owner and it was signed by order of “The Quarterman.”

From this point my Daughter and I somehow made the jump over to Liberty Square where we found Jonathan talking with someone I did not know. We sat down and talked a bit. It was at this time that I looked up and noticed the exterior changes to the Haunted Mansion. The entire exterior of the building had changed. It now resembled an oversized carnival ride with rail ways carrying passengers in and out of the façade. The whole thing was painted a light purple and the windows and doors were a dark purple. It made me feel very uneasy. I asked Jonathan if he had seen the changes at Epcot. He said he had not but was aware changes were happening in all the parks. I suggested we all go over and check out the mansion to see what in the world was going on.

Nailed to the front door was a large scrolled note from “The Quarterman” I think it was a warning but I’m not sure, regardless we went on in. Upon entering the foyer we found ourselves literally walking through a dark ride. Everything was bathed in black light. Fluorescent words written on the walls told the tale of the Mansions new and resident owner “The Quarterman.” There were no references to Master Gracey anywhere to be found.

At last we came to a door and waited to be admitted. To the right of the door a painted version of a bust would appear from time to time. The name below the bust read “Quarterman” and the image which shown in the black light was painted in florescence purple and pink. Bright white eyes glared out. Below the bust was more writing. Again I can’t recall what was written but I think it was a limerick about his fate.

(At this point of the dream I’m asking myself if this Quarterman guy could somehow be a real ghost and how the heck is it that he was taking over all of Walt Disney World.)

At last the door in front of us opens and a group of us are escorted by an elderly butler wearing a coat with long tails and a top hat. (He looked very much like Mansfield in Hot Lead and Cold Feet. Which by coincidence or not I had watched only two days ago.)

We were not in the stretching room. Instead we were in a long well lit hallway perhaps 500 feet long, 12 feet wide, and with a ceiling 18 feet high.

On each side of the hall were the paintings you would normally pass on the way to the library. There were also other paintings and again I don’t recall what those may have been of. At the end of the hallway the butler turned toward us and told us the Quarterman tale. What I recall (and this is somewhat gruesome) was that Quarterman had died in a manner related to his name. Simply put, he was drawn and quartered for being a greedy land baron who would stop at nothing including murder to get what he wanted.

After telling us this story the butler stood still, looking straight past us toward the door we had entered from. Someone noticed a small table with a tray on it to the left of the door behind the butler. Someone also placed some money there, apparently as a tip for telling us the story and that is when the next door opened. (hmm greedy indeed)

This room was a study. On the left was a roaring fire and the room itself was decorated with a desk, some books, a lamp, paintings. Everything one might expect to find in an old home office, everything that is with the exception of a way out. The door we had entered from had vanished.

Everyone in our group began to spread out and began moving books, flipping switches, looking behind paintings, all of us where looking for something that might trigger a hidden door. Finally someone picked up a jewelry box, removed two drawers from the box, placed those on top of the box and after setting it back down a door opened up on the wall opposite the fireplace.

It was at this point that my dogs woke me up and so then ended the dream. It was very strange indeed and I’m not sure what to make of it.