So as a part of our celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion here at Theme Parks and Entertainment, we thought we would start a new series, showcasing the lives of the Happy Haunts of the Haunted Mansion. Today we will begin with the mysterious character of Madame Leota.
Now originally we knew little of the life of Madame Leota, other than that she was some kind of magical being. But a recent event built on her backstory.
Just outside the Haunted Mansion in the Magic Kingdom is Memento Mori, which is said to be where Madame Leota lived. She is rumored to have been a survivor of witch trials that were common throughout New England before coming to Liberty Square.
Then after moving to Liberty Square, she set up this shop featuring mystical objects, including an object capable of taking photographs. Not mystical to us, but in the American Revolution this would have been magical. But the photos always seem to have a supernatural gleam to them. It might be worth getting one on your next trip, as even though Madame Leota is in regions beyond, others still run her shop for visitors.
But if we go by the original Disneyland Mansion we get an entirely separate backstory. Now they could both be true, but it adds entirely different details to her life.
Leota during her life had a Vardo which she traveled with working as a Medium, which is still parked outside the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. This points at her being Romani and having traveled as a medium. This could explain her presence in three haunted attractions in very different locations. She could have traveled the US, making stops in New Orleans, Thunder Mesa (the home of Phantom Manor, where she also appears), and eventually set up a home in Liberty Square. Her spirit took up residence in places she worked in as a medium.
Just to qualify the last bit of backstory, we do not know if Phantom Manor and the Haunted Mansion coexist, but based solely on her own story it is entirely possible that all three versions of the mansions could coexist (timeline issues aside).
So that is what we can piece together about the life of Madame Leota. A traveling medium who came to live and rest in Liberty Square, haunting three separate manors for all eternity from regions beyond.
Do you think we missed anything from her backstory? Let us know in the comments!
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